Category Archives: Politics

9/11/2019 is Written 11/9/2019 in U.S. Calendar Format

19 Monday Aug 2019

Posted by in Event, Issue, Politics, Social

≈ Comments Off on 9/11/2019 is Written 11/9/2019 in U.S. Calendar Format

My dear Kacvey,

So, the world is now aware that on 9 November 2019, a big event would take place in Srè Khmok as announced by VOA and RFI on 16 August 2019:
– លោក ​សម រង្ស៊ី កំណត់​យក​ថ្ងៃ​ឯករាជ្យ​ជាតិ​ ៩ វិច្ឆិកា ​ត្រឡប់​ទៅ​កម្ពុជា​វិញ
https://khmer.voanews.com/a/sam-rainsy-set-a-date-to-return-to-cambodia/5044869.html
– ​លោកសមរង្ស៊ី​នឹង​ធ្វើ​មាតុ​ភូមិ​និវត្តន៍​នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​ទី០៩​វិច្ឆិកា​ខណៈ​អាជ្ញាធរ​កម្ពុជា​ប្រកាស​ត្រៀម​ចាប់​ខ្លួន​ http://km.rfi.fr/cambodia/sam-rainsy-is-coming-back-soon-16-08-2019

The exiled will return to Cambodia on 9 November 2019. So, have stated the press statements from his party, unequivocally, precise and direct.

The return of the prodigal son!

When politicians speak, either one believes them or doesn’t. Also, some politicians keep their promise, some don’t. It’s the politics of the politicians. When promises are kept and honored, the constituents would later reward them handsomely, but if they are not kept, the constituents would feel that they are cheated. Constituents can be cheated once, twice but not thrice. Political suicide doesn’t need to jump off the cliff to the abyss.

You may recall that, during the past 4 years, letters with titles “On the 62nd Anniversary of Independence of Cambodia“, 63rd, 64th and 65th were sent to you. So, according to the above news pieces, unless “force majeure” or “act of God” [could a philosopher ask: Why would God interfere with mortals’ businesses!?] would interfere, the exiled would return to Srè Khmok on the day that coincides with the official day when Srè Khmok had successfully wrestled and obtained its independence from France. There is nothing wrong to choose that date, strategically speaking, but to associate the date and its national and historical connotation with the return is a risky business if the return turned out to be a “delayed-or-postponed return”. A shorter order, sometimes is better than a tall one when so many parameters are factored in the unknown equation. Incidentally, the Bonn Om Touk or Water Festival would traditionally commence the following morning, 10 November, if the water level on the Tonlé Sap is not affected by the drought. With millions of people are on holidays and in festive mood, you may wonder what the full moon will bring to Cambodia after 34 years under the corrupt yoke of an ex-KR.

Oh, Kacvey, have you noticed that the English version of the press statement, unlike the Khmer language version, did not mention anything related to the independence?

As a matter of political curiosity, your students might ask why telling the whole world about such a particularly precise date of return? How about leaving that question to reporters or journalists to extract the worms out of his nose, bearing in mind that the strategists or planners who surrounded him know what they were doing. For our part,  a poem by James W. Foley: “Drop a Pebble in the Water” could be metaphorically referred to:
“Drop a pebble in the water: just a splash, and it is gone;
But there’s half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on,
Spreading, spreading from the center, flowing on out to the sea.
And there is no way of telling where the end is going to be.

Drop a pebble in the water: in a minute you forget,
But there’s little waves a-flowing, and there’s ripples circling yet,
And those little waves a-flowing to a great big wave have grown;
You’ve disturbed a mighty river just by dropping in a stone.”

Las Vegas bookies, what are the odds?

Enough taking about the return, how about the “welcoming party”?

It has now been many months that the weak strongman’s war apparatus has been put on alert or war path at every inch on the country land borders or seashores, every port, kampong or airport, every train or bus stations, every embassy or consulate, every river, lake pond, mountain and forest, every នំបញ្ចុក stand that exists on the planet, every bar, karaoke or drug den, every pagoda or hospital, every market, mall or school, every radio or TV station, every stadium, park or playground, etc … The Northern Capital has also supplied additional war materials and equipment to reinforce the existing war machines against the Khmer. The net seems so tight that even water would have difficulty to seep in. So how the exiled is going to get into Cambodia without being detected?

