Delegation of authority? ប្រគល់ការងារ?

08 Sunday Nov 2020

Posted by KhmerPAC in Event, Institution, Issue, Politics

My dear Kacvey,

First, let acquaint ourselves with this reporting:
RFI, 7 November 2020
លោក ហ៊ុន សែន ប្រគល់ការងារសង្គមទៅលោក ស ខេង ខណៈទំនាក់ទំនងអន្តរជាតិប្រគល់ទៅ លោក អូន ព័ន្ធមុនីរ័ត្ន

Just wondering whether you have seen any strange things happening in the way the weak strongman “delegated” his authority while he is in self-quarantine after being in close contact with Peter, the Hungarian super-spreader on 3 November 2020.

1) Why being in self-quarantine would be an impediment to be in video conference if he is healthy and tested negative or not incapacitated?

2) Did he “delegate” his authority the many times in the past that he was overseas either on official trips or for medical treatments?

Kacvey, please keep your ears to the ground!

“We may have to cut loose the two to save the eight”

01 Sunday Nov 2020

Posted by KhmerPAC in Institution, International, Issue, Politics

≈ Leave a comment

My dear Kacvey

A bombshell of news exploded on 24 October 2020 by an article published by “Mothership” in Singapore. You and your students will discover its content on your own through this link: Bilahari Kausikan: Asean may have to cut members if they continue to be led by an external power – True neutrality means taking positions based on your own interests, and not allowing others to define your interests for you.
https://mothership.sg/2020/10/bilahari-asean-china/

That article by Bilahari Kausikan drew different reactions from inside and outside Cambodia as follows:

Fresh News, 27 October 2020
Open Letter: A Singaporean Wolf Warrior Is Destroying ASEAN Unity and Centrality
http://en.freshnewsasia.com/index.php/en/localnews/19862-2020-10-27-09-23-34.html

Asia Times. 28 October 2020
Time to boot Cambodia out of ASEAN

South China Morning Post, 28 October 2020
Bilahari Kausikan dismisses claims he is an ‘agent’, after hinting Asean should expel Cambodia, Laos over Chinese influence
https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3107483/bilahari-dismisses-claims-he-agent-after-hinting-asean-should

The Straits Times, 29 October 2020
Retired Singapore diplomat Bilahari Kausikan dismisses claims by Cambodia of being agent to foreign power
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/retired-singapore-diplomat-dismisses-claims-by-cambodia-of-being-agent-to-foreign

Phnom Penh Post, 28 October 2020
‘No chance Cambodia booted out of ASEAN’
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/no-chance-cambodia-booted-out-asean

The Diplomat, 29 October 2020
Could ASEAN Really Cut Laos and Cambodia Loose?
https://thediplomat.com/2020/10/could-asean-really-cut-laos-and-cambodia-loose/

VOA, 30 October 2020
មន្ត្រីជាន់ខ្ពស់កម្ពុជាប្រតិកម្មនឹងសំណើឱ្យដកកម្ពុជាចេញពីអាស៊ានថាជា«គំនិតបង្កហេតុ»
https://khmer.voanews.com/a/hun-sen-aide-hit-back-at-proposal-to-boot-cambodia-out-of-asean/5641659.html

The list will be updated with additional reactions as they become known.

Kacvey, as you now have perused all the above, some hard questions will certainly be thrown at you by your students. Let just prepare the possible or plausible questions:
– Why did Bilahari Kausikan raise this issue in an open public forum?
– Why at this time when the multifaceted relations between the US and China are at the lowest level: US elections, world pandemic (causes and consequences), trade war espionage, and South China Sea?
– Why at this time when the US State Secretary and the Chinese Foreign Affaires are crisscrossing Asean and Indian subcontinent capitals?
– Is there or is there not an imaginary relation between what Bilahari Kausikan said with the issues of Dara Sakor and Ream seen from the regional and global perspectives and eyes?
– Would it also draw reactions by Asean and non-Asean “officials”, observers, academicians, strategists or press commentators?
– Does the weak strongman have enough intellectual, cultivated and polyhistoric ammunitions to directly challenge or fire back at Bilahari Kausikan’s arguments through conventional channels and not on the screen of his Facebook page in Khmer?
– By discussing “Cambodia”, would Bilahari Kaisaukan mean Cambodia as a nation or its current autocratic leader that has Chinafied Cambodia? Would Bilahari Kausikan review his opinion if Cambodia is under different leadership and politics in the future?

