Cambodia cancels Annual Water Festival due to COVID-19

The Government of Cambodia has decided to cancel the 3-days Water Festival this year, in a bid to contain the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

On Thursday (August 13), Cambodia Government released a letter dated August 11 and signed by Hing Thoraxy, permanent secretary of state at the Council of Ministers. The letter was sent to Kong Sam Ol, Royal Palace Minister and chairman of the National Committee for Organizing National and International Festivals (NCONIF).

The letter said that Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen has approved the cancellation of the annual water festival in 2020. According to the letter, the cancellation was made following the request by the NCONIF.

Ek Tha, spokesman for the office of the Council of Ministers, has said yesterday that the government has good reason to suspend the festival because the authorities have been worried about how to implement preventive measures for the spread of the virus during the event. Through the decision, government can also save the state budget amidst the pandemic.

“At Cambodia’s Water Festival, tens of thousands of people gather to enjoy the traditional event around the river fronts of Tonle Sap and the four arms of the Mekong,” he said.

In regard to total COVID-19 transmission in Cambodia, the country has seen a spike in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks and has reported a total number of 273 confirmed cases and no death caused by virus, till the date. However, 238 patients tested positive to COVID-19 have completely recovered, as of Sunday (August 16).

The annual water festival was originally scheduled to take place from October 30 to November 1 in the capital Phnom Penh. Water festival is the largest annual event in this nation and attracts thousands of locals from rural provinces and foreigner tourists from neighboring countries such as Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.

The Water Festival marks the traditional end of the wet season and the route to Toya Sap (a large lake and tributary to the Mekong) was reversed. As the monsoon rises in the middle of the year, it expands and then changes direction as the water recedes.