PHNOM PENH: Prime Minister Hun Sen has offered a solution to the ongoing dispute over the use of the names "Kun Khmer" or "Muay Thai" at the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, saying that there should not be a push to have the martial arts event labelled under one exclusive name in the region, and whichever country is hosting the SEA Games should instead have the right to use the national name of its choice.

Speaking on the occasion of National Culture Day, during a gala dinner with more than 4,000 artists at Diamond Island Convention and Exhibition Center on Thursday, 2 March 2023, Prime Minister Hun Sen said that this conflict regarding the traditional cultures of countries in the region, especially between Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and Myanmar, has been far too prolonged and is based on ignorance.

He requested a dialogue between the leaders of these countries to reach a compromise so that this shared cultural artefact can be registered onto UNESCO’s intangible heritage list. He added that he wishes to see the joint-registration of Thai martial arts, Khmer martial arts, Laotian martial arts and Burmese martial arts together in the Olympics, and for each country to have the right to choose its own name of choice.

"When competing in Cambodia, we call it Kun Khmer, when competing in Thailand, we call it Muay Thai, when competing in Laos, we call it Muay Lao, and in Myanmar, we call it the name of their original martial arts, can we find a compromise?" he said.

The Prime Minister also expressed his desire to see ‘Sangkran’ registered in the UNESCO tangible heritage list, together with other countries in the region that celebrate the new year during the same time as the Khmer New Year.

Recently, there was a dispute between Cambodia and Thailand over the naming of a martial arts event at the SEA Games, as Cambodia, this year’s host, decided to use the name ‘Kun Khmer’ instead of a ‘Muay Thai’, sparking angry reactions from Thailand who ultimately decided not to send any athletes to participate in this event. Meanwhile, Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha has called for an end to the dispute.