Message of Peace from Angkor Wat

The will to walk toward peace has guided Cambodia to realizing its dream of hosting the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. The 64-year wait has finally paid off.

KOMPAS/DIONISIUS REYNALDO TRIWIBOWO

The opening parade for the SEA Games Cambodia 2023 at the Morodok Techo National Stadium, Friday (5/5/2023) evening. Tens of thousands of people packed the contents of the stadium to the outside of the stadium.

PHNOM PENH, KOMPAS — The region’s biggest multisport showcase officially commenced at the Morodok Techo National Stadium, Phnom Penh, on Friday evening (5/5/2023). A series of performances presented by the host carried a message ​​of peace. For the Cambodians, the opportunity to hold the SEA Games for the first time is like a dream come true, at last.

The opening ceremony was highlighted with a display of traditional cultures. The audience was invited to delve into the early history of Cambodia beginning with the birth of the Khmer Kingdom.

Massive LED lights, which looked like a floating giant transparent screen in the air, flashed images of Angkor Wat, the largest Buddhist shrine in the world. Being illuminated, it looked majestic. The screen also displayed Cambodia's traditional art of shadow puppet.

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Defense Minister Samdech Pichey Sena Tea Banh, who is chairman of the Cambodian National Olympic Committee (CAMSOC), said the will to break free from the shackles of the dark past shaped up today’s Cambodia; hosting the SEA Games finally ended 64 years of yearning.

“We waited 64 years to host and now it's a dream come true. All people are very excited to experience this rare moment with a spirit of unity, friendship and cooperation through the development of the sports sector. All elements of Cambodian society have worked hard to organize the SEA Games to ensure this will be a good history for Cambodia," he said in his remarks at the opening of the 2023 SEA Games.

We waited 64 years to host and now it's a dream come true.

The 32^nd edition of the biennial sports gala features over 5,000 athletes who compete in 579 events from 36 sports. Hosting for the first time, Cambodia has made history as the first host to provide free tickets to match venues, free broadcasting rights and accommodation for contingents of participating countries.

Representatives from 11 countries were introduced to the audience in the contingent march during the opening ceremony. The Indonesian delegation consists of 45 athletes and officials led by female swimmer Flairene Candrea Wonomiharjo as the Red and White flag bearer. They represent 599 Indonesian athletes competing in 31 of 36 sports.

KOMPAS/I GUSTI AGUNG BAGUS ANGGA PUTRA

A performer introduces the official SEA Games Cambodia mascot, Rumdul, at the opening ceremony of the 2023 SEA Games Cambodia at Morodok Techo Stadium, Phnom Penh, Cambodia 2023.

Dark times

Cambodia 2023 carries the motto Sport: Live in Peace through which the government wants to show neighboring countries that Cambodia's dark past has passed. The country was once involved in a civil war following General Lon Nol's coup against the government of King Norodom Sihanouk in the 1960s.

The Cambodian people's nightmare continued after the government of General Lon Nol was overthrown by the Khmer Rouge under the leadership of Pol Pot, whose atrocities between 1964 and 1965 killed more than 2 million Cambodians. The Khmer Rouge regime was notorious for its anti-foreign policies and being paranoid about elements associated with the previous administration.

The joy of escaping from the dark times caused by the civil war was manifested in one of the performances at the opening ceremony. It recounted that as soon as the Khmer Rouge era of an iron fist rule ended in 1979, Cambodia started a new chapter as a peaceful country with the citizens being determined to exercise self-rule rights. A group of children were depicted playing happily and studying together on the floating screen with a backdrop of housing and towering buildings.

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“In the past, we lived in a civil war. Now peace has reigned. Cambodian people live in peace. Through the SEA Games, we want to show the beauty of Cambodian culture and life, which is starting to be conducive," said Lean Leak (26), a resident of Phnom Penh. She was a member of a performing troupe at the opening ceremony of the SEA Games.

Such an upbeat mood was also shown by fellow resident of Phnom Penh, Khem Pakrinha (28), who came over with his friends to watch the Games’ opening ceremony. He said Cambodians had been kept in a long wait for the event to happen. Cambodia should have hosted the SEA Games as early as 1963 when the sports gathering was still called the Southeast Asian Peninsular (SEAP) Games. However, it was forced to be canceled due to the political situation in the country.

Welcome to Cambodia and enjoy our cultural performance at this opening ceremony.

Now they have the opportunity to welcome their regional neighbors. In enthusiasm, Pakrinha followed the opening ceremony from start to finish. He never stopped taking selfies with his colleagues. Every time the theme of the show changed, they screamed with joy. "Cambodia, Cambodia!" he shouted along with the entire audience inside the stadium.

"Of course, we are very happy. It has been a long time since 1963 that we have been looking forward to this opportunity. Now [our wait] is finished. Welcome to Cambodia and enjoy our cultural performance at this opening ceremony," he said.

With Cambodia’s past civil war, other Southeast Asian countries can learn how important it is to bring peace for the people. This message was evident through cultural performances at the opening of the SEA Games. Sour sdeuy, Cambodia!

This article was translated by Musthofid.