Thailand Creating Database Of Cultural Heritages

Thailand creating database of cultural heritages

By Pakamard Jaichalard

The Nation on Sunday

As Thailand is considering becoming a member of the Unesco Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, a senior official yesterday revealed that the Kingdom has already registered 50 intangible objects or sites at the national level since 2009, including Khon, Nang Yai shadow play, Manohra folk performance, Mudmee tie-dye clothing and Muay Thai.

Department of Cultural Promotion chief Apinan Poshyananda said the possible move by the department was intended to create a database of Thai cultural heritages; to pay respect, conserve and promote public awareness of them; and to support Thailand becoming a member of the Unesco Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

There were six categories: the Oral History and Expressions, which includes the language as a carrier of intangible cultural heritages; the performing arts; social practices, rituals and festival events; knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe; traditional craftmanship; and traditional games, sports and martial arts.

The intangible cultural heritage registration an urgent matter because they were at risk of being lost due to the world's changes, the influence from outside cultures and the people's lack of awareness as well as their nature of existing only when performed and, when the show is over, could be forgotten, Apinan said.

National Culture Commission expert and well-known poet Naowarat Pongpaiboon said he saw Thai and Cambodian traditional dance postures as similar but the movements and emotion expressed could never be the same as one another.

He also viewed that registering the Thai traditional choreographs with the Unesco was silly because it wouldn't lead to further art and cultural development and would limit the freedom of feeling, emotion and imagination.

Citing that dance moves in Asia were similar and hard to exactly identify the origin, he said that these beautiful performance arts shouldn't be registered as it involved emotions and feelings and was something beautiful that people should learn from one another to develop the arts and imagination.

This matter came to light after Culture Minister Sukumol Kunplome last week said her first mission in office was to reclaim for Thailand recognised ownership of a graceful hand position called "jeeb" - part of traditional dance - and shadow plays.

Cambodia has entered the Royal Ballet of Cambodia and the Sbek Thom, or Khmer shadow theatre, the Unesco Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 200

-- The Nation 2011-08-14