My dear Kacvey,

Have you seen the three articles written in Khmer and published in three sites about what the two samd’achs had said in public? Was it a journalistic coincidence, a calculated conjunction or a chance fortuity? If so, have you discussed them with your students? And what do they think or how do they read between the lines?

You certainly remember Raymond Poulidor and his performance at Tour de France, don’t you? And his famous self-appreciation of never donning “le maillot jaune”, not even once: «je suis connu pour être l’éternel second»!

Well, well! First thing first:
1) On 14 March 2019, dap-news.com posted this article: រដ្ឋមន្ដ្រីមហាផ្ទៃ ណែនាំអាជ្ញាធរខេត្ត កុំឲ្យខឹងការរិះគន់ របស់សង្គមស៊ីវិល
2) On the same day, wmc.org.kh posted this article: សម្ដេចហ៊ុនសែនថាបើសម្ដេចស្លាប់គណៈរដ្ឋមន្ត្រីត្រូវរលាយហើយអ្នកប្រមាថ​សម្ដេច​នឹង​ស្លាប់គ្មាន​ដីកប់ដូចប៉ុលពត
3) On 16 March 2019, The Cambodia Daily posted this article: លោក​ស ខេង​ប្រកាស​ថា​កម្ពុជា​នឹង​មាន​វាសនា​អាក្រក់​ប្រសិន​បើ​ដើរ​ចេញ​ពី​គន្លង​លទ្ធិ​ប្រជា​ធិបតេយ្យ​

Let not go into the brain of those two samd’achs as that would be the jobs of a political shrink, but rather focus on what the Khmer texts could tell us:

• The Cambodia Daily did not use the word samd’ach;
• The two samd’achs ignore each other in their speech;
• The two samd’achs broach the subjects in a different style, interpretation, value, approach and depth;
• One is arrogant, violent, brute, unhinged and mean; the other is calm, smooth, self-controlled and down-to-earth;
• They haven’t been seen together in a friendly or “camaraderie” mood as they used to;
• They are not subject to open and public discussions by commentators, observers or critics about “this group” or “that group” like in the case of the opposition with this phrase by the exiled: “Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha are as one. We are not stupid enough to split and to help Hun Sen cling to power“;
• One is the top from day 1 of the regime and the other as number 2 since that same day 1;
• One talks a lot and brags about the army and the bodyguards and their loyalty, the other only about the police, but the sycophant that runs the defense department behaves like a duck that knows that its destiny will be roasted as “téa khwày”;
• Both of them seem to ignore each other, or rather watch each other with hawks eyes;
• In the “Rock” raid  issue, one talked about the “younger oknha”, the other was elated and satisfied with the arrest of the “older brother”;
• In the meantime, for both of them to remain in power, they refrain from being critical of each other, but after 34 years at the same position as eternal number 2, is this what a person really wants? Raymond Poulidor had tried very hard against Jacques Anquetil, but Pou-Pou was never able to dominate the race to win the “maillot jaune” when the Tour finished on the Champs Elysées;
• While one is placing his sons in strategic military positions, the other consolidate his “Interior”, and
• Unfortunately for both of them, their “generals” are so corrupt that whatever they do, neither of them won’t be able to rely on their “generals” that do not know anything about military or police principle and theory for the service of the country and the people.

Kacvey, what will be going on over there?
Is something being cooked up for “Belshazzar’s feast”?
Or is it an intra-party-colorless-or-White-silent-revolution?
When democracy is dead, dictatorship rules.
Which dictator succeeded to pass the rein of dictatorial power to baby dictator? Duvalier? Noriega? Franco? Bhutto? Idi Amin? Stalin?
Dictatorship will also die, and the question is how and when will it do.

=====
Update:
– On 18 March 2019, Radio Free Asia posted article: Cambodia Investigating Employment Status of Chinese Nationals Amid Complaints of Lost Jobs
– On 19 March 2019, Radio Free Asia posted a Khmer article: លោក ស ខេង ទទួល​ស្គាល់​ថា ជនជាតិ​ចិន​កំពុង​ដណ្ដើម​មុខ​របរ​តូចតាច​របស់​ពលរដ្ឋ​នៅ​ខេត្ត​ព្រះសីហនុ