Monthly Archives: January 2016

“Not Free” Cambodia

30 Saturday Jan 2016

Posted by in Human Rights, Issue, Justice, Politics, Social

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My dear Kacvey,

This is the 3rd day in a row that Cambodia is almost at the lowest bottom of any scoring by international standards. After EIU and TI, it is now Freedom House on political rights and civil liberties.

In the world studies of 209 countries and territories, Freedom House classified Cambodia in the “Not Free” group of countries with a score of 32 ((0=worst, 100=best), the other 2 groups being “Free” and “Partly Free”. The detailed scoring is as follows: Political Rights: 6; Civil Liberties: 5; Freedom Rating: 5.5 (1=most free and 7=least free)

Here is link for the full report: https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/freedom-world-2016

Freedom House did not make specific comments about Cambodia, but after going through the descriptive and the table, you would certainly feel that Freedom House is still too lenient in so far as:

  • The violations of the freedom in political rights and civil liberties have always been carried out by the same autocrats who – during the Khmer Rouge era were an integral part of that political and genocidal regime – have been ruling Cambodia since 1979.
  • They have been toying with political rights and civil liberties of the Cambodian people as if these rights and liberties are their personal properties and given to Cambodians as a present.
  • They ignore the rights and liberties of the Cambodian people who are inherent to the independence and sovereignty of the country as much as they are independent, free and sovereign citizens whose rights and liberties are recognized by the Universal Declarations of Human rights and their subsequent covenants.
  • They convert the violations of political rights and civil liberties into the foundation of the autocracy filled with corruption, nepotism and abuse of power.
  • The flagrant and voluntary disrespect of political rights and civil liberties is so severe that the entire justice system has been shackled to the whim of the ruling party who takes the laws of the country into their own hands.

Kacvey, please remind your friends and your students of these words from Martin Luther King, Jr.: “Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.”

And “…taken back…”

=====

Update on February 3, 2016

The Heritage Foundation issued a report called “2016 Index of Economic Freedom” where Cambodia is classified in the group of “Mostly Unfree” countries, and ranked number 112 out of 178 countries worldwide.

No Khmer with national and honest dignity is proud of this assessment upon the current governance of the country.

http://www.heritage.org/index/

http://www.heritage.org/index/ranking

http://www.heritage.org/index/country/cambodia

Corruption, Corruption, Corruption in Cambodia

29 Friday Jan 2016

Posted by in Culture, Governance, Issue, Justice, Politics, Social

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My dear Kacvey,

The blizzards start to come down hard on Cambodia, one after another: a day ago it was the report by the EIU on the country declining democracy; today is the CORRUPTION.

“Transparency International – Corruption Perceptions Index 2015” ranks Cambodia as number 150 (out of 168 countries in the whole world) and the most CORRUPTED in South East Asia.

Here is the link to the report: http://www.transparency.org/cpi2015

In a nutshell, “TI-CPI 2015” report states, inter alia: “If there was one common challenge to unite the Asia Pacific region, it would be corruption. From campaign pledges to media coverage to civil society forums, corruption dominates discussion. Yet despite all this talk, there’s little sign of action. Between Australia’s slipping scores and North Korea’s predictably disastrous performance, the 2015 index shows no significant improvement. Has Asia Pacific stalled in its efforts to fight corruption?”

The same report classifies Cambodia among “the bad” with this short statement: “… In India and Sri Lanka leaders are falling short of their bold promises, while governments in Bangladesh and Cambodia are exacerbating corruption by clamping down on civil society….”

Kacvey, would you think that the current autocrats care about the the TI report? They do not because they breathe corruption, eat corruption, sleep corruption. Corruption is their mantra.

Kacvey, should you add anything else when corruption and nepotism have been subjects of so many exchanges in the past? No need to do so, but just the perception that corrupted autocrats are driving Cambodia towards an abyss of rapid destruction and possibly annihilation.

The Khmer Rouge committed genocide against the Khmer people between 1975 and 1978. The ex-Khmer Rouge, since 1979, turn themselves into autocrats, continue the legacy of deforestation started by the Khmer Rouge to enrich themselves and transform the entire country into a fiefdom for their party and acolytes. And to paraphrase Ted Nugent, “The government [of these autocrats] is so out of control. It is so bloated and infested with fraud and deceit and corruption and abuse of power.”

Kacvey, it’s time for you to think harder!

