Are traditional games being lost to the young generation?

Editorial by Khmer Circle

Well, name something that is not being lost in the Kingdom of Wonder?

Just a few days ago a western inspired 'pop ban' with scantily dressed female members saw fit to 'strut their stuff' in the foreground of a prominent high school in the capital before an audience of young children and adults. This 'show' might have fallen within many's idea of "democratic freedom of expression", and for those pushing for "sexual liberation" and "gender" related freedoms, it could have done no harm to society or morality, right? Not quite. Whereas people caught committing "sexual crimes" during the rule of Democratic Kampuchea were liable to be condemned to the death sentence or other severe forms of punishment, the country has been going the opposite extreme in this matter since then.

Poverty, Vietnam's influence and control over the country since 1979, leading to the spreading of mass prostitution [The Vietnamese had historically used women to serve and advance a given set of imperial political aims, but there is a case for noting that the mass influx of Vietnamese prostitution post-1979 in the country has exceeded anything witnessed in history! The immediate effect of this kind of presence is to sap the moral and physical vigour and foundation of the host nation, rendering it paralysed and thus further susceptible to external influence]; the anti-intellectual purges under the preceding regime as well as this present one; the fear of many an educated person in commenting or speaking out on any social issue affecting the nation or society; these realities have all combined to make Cambodia poorly 'governed' and blindly led in the context of culture as well as politics.

Of course, when one speaks of 'governance' it is not just the political domain that one has in mind, though politics and political culture do pattern - for better or for worse - the governing process. It isn't just a band of impressionable girls and boys doing what they perhaps feel to be a service to their society and peers [often 'seen' as outwardly "sexually repressed" by prevailing social norms] that are troubling and out of bounds in terms of what could ultimately backfire against them and their generation, but apparently, so does everything else that sadly confronts life in the country today, from health, education, poverty, environmental degradation and destruction etc. to general decline in everyday speech and the Khmer language and morality - all falling under this arch of "corruption".

It is not enough that the Cambodian youth can now enjoy these social platforms and widows such as social media and the like and, that they should be left alone to pursue their own dreams and creativity per se, because these youths [and some of them have become grown-ups and guardians to another successive generation of youth themselves] are products of an acute case of mal-nourishment of the worst kind. Even a cursory look at what many of them say and write on Facebook would confirm evidence of this cultural poverty and deprivation. However, should that not be sufficient, observe the public behaviour and conduct of their infantile "PM" and one will see what I mean...

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Wed, 10 April 2013

Mer Chanpolydet

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Students play a traditional Khmer game during break time. Photo Supplied

The arrival of New Year means that young people will have lots of time to play games. Known as “Cambodian popular games”, the games provide a bit of fun and relief from work during the holiday period. They also allow the players to get exercise.

Rann Sothea, 23, of Kandal province plays a classic Cambodian game with his friends called Angkunh. Played with two teams, one team “stands Angkunh” while the other team tries to knock down the standing Angkunh. After the Angkunh is taken down, it is the other team’s turn to take down the opposing Angkunh.

Angkunh, like many other Khmer games, was once very popular. While the game is still played throughout the country, An Chheaheng, deputy director at the Department of Performing Arts, says that the rules of the old games have changed over the years and are now much simpler.

Chheaheng said that young people only play the easy parts of classic Cambodian games. Although he is glad that young Cambodians take interest in the old games, he is concerned that they are not preserving the original rules.

“It is a good idea that Cambodian youth play popular Cambodian games. None-theless, they should follow the original rules rather than only play the easy parts of these games. If they do not follow them, the original rules will be lost.”

Another plays throwing Angkunh. Photo Supplied

The rules for classic games are defined in the Cambodian Popular Games book, which was published in 1964. With Angkunh, the game is traditionally divided into six different moves: throwing the Angkunh from a standing position; hitting with fingers on the knees; hitting with fingers on the ground; rolling from a standing position; putting the Angkunh on the insteps of the feet and then throwing it; and throwing as punishment. If a player does not follow the steps properly, he or she will be punished in different ways, with blindfolding being a common punishment.

When the game is finished, the winners hit the knees of the losing team. While the game’s rules today are similar to the original, they lack the same complexity.

Angkunh is not the only traditional popular Cambodia game that has changed throughout the years. Although the games Chhoul Chhoung and Leak Korn Sen involve the hard hitting of opponents, for instance, young players of the game now barely tap their opponents.

Phal Saravuth, deputy director of the Fine Arts School, said that players might not be comfortable hitting the other team because they are worried they may cause an argument.

Another game known as Sey Peng was once played with the soles of the feet, but is today played with the palms, knees, elbows or insteps of the feet. And instead of using a traditional sey ball, which is made from rattan, it is common for the game to be played with a football.

The changes in rules for these games is not entirely bad. It provides evidence that Cambodian culture is developing. However, the traditional games will be lost when Cambodian young people care less over the original rules. The next generation may never know how Cambodia’s traditional popular games were once played.