Hope your students drill you to the core, and for those who are not interested, they should read what Plato, once wrote: “One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors” and Dante Alighieri: “The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis.”

=====

Update:

Fresh News, 30 October 2020
Cambodian Journalist Recalls Bilahari, Former Singaporean Diplomat

Prisonnier de l’Ancien Khmer Rouge

31 Saturday Oct 2020

Posted by KhmerPAC in Culture, Event, Governance, History, Human Rights, Institution, Issue, Justice, Politics, Social

≈ Leave a comment

My dear Kacvey,

You certainly recall this French book by Sihanouk: “Prisonnier des Khmers rouges” (ISBN:978-2010121845) published in 1986.

Hope your students remember and make connection between:
1) Sihanouk’s birthday and Halloween: 31 October, and
2) the following two reporting by Radio Free Asia and Sihanouk’s book title:
– ឧត្ដមទីប្រឹក្សាផ្ទាល់នៃព្រះមហាក្សត្រ ថ្លែងថា ព្រះរាជាបច្ចុប្បន្ន ដូចជាប់ឃុំក្នុងវាំង ព្រោះស្ថាប័នរដ្ឋាភិបាល
https://www.rfa.org/khmer/news/politics/a-king-advisor-blames-the-government-for-weakening-the-monarchy-10212020041531.html
– រដ្ឋាភិបាលមិនបានគាំទ្រព្រះមហាក្សត្របំពេញព្រះរាជ តួនាទីពេញលេញតាមរដ្ឋធម្មនុញ្ញ
https://www.rfa.org/khmer/news/politics/watchdogs-criticize-Hunsen-govt-for-abusing-King-roles-and-responsibilities-10302020050748.html

There currently are so many innocent people who get arrested and jailed by the police and justice that are in the autocratic hands of the weak strongman. They are arrested and jailed for the peaceful and non-violent exercise of their freedom of political expression. Isn’t then there a commonality between the suzerain and the people: suzerain and subjects being prisoners of the same and one regime?

If the quote attributed to Jayavarman VII: “The suffering of my people is my suffering” is true, shouldn’t the suzerain and the people join hands to free themselves from the prison? How and what would and could the suzerain do to elevate the above quote to be: “The suffering of the suzerain is the people’s suffering”?

Kacvey, can this passage from Exodus 3:7 “And the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows” help your students to ponder on this miserable matter in the City of Tonlé Buon Mouk?

=====
P.S. A glimpse at the Sultan of Malaysia (pour mémoire)
Bloomberg: Malaysia’s Once-Peripheral King Emerges as Major Political Force

Trilogy that Can Befall the ex-KR Autocracy

20 Sunday Sep 2020

Posted by KhmerPAC in Event, Governance, Institution, Issue, Politics, Social

≈ Leave a comment

My dear Kacvey,

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “trilogy” as: “a series of three dramas or literary works or sometimes three musical compositions that are closely related and develop a single theme.”

Let use that definition as a model for a series of three dramas for your students to study in Cambodia contemporary politics that befall the weak strongman.

If the play is titled: Trilogy that Can Befall the Ex-KR Autocracy, the three “dramas” are:
1. The Sword of Damocles Has Dropped
2. The Blue Tent That Became a Permanent Wooden Structure or How New Cyclopic Chéy Chétha Drew the Map of the New Kampuchea Krom, and
3. Dara Sakor, a base or not a base?

The weak strongman is no longer in command of the three quagmires that he has built under his feet that stand on corrupt and autocratic power. It’s the European Union, the United States and China that will oversee and decide above his head on the denouement of the three saga. He is expendable and the next leader who will succeed him will have enormous difficulties to deal with his excremental leftover. And if he thinks that his son that, to this age, still holds the pleats of his pants can handle these issues, he must then have a rotten brain.

The weak strongman acting as main thespian is now less than a puppet and more like a one marble-glass-eye-scarecrow in the middle of the emptiness of a rice field.

If the weak strongman has become cockier with Khmer in domestic issues, it is – like a prisoner in his own palatial jail decorated with insane luxury watches and protected by thousands of bodyguards against his own intestinal enemies in the corrupt people party – that the gold bars on the cell windows that keep the bodyguards active for his cause until such a time that a storm blows that scarecrow away from its pole. Even a Mi 171E helicopter won’t be able to lift him on time to an unknown safe heaven.

Like in all Greek trilogy, the end is never a happy one.

Intestinal Color Revolution?

11 Wednesday Mar 2020

Posted by KhmerPAC in Culture, Governance, Institution, Issue, Politics, Social

≈ Comments Off on Intestinal Color Revolution?

