Editorial | Articles about Cambodia | Khmer
Sihanouk Does It Again
message: July 26,2006
By Kok Sap
All were Sihanouk doings and premeditated violations of 1991 Paris Peace Accord. In defending his hypocrisy, he played rabbit fever and screaming fits with Hun Sen. In July 2004 to buy Hun Sen pledge , he decreed Hun Sen to be the Prime Minister of caretaker government while election dispute was in questionable. Then in the following October, Sihanouk threw tantrums and confusions at nation until he got his son appointed King by his adopted son, the colorful Prime Minister. Months afterward to save his son skin and his face, he cheated people to play sick and near death plots to have his new king acquaint with big adopted brother domestic policies.
In 2005, after several outspoken critics joined in Sihanouk fanning flame game Raingsy ended up losing office and running back to his first class citizen country while his poorly fellows were in prison. After losses in rhetoric exchanges, Sihanouk lured all Hun Sen foes out in open over his Supreme Border Council ploy. More adamant than ever, Hun Sen slapped Sihanouk with both hands in the face in exposing his treacherous acts to assist state enemy Viet Cong back in the 70’s. Because of that, Sihanouk raised white flag and left Hun Sen to sign the illegal treaties in October in Hanoi alone. Over all his schematics, Raingsy had lost credibility in foreigner eyes while he bolstered up Hun Sen as the supreme dictator of the Cambodia new millennium.
In 2006,to redeem his losses, Sihanouk had Mr. Raingsy, a humpback Sihanoukist adopted new attitude in order to return to the sender in time to salvage his losing Sihanoukist-FUNC left wing party from Ta Khlaing Moeung suicidal rite. Then followed suit, he cashed in $1,000 per critic to kneel and confess to Hun Sen as a poor choice of words in rhetoric. The four arrested and imprisoned critics were tamely grateful and befriended with singular vision dictator. To please dictator furthermore, then Sihanouk blackened own son RRidh as the screw you all Sihanoukist-FUNC right wing fugitive who cashed out grand $30 million account plus a new suitor of own daughter age before fleeing the country for honeymoon in the first class style.
Anarchy and unruly took toll on both Sihanoukist-FUNC clubs. Out of all Sihanouk maneuvers, Hanoi got new treaties and Hun Sen became absolute dictator. His inept playboy son Sihamoni became I do everything for you King while his imbecile big brother RRidh spoiled club inner circle fortune amassing then ran for comfort with Sros Sroraem Phalla. Lastly Sihanouk had belittled all Sihanoukists while elevated Hanoi lackey Hun Sen to be his first national hero in joining the bloody marquis revolution last month. Had he not blown Hun Sen and Samheang so lowly but Hanoi up his rear in on his every stroke at the same time.
Not enough yet, suddenly the hypocrite father of Cambodia everything is full of energy to harasses UN tribunal in lieu of Hun Sen. He insulted UN tribunal is a waste and all the gruesome evidences are disrespectful for the death in Buddhist rite. Watch him closely, this is his new task from Beijing to derail UN tribunal procedure and destabilize all Hun Sen contenders. As for Prince Thomico ploy ,it is pitiful for his not seeing Sihanouk molestation. Sihanouk is casting net for Hun Sen to see what are the rubbishes remaining in Mekong before 2008 finale. If the wheel turned other direction in 2008, all the screw-ups done by Sihanouk will be unraveled. It is strategically vital that all he is doing now to create confusions and dislodge Viet Cong packaged PRKP/CPP from witness stance and people scrutiny. If politicians had not learned yet, but continue to bow to Sihanouk hypocrisy, there is no need to create any other party since he had declared himself as CPP benefactor for life already. That is his duty call to screw Cambodia justice,morality and conscience for good.
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A group of medical students at the University of Massachusetts Medical School are organizing a film screening of The Angry Skies, a documentary film on the Khmer Rouge regime. We have invited Dr. Blake Kerr, a New York physician who is the writer and producer of the film, along with Dr. Leakhena Nou, a medical sociologist from California State University, Long Beach, to be present. After the conclusion of the film, Dr. Nou will describe her research on the mental health consequences of violence, trauma, and social stress as a result of the Khmer Rouge on the Cambodian people, both in Cambodia and among the diaspora. After her introduction of Dr. Kerr, there will be a discussion and Q&A session with both our guests.
Date
August 19, 2006 (Saturday)
Time
3:30pm: Social Reception and Refreshments
4:00pm: Film Screening (2 hours)
A discussion and Q&A session with Dr. Kerr and Dr. Nou will immediately follow the conclusion of the film Location Amphitheater I University of Massachusetts Medical School
55 Lake Avenue North
Worcester, MA 01655
For detailed directions, please visit http://www.umassmed.edu/about/directions/
In order to bring broader awareness to the historical events and the impact of the Khmer Rouge on Cambodia, we would appreciate your help in advertising and promoting this event to those you know who may be interested in attending. The screening is open and free to the public, but we want to particularly encourage survivors of the Khmer Rouge regime, Cambodian community leaders, human rights activists, scholars of Cambodia, and students to attend.
Again, we would appreciate your assistance in spreading the word about this event. The Angry Skies touches upon subjects that are very much of importance not just to the Cambodian population, but to those concerned with human rights, genocide, and international policy. Please join us, and please pass the word on to anyone you think may be interested.
If you have questions, please feel free to contact me at allen.chang@umassmed.edu. I can send you an official flyer and press release. Thanks.
Regards,
Allen Chang
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July 11, 2006
Dear Community Members and Friends of Lowell:
On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Lowell Southeast Asian Water Festival, Inc., I would like to extend a personal invitation to you to join us at the 10th annual Lowell Southeast Asian Water Festival.
As you may know, the festival celebrates an important aspect of Lowell’s cultural diversity: the Southeast Asian community is Lowell’s third largest ethnic population. This celebration showcases Southeast Asian boat races, traditional and contemporary performances and dances, international foods, and handcrafted arts.
The festival usually draws 40,000 to 50,000 participants to Lowell’s Merrimack River area each year. This year’s event will take place on Saturday, August 19th. Prior to the main event, we will have the Floating Candles Ceremony on Friday evening, August 18th in downtown Lowell at the Middlesex Community College Campus, near the Lower Locks canal. This ceremony, which includes floating candles, incense, and flowers, is dedicated to each of our personal hopes and aspirations for a prosperous, dignified, and healthy life.
Festival admission for both days is free.
The Lowell Southeast Asian Water Festival has a number of volunteer opportunities. We are recruiting volunteers to help out on various committees including Entertainment, Fund-raising, Booth and Vendors, Logistics, Branding, Boat Team, and Trash and Recycling. Volunteers will have the opportunity to coordinate and manage different projects and activities. This is a wonderful opportunity for youths looking for volunteer experience. For others, you can both contribute to the community and experience a sense of pride in helping to celebrate your own and other ethnic backgrounds, cultures, and arts. It’s a special opportunity to help others and to build bridges among peoples, cultures, and customs.
If you are interested in volunteering, download a copy of the Southeast Asian Water Festival volunteer form from www.lowellwaterfestival.org and send the completed form to Mr. Tooch Van or Dr. Phala Chea, co-chairs of Volunteer Recruitment at the Lowell Southeast Asian Water Festival, Inc. c/o CMAA building, 165 Jackson St. Lowell, MA 01852 or Fax the form to 978-454-1806.
Once again, I hope you will join us to explore and experience the cultural enrichment the Southeast Asian Water Festival provides.
Sincerely,
Tooch A. Van
Volunteer
Lowell Southeast Asian Water Festival Inc.
Internet_use: Work
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Why Not the National Solidarity Movement, Doable?
July 22, 2006
By Kok Sap
The 2008 general election is within reach; all contenders are in disarray than ever. What is the common goal here? Most agreed on the change of stewardship of the government with a better one and effective one, preferably the commonly democratic one. How to do that? It must be Solidarity from all fronts of opposition to see to a fundamental change in democracy and economy improvement in Cambodia.
Democracy follows suit if economy is in place. Democracy is ought to be a way of living. Economy is a way of energy supplying. People need energy to live. People live or perform effectively when no energy lack meaning stomach is full. It is natural law, no argument to it. This is the must option for success. This will be a coup of the solidarity to allow Cambodia redeem its dignity and integrity once for all. This is what the world wants to see happening in Cambodia from urban to far remote corner of the country. The world has pity for Cambodia already but it has no better option to help resuscitate Cambodia from devious comatose. Therefore, the outsider political personalities must use common sense and goal to reckon the devil.
All opponents see CPP as the source of injustice, inferiority, sub-cultural society, and permanent instability for the nation. The CPP establishment is too big for the target for the moment. It possesses armed forces, banks accounts and immediate benefactor. Yet CPP own infrastructure has flaw, the corruptive culture. Remember, CPP members worship three individuals respectively, Heng Samrin, Chea Sim and Hanoi Chairman of Central Committee, who wheel power exponentially. For Hun Sen is nothing more but a replaceable cutting board at the pleasure of the cooks.
The obvious resolution is at hands of each opponent that each cannot do alone. To invigorate the national sentiment and foundation of hope, all opponents must reconcile to form the formidable National Solidarity Movement, to re-instill hope, peace, democracy, and traditional way of life in accordance with tradition†nov phtias maday tee tai nov prei maday chia muoy norm.â€
May be a wishful thinking but it is doable if only and only inclusively Ram Raingsy, RRidh, Son Soubert, Nhek Bun Chhai, Serei Kosal, Ung Huot, Pen Sovann, Kong Korm, Ieng Mouly, and others appeal for National Solidarity to save the nation from the wholesome consumption of Viet Nam economic and culture. What each have to lose beside dream to do goodness for own birth land while still has last breath. This is the goal that each is out to get and win in the up coming election. Each needs to think harder as time is slipping away in personal flaws and greed. To help redeem Cambodia nobility and integrity, each must do the same to self-first.
To enable people to live free, the regime must belong to free men of dignity and righteous duty. We must see ach of us has devil in own, but let us not be subdued by it. Let us dignifyingly put it aside before Hun Sen turned to be another Lok Mchass of Viet Nam vassal province. As you can see, Viet Nam has already reinforced its dominance upon Heng Samrin recent homage, so each of you should do otherwise.
