Shoe Squabble

The image of the Cambodian flag on footwear sold through an online shoe retailer has sparked condemnation from a senior government official. Footwear featuring the Cambodian flag, including the image of Angkor Wat, is listed for sale on the Web site of California-based Zazzle. “They cannot do that with the flag of Cambodia, as it is the Cambodian soul,” Foreign Affairs Minister Hor Namhong said Wednesday. “Using the flag of Cambodia seriously affects us because Angkor Wat temple is the most respected symbol of the nation.” Hor Namhong pledged to “find this company” and “make a complaint”. A representative from Zazzle said in an e-mailed response, “While we understand and appreciate that our customers have a diverse set of views and convictions, Zazzle is set up to be an entirely free-market enterprise. We simply provide a digital forum [where] artists and contributors can post products of all sorts.”