A Change of Guard

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Thursday 23 August 2012

Khmer Rouge refugee a rare ‘Miss Cambodia’ [Will Phanith Sovann be the first Khmerican Miss Universe?]

Wednesday, 22 August 2012
By Seth Kimsoeurn 
Phnom Penh Post
120822_17
Phanith Sovann, the Cambodian-American who will compete in an international beauty contest next year. Photograph: supplied
A Cambodian-American singer who was nearly killed as a child by the Khmer Rouge will be the first Miss Cambodia to compete in an international beauty pageant since 2006.


Sovann, born in a refugee camp in Kao-I-Dang, Thailand in 1989 to young parents who, orphaned by the Khmer Rouge, escaped to the border, said her family was lucky to have survived.

They were forced to run and hide from Thai soldiers who raided the camps periodically, forcing refugees who did not have permits back to the killing fields of Cambodia.

“My mother always said that my family almost died many times,” she said.

At the age of two, Sovann and her family moved to the US with nothing but a few bags of clothes. They lived in a small garage in California, where Sovann’s parents encouraged her to learn her native tongue, Khmer.


By the time she was six, after performing her first solo in church, her parents enrolled her in piano classes, where she learned how to read notes.

By the age of eight, she had taught herself to play music by ear and tabulate it, and wrote her first song.

In 2004, Sovann won the international John Lennon Songwriting contest, and recorded an original song titled My American Dream.

Sovann is humble about her chances of success at next year’s contest, but believes that taking part is a first step in representing Cambodian beauty.

She said: “I want the world to see that Cambodia is marvelous in so many ways. I have not seen Cambodia represented in an international pageant for a while, so even if I’m not perfect, I want to take that first step.”

The last Miss Cambodia to compete in an international beauty contest was Sun Srey Mom, who competed in Miss World in 2006. She was the first in more than 50 years to vie for the coveted title.

Plans for beauty pageants inside Cambodia have run into trouble in recent years. In 2006, Prime Minister Hun Sen cancelled a Miss Cambodia contest, saying he would not allow the event to go ahead until poverty had been more than halved.

Three years later, a beauty pageant for victims of Cambodia’s millions of landmines was cancelled after the government denounced the event as an insult to disabled people.

Entrants to the competition, which will be held in California have to raise a minumum of $3,000 sponsorship.

Phanin has been given a letter of support from the Cambodian ambassador in the US, at home to back her campaign.

In a letter of support, backing her application, Hem Heng, ambassador of the Kingdom of Cambodia in the US, said: “Your efforts to represent as Miss Cambodia is a brave commitment and a big gesture in your life, which I am sure is appreciated by all Cambodians back home as well as Cambodian-Americans here who have always thought of their native country Cambodia no matter how far away they were compelled to live due to the necessity in one’s life.”

Sovann said she hoped to set an example to young women.

“My hope in doing all of this is to inspire young women and girls all over the world to pursue their dreams. I want everyone to know that you don’t have to have a title to become an ambassador of love, hope, and peace to the world.

“I want people to know that you don’t have to be the tallest, or the most beautiful to represent your country. You just have to have a good heart, compassion, vision, and determination.”

On the day of the event there will be an evening-wear round, a swimsuit competition and each delegate will be questioned. Judges will pick a top 10 to go through to the next round.

To contact the reporter on this story: Seth Kimsoeurn at ppp.lifestyle@gmail.com

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

You have great personality to represent or country Cambodia. Wish you all the best for this endeavous.

Anonymous said...

She looks so sexy and beautiful. Good luck.

Anonymous said...

I do agree with her statement,“I want people to know that you don’t have to be the tallest, or the most beautiful to represent your country. You just have to have a good heart, compassion, vision, and determination.”However, people will not choose her base on her statement alone. It's much more base on her beauty and I think she needs to loose a few pounds or more.

Anonymous said...

Oh! Crab,why a fews # she is thin already,you got a bad eyes sight like Hun sen.No wonder you can not be a judge.

Anonymous said...

She looks so slim, sexy and pretty already. If she lose a few more pounds, she will become anorexic and that would make her not looking good. Go girl, you've got whatever it takes.

Anonymous said...

Hopefully, she won`t be corrupt by the ignorant CPP ambassador.

Anonymous said...

she is so sort look at her hand look like a pieces o choppy sugar can

Anonymous said...

ឱ សុវណ្ណនឹមនួន ស្រស់ស្រីស្ងួន អូនល្អដូចបុប្ផា

ចិត្តបងគួចប្រាថ្នា លើកែវកនិដ្ឋា ជាយូរខែថ្ងៃ

បងសូមបន់ស្រន់ថា សូមស្រស់ជីវាក្លាយជារាជិនីលោកិយ ។


តែ បងគ្មានសង្ឃឹម ថាប្រីយប្រឹម អូននាងប្រោសប្រណី

ព្រោះបងអ្នកក្រក្រី ជីវិតសព្វថ្ងៃ ដូចជាទាសករ

ធ្វើការបម្រើនាយទុន ទុច្ចរិតលួចប្លន់ឃុបឃិតនឹងអាជ្ញាធរ ។


បើ អូនមានវាសនា ជាបវរកញ្ញា បងក៏សូមសាទរ

តែបងសូមអង្វរ មាសតន់តូចល្អ កុំភ្លេចករណី

សូមអូននាងគេចឆ្ងាយ ពីតាទាំងឡាយនៃ CPP អប្រិយ ។