Cambodia’s declining democracy

28 Thursday Jan 2016

Posted by in Culture, Governance, Politics, Social

≈ 1 Comment

My dear Kacvey,

Well, Well, Well! The final score for world democracy in 2015 is out and Cambodia is sadly moving backward.

“The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index 2015 – Democracy in an age of anxiety” shows that Cambodia slid downward to the bottom of “Hybrid regime” group of countries whereas the overall score for Asia has made modest improvement. The EIU wrote: “Some Asian countries that had made progress in 2014 registered a significant deterioration in 2015. In Cambodia a 2014 deal between the ruling Cambodian People’s party (CPP) and the opposition broke down when the government began a crackdown on the opposition in October 2015, prompting a sharp fall in the country’s score and ranking. Cambodia dropped ten places in our ranking, from 103 to 113, with its score leaving it on the cusp of the “authoritarian regime” category.”

Kacvey, this is the link but you might have to register first:

http://www.eiu.com/Handlers/WhitepaperHandler.ashx?fi=EIU-Democracy-Index-2015.pdf&mode=wp&campaignid=DemocracyIndex2015

You would certainly be not surprised by the EIU’s assessment and evaluation as nothing new – except the number – has ever added to what you already know, feel and exasperate about, nor would you be astonished by the denial or the rejection of the report by the ruling party whose realpolitik is teflon-coated self-obliging; and as Publius Sirius, once, said: “He confesses his crime who flees the tribunal.”

The survival of a democracy does not depend on the autocracy that suppresses it, it depends on the strength and the alertness, vigilance, watchfulness, foresight and shrewdness of the people who are masters of themselves. People make democracy.

Twitter KhmerPAC

27 Wednesday Jan 2016

Posted by in Social

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My dear Kacvey,
For faster inter-connectivity on important events that may occur while you are doing other things, you may now Twitter KhmerPAC!

Simple and easy!

The pain in the “nec” is not going away

17 Sunday Jan 2016

Posted by in Culture, Event, Institution, Issue, Politics

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My dear Kacvey,

So Kacvey, the “nec” made a big and hollow news on Friday 15 January 2016 that the pain is recurring and will not be cured before 2019! The man who carried the painless “nec” in 2013 elections has now been given a clean bill of health to come back to reenact the same scenario for 2017 and 2018 elections.

Here go to the ashtray all the big talks about reforming the electoral laws!

The more one reforms, the more one remains the same!

What a joke that smells up to high heaven!

Hope you recall our discussion on “When the pain in the “nec” is cortisoned” on 26 April 2015. Well, it looks like something hits the fan again as far as the opposition is concerned.

It is a big and elaborated coup orchestrated by some of the “9 necers” to bring back the person who knows how to ensure the victory for the ruling party. And they continue to call themselves “independent/neutral”, and if so – would they dare put their money where their mouth is? – why not making public the selection process and the final vote?

Flashback to July 2013 and its aftermath:

  • Remember the declaration of “68 seats” even before the “nec” had finished the tallies?
  • Remember the huge amount of disputed ballots?
  • Remember the banning of any investigation into elections irregularities?
  • Remember the boycott of the “55”?
  • Remember the meeting of the “55” in Siem Reap and the group photo in front of Angkor Wat?
  • Remember the demonstrations at the Independence Park?
  • Remember the guys in black around the Park?
  • Remember the parade of the garments workers and the $170.00 demand?
  • Remember those who were arrested and are still in jail without investigation or trial?
  • Remember Véng Séng street?
  • Remembers the innocents fatalities?

Or, has the “Lexus” made them forgetting what their supporters cannot forget?

Kacvey, you who live in the city of Tonlé Buon Mouk and have relatives and friends in provinces must be tired of being taken for granted and treated like bound-feet chickens that are offered for sales at Psar Thméy. It’s about time to stop watching this insane play and to say clear and loud: the comedy is not funny anymore and has lasted long enough. Pull down the curtain. Enough is enough.

Future reality starts to hit

16 Saturday Jan 2016

Posted by in Event, Politics

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My dear Kacvey,

Strange things always happen in the City of Tonlé Buon Mouk; is it because the Khmer politicians were schooled in an unschooled environment or because they are geniuses with bird brain size?