My fellows, if you wish to do one thing that can affect our people history in years to come; well this is the one thing to consider now. This will forewarn Cambodia historical enemies far or near alike that Khmer land offspring thinks of selfless but beneath the people. Then, nothing will stop us from moving forward once again.
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Khmers Rouge = Vietnamese
Re-Distributed 6/5/2006
Submitted by rok....@yahoo.com
Pol Pot is an abbreviation of the English word "Political Potential"; such is the political nickname of ex-Saloth Sar that Hanoi and China allotted to him. He was a personal selected by Hanoi and China to replace Soeung Ngok Minh and Tout Sa Mut, which had just disappeared under a mysterious condition. From the origin point of view, Pol Pot was nothing Vietnamese, but for the point of view of policy and profile, Pol Pot served incontestably, the interest of Vietnamese.
Born in Prek Sbauv (Kompong Thom) in May 19, 1928, he descended from a comfort farming family. He was the eighth child of a sino-khmer family (half-caste Chinese).
His family entered in the chronicle royal history since 1925, when his aunt (? Cousin) Khun Meak, a royal ballet dancer became a concubine of king Monivong. From this alliance will be born the princess Khun Yeap who will become the last concubine of king Suramarith and mother of prince Sirivutdh. Later, the elder brother (? Uncle) of Saloth Sar, named Saloth Suong became a important employee in the royal palate - He married in 1940 with a dancer of the palate, named Chea Samy. Later, Saroeun, a sister of Sar, a dancer, became a concubine of king Monivong too.
Between 1934-35, the parents of Sar sent him to live at Phnom Penh with his brother and his sister-in-law, Saloth Suong and Chea Samy.
As a teenager, Saloth Sar often worked in the farm and had fact followed teaching Buddhism to become monk. During World War II, Pol Pot joined the anti-French resistance movement of Ho Chi Minh. By 1946, he was a member of the underground Indochinese Communist Party, and in 1949, he won a scholarship to study radio electronics in Paris (Jrgen Wouters ABCNEWS.com) One he reached Paris, Pol Pot joined to the French party communism which one Ho Chi Minh was a founder member. When his return to Cambodia in 1953 without a qualification in hand, he has joined in the Revolutionary Party of Kampuchea and taught the history and geography in a private school "Kampuchaboth " and wrote many articles for the left newspaper. In her book "Who is Angkar" Mrs Kim Thy Ouy named POl Pot as an adept and tool of Ho Chi Minh, the same rank as Tout Sa muth or Achar Sok.
In his article for " For Cambodia freedom" Dr Baphoun reported that; during fifties Pol Pot worked in the rank of Khmero-Vietminh under the directive of a Khmero-Vietmihn leader named "Thab Ngeng" who named Ppl Pot to control over 3000 men in 1957.
In 1954, when the Frenchs left Indo-China, they have appointed Sihanouk on the throne, but Saloth Sar is opposite. He founded 1960 the congresses of the Kampuchea Communist Party. In 1963, he was elected central secretary of committee of the Communist Party Kampuchea. Feared from reprisals of king Sihanouk, the members of the Kampuchea Communist Party refuges in the forests where they met the guerrilla of Khmer Rouge party. In decade 60, the USA reinforced its military campaigns to destroy the Vietnamese Communist Party of H Chi Hinh, but as of decade 70 the war was devastated until the territorial Cambodia where the USA suspected of being hidden the Vietnamese communist forces and which was the case. at January 1968 Mr Chester Bowles Ambassador of USA in India come to meet Sihanouk to have his accord to clean Vietcong sanctuaries on Khmer territory. This accord followed up by two years of massive bombarding to clean up the Vietcong from Cambodia.
Resounding to this policy; even after having support the Vietcong to installed their numerous sanctuaries over Cambodian land ; at Mai 29 1969, Sihanouk regrouped all the media for a press conferring to denounce Vietcong present on Khmer territory. But later Sihanouk changed one more time his position and accepted definitively to help Vietcong and the movement Khmero-yuon followed by a fierce anti-American policy (Article published by Amekhmer Feb 14 2005)
April 17, 1975 , Phnom Penh was fallen in the hand of Khmer Rouge. The reception was however cordial to the odd liberators. Many Cambodians left in the street to acclaim the winners. The white flags floated everywhere. But these strange liberators became suddenly firm, cruel and incomprehensible. The threatening noises of the microphones required the evacuation immediate of the inhabitants of Phnom-Penh from their houses - Those who opposed to this order were immediately killed at once on the spot, it is then, how the hell of the killing field began. In three 3 years 8 months and 20 days, at last 30-45% of the Khmer population were perished, either of massacre, or of programmed famine, of disease, or of tortures
January 7, 1979 when Vietnam invaded Cambodia , there remained about 4 million inhabitants on 7 millions (before the event of April 17 1975 ) The majority of the streets and the villages were almost deserted and one was happy to meet a compatriot survival.
Early of 1979, the first official estimation risen a frightening result - They estimated that more than three million of Cambodian were perished between 1975-1979, but at once this total was unceasingly contradicted. The reason was obvious; the demographic rate raised a suspect incredible risen of the population of Cambodia . In order to justify this doubtful increase, the government of Hun SEN must reduce the number of Khmer deaths to cool down of national opinion around the mass floods of Viet migrants.
To understand the ampler of this disaster mass migration, it is necessary to go in the districts along the length of the river Tonl Basak such as Chba Am-Poe, Kbal Thnal etc in all the other Khmer popular capitals to see the mass of Vietnamese immigrants freely settled in Cambodia with the active cooperation of the government puppet CPP since the official occupation of Vietnamese in 1979.
But what is even more scandalous, is that many of them were not the simple population but they were active martyrs or sleeping agent of Hanoi . They are discrete, and very organised. They are there to control every activity of Khmer people in society. Any suspicious activity or displaced verbal, one will be immediately convoked, questioned and often remove specially the men. And since the existence of the election in Cambodian, many are the Vietnamese who are imported by the cool vietnamisation system to support the government in place. Some of them have infiltrated in the heart of the Khmer political system since long time ago or they were sent, designed by Hanoi to occupy the high function in Khmer society and to control its puppets.
In his article reveals Victims of communism today Mike Benge revealed a terrible method of Viet expansionist tactic : Amoeba-like, communist Vietnam is slowly neo-colonizing Laos and Cambodia by the traditional Vietnamese expansionism termed Don Dien, first by occupying territory with troops, then having their families come in to settle the new territory, then putting the troops into civilian clothes to become "ready reservists" and replacing them with new troops for further expansion
All was prepared, all was set up to trapped the Cambodian people, the least details were meticulously studied, organized and programmed including the scene of the hostility of Pol Pot against Hanoi.
In April 1975 and April 1977, Pol Pot hided and saved not less than 20000 of Vietnamese from the massacre to Vietnam . Pol.-Pot had gathered them and taken them safety to Vietnam . The scene was however perfect - Pol Pot leaded a hostile policy with his old Master and has even killed some of them, a well astonishing way to thanks an old Master whom he always submitted, admired and maintained of the underground relations more than suspect.
We wonders, if Pol Pot was really hostile with Vietnamese as many pro-viet people what to make it appear why he did not massacre all those Viets instead he saved them from the massacre and brought them out of danger while the Angkar leu killed millions of Khmer people.
More shocking, while Vietnam took officially took over Cambodia , those Viets were at one imported back to Cambodia , some occupied the high function in the government and others continue to be activists and Viet sleeping agents.... In a press conference whole a Cambodian asked why there are too many of the Vietnamese came freely to Cambodia , Hun SEN answers they are the Vietnamese evacuated in year 1975 and 1979 and they are back to Cambodia
And what is even more conspicuous is that, during his reign, Pol Pot ordered to gather, collect all the richness of Cambodia and stored by categories in the many surest stocks in Phnom Penh - And when the Vietnamese arrived at 1979 in Phnom-Penh, they knew exactly where all these ammunition were hided and they have nothing to do else than to transport it to Vietnam, by boats, plane, trucks (especially on national I) A mass operation of emptying of Cambodia richness that took appearance of a mass national burglary which goes from simple material of recovery, pieces of metal, diverse machines, exchanging pieces, perfume, until the Khmer cultural inheritance, such as the old low-relief or statutes or the gold from the national Cambodian bank (red bank Bank Krohorm)Etc. But those are not the only that Vietnamese plundered Cambodia in 1979, millions tones of humanitarian aids from International community intended for Cambodians who were dying of hunger, of all kind of sickness and poverty were all plundered by Hanoi - all those ammunition were indeed stationed at Kompong Som port for registration then they are all left for Vietnam.. Cambodian did received nothing and needed to survive with the collated average. The rice was yet so expensive and necessary.
According to Franois Ponchaud, author of "Year zero ", the pillage of Cambodia started as soon as when Khmer rouge arrived in Phnom-Pehn, but this author portrayed this operation as cleaning of the occidental symbol by the Khmer rouge. Then if Khmer Rouge wanted to empty the so-called occidental symbol do they need to automatically empty it in Vietnam ?!!!!!!!
Whatever let quote " You Kim Lanh, referred to above, testifies some: " I remained one month in Phnom Penh to work for the Khmer Rouges. I was to excavate all the houses and to collect remained the rice there, to store the drugs coming from various pharmacies. We charged all that in boats whose crew was Vietnamese. Time with other, a fire burst downtown, but we did not do anything to extinguish it. Sometimes, the Khmer Rouges made us demolish the houses out of wooden, then to put the beams and the boards in heap."
Yeri Savannary, professor, taken refuge in Thailand about 15.10.1975, confirm the preceding account indirectly: " From the end April, of the trucks made ceaseless rotations on the road "National 1" driving to Saigon; they transported the television-radio, motor bikes, cycles of all marks, bicycles, drugs packed up and weapons of all categories. Close to Neak Luong, approximately two hundred vehicles waited to cross the Mekong ; there was in particular of Mercds and the 404. There were also three or four guns of 105 mm and three trucks of drugs. The whole apparently left for Vietnam . "
Lao Bun Thai, mechanic, vingt-trois years, taken refuge in October 1975, have worked until May 15 in Phnom Penh , confirmed : I saw, of my own eyes, several trucks, filled to the brim with books, to pass in front of the embassy of France and to gain north indeed. I also saw burning on the lawn volumes of the library of the cathedral. The library of the French School of the Far East , located at a few hundred meters of the embassy underwent a fate similar on May 5 in morning. It did not contain much any more of treasures, because essence had been put in safety in France ( It is important to emphasize that the destruction of human or material resource which are the symbols of Khmer is a part of Vietnamese expansionist tactic because cultural historical and human resource removed mean extinction of a human race and all its culture to be replace by a new one )
Several refugees crossed Phnom Penh last months (1975) they estimate that the city hardly counts more than 20 000 inhabitants, including only Khmer Rouges and their families. The workmen lived in the peripheral districts, close to their factories, but cannot enter in the downtown. The unmarried Khmer Rouges are grouped: the boys lived on a side of the street, the girls of the other. Various ministries of the government revolutionary personnel are reduced to the bare minimum; the majority, do not even have offices.
