The Cambodian government has expressed displeasure at Miss Grand Cambodia over the outfits worn by the contestants of the beauty pageant.
Khmer Times reports that Prime Minister Hun Sen has ordered an official review of the competition following public outrage around the event.
Cambodia’s Ministry of Women’s Affairs has also issued a press release expressing its deep regret and condemnation of the Miss Grand Cambodia beauty pageant and said that it seriously undermined the honor, dignity and value of Khmer women.
The ministry feels that organizers of such competitions should be more responsible about how they choose to represent Cambodian women and set a better example for the next generation of men and women.
Authorities in Stung Treng Province complained that a costume worn by a woman representing the province wore an outfit that was too revealing, allegedly showing too much of her breasts and genital area.
Poipet and Bavet cities, however, complained that the costumes representing their cities glamourized gambling – with the costumes being based around playing cards and dice.
Following the outcry around the event, the organizer of the event, Mr. In Sophin, issued an apology ‘to all members of the public for any inadvertent mistakes made’.
The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Ministry of Information has also advised Mr. Sophin to educate himself about the culture, traditions, identities and values of Cambodian women and to work more closely with relevant institutions in order to avoid any intentional or unintentional errors that lead to Cambodian women being reflected poorly on a big stage.
