Phnom penh: Cambodia’s Minister of Culture and Fine Arts issued a stark warning: a nation that abandons its culture loses its identity, and a secure future can only be built upon the foundation of the past.

According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, H.E. Dr. Phoeurng Sackona delivered the message in a lecture on cultural heritage preservation to trainees at the National School of Administration on Oct. 1. ‘Remembering the past is building the future; abandoning culture is abandoning oneself,’ Dr. Sackona declared. She framed cultural heritage not as a relic of history, but as an active ‘bedrock’ essential for guaranteeing a legacy for future generations.

The Minister pointed to Cambodia’s vast array of preserved historical sites and traditions as irrefutable evidence of the Khmer civilisation’s millennia-spanning achievements. She traced this enduring legacy from its prehistoric roots through the Funan era to the zenith of the Angkor period.

H.E. Dr. Phoeurng Sackona underscored the critical role of the nation’s youth, charging them with the responsibility to safeguard living traditions and cultural practices amid the pressures of rapid modernisation.