The Weak Strongman Admits he is a Dictator

11 Sunday Apr 2021

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

My dear Kacvey,

Your students and you will have to open a new subject for discussion on a common issue in the 3 pieces of information as follows:

1) Cambodianess
Hun Sen Blames Bad Governance, Orders Stringent COVID Measures as WHO Warns of Health Disaster

2) Channel News Asia
Cambodian PM Hun Sen threatens COVID-19 quarantine-breakers with jail

3) Persuasion
The Other Tyrants

After 36 years, the weak strongman issued, from the KR revolutionary, educational and guerilla stock reveals his definition of his own character and nature: not only dictatorial but also intrinsically uneducated, savage, corrupt, irreligious, unethical, irresponsible and unaccountable.

Unable to re-engineer himself out of the vassalhood that he has bounded himself with two foreign masters and with that, alienated the entire nation and population to only God-knows when, his self-admission seems to be the last chapter that he can write on the screen on his FB account despite the arrogance of his language. He has nobody to adulate or “admire” him anymore, nobody to “hold his eggs” (trôr pông) anymore, but only his remaining sycophants and the image of himself that he can only see half of it on the reflection on his computer screen. He threatens to arrest and jail more innocent people, but he’s so blind not to see that he is a prisoner of his own power within four walls of his palace with only a peep to the outside world through ZOOM, FB or YouTube!

He is a prisoner of fear.

He is a selfish tyrant who destroys Cambodia.

As Soren Kierkegaard, once, said: “The tyrant dies and his rule is over, the martyr dies and his rule begins.”

The “Weak Strongman” or Two Weak Strongmen

02 Friday Apr 2021

Posted by KhmerPAC in Institution, International, Politics, Stories

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My dear Kacvey,

Do you recall the term “weak strongman” that was in this letter “The Weak and Desperate Strongman” of 9 October 2017, and that has also been used in our later correspondences?

Well, Foreign Affairs has published an article under the signature of Timothy Frye and titled: “Russia’s Weak Strongman – The Perilous Bargains That Keep Putin in Power”

What an interesting article that presents so many similarities with our original “weak strongman”!

Enjoy the reading with your students!

The Three Kingdoms

17 Thursday Dec 2020

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

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My dear Kacvey,

Please do not be alarmed by the title of this letter; it has nothing to do with the classic “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” 三国演义 with states of Wei 魏, Shu 漢 and Wu 吳, nor with Liu Bei 刘备, Cao Cao 曹操, Zhu Geliang 诸葛亮, Zhang Fei 张飞 or Guan Yu 关羽 etc… It is rather about the three kingdoms in current Southeast Asia, and on the way how each suzerain, in dealing with or governing his people, is seen in contemporary time through media.

Numerous articles have been written about the suzerains of these three kingdoms that you and your students could easily find in google for expansive information. However only 3 articles have been chosen as a base for discussion in this letter.

Malaysia
Reuters, 25 October 2020
Malaysia’s king rejects emergency rule in blow to PM Muhyiddin

Thailand
The New York Times, 18 November 2020
‘Now, We Fight Face to Face’: Thailand’s Protests Shatter Taboos
Reuters, 18 December 2020
The last taboo

Cambodia
Radio Free Asia, 21 October 2020
ឧត្ដមទីប្រឹក្សាផ្ទាល់នៃព្រះមហាក្សត្រ ថ្លែងថា ព្រះរាជាបច្ចុប្បន្ន ដូចជាប់ឃុំក្នុងវាំង ព្រោះស្ថាប័នរដ្ឋាភិបាល
Radio Free Asia, 30 October 2020
“រដ្ឋាភិបាលមិនបានគាំទ្រព្រះមហាក្សត្របំពេញព្រះរាជ តួនាទីពេញលេញតាមរដ្ឋធម្មនុញ្ញ”

Your students should be suggested to conduct a comparative study on the difference in way the suzerains reign over and rule their subjects. Today’s news from Sweden could give some impetus to the thinking when the Swedish monarch, as reported in Business Insider, openly said: “I think we have failed. We have a large number who have died, and that is terrible”

This brings us to recall 1) what the Proverbs of Solomon said: “In the multitude of people is the king’s honor; but in the want of people is the destruction of the prince”, and 2) what Bhumibol Adulyadej, king of Thailand, once said about himself: “I am not afraid if the criticism concerns what I do wrong, because then I know. Because if you say the King cannot be criticized, it means that the King is not human.”

Please let us know when they complete their homework!

=====
Update:

1. Asia Times, 12 January 2021
Does Cambodia have a ‘puppet king’?

Delegation of authority? ប្រគល់ការងារ?

08 Sunday Nov 2020

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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

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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

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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”?

Or would Desiderius Erasmus have foreseen the fate of Cambodia when he said: “In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king”?

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

2. South China Morning Post, 29 November 2020
Why Cambodia’s royals need close China ties that are separate from Hun Sen’s government

3. SEA GLOBE, 5 January 2021
‘Be a leader’: Sochua calls on king to intervene to ensure her return

4. Asia Times, 11 January 2021
Does Cambodia have a ‘puppet king’?

5. RFA, 12 January 2021
Cambodian Court Charges Acting Opposition Chief Sam Rainsy Under Lèse-majesté Law

Trilogy that Can Befall the ex-KR Autocracy

20 Sunday Sep 2020

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

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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

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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

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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.

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Khmer Politics Alternatives Circle

~ Thinking outside the box about Cambodia

Category Archives: Institution

The Weak Strongman Admits he is a Dictator

The “Weak Strongman” or Two Weak Strongmen

Delegation of authority? ប្រគល់ការងារ?

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