The few diplomats of accredited socialist countries with Phnom Penh find the life hard: they cannot leave their embassy. Three times per day, a jeep bring the meal to them; they have any distraction, no personnel with their service, have to wash themselves their linen, etc " Every two weeks, Friday, a plane of the Chinese CCAC makes its possible to the foreign diplomat to take a bowl of air and freedom in Peking... Since September 1976, they can also use the new air line connecting Phnom Penh to Hanoi . Only one newspaper in Khmer language of four pages, Padvath (Revolution), appears every fifteen and diffused only the news conceiving the construction of the country. And those who live in the East, the border Vietnamese, often saw the numerous planes making its back and forth from Cambodia to Vietnam and inversely.
At December 9, 1978 to December 23, 1978 , the few journalists, Mrs Elizabeth BECKER, author of book "Tear of Kampuchea" and her two other colleges, Richard DZIMAN and Malcolm CALD WELL , were invited to Phnom-Penh. They were accompanied to visit Toul-Sleng, but as Mrs Elizabeth BECKER saw the register of the prisoners, she was very surprised to see the names of the leaders of the Communist Party Kampuchea who were also imprisoned, tortured, forced to confess then massacred. In May 1977, 400 Khmers Rouge were captures and sent to Toul Sleng, they were been forced to confess as the Vietnamese agents secretes - The visit of Mrs Elizabeth and her colleges ended by the assassination of the Malcolm CALD WELL at December 22, 1978 in his hotel in Phnom-Penh. This mysterious assassination of May be Malcolm CALD WELL followed after his meeting with Pol Pot. He probably saw what one should not want him to see, and which quicken besides the departure of Elizabeth BECKER and Richard DZIMAN.
Pol Pot was not a pupil shining but he was a pleasant and correct companion, nothing to see with the dictator of a horrible genocide regime which he directed. All his life turned around a horrible myth and mystery. He was a most mysterious man on earth. Everything happened in his life is about mystery. His behaviours whatever policies or relational remain thus unintelligible and contradictory. For many, Pol Pot is of a radical nationalist and xenophobe, especially with Vietnamese. But in reality and incontestably, Pol Pot served the Vietnamese expansionist policy in Cambodia and this until his last breath.
Why decided to join Khmero-Vietminh movement to save Vietnamese expansionist policy? Was he been manipulated by Hanoi ? Which are the promises that he obtained and concluded with Hanoi for his role?
According to David P. Chandler, Hanoi seemed to grant the cordial confidence to Pol Pot. This secrecy remains total until now, however these mysteries could be to clear up if Pol Pot would have been judged and questioned by the International Court . We supposed that Pol Pot has probably concluded many accords with the Vietnamese leaders. Many Khmer rouge leaders of pronounced that Vietnamese never respected its engagement and promise but what kind of promise then? In an interview accorded to ABC Pol Pot even revealed "Hitler killed the Jewish and those who opposed to him but the Vietnamese killed those who opposed to them and the innocents who refused to join them (Pol Pot)
But all is doubtful, including the behaviour of international community. But who they tried to protect if not the victims of the genocide? Which is the application of UNO in this crime?
Logically if Pol Pot is a Khmer, a Khmer nationalist, he has no interest to serve Hanoi, neither on the religious level, nor on the ethnic level and even less on the relational level, because Vietnam and Cambodia was always the hereditary foes " number one since centuries. But Pol Pot did, contrary of what he claimed.
Looked at them, these few peoples can destroy the lives of a whole country
Pol Pot (Saloth Sar), sino-khmer, ex-associate of Yuon Hanoi, 3 million dead among the civil innocent. Manipulated or misled, he will always the responsible of the genocide on the Khmer people.
Hun Sen, current associate of Yuon Hanoi. A simple replaced piece of Hanoi after Hanoi had withdrew away the old tool Pol Pot . In 23 years of the power, Hun sen/CPP transfoms Cambodia into a kingdom of misery and chaos. Whether there is no more mass killing as in Pol Pot time but the indirect kills are numerous and disaster.
Ta Mok, a simple killing tool............. His kind is numerous in Cambodia
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We may believe in freedom a deceiving deception it is free only when a nation called for an election of it parliament once in power -people are enslaved it is nothing.
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The New Straits Times, Kuala Lumpur
After the killing fields, a time for retribution
19 May 2006
VERGHESE MATHEWS
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After 27 years, Cambodians will get a taste of justice when the Khmer Rouge Tribunal tries suspects charged with committing crimes against humanity, reports VERGHESE MATHEWS.
MORE people in Cambodia have heard about Dame Silvia Cartwright in the last fortnight than at any time before, arguably, more than even when she was appointed the Governor-General of New Zealand in 2001, a position she will hold until August.
Unexpectedly, quietly and slowly, Cartwright is coming into the lives of the Cambodian people, the kingdom's robust media and its fractious politics, with her appointment as one of the international judges for the forthcoming Khmer Rouge Tribunal.
Snippets in the media and the chat lines speak highly of her distinguished career as a lawyer and jurist, in fact the first woman to be appointed to that high post in New Zealand. Mention is also made of her prominent role in the fight to eliminate discrimination against women a celebrated cause in Cambodia.
There are 12 other judges and prosecutors from Asia, Europe and North America, all nominated by the United Nations, about whom also little is known in Cambodia.
There is, therefore, increasing curiosity and a resultant awareness about the international judges for the first ever trial of this nature in Asia. However, in sharp contrast, rather harsh words have been reserved for at least one of the 17 Cambodian judges and prosecutors chosen by the country's highest judicial body, the Supreme Council of the Magistracy, headed by King Norodom Sihamoni. This reaction is neither unexpected nor surprising.
Still, it is a remarkable achievement that the proposed tribunal has finally reached this far since its genesis in 1997 when the then co-prime ministers, Prince Norodom Ranariddh and Samdech Hun Sen, wrote to the UN Secretary- General for assistance in establishing a trial to bring to justice the perpetrators of crimes committed during the ultra- Maoist Pol Pot regime.
What is probably long forgotten is that the prime reason for seeking UN assistance was not merely because the crimes had an international dimension or relevance but more because of the explicit admission that the Cambodian judiciary had neither the expertise nor the resources to conduct such a complex trial.
Under the Khmer Rouge, most of the judiciary either died or were killed, along with an estimated 1.7 million other Cambodians. The more fortunate escaped the clutches of the regime and resettled in third countries. The net result was that when the Khmer Rouge was finally ousted from Phnom Penh in 1979 by invading Vietnamese forces, the newly installed Cambodian Government had to build the judiciary from scratch. That was necessarily a painfully slow process for a cash- strapped and inadequately- trained Government that was simultaneously working at building an education service, a health service, an administrative service all also from scratch.
Trusted community elders and senior party officials were chosen by the new Government's politburo to carry out primary judicial functions though, undoubtedly in the earlier years, the main objective of the emerging judiciary was to ensure the social stability of the fledgling regime.
This then was how the present Cambodian judiciary began some 27 years ago. In the interim, students were sent overseas for training, particularly to Vietnam, and gradually an adequately trained coterie has taken its place in the judiciary though there are still some from the earlier intakes awaiting retirement.
Detractors point out that the judiciary is not among the more respected institutions in the country. This unfortunately is so. However, there are those who counter that it is still grossly unfair to paint the whole institution with one broad brush because of a few. Where the tribunal is concerned, given its structure and transparency, the Cambodian judges will invariably come under greater scrutiny and will be benchmarked against the best among international judges. The hope is that the total experience will contribute to and accelerate the maturity of the Cambodian judiciary.
The tribunal comes with a long name Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia for the Prosecution of Crimes Committed during the Period of Democratic Kampuchea. It is popularly known by the shorter name, Extraordinary Chambers or EC.
The EC will have the power to try suspects charged with committing crimes under both Cambodian and international laws, i.e. genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in addition to murder, torture and religious persecution.
The EC will have two chambers, the first being the trial court made up of three Cambodian and two international judges. For a decision to be reached, the principle of a "super majority" will apply, i.e. four of the five judges must support the decision. This means that every decision must have both Cambodian and international support.
The other chamber, the Supreme Court, an appeals chamber, will comprise four Cambodian and three international judges and will require five judges to uphold an appeal decision.
If a super majority decision cannot be arrived at, at either of the courts, the accused is released as his guilt would not have been established. If the accused is found guilty, the maximum sentence will be life imprisonment. The accused will escape the gallows as Cambodia has abolished the death penalty. Likewise, in a country where pardons and amnesties are not uncommon, the Government has indicated that neither will be granted to persons found guilty.
The courts will only try crimes committed between April 17, 1975 and Jan 6, 1979, all of three years, eight months and 20 days. Only those "most responsible for serious crimes" will be tried a number envisaged to be fewer than 10. The actual trial is expected to begin early next year though prosecuting judges are expected to start work from the middle of this year.
The Cambodian people have now waited for almost a generation for the trials. While there will be different expectations, there must surely be some unspoken pride that the trial is conducted in Cambodia where the crimes took place, under Cambodian and international laws and with Cambodian and international judges such as Dame Silvia Cartwright.
The writer was the former Singapore Ambassador to Cambodia. He is presently Non-Resident Ambassador to Bangladesh and a Visiting Research Fellow at the Singapore Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. He may be contacted at math...@iseas.edu.sg
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By Kok Sap
Present Khmer border problems brought back my refugee day memory. During those days, I had learnt that Thai unlike the counterpart Khmer royal family as they had always been in spirit to aid national rural development program especially to those who were willing to make homestead along border with either side of present Thai territory. Seldom Thai royalty does not individually hand out packs of bottle of Yuan nuoc mam or a bag of donated rice or Yuan imported instant noodles to subjects for TV cameras appetizing. Obviously, the royalty is moral and religious devoted as not disingenuous and pretentious as other words.
