A Vietnamese lawmaker is urging stronger protection for ethnic cultural heritage as commercial use expands. Understanding her concerns helps us see why safeguarding traditional art matters for the communities that create it.

Deputy Chau Quynh Dao told the National Assembly that businesses could market products using names such as the Thai Xoe dance or Khmer folk songs without giving any benefit to the communities that own those traditions. She said this could happen if the law does not include clear safeguards.

In the Bay Nui area of An Giang, Khmer palm‑leaf manuscripts with Buddhist teachings are at risk of disappearing because artisans lack sufficient livelihood support. Without better support, the knowledge stored in those pages may be lost for future generations.

Dao also warned that traditional brocade patterns of the Ede people could be copied by fashion companies, creating large profits while the women weavers receive only a few tens of thousands of dong. At the same time, the sacred sound of the Mong people’s khen instrument is being cut up and remixed into commercial dance tracks, which she said undermines its sacred nature. To prevent these abuses, she proposed that cultural products be traded only after benefit‑sharing agreements and free, prior and informed consent are secured.

Without proper safeguards, commercial exploitation can strip ethnic communities of both income and cultural identity. Legal mechanisms such as benefit‑sharing agreements and free, prior and informed consent are essential to protect these heritage assets.