Beautiful Miss Grand Cambodia (left) and Miss Grand Vietnam (right)
Let’s talk about their beauty, not the history of their countries!
This year, the official venue of Miss Grand International is Phu Quoc island in Vietnam. After Miss Grand contestants arrived at Phu Quoc, I have seen a lot of comments from Cambodian pageant fans claiming that the island is actually Cambodian, not Vietnamese.
According to Wikipedia (which is constantly verified by editors to ensure accuracy of information), Phu Quoc island is a district of Kien Giang, a province in Vietnam. Therefore, it is safe to say that Miss Grand International takes place in Phu Quoc, Vietnam.
Many pageant fans from Cambodia pointed out that the island used to be called “Koh Tral”. They also accuse that the Vietnamese occupied the island from Khmer (Cambodian) people.
I am not going into depth of the conflict because it is not what I am capable of with only a few hundred words on this blog. Google is free and there are many contrasting sources available for people interested in the territorial dispute between Cambodia and Vietnam.
Instead, my argument is that Cambodian should not claim an island on a Facebook page of a beauty pageant, since it does not bring any change to their demand. If they strongly believe Phu Quoc island was Cambodian territory, they should comment on a historical or political page to express their opinion. Miss Grand International is a beauty pageant, not the United Nations or an international court.
Beauty pageants are events in which the beauties from different nations are celebrated. Pageants fans enjoy these events because of the festivity that they brought, so that they could have a good time and cheer for the representative from their own country (and other countries also). Although some fans might be interested in history and politics, they do not expect to discuss these topics on the Facebook page of a pageant.
The comments claiming Phu Quoc island by Cambodian fans are inappropriate because they are in the wrong place. This act does not help them solve the problem at all. Miss Grand International organization still calls the island Phu Quoc each time they post an activity in this location.
Additionally, not all Cambodian comments have been worded in a polite manner. I observe that numerous fans from Cambodia used derogatory terms for Vietnamese people. Even in a political page, opinions should be expressed in a proper way, which conveys information without insulting and generalizing people who hold different opinions.
It is ironic to note that Cambodian fans are causing trouble for their own delegate. Miss Grand International is taking place in Vietnam at the moment. Should Vietnamese audience be happy with a candidate whose fans insult them? Also, Miss Grand International is a pageant based in Thailand, another country with historical disputes with Cambodia. I wonder whether Thai fans would be pleased if some Cambodians claimed Thai territory (which used to be a part of the Cambodian Khmer Empire).
In short, Miss Grand International is a pageant where I expect to read about its contestants and activities. It is not a forum for angry and divisive political comments.
Pageant Studies 