Cultural relics crucial for ‘national identity’
THE General Department of Cultura l Technique at t he Ministr y of Culture and Fine Arts on Sunday expressed concerns that parts of Khmer histor y risk being forgotten if ancient temples, equipment and appliances dissolve wit hout being repaired.
Director-general Hab Touch told The Post that ancient equipment made from copper is part of the cultural heritage of Khmer history.
If the antiques are destroyed, he said the next generation will be unable to explore their cultural heritage.
Touch added t hat t he preser vat ion of cult ura l her itage f rom a ncestors is usef ul i n reflect ing on t he nat ion a nd its a ncestors.
“Those a re ver y importa nt, a past t hat we keep to make t he present r icher. But i f we get r id of t hat past, it wil l be dif ficult because it is one of t he foundat ions of development.
“Development does not start from new innovation; it is based on its identity, its foundations, its culture, its society and its civilisation. Otherwise, we won’t know anything and we’ll lose our identity,” he said.
He stressed that the destruction of old antiques leads to the loss of knowledge.
“Commonly, antique things always embody identity and knowledge, including design techniques.
“It is observed that the foundations of development may have come from the techniques in building temples or other old achievements in the pagodas that were left behind for hundreds of years.
“Therefore, ancestor legacy shouldn’t be destroyed in order to get a new one. It leaves development without a solid foundation,” Touch said.
He called on everyone to take care of the heritage legacy of the previous generations. He said it is the basis for them to understand what belongs to the ancestors.
Earlier this month, the Supreme Sangha Council – the Kingdom’s top monastic body – issued a letter calling for an end to the desecration of archaeological artefacts and the metal fragments in them.
It noted the custom of mixing parts of or complete artefacts made of bronze, silver and gold with new metals and moulding them into new likenesses of Buddhas in pagodas.