Other hand Thai government and societal culture was not so immune of corruption or exploitation either. However, remarkably they were so unreadily to sell their national interest for a few ounces of gold from rich refugees. They were much obliged to national policy while making tons from UNHCR already. Nevertheless, one can notice on adjacent border to Cambodia, Thai have been supportive and keen of using ethnic Khmers as opposed to kin refugees for its strategic security. Apparently, most ethnic Khmers were either brainwashed or reluctant to admit their origin and refused to help refugees. That was smart of Thai policy manipulation to prevent unwanted infiltration and grafting.
The same scenario as Cambodia became permanent home for millions of Yuan refugee. Unlike Thai, Cambodian government had not only allowed illegal foreigners to settle anywhere without control but recently signed the illegal treaties in October 2005 to give in to Yuan further advantages. Khmer royalty set stage and choreographic gestures in handing out days of groceries or clothing to poor citizens instead of secured subsidizing livelihood and poor homes along borders. That is the same for government functionaries who are voluntary hostages of illegal settlers. In lieu of enforcing national security priority, impoverish functionaries are yearned to scandalous and whimsy national laissez- faire security and yet the central government is no less excusable as well.
Nonetheless, Khmer royalty had never even stepped close to the dispute area to see for self-awareness but hide out behind concrete walls in capital city. This may seem a marginal gesture to them but it is the worldly meaning to subjects. This is where the difference why Thai royalty continues to garnish support even from people whom it has suppressed rules on for hundreds of year. This is the real down side that rural Khmer people are lack of resource, economic fluidity and worst no confidence in their royalty. The royalty is preoccupied with self-image and propelled pawning to powerful manipulators. Clearly the very national symbol is at the whims of governmental officials who are readily and complacent in greed and self-agendas.
Thereby, with a few dollar bribery, the settlers are left to roam and sack Cambodia natural and almost untouched resources for own prosperity in uncontrollable illegal activities such as logging, fishing, smuggling, prostitution, gambling, and grafting. The mid level official peddlers are in careless attitude why bother if the king is so content with people rages and outcries already. Most tycoons or wealthy class in Cambodia are not necessary Khmer descendents by birth or domicile. However, they wield unsurpassed power over poor Khmers even at the scoff of own government. This is where the scale tipping as the national security is very vulnerable under the affluent nouveau and exploitative riches. We all can see this is the root cause, not necessary done by the outsiders but the malevolence of selfish insiders from sala khum up to the royal palace.
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September 20, 2002
Dear Sir:
I am writing this letter in response to your Washington Times article of Dr. David Roberts (Lecturer from the School of History and International Affairs, University of Ulster, Northern Ireland) dated 09/13/02, who accused the Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy as undemocratic and authoritarian. In addition, he implied that Mr. Sam Rainsy was a racist, when he used the word "Youn" to refer to the Vietnamese.
First, the Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy is a true patriot and democrat. He is well deserving of the award that was given to him by Senator John McCain.
Dr. Roberts may be an expert in his field but he is no expert in Khmer language. In the Khmer dictionary, it says "Youn" means Vietnamese and is possibly related to the Sanskrit word "Yavana" that means savage. However, this possibility of a link between the words "Youn" and "Yavana" is just pure speculation and has no basis for it.
Anyhow, my own research indicates that the word "Youn" came from the word "Yueh". The Mandarin Chinese calls Vietnam, Yueh Nam. The word "Nam" means south in Chinese. "Yueh" indicates the name of the people of that region. Therefore, "Yueh" means Viet or Vietnamese in Chinese and "Yueh Nam" means the "Yueh" people of the south. In this case, south means south of China. The North pronounces it Yeknam (with a "Y" sound).
Chou Ta-Kuan (Zhou Daguan), the celebrated Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia in the 13th century, indicated in his report that there was already a large population of Chinese settling in Cambodia at that time. He said that the Chinese preferred life in the Khmer Empire because it was easier than in China. There were a lot of Chinese men marrying the native Cambodian women. I don't know when Khmer started to call the Vietnamese "Youn", but the habit may have been picked up from the Chinese settlers who lived in Cambodia at the time. The word "Youn" may have derived from the Chinese word "Yueh" to indicate the Vietnamese. If one starts to think about it, "Viet" (as pronounced by the North Vietnamese) or "Yeak" (as pronounced by the South Vietnamese) sounds very similar to "Yueh"; and "Yueh", meaning Vietnamese, in turn sounds very similar to "Youn". George Coedes, the French expert on the Southeast Asian classical study, found an earlier evidence of the word "Yuon" inscribed in Khmer on a stele dating to the time of the Khmer King Suryavarman I (1002-1050.)
Why do the so-called Western scholars and journalists keep on perpetrating this kind of misinformation about the word "Yuon"? "Youn" does not mean savage as Dr. Roberts had mistakenly indicated in his writing. Savage in Cambodian means "Pourk Prey" or "Phnong". Cambodians calls Vietnamese "Youn" the same way they call Indian "Khleung", Burmese "Phoumea", Chinese "Chen", and French "Barang".
When the Vietnamese calls Cambodian "Mien" why did the Western press and scholars not report it to be a derogatory word also? If I were to follow the logical thinking of the Western press and scholars, then "Mien" must be a derogatory word also. In the late 17th century, the Vietnamese court of Hue had indiscriminately changed the names of the Cambodian princesses Ang Mei, Ang Pen, Ang Peou, and Ang Snguon to the Vietnamese sounding names of Ngoc-van, Ngoc-bien, Ngoc-tu, and Ngoc-nguyen, respectively. Also they changed the name of Phnom Penh to Nam Vang. Why do scholars and press stay silent on these subjects.
It is very dangerous for foreigners, like Dr. Roberts, to interpret the meaning of certain native words when they do not fully understand the languages and customs of those natives. It is people like Dr. Roberts who helps perpetrate the misinterpretation and misunderstanding of the word "Youn" to mean savage. aggravate the mistrust and hate between Cambodian and Vietnamese.
Cambodians have been using the word "Youn" to refer to the Vietnameses before the word Vietnamese had even existed. Because of the ignorance of some scholars and journalists about the meaning of this word, are we therefore supposed to abandon using this word that we have done from time immemorial?
If Dr. Roberts insists on saying that the word "Youn" means savage, then I would ask him to prove to Cambodians how it is so. How does he know that this word means savage? What did he base his knowledge from? If he is a true scholar, then he must not base his understanding on hearsay. Otherwise, his credibility is at risk.
Sincerely,
Kenneth T. So
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Will US Domino Effect Theory Works This Time?
By Kok Sap
The enlightened Buddha Dhamma impermanency is all things master. It is universally proven. Once, Hun Sen was very proud and over confidence of his new found allies with neighboring countries leadership. He thought his rule will be unchallenged and permanent. But now it seems unconvincing as he is self concerned and sneakily maneuvering law to prevent the recurrence for his own head after witnessing his ally heads had dropped abruptly.
Thailand had just fired its popular tycoon Premier Thaksin Sinawatra at the blessing of its King. Last June 2005, Washington D.C was very cozy with Premier Phan Van Khai and pledged friendliness for Viet Nam new attitude. But then just days ago the little dragon, Viet Nam, had also sacked its Premier at the blessing of its VCP's Central Standing Committee. Cambodia has also pledged to support One China policy while it illegally occupied Tibet, a sovereign state, and both Korea relation. Any one can guess these moves tickle US geopolitical network as well.
Earlier in March, US Duck Dumbfelt and Candi Nouilles were frantic, after both embarrassingly failed to scrutinize China super mega budget for its military build up. Then last weeks US Congressional delegation made Hanoi visit then later in Summer Bush turn. Inadmissively US aimed to influence Viet Nam of new attitude as China horizon expanded. US has eyed North Korea TKO point for quite awhile but stalemate rests on China lap. That undoubtedly Viet Nam, with fifth largest army on planet can detract China in supporting US arm twisting maneuver.
In due necessity, US war fleet needs Viet Nam and Gulf of Siam open access as India and Pakistan may rear guard China while Afghanistan is already a land block to Russia in case of hell break lose over evil North Korea. Thus, Hanoi proved invaluable ally for US reentry to SE Asia. With that in mind Viet Nam yanked up its genius victor Vo Vien Giap who is much older instead of sacrificial Phan Van Khai to level with US. This proved correctly Yuon never abandoned its aged old hypocrisy, Khmer wise said.
Beside North Korea, Iran is also a lucrative client to China, France, and Russia nuclear technology. These three are main player in UN Permanent Security Council and yet rival of Iraq invasion and occupation. Also interestingly to note, now Iran is singled out as next testing ground for US war machines after Iraq. Its ambassador paid personal visit to Heng Samrin, in lieu of Hun Sen, with warmth near future state visit invitation.
As usual China is keen in its interest, thus it dispatched Hu JinTao personally to secure logistic check mate move with $600 million cash in advance to Nam Vang's Hun Sen. Before this trip, he had personally deliverance Khmer New Year well wishes to secure Mao long time pawn, Mr. Sihanouk, assurance already. At the same stroke, Hun Sen, still has key to arsenal of handheld missiles from USSR, and been an eminent ally to Myanmar Junta build up support and advocacy in ASEAN circle. Remember Myanmar has been and is a rogue state since its independence from England with strong leaning toward axis of evil Russia and the remaining communist nations.
In 60's Sihanouk was infatuated with Myanmar stoic and autocratic regime. He emulated Rangoon crab recipe once before for his own ruling too. Past time people thought Cambodia was a rotten carrot but time and recent history had changed its appearance drastically. Now, Hun Sen, is following such as path. With this, Cambodia may befallen in unpredictable saga once again after Sihanouk lonely the only war path to death once before.
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Without Economic Freedom, There is No Freedom
By Kenneth T. So
April 12, 2006
Human rights are very important for the dignity of a human being. However, a person cannot subsist and prosper on human rights alone. It must be accompanied by an economic freedom. Without the government reform to ameliorate the living standard of Khmer people, the respect for human rights alone is unacceptable because it still puts Cambodia into the category of a Third World country that depends on foreign handouts for its existence. Without economic freedom, there is no freedom.
