The new Culture Minister Sukumon Kunpluem yesterday said her first mission would be to take back the 'jeeb' hand position in traditional dancing and the shadow play from Cambodia.
"This is the first mission and we will urgently proceed because people are interested and they are both part of the Thai cultural heritage, so if the other country has registered them, we have to find a solution," Sukumon said.
She added that she would discuss with Fine Arts Department chief Somsuda Leeyawanich, in her capacity as a World Heritage Committee member, to find out the details of how Cambodia registered these intangible heritages.
Sukumon will also discuss with Foreign Minister Surapong Towijakchaikul about the cultural heritage registration procedure.
In 2008, Cambodia had the Sbek Thom, Khmer Shadow Theatre, inscribed in 2008 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (originally proclaimed in 2005) along with the Royal Ballet of Cambodia, also known as Khmer Classical Dance, (originally proclaimed in 2003) which included graceful hand gestures including the 'jeeb' hand position. This has the thumb and index touching and three other fingers fanned out.
