Cambodian Community Day

Mak Theung is a Cambodian 18th century love story torn apart by a cruel act of a mean prince, Pya Noy. It is a love between a peddler, Mak Theung, selling beauty products and his younger wife, Meuy cheuy. They lived happily in the village surrounded by many good friends. One day, the prince and his entourage visited the market place in the rural country where Mak Theung and Meuy cheuy sells their beauty product in a booth nearby. Meuy Cheuy is a very beautiful young woman. Her beauty caught the prince Pya Noy's eyes. He then developed a desire to have Meuy Cheuy as one of his concubines. He ordered his servants to find out about her. The servants reported back to prince Pya Noy that Meuy Cheuy was already married to an older man. Thinking that Meuy Cheuy had no future with a poor older man, he attempted to lure her into loving him. Meuy Cheuy refused as she was deeply in love with her husband Mak Theung. Realizing that he could not convince Meuy Cheuy to love him,  Pya Noy ordered his servants to kidnap her.
The kidnapping by prince  Pya Noy caused an uprising as people saw unjust and demanded the king to release her. The prince tried to convince his father that he and Meuy Cheuy fell in love and there was no coercive act. He also threatened to kill Meuy Cheuy if she told the king the truth.

Perplexing about the truth of the situation, the king ordered a chief justice to hold a people court hearing. The chief justice arranged three trips in which Mak Theung, Meuy Cheuy and prince Pya Noy took part.

In the first trip, Mak Theung and Meuy Cheuy travelled together. Because of his true love with his wife, Mak Theung felt so concerned for Meuy Cheuy carrying the heavy drum. He moved the drum closer to his side so that the drum weight would be heavier on his side and lighter on his wife's side. He told his wife that he had been feeling very sad knowing that she was unfaithful to him. Meuy Cheuy cried helplessly and tried to convince her husband that she still loved him and that what she did was not on purpose because she was afraid of being killed. The eavesdropper reported everything she heard to the chief justice.

In the second trip, prince Pya Noy and Meuy Cheuy travelled together. The prince did not show his concern about Meuy Cheuy carried the heavy drum. He kept the drum in the middle of the carrying stick. He did not care how heavy it was on Meuy Cheuy's side. Not only that, Prince Pya  Noy affirmed his threat to Meuy Cheuy that if she ever told the truth he will kill her with his sword. The eavesdropper reported everything she heard to the chief justice.

In the third trip, prince Pya Noy and Mak Theung travelled together. Prince Pya Noy told Mak Theung that he is a poor old man that does not deserve a love from a beauty like Meuy Cheuy. He said he has power and status as high as a mountain top and Mak Theung social status as low as a worm beneath the ground. Mak Theung humbly replied that he knows he is poor and his social status is low, as low as grass, but he is honest and that he has not done any cruel act. He pointed out that Prince Pya Noy belongs to an elite status as high as the mountain top, but he had destroyed the happiness of innocent people, therefore  the prince is worst than an animal. Mak Theung also reminded the prince that the grass is always higher than the mountain top. Those got the prince even madder. The eavesdropper reported everything she heard to the chief justice.

The chief justice then reported to the king what was happening. The king punished his son and set Meuy cheuy free back to Mak Theung. With a tremendous guilt of infidelity in her mind, Meuy Chey then committed suicide.

In 2007, CCD members and volunteers reenacted two episodes from the story. Episode 1, is when Mak Theung and Meuy Cheuy were on their way to the market place carrying their beauty merchandises. Episode 2 depicts the livelihood of the market place. Both scenes are musical performances.

Enjoy the picture gallery below.

Enjoy the video show below.