Senate President Hun Sen posted late at night to urge that discussion of the bok leak wedding ritual not develop into a conflict between Khmer people and Khmer Muslims. He called for addressing the issue early, rather than closing the stable door after the horse has bolted.
Hun Sen said that at 2 a.m. on February 24, while taking part in a Khmer family song programme, he saw singer Khat Sokhim's explanation concerning the bok leak ritual and Khmer Muslims, as well as an appeal from the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, and decided to respond.
He urged people to understand the longstanding custom, saying that its purpose was not to insult an ethnic or religious community but to express solidarity and mutual understanding among communities and religions.
Hun Sen said the performance includes Muslims helping Khmer people cross water in search of lac. He said he had taken part in the ritual since he was young, and that the weddings of all five of his children, beginning in 1999, had included the ritual with actors playing Muslim characters.
In the post, which included a video, Hun Sen stressed the value of ethnic and religious solidarity and said the country had no such conflicts. He said he was speaking late at night in the hope of promoting understanding before the issue escalated. By Lay Kol.
