Cheng Sokhorng

The abrupt cancellation of this year’s Water Festival has had an economic fallout on small businesses that see the annual event as a windfall for their marketing and sales efforts, and had already invested in promotional materials.

The cancellation marks the fourth time in five years that the government has pulled the plug on the three-day annual celebration, which traditionally draws hundreds of thousands of people to the capital for its boat races on the Tonle Sap river.

Prime Minister Hun Sen signed a government directive on Saturday stating that the cancellation was due to the river’s low water level and drought concerns. Pundits, however, suspect the decision was aimed at preventing opposition parties from mobilising the expected flood of visitors to their advantage.

read more: http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/water-festival-cancellation-brings-drought-capitals-vendors

Seems that Prime Ministerial political-paranoia has no borders – the plug has been pulled, again!

Lack of water has never stopped the people of Alice Springs (in Central Australia) from holding their annual Henley-on-Todd Regatta (http://www.travelnt.com/en/alice-springs-and-surrounds/events/henley-on-todd-regatta).

Only time it gets cancelled is when the river is in flood!

I dare the junta to ban Sonkhran, please.

Please ban Sonkhran, save water.