By:
• Rin Ousa

• November 6, 2024 , 5:15 PM

PHNOM PENH – UNESCO’s Evaluation Body has recommended that the Khmer krama, or scarf-like woven fabric, be added to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The krama is rich in cultural associations. 

The Nineteenth Session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage will be held from Dec. 2 to 7 in Asuncion, Paraguay. Decisions on inclusion will be made then.

The krama is used in all walks of life as a blanket, bandana, scarf, belt, lower garment, decorative cloth and children’s hammock. It is also used in rituals, ceremonies, festival events and food preparation.

Although it is produced mostly by women, men help by growing and harvesting cotton, gathering dye ingredients and maintaining handlooms.

In July 2018, a krama was added to the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s longest scarf.

Weavers from 20 krama weaving communities spent over five months creating the 88cm-wide and 1,149.8m krama. Thousands of tourists contributed a few centimeters each when they visited the weaving location in front of the National Museum in Phnom Penh.

The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts submitted the information including the history and use of the krama to UNESCO in March 2023 with a request to inscribe krama on the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. 

Cambodia currently has on the UNESCO list: the Royal ballet of Cambodia and the sbek thom, or Khmer shadow theatre, that were inscribed on the list in 2008; tugging rituals and games in 2015; chapei dang veng in 2016; lkhon khol wat svay andet in 2018; and the traditional martial arts kun lbokator in 2022.