My dear Kacvey,

The article published by cambonomist.com could not be hidden from your students’ mind and intellect, nor ignored. As a saying goes: “Where there is smoke, there is fire”, and if the statement is made in plain public eyes and ears without fear of retribution, the author of the statement must be privy to “something”, he who is nothing less than the first deputy prime minister and the minister of interior affairs.

Thank you, cambonomist.com for your reporting.

For our library, this is the article in Khmer: សម្តេច ស ខេង៖ ពេលខ្លះ បដិវត្តន៍ពណ៌កើតចេញពីផ្ទៃក្នុងយើង

“សម្តេចឧបនាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី ស ខេង បានមានប្រសាសន៍នៅថ្ងៃពុធ ទី១១ ខែមីនា នេះថា បដិវត្តន៍ពណ៌ វាអាចកើតចេញពីផ្ទៃក្នុងរបស់គណបក្សកាន់អំណាចដោយមិនដឹងខ្លួន ឬដោយអចេតនា តាមរយៈការមិនយកចិត្តទុកដាក់នូវសំណូមពរនិងកង្វល់របស់ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ ហើយបង្កើតឡើងនូវភាពអសកម្មនានានៅតាមមូលដ្ឋាន ហើយប៉ះពាល់ដល់សិទ្ធិនិងផលប្រយោជន៍របស់ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ។

ថ្លែងក្នុងពិធីអបអរសាទរទិវាអន្តរជាតិនារី សម្តេច ស ខេង បានថ្លែងដូច្នេះថា ”ចំណុចនេះ ខ្ញុំធ្លាប់បានបញ្ជាក់ច្រើនហើយ ថា បដិវត្តន៍ពណ៌ វាមានអ្នកដែលប៉ុនប៉ងដើម្បីនឹងធ្វើការងារនេះ ហើយក៏បានជួបប្រទះរួចមកហើយ ក្រោយបោះឆ្នោតឆ្នាំ២០១៣ ប៉ុន្តែ ជួនពេលខ្លះ បដិវត្តន៍ពណ៌នេះ វាកើតចេញពីផ្ទៃក្នុងយើង ជួរយើង ដោយមិនដឹងខ្លួន ឬដោយអចេតនាតាមរយៈការមិនយកចិត្តទុកដាក់ អើពើ នូវសំណូមពរ សំណើ និងកង្វល់របស់ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ ហើយបង្កើតឡើងនូវភាពអសកម្មនានា នៅតាមមូលដ្ឋាន ហើយប៉ះពាល់ដល់សិទ្ធិនិងផលប្រយោជន៍របស់ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ។”

សម្ដេចឧបនាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី បានបន្តដូច្នេះថា “នោះក៏ជាមូលហេតុនៃការកកើតនៃចលនាបដិវត្តន៍ពណ៌នោះដែរ ដូច្នេះការដែលយើងយកចិត្តទុកដាក់ដើម្បីដោះស្រាយបញ្ហានានាទាក់ទងនឹងសិទ្ធិផលប្រយោជន៍របស់ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ គឺជាកត្តាគន្លឹះដ៏សំខាន់មួយក្នុងការរារាំង បង្ការ ទប់ស្កាត់ នូវចលនាបដិវត្តន៍ពណ៌នោះឯង។”

នៅក្នុងពិធីនោះដែរ សម្តេច ស ខេង ក៏បានអំពាវនាវដល់អាជ្ញាធរត្រូវគ្រប់គ្រងដោះស្រាយជម្លោះ និងការទាមទារតវ៉ានានា ដោយសន្តិវិធី ឈរលើគោលការណ៍ច្បាប់ និងត្រូវជៀសវាងដាច់ខាតនូវអំពើហិង្សាគ្រប់រូបភាព៕

As the Russian revolutionary, Vladimir Lenin, once, said: “It is impossible to predict the time and progress of revolution. It is governed by its own more or less mysterious laws.”

Meanwhile, an article signed by Luke Hunt and published by UCA News under the title: “Coronavirus an excuse for Cambodia’s poverty plight” should not be disregarded either; it looks like an inventory of disastrous failures that the weak strongman has recently encountered, and if such failings and missteps occurred in another country, be it socialist, communist or liberal democracy, that type of weak strongman must have already been ushered out of the door of power, by vote or by force.

He who thinks that he owns the country is he who has blind ambition and greed and is is ignorant of the natural fact that he doesn’t own the heart and mind of the people who are not his sycophants or kangaroos. Everything on earth has a time limit.

