Workers install lights on a barge in preparation for the upcoming Water Festival on November 13. Hong Menea
Ahead of the November 26-28 Water Festival in Phnom Penh– with its spectacular boat racing action and floating lantern ceremony – Prime Minister Hun Manet has instructed the National Police and local authorities to guarantee public order and the safety and security of local and international visitors who are expected to flock to the event.
He issued the orders as he met with nearly 20,000 factory workers in the capital’s Por Sen Chey district on November 21. The meeting marked the last of the initial ten such meetings scheduled since he took office.
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“It is just five days until the Water Festival. We have planned concert performances and other entertainment for the domestic and international revellers who will join us for the festivities. However, we also need to guarantee their safety and security,” he said, adding that the festival would see over 300 long boats competing over three days of racing.
Manet explained that Hun Sen, Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) president and head the Supreme Privy Council to the King, has personally sponsored 20 boats. The former prime minster has selected three pairs of boats as special ones that will race in the final.
Phnom Penh municipal police spokesman Sam Vichheka said that the Phnom Penh Municipal Police has already prepared around 5,000 forces to protect safety and security and ensure that the celebrations were secure and went smoothly.
According to local media outlet TVK, King Norodom Sihamoni will grace the festival with his presence on November 28.
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Ahead of the Water Festival, workers prepare a racing long boat at Teuk Thla Pagoda in the capital's Sen Sok district on November 22.Heng Chivoan
The National Committee for Organising National and International Festivals have announced that this year’s festival – the first to be held in the capital since 2019 – will see 338 racing boats competing. The boats and their crews are drawn from local pagodas and communities, often with the patronage of wealthy or important individuals.
Another highlight will be the evening display of barges with elaborate lighting displays. This year will see 30 of them on display along the Tonle Sap River in front of the Royal Palace, each one representing a particular government institution, unit of the municipal administration.