The dispute between Kem Sokha, the leader of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR), and Sam Rainsy, the leader of the political party SRP, may be an exercise in futility because they do not address the issue of economic freedom. Both groups are positioning themselves as the champion for human rights and democracy.
Kem Sokha can play a vital role in Khmer society by educating people about their rights. As the leader and activist of the organization, it is his duty to speak out against human rights abuses. However, he may have stepped over a boundary when he started to verbally attack the SRP of “selling out” to the CPP and abandoning its democratic principles in a public forum.
It is disingenuous on the part of Kem Sokha to claim the moral virtue while refusing to denounce the CPP with the same intensity as he had done to SRP. By engaging in a verbal attack on SRP, is CCHR essentially doing an indirect bidding for the CPP? CCHR prefers to attack SRP because it is easy and safe to do so since it carries no consequence for a punishment. It cannot be said the same if CCHR were to attack the CPP. After P.M. Hun Sen let Kem Sokha out of prison, it was therefore normal for this latter to take his anger on a high profile person or political party like the SRP.
Equally important it was a very clumsy move on the part of the SRP to withdraw its participation from the CCHR forums. If it was a misunderstanding between these two organizations, they must work things out quietly to everybody’s satisfaction instead of doing it in public.
Initially I thought that Kem Sokha may have the upper hand for the public opinion's support, but upon much reflection I believe he may have won the battle against Sam Rainsy but not the war. If Kem Sokha's attack and accusation of SRP as "selling out" to the CPP and abandoning its principles do not pan out as he has claimed, then in the long run he may lose his credibility. Additionally, Kem Sokha has to be very careful himself because his own words may one day come back to bite him if he is not careful of what he says. I take Kem Sokha at his own word and believe that he will not start a political party. I also give him the benefit of the doubt that he will not compromise with the CPP concerning his stance on human rights. For SRP, the best advice I can give is to remain above the fray and be honorable by not quarrelling in public in such a clumsy fashion. For SRP to capture the minds and hearts of freedom loving people, they must talk the talk and walk the walk.
Like many Cambodians, I am very disheartened by the dispute between SRP and CCHR. It is important that these two organizations talk to each other again, then kiss and make up. Both, Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha are equally important for the continuing process of Cambodia's march toward democracy. These two men need each other because "L'Union fait la force." It is fallacious to think that one organization will become stronger at the expense of the other. SRP and CCHR are like the two faces of a coin that complement each other.
The dispute between SRP and CCHR may be due to some misunderstandings. Both, Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha are very courageous and principled men. I truly believe both of them want to help Cambodia to achieve the goal of a democratic country. Kem Sokha can contribute to human rights reform while Sam Rainsy can push the agenda for the government to reform its economy as well as its judicial system. Democracy without economic freedom is only a half-baked bread.
I applaud Sam Rainsy for taking the initiative to talk to P.M. Hun Sen, which in my opinion is a sign of incoming Khmer political maturity. One must remember that Hun Sen is still the Prime Minister of Cambodia and it is necessary for Sam Rainsy, as a protocol and as a good politician, to make the first move to extend an olive branch to P.M. Hun Sen. The fact that two former bitter enemies were able to sit down across each other and carry a discussion is to me a sign of trying to apply democracy to resolve any lingering issues with civility.
One can still be an opposition party without being very confrontational. There are many ways to oppose the policy of the government, but being confrontational to the point of becoming enemies is not the best solution to solve any problems. We are all Khmers and we must learn to respect each other. We must not use vocabularies that are detrimental to our Khmer heritage. We were a civilized society and I still believe that we are honorable people that still have traditional values. The key to the rebirth of our Khmer civilized society will come in steps, and the most important one right now is to respect each other and learn to accept the difference.
The fact that P.M. Hun Sen agreed to sit down with Sam Rainsy for a 3-hours conversation after this latter came back to Cambodia showed to me that the Prime Minister respected Sam Rainsy as a person, which was in complete contrast to the Prime Minister’s action toward Norodom Ranariddh.
The Prime Minister may have an ulterior motive toward Sam Rainsy because unlike Norodom Ranariddh who makes himself enemy of the US, Sam Rainsy on the other hand is a good friend of the US and especially to US Senator John McCain who may possibly be the next president of the United States of America.
For Kem Sokha to criticize or condemn Sam Rainsy’s gesture of reconciliation with P.M. Hun Sen is a sign of immaturity and intolerance on his part. Sam Rainsy’s meeting with P.M. Hun Sen is comparable to US Senator John McCain’s delivering a commencement address next month to the Liberty University that is headed by the Christian conservative founder Reverend Jerry Falwell. The Republican senator who is not a darling of the religious conservatives had once denounced Reverend Falwell an “agent of intolerance.” Senator Mc Cain now stated, and correctly so, that he could speak at the university without embracing all of its values. In the same manner, Sam Rainsy can speak to P.M. Hun Sen without abandoning all his principles.
"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak. Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen."
The principles that we must espouse are the defense of human rights and the elimination (or alleviation) of corruption in Khmer society.
SRP is a political and opposition party that plays an important role in Khmer politics. CCHR is a human rights organization that complements SRP by educating people about their rights. However, CCHR does not have the monopoly on human rights advocacy because political parties like SRP can also play that role too. The radio station Sambok Khmaum of Mam Sonando also plays a vital role in educating people about human rights. There are also many NGO organizations that contribute in the field of human rights.
It is therefore dangerous for Kem Sokha to think that he is the only human rights voice for Cambodia. A tree does not make a forest. Sam Rainsy, Kem Sokha, and Mam Sonando just to name a few, need each other to be a strong voice and eye for our Khmer society. As a sign of maturity, it is important that Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha extend an olive branch to each other. Why is it always easier for Khmer to talk to foreigners than to talk to our own kind?
Human rights without reform to Cambodia's economic system are only a false promise. It is therefore necessary for CCHR and SRP to cooperate as a uniting force to demand reforms from the government.
The new spirits of cooperation give the current government of P.M. Hun Sen and the opposition leader Sam Rainsy a window of opportunity to solve and resolve Cambodia's problems in a more practical manner that hopefully will benefit Cambodian people.
What are the problems in Cambodia and how should we prioritize them? Currently Cambodia's survival depends on the generosity of foreign aids. This is not the way to run a country. Cambodia’s main goal is to be self-sufficient in the very near future. The other problem facing Cambodia is the culture of rampant corruption that permeates through all levels of the society. There is also the problem of crimes committed with impunities. Cambodia's education system is still in its infancy and lacking far behind that of our neighbors. Some people may say that the immigration policy needs to be revised and Cambodia's frontiers with the neighbors still remain an issue. Others consider democracy to be the most important issue.
All the above are legitimate issues. Because of the lack of resources, it is therefore necessary that the current government of P.M. Hun Sen and the opposition party of Sam Rainsy as well as the Funcinpec party work together to come to a consensus on how to prioritize the problems and then take a practical approach on how to solve or mitigate them.
I am not an expert in policy making but as a trained engineer in systems management I like to break the problems into a manageable solution without losing sight of the holistic approach to the problems.
Cambodia has come a long way since the collapse of the Khmer Rouge regime. As an observer from far away I am very often frustrated with the pace on how Cambodia has made its stride toward democracy. However, democracy cannot come or succeed before people have achieved a certain level of education or a basic understanding of democratic principles. It is therefore very important that the government allows people like Kem Sokha to continue to do his work on human rights and educate people on democracy unhindered. Freedom of the press and the media must be preserved and people like Mam Sonando, the general manager of the Beehive radio station, must not be persecuted without proper cause.
The most important problem facing Cambodia right now is the lack of economic growth. In order for the economy to prosper we must be able to attract foreign investments to our country. For investments to take place, the investors must have confidence in our country that can provide a stable government and an abundant skilled and efficient labor force. Therefore, we must have a stable government coupled with spirits of cooperation between different parties and continued improvements in getting rid of corruptions, in reforming our educational system, in ameliorating human rights, in improving our judicial system, and in reforming some laws. All of these will take time but as long as we keep on improving the systems and moving forward it will then be acceptable to everybody. We are all impatient because that is the nature of human beings, but if we provide good planning we can achieve our goal.
Right now Cambodia can only provide low skilled labors. If Cambodia were to succeed in economic growth we must produce more medium and high skilled labors, both in the manufacturing and service sectors.
Cambodia must reform its educational system by having competent teachers in order to produce first rate students. We must set up an exchange program to send good students to the other countries for higher education.
Systematic corruption in the public as well as in the private sectors hampered or scared away potential investors in Cambodia. Doing business in Cambodia with the current culture of corruption is too expensive and risky.
The keys to our success will be based mainly on the following criteria:
1.Clean up corruption
2.Raise the level of education
3.Hire qualified workers
4.Stop practicing nepotism and cronyism
5.Streamline bureaucracy for efficiency and accountability
6.Eliminate duplicate functions and waste in government
7.Teach and implement code of ethics, both in school and in workplace
8.Provide a stable government based on the rule of laws
Nowadays Cambodia is so entrenched in corruptions that it becomes a new culture permeating in all levels of our society. Taking bribes are new habits that are very hard to break. No one person can solve this disease. It requires a strong will and resolves to take care of this problem. We are now at a cross road on how we want Cambodia to move forward.
We cannot fix everything all at once. We have to be realistic in our goals and approaches to the problems. Some may suggest that the problem of our frontiers is the most important thing facing the crisis in Cambodia right now.
I don't know how serious is P.M. Hun Sen in wanting to clean up corruptions, but I hope he meant what he said. He is the only person that may be able to do it if he is really sincere in his conviction to clean up corruption. Our system for corruption is so entrenched right now that it is hard for anybody to do it alone. It requires everybody’s cooperation to get the job done.
Let's hope that P.M. Hun Sen is sincere about his latest overture with Sam Rainsy. There are some signs showing that P.M. Hun Sen may be changing if one analyzes his speech carefully. At least he seems to try to denounce corruption and incompetence in the government. These topics were off limits for discussions before but now P.M. Hun Sen has allowed it to be brought up to the forefront. Hopefully people in Cambodia are more encouraged to do something about it.
