Hey Chinese friends & global audiences!
Are you aware that GMMTVs upcoming series 'Scarlet Heart Thailand' is misappropriating Myanmars sacred royal attire & symbols, as well as Chinese traditions without permission or respect?
GMMTV Scarlet Heart Thailand
#Respect
Hey,Thai guys.Looks like you guys miss King Hsinbyushin, Alaungpaya (King Alaungmintaya U Aung Zeya), and his armys bamboo sticks, huh, Ayutthaya?Is that why you used Konbaung-era royal costumes in your production? How shameless can you be? 🤡 @GMMTV#RespectMyanmarCulture
သံရုံးတို့ အမျိုးသားယဥ်ကျေးမူဌာနတို့ကို ဘယ်လို စာတင်ရတာလဲ သိတဲ့သူရှိရင်ကူညီကြအုံးနော်@GMMTV Please learn to respect our nation's cultural heritage and history! Our traditional dress is not a prop for you to misuse or label incorrectly. Respect Myanmars history and identity!
@GMMTV Stop cultural appropriation! Myanmar's Konbaung court dress is a part of our proud history, not Thai/Lanna attire. Do your research and respect our heritage! #ScarletHeartTH#RespectMyanmarCulture
I want to explain why we are speaking up about the cultural representation in #ScarletHeartTH.
Scarlet Heart is already a globally recognized story, and its Thai adaptation has been highly anticipated, especially because GMMTV has cast some of its most popular and well-known actors. As fans, we have waited for this project for over two years, and we understand how much excitement surrounds it. We want this series to succeed, and we want to see the actors we love shine on an international stage.
But supporting a series and protecting our cultural heritage are two different things. One does not cancel out the other.
This is not just an ordinary fictional story that will be watched and forgotten. It is a major production with the potential to reach audiences around the world. A project of this scale can introduce people to a country's history, traditions, clothing, and cultural identity. That is precisely why cultural research and accurate representation matter so much.
When audiences around the world see a costume presented on screen, many may naturally assume that it belongs to the culture of the country producing the series. If a historically significant Myanmar traditional costume is used without proper research, context, or acknowledgment, there is a real concern that international audiences may mistakenly identify it as Thai traditional attire.
The costume in question is associated with Myanmar's historical heritage, particularly the Yadanabon era. Myanmar's traditional clothing did not simply appear without a history. Its development can be studied through historical records, paintings, photographs, and other cultural documentation from different periods. These are matters that can be researched and examined through evidence, rather than dismissed as mere opinions on social media.
Thai productions can portray other cultures, but cultural exchange requires proper research, respect, and historical accuracy. Concerns about a costume’s origins should be taken seriously, not dismissed as unnecessary criticism.
Myanmar is a country whose people continue to struggle for freedom and a better future. At the same time, preserving our history and cultural identity remains an important responsibility. Our circumstances do not make our heritage less valuable, and the challenges our country faces do not mean we should remain silent when we believe our culture is being misrepresented.
To those asking why we are making an issue out of clothing in a television series, please understand this: we can love the actors without agreeing with every decision made by the production team. We can support the artists while questioning the production's cultural representation. And we can look forward to a series while asking its creators to be responsible.
Our criticism is not an attack on Thai people, Thai culture, or the actors involved. It is a request for accountability from a major production company whose work will be seen by an international audience.
GMMTV has had more than two years to prepare a project of this scale. We believe that researching the historical origins of culturally significant costumes should be part of that preparation. We are asking the production team to review the concerns, consult reliable historical sources and relevant cultural experts, and provide clarification where necessary.
We are not asking anyone to blindly accept our claims. We are asking for the same standard we expect from any major historical production: research the facts, respect the cultures being represented, and take legitimate concerns seriously.
Loving our artists does not require us to stay silent about cultural misrepresentation. Supporting entertainment does not mean abandoning our responsibility to protect our heritage. We can do both.
Our history matters. Our cultural heritage matters. And asking for it to be represented accurately is not causing trouble. It is asking for respect.
@GMMTV
#ScarletHeartTH #MyanmarCulture
GMMTV should respect Myanmar’s cultural heritage and acknowledge the origins of our traditional clothing and dance. Our culture is our history and identity, not just a costume or performance. 🇲🇲 @GMMTV
Shame On You
#RespectMyanmar#MyanmarCulture
@GMMTV We harbor zero ill will toward your artists! Despite local laws banning BL/GL, millions in Myanmar passionately love your series. However, using authentic Konbaung court dress as Thai/Lanna in #ScarletHeartTH is cultural misrepresentation. Respect our heritage!
@angdoojujube Calling people to curse just proves you have no historical evidence to debate with. I doubt you have any credible records anyway—simply because you don't have them! 🤣 If your culture is authentic, defend it with facts, not online bullying.
I have one question for Thai people. If you truly believe your side is right, then you don’t need to gang up on people, insult them, or use ethnic prejudice to attack them. Debate with historical evidence and prove your claims with facts.
When you believe Cambodia is claiming Thai traditional attire, you speak up and defend your culture based on history and cultural identity, don’t you? So why can’t you apply the same standard when Myanmar people raise concerns about their own traditional clothing?
You have every right to protect your culture, but so do we. You cannot expect your concerns to be taken seriously while dismissing other people’s concerns simply because they come from another country.
If you disagree, then present historical records, paintings, and credible evidence showing which era and region these costumes actually belong to. Attacking people instead of addressing the evidence does not prove that your side is right.
If you’re so confident that you’re right, then prove it with historical evidence. Stop resorting to ethnic prejudice just because someone questions your claims. History is not about winning an argument; it’s about acknowledging the facts, even when they challenge your own assumptions.
#ScarletHeartTH #MyanmarCulture #MyanmarTraditionalCostume