The congress of the ruling party which was held on 8-9 January 2016 was a forum to glorify what the ruling party thinks what it has achieved, truly or untruly. Nothing surprised as it was no news to the mind of the blazé, the unconvinced and the unimpressed who have heard the same old song sung by the same singer(s) for 35 years! As a Chinese proverb goes: “All one’s geese are swans” – 王婆卖瓜，自卖自夸！

However, the scrutiny of an article published by The Phnom Penh Post on 11 January 2016 reveals that underneath the sounds of drum beating some uncomfortable feeling mixed with self-doubt is creeping into the heartbeat of the autocracy.

Many thanks are expressed herewith to the PPP:

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/cpp-closes-annual-congress

Kacvey, could you please open your eyes and ears when strolling in the corridors of power about the meaning of these 2 sentences from the PPP: “While the statement painted a sunny picture about the CPP’s road ahead of the elections, a document appearing to be an internal report from the convention obtained yesterday suggested a tougher struggle for the ruling party.

The document said the CPP needed to “prepare” itself to respond to the CNRP’s “propaganda”, which it deemed could “destroy” its popularity.”

So, the key words are: (1) document appearing to be an internal report,  (2) tougher struggle for the ruling party, (3) to “prepare” itself, and (4) “could ‘destroy’ its popularity”. And please do not argue why using the PPP key words for argumentation which would be moot if that so-called “internal report” is made public.

You may as well inject these questions to whom of the ruling party you would have discussions with:

  • Why not make the report public and let the public judge its merit and truthfulness?
  • Why are they so afraid of the reaction of the public?
  • Are they afraid of the difference between fiction and truth?
  • Are they afraid that the public might find out about unkept promises?

No matter, people will seek the truth over lie when future reality strikes!

 

Competing for “Mr. Cambodia” title?

11 Monday Jan 2016

Posted by in Culture, Social

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My dear Kacvey,

2015 ended with the elections in Sanya, China (中国海南三亚), of Miss Spain as Miss World, and in Las Vegas, USA, of Miss Philippines as Miss Universe.

Meanwhile, in the City of Tonlé Buon Mouk, a fierce contest seems to going on in social media for who is going to win “Mr. Cambodia” title?

Thanks to The Cambodia Daily, the public can see the 2 contestants, one in a bathrobe at O’Cheuteal beach and standing with a jogging suit on, the other on a standing-up paddle board and hanging to a horizontal bar in a gym. The only missing pieces for the final round of the contest would be the interviews and the … bikinis!

Kacvey, enjoy the photos in this link: https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/hun-sen-rainsy-jostle-for-social-media-fame-104905/

Private life is sacrosanct and how to get fit and healthy is their prerogative and strongly encouraged without reservations. But the article told the public a few interesting things upon which some questions could be fairly and openly asked:

  • if the contestants have so much time spending on their Facebook page to sell themselves like salesmen selling stuff about their own ego, how much time left on a daily basis do they have to attend to state affairs of national interests?
  • if the contestants bragged about their million of “like”, would they know how many millions of “unlike” that would be numbered but not recorded? Do they know what the Yin and Yang (阴阳) duality is?
  • if the contestants paraded their ware at 10,000 kilometers apart and in a ruleless format, how would anybody be able to score them effectively?
  • if the contestants thought they are savvy on the use of Facebook account, do they know that there is a big difference between an amateur user and a computer sciences graduate? 3 words commonly associated with social media are: self, selfish and selfie; all of them have EGO.
  • if the contestants thought that they compete between themselves for their own and personal glory among their own fans, why then should the nation and the people as a whole care about them?
  • if the contestants cared more about themselves than the people of the nation, shouldn’t the nation and the people now take care of themselves and forget it all about them?
  • If the contestants thought that they could win the “Mr. Cambodia” title, they are free to think so, but should Cambodians acquiesce to this nonsensical and preposterous game?

Mahatma Gandhi, once, said: “A nation’s culture resides in the hearts and the soul of its people.”

Has Cambodia’s culture now become so low that it is reduced to this type of ignominious and disgraceful battle of egos through social media?

=====
Update on 7 May 2016
http://vayofm.com/news/detail/68720-463767046.html

Congratulations, Mrs. Lin!

08 Friday Jan 2016

Posted by in Event, Human Rights, Social, Stories

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My dear Kacvey,

This reporting from yahoo.com should make all Cambodians, wherever they are, proud of being Khmer and a Khmer who knows that if one works hard, soul and mind together in one compact unit, one can achieve beyond what is expected.

