Cambodia’s Prime Minister has had enough of trucks with musical horns

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet has ordered a ban on musical horns

Rich Booth
Tuesday 19 March 2024 11:20 EDT
Hun Manet shared an imagine of children dancing on Facebook
Hun Manet shared an imagine of children dancing on Facebook (Facebook)

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Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet is fed up with street dancing.

The politician this week ordered a ban on musical horns, after videos posted on social media showed people dancing on roads and roadsides as passing trucks blasted rhythmic little tunes.

Hun Manet, who last year took over the wheel of government from his father, Hun Sen, called on the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation and police across the country to immediately take action against any vehicle whose normal horn has been replaced by a tune-playing one by ripping it out and restoring the standard honking type. He said the measure has already been implemented by provincial authorities, but he wanted to announce it publicly to make sure it was enforced nationwide.

He commented on his Facebook page on Monday that recent social media posts had shown “inappropriate activity committed by some people, especially youth and children, dancing on the roadside to the musical sounds from trucks’ horns.”

An image of children dancing on the side of the road as shared by the Cambodian PM
An image of children dancing on the side of the road as shared by the Cambodian PM ( )

Hun Manet said such dancing affects public order and poses a traffic hazard that is a threat to life and limb, not least of all to the dancers themselves. One video shows three young people dancing in the middle of a road while a large trailer truck coming their way lays down a beat.

The post translated as: “Recently, there have been some posts on social media related to the activities of the people, especially children, youth and children dancing on the streets to the trumpet music of the big cars. Disrupts the order on the streets as well as poses a risk for travel and especially can cause harm to children.

“At the same time, the police in some provinces have taken action by instructing the drivers of trucks to remove the wrong horns and replace the horns, as well as instructing the children to stop this activity. But this measure does not seem to be enough.”

It finished: “Finally, I would like to call on the people, especially the children, to stop dancing on the streets with the trumpets of big trucks to avoid accidents and anarchy on the streets. Also, parents are asked to cooperate and advise children to stop dancing on the streets.”

Cambodia Tuneful Horns
Cambodia Tuneful Horns (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Hun Sen led Cambodia for 38 years before Hun Manet.

For Cambodians, there will be no more dancing in the street.

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