Three Days To Go

06 Wednesday Nov 2019

Posted by KhmerPAC in Event, Institution, International, Issue, Politics, Social

≈ Comments Off on Three Days To Go

My dear Kacvey,

After receiving a signal from Chheu Smaa, Phkaï Mphéy flew strait to the roof of Albert Sarrault Museum. They met and perched on a horn overlooking a garuda on the other side of the street.

Phkaï Mphéy: So, Cha Cha has just thrown you a lifeline, ha!
Chheu Smaa: I have no choice. They are carrying their plan through.
Phkaï Mphéy: Why did you suspect that?
Chheu Smaa: I misread his intention. And I tried to catch up, but it was too late.
Phkaï Mphéy: So you decided to deploy tanks, missiles, machine guns and all that shit to impress.
Chheu Smaa: It didn’t work to the level I expected.
Phkaï Mphéy: You knew from your guerrilla life experience that military force without population participation is pure BS. And then you played the civil aviation, the posters, the embassy in Jakarta, the statements by some of those idiots around you.
Chheu Smaa: It was a turmoil and then so many meetings outside the country. And the EU/EBA dateline …
Phkaï Mphéy: What did they whisper in the back door of Nonthaburi building?
Chheu Smaa: They know what’s going on, but they didn’t seem to be behind me all the way, except the usual two.
Phkaï Mphéy: Not a good sign for you in the long run.
Chheu Smaa: We’ll see, but for now there won’t be split screens on 9 November: Independence Monument on the left and Poipet on the right.
Phkaï Mphéy: Cha Cha sent you a life line. You now owe him a big one.
Chheu Smaa: I guess!
Phkaï Mphéy: Cha Cha must hate to see you on trial for masterminding bloodbath at his border; that’s why he said “he probably won’t get in”
Chheu Smaa: Got to call Cha Cha’s ambassador when I’ll get back.
Phkaï Mphéy: What are you going to do with “him” from now on? He also scored a big one against you: he did what he promised to his supporters, until Cha Cha stopped him. He shook you up badly to a point that Cha Cha threw you a life support 3 days before the promised date.
Chheu Smaa: I’m out of steam right now and hope I can recover a little bit once the Independence Day parade and the Om Touk are over. The well of ideas is totally dry.
Phkaï Mphéy: Didn’t Cha Cha send you a secret message inside his “he probably won’t get in”?
Chheu Smaa: What do you mean?
Phkaï Mphéy: Did you read the Bangkok Post Editorial?
Chheu Smaa: That also seems to be the whispers in Nonthaburi.
Phkaï Mphéy: Are you going to think about that now?
Chheu Smaa: Let me breathe for a few days and we’ll talk again after 9/11.

Then, the two swallows parted and flew off: Phkaï Mphéy towards Poipet for an on-the-spot update after releasing few droppings here and there, Chheu Smaa heading South.

One Month To Go

09 Wednesday Oct 2019

Posted by KhmerPAC in Event, Institution, Issue, Politics, Social

≈ Comments Off on One Month To Go

(continued from Two Months To Go)