True intention for reform accompanied by a genuine action is the best gift that the government of P.M. Hun Sen can give to Cambodia for the New Year.
Human rights and democracy are important but without economic freedom, there is no freedom.
John Kennedy once said, "A rising tide lifts all boats." If Cambodia becomes prosperous, then all Cambodians will also profit from it.
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March 10, 2006
Number ONE BIG Brother, Keng Van Sak
By Kok Sap
Amidst false pluralism of flamboyant King Sihanouk and cronies such as Nhiek Tioulong,Sam Sary,Lon Nol's Renovation Party, and Khim Tit's National Union Party efforts, the dynamic Democrats Party defeated Sihanouk schematic pants down.Thus de Paris opportunistic Marxists be a Roman in Rome in order to gain credibility. Not a co-incident the future Democratic Kampuchea Saloth Sar and his mentors, Keng Van Sak and Thioun Mumm, affiliated themselves with Democrats Party. This most secretive mild manner of soft words aliased Pol Pot, later became horrific Brother One, the boss of Kampuchea Communist Party, openly in late 1977. His name is synonymous of Killing Fields.
From historians recounts Brother One was mentored by other Big Brothers in communist movement back in Paris. One of them was no one else but the philogician Keng Van Sak who was nicknamed as King Van Sak by the demagogue leader Sihanouk because of their indifference in political logics. In his youth, Keng Van Sak was one of the staunchest anti-American agitators beside Polytechnicien Thioun Mumm, the early ultra left leader of Communists in France in the mid 1940's.There were several accounts noted Thioun family and siblings intimate involvement in the revolution. But for time being, the topical focus here is Professeur Keng Van Sak.
Post Geneva Conference Sihanouk primary rival was Democrats Party. In spite of its weakness due to internal quarrels after three years away from power but it still viewed as the best organized political party. Many younger Democrats opposed the apparently pro-US policies Sihanouk had been following since Geneva and argued that Cambodia should be neutral in its alignments. They shared this line with the pro-communist party that had just taken shape in Cambodia, known as Krom Pracheachon or People's Group. Cambodia hard core communist party, founded in 1951, remained concealed from view.
Younger Democrats move their own party to the left in 1954, pushing such stalwarts as Sim Var and Son Sann aside and replacing them with anti monarchic neutralists like Keng Vannsak and Svay So and with even more radical figures, including Thiounn Mumm, then a member of the French Communist Party. Leftists Keng Van Sak and Thioun Mumm (Big Brother II), former students in France, who had decided to infiltrate a legal party that was, at least, already sympathetic to republican ideas and opposed to Cambodia's developing links with the United States, Milton Osborne Sihanouk Prince of Light Prince of Darkness, and p.88. Mumm cooperated with Saloth Sar, who had spent some months in the Vietnamese marquis in 1953-54, to coordinate the Democrats tactics with those of Pracheachon. p.188 D Chandler, A History of Cambodia, 2nd edition
Students in the capital, infected with what later French called the virus of independence, including such Cambodia future radicals Keng Vannsak, Rath Samoeun, and Ieng Sary as well as more conservative figures like Douc Rasy, Norodom Kantol, and Long Boret. D. Chandler, the Tragedy of Cambodian History Politics, War, and Revolution since 1945, p.36. Keng Vannsak a student of Cambodian philology was three years older than Saloth Sar. Having arrived in Paris in 1946, fresh from his baccalauréat, he was to play a key role among Cambodian students. Like Cambodia's only polytechnicien, Thiounn Mumm, who had preceded him to France by several months, Vannsak acted as an older brother (BIG Brother) for students from Cambodia, many of whom he had known in the 1940 at the Lycée Sisowath.
As a linguist and scholar of Cambodian literature, he gained an intellectual reputation similar to the one Thiounn Mumm enjoyed among scientists, mathematicians, and engineers. In his philological work, Vannsak tried to uncover pre-Buddhist, pre-Sanskrit layers of Cambodian vocabulary and cultures. The idea that Cambodia could and should be cut off from other cultures persisted in many Cambodian regimes and resurfaced not only in the Khmer Republic, but also among some Vannsak's disciples of Democratic Republic Kampuchea.
The pace of radicalization among Cambodians in France quickened when two students from Lycée Sisowath, Rath Samoeun and Ieng Sary, arrived in October 1950.Soon after their arrival, they began to participate in an informal Marxist studies circle that met at Vannsak's apartment in the 15th arrondissement(in Paris). The circle and others like it were associated with the groupes des langues set up in 1949 by the CPF among foreign students and workers. Vannsak group had no formal links with the CPF party according to author D. Chandler, the Tragedy of Cambodian History Politics, War, and Revolution since 1945, p.52.
In conclusion his doctrine and ideology Esprit de Khmer influenced many of emerging intellectual class of Cambodia post colonial rule. His anecdotal analysis turned a trendy movement that contributed destitution to Cambodia in later years. Many of them are in late 60 and early 70 in age now who either served DRK or later PRK regime. Also he was known as the perverse provocateur that had feuded with both Cambodia home grown linguistic researcher and scholar Abbot Chuon Nath and former King Sihanouk.
In traditional saying those can't learn teach. Infatuatedly he seemed to boast his Khmerlogy in French cuisine. What he says and does is two different things. Intuitively his home life seemed hypocritical to his love Khmer teaching. Today included those; never had formal relations with him; profess to eulogize his hidden extreme radicalism. After all Democratic Kampuchea leadership might not exist if it wasn't for King Van Sak groupe de langue sessions en Karl Marx early years in Paris. Khmer saying chress mauk pee daek therefore, history must grant the honorific Number One BIG Brother to teacher as well as Brother One title to his devoted apostle.
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Open Letter to the Honorable Norodom Sihanouk
Official Residence,
15 Dong Jiao Min Xiang
Beijing 100006, China
Dear Sir:
As you are well informed, for almost two full centuries ago Khmer people and nation had been dispirited and disunited at the foreign subjugations. Subsequently during your years at the helm, governments had failed to defend and protect national sovereignty and territory as well. It is undesirably painful and intolerable to learn miles and miles of west and east regions of present Khmer land had been illegally ceded and transferred to neighboring nation’s ownership as a tribute for the abatements of the previous ruling regime political in fights. Up to present, Cambodia governments had violated own integrity and dignity. They had cheated Cambodia citizen justice and righteousness. However, history seems to impress upon our cognizance you are the person responsible for all undue justice and fate of our fallen loved ones and generations.
Per your regular claims, Cambodia current government commanded no respect and dignity from others.Routinely you have consistently reminded people of shame which each of us bear as a beggar nation that allowed abuses and misuses other nations' generosity. Also you were made aware the serious violation of human rights and international mandates set by UN at your very signature in Paris 1991. Yet you have arbitrarily indulged merits to ensure such government legitimacy and wrongdoings. Therefore, our nation and people are held hostage and impeded at your very guaranty.
In the pursuance of the promulgated Kingdom II 1993 Constitution Chapter III-articles 31, 39, 41, and 49; as a citizen and ruler; hereby personally you owe opportunity to resolve all Khmer suffering, injustice and particularly very assurance of monarchy mutuality and continuation of your remaining time. Equally on behalf of heritage, as a son and a citizen of the nation, I am morally obligated to express my true concerns as follow for your consideration:
1 - Cambodia government shall be honorably to fulfill own budgetary contribution to implement Khmer Rouge Tribunal expenditures,
2 - Proclamation April 17, 1975 as a day of national mourning and commemoration day for victims of Cold war and Viet Nam transgression,
3 - Demand UN intervention and world court rule over Cambodia dispute boundary with neighbors.
4 - Rescind treaties that infringed determination of national territory and sovereignty.
5 - Restore human rights with guaranty from government in accordance with UN suffrage.
Sir, this may seem selfish and profane but there is no better way in frankness between fellow citizens. The shallowness and hypocrisy is mere unnatural and disrespectful. As you may know; in any unforeseen circumstances; your hard fought reconciliation and unification will be only a waste done by none of foe but your own especially those of FUNC and comparable monarchists. Worst the innocent generations will bear the unforgivable brunt and shame. That considers unkindly burden left by underachieving father of yours.
I trust you will use your utmost love and conscionable judgment to safeguard the innocents and the less fortunate people in Cambodia. May good health, peace, and love indulge you and yours in the up coming Khmer New Year celebration and thereafter.
Sincerely
Kok Sap
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March 31, 2006
The Honorable Chea Sim
Executive President of
Pact Pracheachon Kampuchea
Dear Sir,
For the longest, you have placed confidence and duty in Mr. Hun Sen as the sole decision maker upon million lives. For your information, thing may seem acceptable but the reality is Cambodia is no less than a leech that lives off someone else blood. Other nations laughed and insinuated Khmers are lazy and irresponsible. I find it unsettling and contemptible of such statement. It is my deep pain and concern to apprize you. According to press, Mr. Hun Sen breaches 1991 Paris Accord wishes at the regular basis when comes to his own failures. This has not gone unnoticed; therefore, I wish to raise this matter to your attention for immediate intervention.
Sir, this letter is an open communication between fellow citizens and leader such yourself. As you may know, Cambodia regained respect and recognition from the other nations through UN relentless effort and vast financial assurance. This is very important for our country survival and respect. I am certain that you wish no less for Cambodia; however; Mr. Hun Sen long overdue leadership is indicative of despicable regress among other nations evaluation.
Through his leadership, Cambodia is seen as a primitive and backward nation. Among many world leaders and respected presses, Mr. Hun Sen shouldn't have brought Cambodia the least respect to its most generous supporter such as UN. Habitually, he is evermore vocally undiplomatic and uncivil. This is important that you, as his immediate superior, call upon his immediate attention before the world sanctioned our needy nation privilege and survivability.
Sir, you can't agree less, Cambodia is mild manner nation with strong tradition of unassertiveness but fatal passive aggression. This introvert self destruction attitude got to halt at your command. You may have been informed already of Mr. Hun Sen unreasonable and to the extent of ungrateful gestures toward world diplomats. Many critics and donors are at caveat of Mr. Hun Sen personal and crony rapid wealth. Thus his morality and integrity is in question too.
