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Cambodia is
seeking to bring a halt to the sale in
Vietnam of offensive sandals depicting the
famed Angkor Wat temple, the country's
national symbol, the government's top
spokesman said Wednesday.
Information Minister Khieu Kanharith
also said Cambodian authorities are trying
to find out where the sandals, which have
been sold in recent days in the neighboring
Vietnamese province of Tay Ninh , are being
produced.
The spokesman said he received
information on the sale of the flip-flops
last Saturday from his staff in Svay Rieng
Province, located just opposite Tay Ninh and
about 120 kilometers east of Phnom Penh,
Cambodia's capital.
Cambodian authorities have sought
cooperation from their Vietnamese
counterparts, who have since collected at
least 23 pairs of the sandals bearing the
illustrated image of Angkor Wat on the sole.
The sandals were being sold for 50,000
Vietnamese dong, or approximately $3 in four
shops in a Tay Ninh market, according to
Prach Rim, Svay Rieng provincial police
chief.
He said the source of the sandals was
unclear but that Thailand , Vietnam and
Cambodia were all being considered.
The image of Angkor Wat can be found on
other items sold in Cambodia, even beer and
cigarettes.
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Khieu Kanharith, however, said the
offensive product in question has an adverse
impact on the prestige and image of Cambodia
as its national symbol is being stepped on
by feet -- a particularly strong taboo in
Buddhist society.
Another possible factor, not mentioned
by the spokesman, is that Cambodia also has
had a history of territorial and other
problems with its larger neighbors,
particularly Vietnam, which has left many
Cambodians with feelings of ambivalence or
enmity.
Angkor Wat, built between the 9th and
12th centuries at the height of Khmer
civilization, is located 310 kilometers
north of Phnom Penh.
It is part of a World Heritage site
that also includes other artistic
masterpieces such as the Bayon Temple with
its countless sculptural decorations.
Together they form a major international
tourist destination, drawing over 1.1
million foreign tourists last year.
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