The two swallows met again on the roof of Albert Sarrault Museum to chat. Both seem anxious and nervous.
Phkaï Mphéy: How did you hold it up with the trip to Inner River?
Chheu Smaa: Not great but OK. They were not as warm as before.
Phkaï Mphéy: No surprise. NXP is the 7th while you’re the same since ever; the other one is not that “sTrong” either.
Chheu Smaa: Not fun anymore. 1977 in the jungle was better than last week’s stiffness in the state buldings of the capital.
Phkaï Mphéy: Did you get their full support for 9 November issue?
Chheu Smaa: Not really. They implied that it’s my business; I’ve to handle it alone.
Phkaï Mphéy: Bad news, then?
Chheu Smaa: Not an encouragement.
Phkaï Mphéy: That’s why you started swinging like a mad man as soon as you got off the plane or as we talked last time about your « plan ».
Chheu Smaa: I don’t have many alternatives. Neither Duck nor White can assure that their men are all in the game.
Phkaï Mphéy: Your game?
Chheu Smaa: Yes, my game plan.
Phkaï Mphéy: Didn’t I warn you, did I?
Chheu Smaa: Yeah, that’s why I now have to use tough war language.
Phkaï Mphéy: Do you think that your words now have more salt than before?
Chheu Smaa: I know they don’t, that’s why I’m doubling down with the arrests.
Phkaï Mphéy: How are the judges are going to handle those cases without evidence?
Chheu Smaa: Look, arrest them first “chap veer sen” and will see after 9/11.
Phkaï Mphéy: That’s a dead game plan! Don’t put a nook around your neck!
Chheu Smaa: I’ve been very patient since 2013, and there it is: my patience has been burnt out.
Phkaï Mphéy: So, you think that bringing out big guns against EWA is the only answer to your solo stratagem!
Chheu Smaa: Who or what is EWA?
Phkaï Mphéy: “Everybody Without Arms”
Chheu Smaa: Look, Pol Pot did it, and nobody can tell me I can’t do it. Who rules the ECCC?
Phkaï Mphéy: Yes, so far nobody yet, but how certain are you that soldiers or policemen will press the triggers?
Chheu Smaa: Get to check it again with the intelligence son.
Phkaï Mphéy: You know what: you have not thought through yet. You let your emotion run your fear of defeat and your thirst for blind vengeance.
Chheu Smaa: I have thought through, and that’s what I’m going to do.
Phkaï Mphéy: One simple question: What if you can’t catch him but he is inside the country?
Chheu Smaa: He can’t enter the country without being detected.
Phkaï Mphéy: How did Yingluck flee Thailand?
Chheu Smaa: He can’t hide as I have eyes everywhere.
Phkaï Mphéy: Are you sure what your “eyes” could truly see or they would only see what you want them to see? If so, what have they seen?
Chheu Smaa: Nothing critical yet.
Phkaï Mphéy: You still haven’t t thought through and your “eyes” need serious amounts of eye-drops. What if thousands of EWA spontaneously and simultaneously showed up like mushrooms throughout the country and marched towards one specific destination?
Chheu Smaa: That’s a different equation. What is your own plan?
Phkaï Mphéy: My kids will skip classes and will fly to join them. My wife and few relatives will do shopping in neighboring capitals. I’ll be near Poipet with multiple-entry visa to Espace Schengen, and the stars on my shoulders will be at Psar Thméy pawn shop. I have enough for the family to hang around in Espace Schengen for a few Years and waiting to see how the future of the country will turn to be.
Chheu Smaa: You’re deserting me.
Phkaï Mphéy: Not deserting you, but you isolate yourself from your true people that have been with you through thick and thin, and you seem to be totally lost in your own new universe with unprincipled sycophants.
Chheu Smaa: I don’t have my universe.
Phkaï Mphéy: Because nobody dare talk to you the way I do. You own them. Outside of your universe, it’s EWA that owes you nothing.
Chheu Smaa: Time for physical therapy and I will send you a signal for our next chat.

One flew back to its nest in Old Man Khmao, the other to join the swarm of conscientious swallows near the bank of Tonlé Buon Mouk.

Is the Eternal Second Having his Own Jersey?

16 Saturday Mar 2019

Posted by KhmerPAC in Governance, Institution, Issue, Politics

≈ Comments Off on Is the Eternal Second Having his Own Jersey?

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: សម្ដេចហ៊ុនសែនថាបើសម្ដេចស្លាប់គណៈរដ្ឋមន្ត្រីត្រូវរលាយហើយអ្នកប្រមាថសម្ដេចនឹងស្លាប់គ្មានដីកប់ដូចប៉ុលពត
3) On 16 March 2019, The Cambodia Daily posted this article: លោកស ខេងប្រកាសថាកម្ពុជានឹងមានវាសនាអាក្រក់ប្រសិនបើដើរចេញពីគន្លងលទ្ធិប្រជាធិបតេយ្យ

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 ទទួលស្គាល់ថា ជនជាតិចិនកំពុងដណ្ដើមមុខរបរតូចតាចរបស់ពលរដ្ឋនៅខេត្តព្រះសីហនុ

He Who Committed Crime of Lèse Majesté…

05 Saturday Jan 2019

Posted by KhmerPAC in Culture, History, Human Rights, Institution, Issue, Justice, Politics, Social

≈ Comments Off on He Who Committed Crime of Lèse Majesté…

My dear Kacvey,

Please tell us how glorious were the fireworks at the VI..N..-VI..N.. Monument on the eve of the New Year, if there were any? A usual monologue speech filled with indignant and incongruous verbiage was however delivered by the weak strongman to a scattered applause from his sycophants.

Do you have a chance to pass by that useless and grotesque piece of white cement days after its inauguration to see how it stands in shame and distaste in the middle of a dictatorial socio-political landscape designed for the weak strongman’s vanity and arrogance?