Lately, Mr. Hun Sen behaves abrasively and crudely. This is essentially unbecoming as a nation leader dignity and integrity. This is critically insensitive and overbearing of a leader conduct. It is dangerous to people and nation. He has brought embarrassment and disrespect upon nation. Please reflect on this and do not allow one person incivility destroying culture of respect for millions.
No body knows the agony and pain that each poor citizen bears as misfortune in life is stagnant under his short sight leadership.Also many know your struggle and spirit is not just for one person or family happiness but shall be the entire population. Evidently twenty years is too long of time under Mr. Hun Sen stewardship, but poverty and injustice is increasing in folds every step out of the way. People lost land to powerful and riches. Human rights is sham turned magnetic force for unwanted attention from the world. Yet Mr. Hun Sen continues to do just that. Certainly it is a paramount responsibility in your behalf to risk Cambodia fragile peace and slight prosperity at one person negligence. But it does not make sense to allow it to go on unchecked.
Please let me close with our Khmer saying Som dei sar cheat marayiat sar pouch, which I find it rings true in all human. Our nation dignity and respect is reflected upon its leader conduct, but unfortunately not in Mr. Hun Sen case. The man possesses poor taste in civil culture and protocol, which down grade esteem of your personal and party discretion. This must not be condoned and tolerated accordingly.
Sir, therefore, your action and consideration is vital to our nation future; please consider an alternate and sensible person to be at the helm in 2008 if your CPP will be successful in election. Mr.Hun Sen is too unbecoming and irrational anymore. May I wish you good health and longevity as Khmer New Year celebration is approaching .
I thank you kindly for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Kok Sap
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THE FORGOTTEN HOLOCAUST
BY VIRAK PRAK
Can you taste it? Can you taste it in the air,
The unforgettable bitterness of which we call despair.
As millions were murdered in the land of the Khmer.
A genocide, which sits in history gathering dust.
Most can't recall the battle's deathly must.
As my people lay unremembered a drop in the ocean.
It seems that mass murder causes little commotion.
In a world desensitized by everyday death,
Can you smell it? Can you smell the dying's last breath?
Skulls scattered in ponds and sown in the soil,
And from the world was little recoil.
For years people suffered in the fields of the killing,
Just another body, just some more blood spilling.
Blood on the hands of he who dare grip mortality;
His name Pol Pot the man with the greatest audacity.
The brother who killed hundreds of his own kin,
He has no remorse morbid signs of a grin.
To claim he works for the good of a nation
Lives just a minor consequence in his “brilliant" reformation.
People just eggs who will inevitably be broken,
Each killing is just natural like words being spoken.
Groups, no crowds, lined up to be murdered,
Eight people with one shot so less bullets need be ordered.
Drowning them in puddles and beating them with batons,
His soldiers, children of death and pitiless drones.
Young boys killing women as old as their mother,
Blinded by loyalty not realizing it's each other.
Killing children and babies and mothers and fathers.
My sister. Your brother. Their sons. Our daughters.
Undiscriminating murder and ropes and beatings were common
And if they tried to plea for mercy it would be no problem.
Just sit them in a pond and tie a bag over their head.
And you can't talk now if you're dead.
Imagine a mother watching the death of her children,
Tied up with flesh burning rope and skinny with malnutrition.
Their toes being salted and cut open with a dirty knife.
Picture when the four letter word P-A-I-N becomes your life.
Can you see it? Can you comprehend being tortured as they laugh?
Now imagine walking through a paddy and hearing a jagged crack.
You lift your foot to find your brother's broken bones,
Didn't even know he had died and to find out in this tone.
You were just talking with him, ago, it was not long.
He was obviously killed while you were gone.
You shut his eyelids and untie a cord from around his neck,
You hold back the tears so the soldiers won't come check.
So they won't see and kill you too.
You ask him for forgiveness then rip out a gold tooth. ,
The gold will help you feed your very sick mom,
Giving her strength to run away with you
From the land that you call home.
She's too old as it is too work under these conditions,
suffering from arthritis a debilitating position.
You work and think about the Nixon Breakfast Operation, which dropped
tons of napalm shells,
In fact they're probably the reason for the war itself.
Can you hear it? The screams of children and infants as you run through
the jungle.
Sneaking out at night and this time the trouble's double.
You're reassured for a second not hearing a thing,
But then it fires out an explosive ring.
A mine, a souvenir from the Vietnam war,
Killing two infants and a boy, mutilated remains splashed on the floor.
A mother runs to the children and lifts her babies heads;
Frantically yelling and screaming trying to wake them from dead.
Her tears stream down as she cradles them next to her chin.
Later killing herself to join her babies again.
On the way, your mother dies of pneumonia and of cold,
Now you look back on the story that your life has told.
You lived a life of hell, burning, agonizing, and rotten,
To only wake up to see the genocidal horror has been forgotten.
How does that feel?
Courtesy of THE SCHOLASTIC ART & WRITING AWARDS
COALITION in WRITING ANTHOLOGY 2000
Author: Virak Prak, 13
Genre: M
School: Bay Point Middle School, St. Petersburg, Florida
Teacher: Renee O'Brien
Award: American Voices Award Medal
Category: Poetry
Ceremony: Kennedy Performance Art Center in Washington D.C
Date: March,2000
Note: This is for informational and educational purpose.
Author was born to Cambodia killing fields survivor family.
His poem was dedicated to his family and Cambodia Killing Fields /US
Bombardment victims and survivors memory.
The author voiced out his pains and agony over how lesser human of
Cambodia to US.In reality US Justice was far more reserved than he thought.
Not a coincident, US denied Cambodia humanity and justice.
In a child eyes, it saddened to see injustice in US Justice was shied
away under the veil of color preference and prejudice.
Sumitted by - kok...@yahoo.com Wed, 5 Apr 2006 06:59:38 -0700
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March 8, 2006
Miracle, 36 Years after Khmer Republic
By Kok Sap kok...@yahoo.com
From late 1968 on, US President Nixon got secret nod from Kingdom of Cambodia mercurial Prince Sihanouk to bomb Viet Cong sanctuaries along eastern border of his Kingdom. The bombardment classified Operation Menu Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner featuring Napalms spiced up in Orange Agents from B-52 high altitude cooks and unauthorized incursions. Due to his poor suicidal diplomacy, Prince laid duty on his old buddy General Lon Nol to lead the National Salvation Government in 1969. Eventually in early 1970, Prince fled country under faked pretenses before popular demands removed him from duty on 18th March 1970. He was sentenced in absentia of treachery in abatement and harboring enemies. Then the Viet Cong undeclared war took toll on Cambodia.
The omnivorous Professor Kissinger, 1973 Nobel Peace Price recipient and Le Duc Tho ancien ami, enforced his schematic ultimatum on Khmer Republic then on its own but to surrender unconditionally to Prince Beijing based government. Coldheartedly US left its cold war accomplice, Khmer Republic to the bloody Prince Regime and rebels. The Prince was bloody mad and avenged people on the 17th April 1975. Over 1/3 of Cambodia total population then plus civilization took toll at his absolute directives. Cambodia turned isolated open killing fields. From that day on Cambodia had never been the same.
The event was the Miracle on Mekong River, B-52 bomb crates scarred Khmer Republic beneath scattering millions skeleton and starving slave feet. On the 7th January 1979, the same Viet Cong regiments returned and claimed over its invasion and occupation of former Khmer Republic in the world sent mission to topple murderous regime of the Prince. Vet Cong replaced the Prince clique with own remaining Viet Minh People Revolution disciples.
From 1979, over half million destitute and distraught survivor never turned back and sought out permanent refuge overseas at the UNHCR and humanitarian nation mercy. Others were caught in resistance and Khmer Rouge controls. Eventually the remaining were sent back to Cambodia under Viet Nam’s PRK communist government before 1993 UNTAC arrival.
Once again, the bloody murderers rule the victims whose justice is still in limbo up to now. The mercurial and heinous criminal Prince has been re-enthroned and unmolested as King second time around at the UN perpetuated choreographic. To date it has been 36 years passed but appallingly the humanity of Cambodia still is under injustice and hopelessness.
People never changed that’s Hanoi miracle in Nam Tien’s Nam Vang moi.
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Seeing through Hun Sen
Sources: http://www.thestandard.com.hk
The wily Cambodian prime minister has long held power by playing a cruel but effective psychological game with his opponents. Unsurprisingly, few are convinced that his latest gesture of reconciliation toward them is genuine, writes Vaudine England
Saturday, February 25, 2006
The wily Cambodian prime minister has long held power by playing a cruel but effective psychological game with his opponents. Unsurprisingly, few are convinced that his latest gesture of reconciliation toward them is genuine, writes Vaudine England
A lmost overnight, Cambodia changed from a country where most of its opposition voices were in jail or exile to one where Prime Minister Hun Sen was loudly announcing an outbreak of peace.
Earlier this month he spoke at length of the "71-hour" outburst of "national reconciliation" in which "Cambodian talked to Cambodian" and solved the country's problems. Just like that.
By February 10, the seal on the apparent outbreak of peace and kindness was set by the return to Cambodia of opposition party leader Sam Rainsy.
He had been in self-imposed exile for a year but, in carefully arranged phone calls and letters, he had apologized to Hun Sen and promised a new non- confrontational attitude, getting a royal pardon in return.
A few thousand ecstatic supporters greeted his return, as they had greeted the releases from jail of his colleague Cheah Channy, radio journalist Mam Sonando, union leader Rong Chhun, and human rights advocates Kem Sokha and Pa Nguon Tieng. United States assistant secretary of state Christopher Hill had visited Cambodia in mid- January and requested the releases, adding his voice to a chorus of complaint at the crackdown.
It was another "miracle on the Mekong," in the wry words of a Cambodian diplomat.
In Cambodian geo-politics, the phrase "miracle on the Mekong" deliberately recalls in satirical tone the judgment of US Congressman Stephen Solarz on the July 26, 1998 elections. Despite massive intimidation, human rights abuses and perversion of the democratic process, Solarz judged the elections then as free and fair because more than 90 percent of the electorate still dared to vote.
Later forced to temper his claim of a miracle, Solarz pointed out that most people had voted against premier Hun Sen, but a split of the opposition between Prince Norodom Ranariddh's Funcinpec Party and the Sam Rainsy Party deprived them of victory.
Critics of Hun Sen, his Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and of Solarz, argued that far from being a miracle, talk of a free vote was a travesty.