Today’s “yahoo.com”, cited an AFP report by Amber Wang, carries a posting titled: ”’Foreign bride’ from Cambodia to make history in Taiwan vote”

https://www.yahoo.com/news/foreign-bride-cambodia-history-taiwan-vote-040044672.html

Friedrich Schiller, once, said: “Only those who have the patience to do simple things perfectly ever acquire the skill to do difficult things ”

“只有有耐心圆满完成简单工作的人，才能够轻而易举地完成困难的事”

Congratulations, Mrs. Lin!

Wishing you all the very best in your new public endeavor!

Kacvey, could you please share the above with the “123”!

From 7 January 1979 to 7 January 2016

07 Thursday Jan 2016

Posted by in Event, History

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My dear Kacvey,

How about re-pondering on a few thoughts that still have currency among contemporary Cambodians:

  1. The fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975 gave birth to a unified Vietnam with all the consequences that everybody knows up to today.
  2. The fall of Phnom Penh on 17 April 1975 plunged Cambodia into the dark and tragic era of the Pol Pot and the KR regime. On 7 January 1979 the armed forces of (1), with a group of ex-KRs ousted the Pol Pot regime and installed the PRK with the same “group of ex-KRs” as leaders until today.

In other words,

(a) From 30 April 1975 to today, there are no more North Vietnam and South Vietnam. There is only “Vietnam.”

(b) From 17 April 1975 to today, the chain of history is as follows: Khmer Republic (Lon Nol) to Democratic Kampuchea (Pol Pot) to People’s Republic of Kampuchea (Pen Sovann) to State of Cambodia and to currently Kingdom of Cambodia.

During (b), how many millions of gallons of Khmer blood were spilled on the rice fields? How many hundreds of thousands of skulls were buried in the rice fields? How many millions of yards of Khmer family tissues were burned to ashes and never to come back? How many Khmer were destroyed/killed/murdered by other Khmer? Is the notion of “infamy” in Khmer blood?

The British poet Shelley, once, said:” Man has no right to kill his brother. It is no excuse that he does so in uniform: He only adds the infamy of servitude to the crime of murder.”

We all now know when and how this madness started, but do Khmer know when this madness should and will end?

When (1) sent in their troops to Cambodia and stayed until the time of UNTAC – some had left and returned to their country as a result of UNTAC – and others who constantly come to settle on land and on waterways after UNTAC, how many off-springs and off-off-springs do they have now? How much more debts do the ex-KRs who rule Cambodia have to pay to these people at the expense of the entire nation? How many more generations of Khmer will have to endure this humility?

Shouldn’t Khmer have any pride of being Khmer?

On the 1st day of 2016

01 Friday Jan 2016

Posted by in Culture, Politics, Social

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My dear Kacvey,

The calendar has just now “changed” to 2016.

Farewell 2015! Auld Lang Syne! Thank You for whatever good that was happening during your reign! Thank You for leaving a heavy dossier of outstanding and toxic issues that 2016 will have to attend to. The list is as long as the length of suffering under the burden of lack of democracy, violation of rule of law, injustice, economic inequality, deforestation, land grabbing, corruption and autocracy.

2015 has gone, indeed, and it has made mortals one year older. But for Cambodia, it is fair game to ask whether Khmer politicians have learned from past year of what went wrong for the country and the people? And why was it so? Have they learned that time does not stagnate man’s growth in knowledge, perception, idea and judgement? Have they learned not to see their environment through their own glasses or have  they still been like – as Zhuangzi (庄子) said in his essay “Autumn Floods“ (秋水) – “a frog in a well that cannot be talked with about the sea?” Have they learned that everything changes through erosion?

The way things have regularly happened in the City of Tonlé Buon Mouk leaves little room to hope that they have improved one iota in their political thinking, character, attitude and behavior. As a consequence, the confusing and chaotic political environment will furthermore exacerbate the social conditions and the overall state of the nation.

The fish named “cod” is long gone dead.

The “nec” is still in serious pain.

“68” dominates the national assembly under the clothes of democracy in travesty.

Corruption is the norm and autocracy favors/maintains the status quo.

On this very 1st day of the New Year, let ponder on a statement by Hubert H. Humphrey:  “If there is dissatisfaction with the status quo, good. If there is ferment, so much the better. If there is restlessness, I am pleased. Then let there be ideas, and hard thought, and hard work. If man feels small, let man make himself bigger.”

However, centuries before Humphrey, Niccolo Machiavelli had a different feeling about “status quo”. Kacvey, if you want to know what that feeling was, just say so and you’ll be obliged!