Please update when you have a chance. Thanks.

The subject of today’s letter for you and your students to discuss and analyze is about what the weak strongman had lately and publicly expressed with slight, disdain and disrespect against of royal family and that could be characterized as a possible crime of lèse majesté.

As far as Khmer history is concerned, and for whatever reason one wished to formulate, the kingdom of the Khmer never had any law against lèse majesté. The worst that happened was the abolition of the monarchy by the Lon Nol regime and that abolition was maintained not only under the genocidal Khmer Rouge Pol Pot regime but also under the Vietnamese-supported regime of the current weak strongman when he returned to Cambodia from Vietnam on 7 January 19179 until the UNTAC election in May 1993. The monarchy was restored after the completion of the election with the coronation of Sihanouk.

Since then until 2018, for 25 years, neither Sihanouk nor his son who succeeded him never bother by lèse majesté concept or feel threatened by the population-at-large. But all of sudden the weak strongman and his sycophants have become “more royalist than the king” and orchestrated all kind of legislative and executive schemes to draft and adopt a law against lèse majesté in February 2018.

Kacvey, there is plenty of literature for your students to research on the discussions about that law at the time of its drafting and adoption, but it is worth to remind them that that law was not promulgated by the king himself but by the president of the senate acting on the king’s behalf.

After the law went into effect, the autocratic regime of the weak strongman has arrested 2 persons accused of committing crime of lèse majesté:
1. a 50-year-old school principal for a post in his Facebook account; he was facing 1-5 years in prison, and a large fine, and
2. a 70-year-old barber also for a post in his Facebook account; he was convicted and sentenced to seven months in prison and a 5-month suspended sentence.

Against that background, and let now see the foreground.

In its Khmer language article dated 21 December 2018, Radio Free Asia reported about staff management issue in the CNC television and the pressure that the weak strongman exercised upon the CNC leadership to revert a decision involving the firing of a staff member believed to be one of his relatives; the weak strongman made it clear that “ជាមួយខ្ញុំកុំនិយាយឲ្យសោះឪស្តេចម៉ែស្តេច ក៏ខ្ញុំដាក់ដែរ”. In its English version, Radio Free Asia reported that: “well I’m not even afraid of the queen and the king’s father!”

Kacvey, you and your students would certainly be of the opinion that the English translated of the weak strongman’s words from Khmer are much more mild, polite and uncompromising, but the Khmer words are plain insolence, disrespect and contempt towards the king’s father and mother. On 30 December 2018, Radio Free Asia followed it up with a Khmer language article with opinions from different commentators that you and your students can fully appraise and appreciate.

For our part, let just ask the questions:

Why the weak strongman needed to refer to “the queen and the king’s father” in his argument in such a withering and disparaging manner?
What’s behind his motive?
Is there a dark scheme brewing or germinating inside his mind and future plan? Fujian versus or to replace Corsica?
Has he forgotten that there is a law of “his” on lèse majesté?
As the whole world knows that he rules Srok Khmer and all Khmer laws are nothing else but his toilet papers, would he infer that the law on lèse majesté is not different from other laws as far as he is concerned?
Is he testing the strength of the monarchic institution?
Is he measuring the tape between “sdach” and “samdach”?
What would the king himself think about the whole enchilada?
Does he truly feel offended or insulted by his subjects in question?
Has he ever been invited to testify at the court proceedings?
Qui tacet consentire videtur?

The weak strongman must surely have read and learned a lot about Chinese history, especially during the period of The Warring States, how Chinese dynasties were created, and how Chinese and foreigners became emperors.

Well, all first emperors of all Chinese dynasties were all common people, and warriors.

=====
Update:
– On 9 January 2019, Reuters reported: Cambodian jailed for three years for insulting king on Facebook
– On 15 January 2019, Asia Times published an article: “Cambodia’s ‘quiet king’ must find his political voice“

	KhmerPAC on The Corrupt, The Dirty, The…
	Chum Sirath on The Corrupt, The Dirty, The…
	KhmerPAC on The Big Mess in the City of To…
	Sod Sad (សុទ្ធ សាធ) on The Big Mess in the City of To…
	Sod Sad (សុទ្ធ សាធ) on A Horrid and Crooked Vict…

Khmer Politics Alternatives Circle

~ Thinking outside the box about Cambodia

Category Archives: Institution

Delegation of authority? ប្រគល់ការងារ?

“We may have to cut loose the two to save the eight”

Is the Eternal Second Having his Own Jersey?