PHNOM PENH: Prime Minister Hun Sen has called for more support to be given to the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, teaching and encouraging more students to partake in traditional games and dances for the occasion of the upcoming Khmer New Year, in order to strengthen and preserve national culture.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony for Build Bright University students on Thursday morning, 16 March 2023, Prime Minister Hun Sen shared his concerns about the loss of Khmer traditional games due to a lack of knowledge on such traditional practices among today’s school students.

"In the current era of globalization, national identity is very easy to lose if we are ignorant of it, this is not a joke," he said.

On Wednesday, 15 March, the Ministry of Education issued guidelines for traditional games and dances in preparation for the celebration of the Khmer New Year at public and private schools. The Ministry has urged all Cambodian citizens to participate in the preservation and promotion of national culture — including beliefs, customs and traditions — so that it can continue to survive and prosper into the future.

The Education Ministry has also instructed educational institutions to create the right conditions to allow students and youth to play traditional games and practice traditional dances before and during the Khmer New Year.