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| Canadian Press |
Saturday, August 19, 2006
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) - Cambodia's government, which earlier agreed to allow a Miss Cambodia beauty pageant this year if the contestants did not bare themselves in swimsuits, has now decided that the event will not be held, an official said Wednesday.
Sim Sarak, a director general of the Culture Ministry, said his ministry has withdrawn permission for the contest after taking into account the views of those opposed to the event.
He said many opinions had been received questioning the propriety and taste of the contest, but he declined to elaborate, beyond stating that critics regarded it as contrary to Cambodian culture and tradition.
Cambodia is predominantly Buddhist and socially conservative. People normally do not talk openly about sex.
The ministry last week informed Planet Communication Ltd., a Cambodian events management company that had planned to organize the Miss Cambodia 2006 pageant, that it was withdrawing permission for the event, said Sim Sarak.
Kem Tola, the company's marketing manager, could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Last month, before the contest was banned, he said that the company had reluctantly agreed to comply with the requirement that the contestants be modestly attired at all times.
Had the contest been held, the winner would have received a prize equivalent to $1,100 Cdn and likely be nominated to take part in next year's Miss Universe.
Miss Cambodia competitions were held in 1993 and 1995, but not in the intervening period, as the government thought it was a waste of money, said Sim Sarak. He added that swimsuits were also banned from the earlier contests.
The reason of banning beauty pageant may be that discriminate female, and in fact it is understandable for the reason of being a conservative country. Yet the problem is the government changed its mind completely. It is not a kind of child's play, is it?
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