"What took place in Cambodia on July 26 [1998] may not have been, as I had originally hoped, a `miracle on the Mekong,' leading to a new birth of democracy and reconciliation in that troubled land. But it would be unfair to the millions of Cambodians who had the courage to vote to dismiss it as a totally illegitimate electoral charade," Solarz wrote in September 1998.
Observers are faced with much the same dilemma now.
It seems good news that the clutch of opposition figures and human rights activists are now out of jail. It is also reassuring when a country's leader says he "needs opposition voices" and wants Cambodians to unite to solve their problems.
But the miracle is most probably a mirage, agree diplomats, analysts and even participants in the latest Cambodian drama.
Look at the pattern provided by history, advises Pa Nguon Tieng, a director of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights and of the Voice of Democracy radio station.
The key to it all is that Hun Sen always comes out on top. He does by first repressing then appearing to offer a hand of friendship to whomever his opponents are at the time. It's a twisted act of conflict resolution: The conflict is created by the person who then offers the resolution.
"I think Hun Sen has had a lot of experience [playing persecutor-rescuer]. He understands what will benefit him in terms of conflict resolution," Pa Nguon Tieng says.
"Look at 1993 - he faced lots of problems when he was in power in a coalition with the Royalists, leading to the bloody coup of 1997. Since then, all power has been concentrated in his hands alone.
"But he had lots of international problems, even from within Asean [the Association of Southeast Asian Nations] and the people here were in strife, very poor and crying out for food.
"So he came up a plan to bring all sides of politics back to the country to participate in the 1998 elections. The international community accepted it and new aid flowed in to hold the election, helping legitimate his rule.
"Most recently the government took violent action against the human rights community, put us in jail and again drew negative reaction. So once more he had to reopen dialogue," recounts Pa Nguon Tieng.
He seems a gentle, hopeful man, and takes all this as a sign that Hun Sen is learning something. He is prepared to wait and see if Hun Sen's current outburst of reconciliation will last or prove to be just another trick.
"I hope he has learned and that the arrests shouldn't happen again," he says. But few others are are prepared to give Hun Sen the benefit of the doubt.
A Western diplomat says: "Hun Sen is manipulating everybody, so everybody is beholden to him. He is positioning himself and others to play them all off against each other."
Precisely how the current drama began and is played out reveals key themes in Cambodian political life, from sensitivity over its weakness relative to its powerful neighbors of Vietnam and Thailand, to the dominant role of Western support for democracy in the impoverished country.
Back in 1993, the United Nations administration in Cambodia - which was supposed to disarm all factions, from the murderous Khmer Rouge to the Vietnamese-backed Hun Sen regime - made do with pronouncing a free election. It then stood by while the election victor, Prince Ranariddh and his Funcinpec Party, went into coalition with Hun Sen who then proceeded to abrogate power. Murder, intimidation, secession threats and more marked the body politic.
"Cambodians had seen [former King] Sihanouk and [his son] Ranariddh bow to the election losers, share power with them, and adopt avidly their undemocratic and corrupt ways," wrote long-term observer Henry Kamm in his 1998 book Cambodia, Report from a Stricken Land.
With the elite proving such a disappointment, Kamm reckons the most lasting contribution of the UN presence in Cambodia was the handful of private human rights organizations it left behind. These groups are now performing the role that opposition parties should be playing - educating people about rights and advocating peaceful change - while the personalities and parties of Cambodia's mainstream politics remain mired in conflict.
By the mid 1990s, Funcinpec's respected finance minister Sam Rainsy had quit the ruling coalition after being stripped of his post for outspoken criticism of corruption at all levels of government. He now leads the Sam Rainsy Party, which remains in some disarray following his year-long absence. Competition meanwhile had begun between Ranariddh and Hun Sen in seducing aging leaders of the Khmer Rouge to their side. Splits, be they real or created, among the old guard of the Khmer Rouge led to the "arrest" of Pol Pot by his brutal colleague, the one-legged Ta Mok. The legendary Brother Number One, Pol Pot, was dead by April 1998.
This was national stability achieved at last, according to the Hun Sen lexicon.
Last year, Hun Sen again invoked the issue of national stability when he sought to clarify the country's border with Vietnam, once and for all. The deal signed in October between Hun Sen and the government which first put him in power sparked off the latest round of trouble however.
The apparently visceral hatred of Vietnam among some Cambodians is often used by politicians to whip up passions, and the border deal provoked public outrage, dramatic media coverage and rising tension. This gave Hun Sen the opportunity to arrest activists and journalists: Mam Sonando of Beehive Radio was accused of provoking conflict with neighboring countries, and rhetoric on a banner at rallies in December - that Hun Sen had "sold" land to Vietnam, that he was a "second Pol Pot" and had "blood on his hands" - was pretext for scooping up popular rights advocate Kem Sokha.
The border law has since been passed, and signed into effect by King Sihamoni (Sihanouk's successor in the palace).
"That's why Hun Sen could release Kem Sokha and the others," judges Pen Samitthy, editor of the biggest circulation newspaper in Cambodia, the Rasmei Kampuchea Daily.
Aware of Rainsy's urgent need to return to Cambodia to rescue his political career, Hun Sen was similarly able to reach out to him in exile in Paris.
"I need him to come back. I need opposition views because sometimes my officials lie to me. I do not want to go ahead alone. If I go alone it is like being on a horse without holding the reins," said Hun Sen on February 6.
Out of jail and now back in the offices of his Beehive Radio, Sonando remains unimpressed.
"Hun Sen is clever. When he is in deadlock, with nowhere to go, he solves problems like this to maintain power," he says. "He is like a talented circus performer."
The political procedure, Sonando explains, is similar to being robbed of something and then having to feel grateful after being allowed to buy it back.
"It's not only me. Everyone in Cambodia has to pay bribes and say thank you for things which should be ours free, as a right."
He is grateful, however, to be out of jail and thanks Hun Sen for "taking the route of Cambodian talking to Cambodian" in arranging the return of Rainsy. "Compromise is better than confrontation, so I think we can solve problems step by step," Sonando says.
Crucially, a key event on March 30, 1997, which all independent observers agree was initiated by Hun Sen, has now become a non-issue in the latest reconciliation. On that day, Rainsy and about 200 followers were holding a peaceful demonstration in front of the National Assembly to demand an independent judiciary. Four grenades were lobbed into the crowd, killing at least 15 people and wounding more than 100. The culprits escaped thanks to intervention by CPP troops.
Rainsy blamed Hun Sen for the attack, and Hun Sen blamed Rainsy for trying to discredit the ruling party. Through all the ups and downs, the increasing militarization of politics since March 1997, the 2003 elections and more, that accusation has been sacrosanct for the opposition.
Yet in Rainsy's apology prior to his pardon which allowed him to return safely to Cambodia this month, he specifically retracts his accusation that Hun Sen was responsible for the grenade attack.
This turnaround alone may fatally damage his standing as an opposition leader and all eyes are now on Rainsy and his party.
"I think Sam Rainsy has lost credibility already, not just because of the latest compromise but because of his changing behavior. But he may restore his credibility through his actions should he tell the truth about what the government does," judges Pa Nguon Tieng.
He says his colleague at the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, Kem Sokha, is a different man to Rainsy, and not a competitor for Rainsy's position as the only figure capable of standing up to Hun Sen.
"We are happy to work in civil society rather in a political party. We are just trying to spread information and the spiritual power of human rights and democracy," says Pa Nguon Tieng.
Kem Sokha, in person, is somewhat less modest.
He couldn't resist the classic politician's line - "if my people need me" - suggesting that if there was a strong call for him to wrest opposition reins from an enfeebled Rainsy's hands, then he would take on the mantle of history to do so.
At least Kem Sokha managed to avoid apologizing to Hun Sen. Indeed, he claims that his own and the other releases, and even the return of Rainsy, were all thanks to his intercessions with Hun Sen who, he says, called him several times a day in prison.
"I told him, if you want to rule the country longer you must support civil society. He will not change easily but I tried to change his mind," Kem Sokha says.
A politician before he turned to the human rights movement, Kem Sokha now claims he has two million supporters across the country and that Hun Sen has recognized his clout. Analysts agree that Kem Sokha remains a strong possible successor to Rainsy as opposition icon.
The upshot of it all is that Ranariddh's Funcinpec, the official ally of Hun Sen in government, now fears it may not be needed any more (or be allowed access to the perks and benefits of rule) if Hun Sen brings Rainsy on side. A hint of this tension was evident even before Rainsy landed at Pochentong Airport when Funcinpec Radio aired a commentary which described Rainsy as a habitual liar who had left his party members feeling hopeless.
"It's the same old fighters fighting the same old battles. . It's a matter of destabilizing the opposition, keeping them off balance, so that Hun Sen can reintroduce the facade of democracy when it suits him," a Phnom Penh- based diplomat said.
An important bone of contention remains however - the criminal defamation law that allows the courts to bring suits against opposition figures whenever it chooses (or is told to do so).
The law is an unfortunate legacy of the UN's tenure in Cambodia. It was first instituted to dampen abuse between political parties ahead of the 1993 election but has since become a tool of repression in Hun Sen's hands.
"We are trying to change the law because it is being used to silence critics; it is a very bad law that severely limits freedom of expression," Ou Virak, general secretary of the Alliance for Freedom of Expression in Cambodia told the Phnom Penh Post.
He hopes the law will be a major topic at the forthcoming Consultative Group meeting of donors this week.
Yash Ghai, a former Hong Kong University law professor who is now the UN Special Representative to Cambodia on Human Rights, agrees the law must go: "The combination of a rather loosely drafted law and the relative lack of independence and competence of the judiciary means that such laws can be used to harass political opponents and suppress freedom of expression."
Perhaps more revealing of the abiding concerns of ordinary Cambodians is the fact that circulation of the leading Rasmei Kampuchea Daily goes up when its front page stories are not about elite politics, but when coverage is focused on the recent arrests of 10 senior policemen accused of being paid assassins.
"People follow this story because they support this action [the arrest of police]. They know the police and the courts are corrupt. This is what increases circulation here, not stories about Kem Sokha and Sam Rainsy," newspaper editor Pen Samitthy says.
Cambodian reconciliation is not a miracle yet, but not entirely a mirage either.
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