History told that in 1976 the weak strongman sneaked into Vietnam without his leader Pol Pot knew about it. His master in the Northern Capital knew a lot about how the outlaws operated in the classic “Water Margin 水浒传” or how the warriors assaulted the fortresses in “Three Kingdoms 三国”. And how about parachuting in the night? or flying with Hoverboard like Franky Zapata very recently did over the Channel? or dressed up in a swimsuit as a shark and landed in Kg Som and changed into a Chine$e gambler or a dumpling street vendor? Inspiration could be had from Robert Ludlum’s Jason Bourne or Ian Fleming’s James Bond, couldn’t it? Enough of fantasizing!

By the way, 9 November 2019 is also written as 9/11/2019 in Gregorian calendar format or 11/9/2018 in the U.S. Calendar format.

Let start the count down: 83 …
Comptons à rebours: 83 …

The Conversation That Did Not Take Place

11 Sunday Aug 2019

Posted by in Politics, Stories

≈ Comments Off on The Conversation That Did Not Take Place

My dear Kacvey,

Here is a transcript of a conversation that did not take place.

Paris XXI: Allô, Paris XXI vous écoute.
Tuorl Kôrk: Hello, it’s Tuorl Kôrk speaking.
Paris XXI: Good to hear your voice. Aren’t you afraid that your phone is wiretapped?
Tuorl Kôrk: It’s always been. What else is new! The more they wiretap, the more the world knows.
Paris XXI. Let’s go straight to the point.
Tuorl Kôrk: It’s August, and September is next.
Paris XXI. I know and I’m ready.
Tuorl Kôrk. Can’t greet you when you’re in, because they lay many rings of barbed wire around me.
Paris XXI. The “HCM trail” will carry the bag of rice to you.
Tuorl Kôrk. Thanks, but remember this: 以逸待劳.
Paris XXI. Yeah, choosing the time and place, and confusing the enemy.
Tuorl Kôrk. Few critical dates in September: 1: Death of Louis XIV, 2: London was on fire, 4: Los Angeles was founded, 9: Mao Zedong died, 11: Terrorists attacked World Trade Center, 11: I was released on bail but still in house arrest, 12: Germany unified, 15: Agatha Christie was born, 19: New Zealand, first country to grant women the right to vote, 25: William Faulkner was born…
Paris XXI: We have the map and the calendar.
Tuorl Kôrk: Make it one of the days of Khmer history!
Paris XXI. Is your phone on 5G?
Tuorl Kôrk: What’s the difference, 4G or 5G, both Chinese and Vietnamese are listening anyway, and it’s good that they do because they even know what time the other guy goes to pee or … if he still can.
Paris XXI. What’s the mood inside the lair?
Tuorl Kôrk: Pretty nervous ’cause the split is real inside each family. They only focus on arresting “you” by using 擒贼擒王 stratagem, and they don’t have a clue on what to do next. They don’t dare asking their masters because they are f… if their masters know their stupid ruse.
Paris XXI. Role reversal of 17 April 1975?
Tuorl Kôrk: And the “shoulder pain” of the other guy is not a good sign of encouragement to his sycophants.
Paris XXI: What’s the mood on the river banks?
Tuorl Kôrk: The tapes of your return in July 2013 and the funerals of Mr. Kem Ley in July 2016 are just too big for their mind. Fear isn’t even the right word.
Paris XXI. How the flood could be played?
Tuorl Kôrk: It’s neither good for you nor for him.
Paris XXI. And the Chinese?
Tuorl Kôrk: They won’t come out against you. Catch one who can’t speak Khmer or know nothing about Khmer, and the embassy will deny: it’s too risky for this master.
Paris XXI: And the Vietnamese?
Tuorl Kôrk: They will just watch and wait to see how the guy handles it.
Paris XXI. Any នំបញ្ចុក or “noum kruork” party before?
Tuorl Kôrk: Don’t be de-focused. Work first, eat later.
Paris XXI. That’s it, right?
Tuorl Kôrk. That’s it, for now.

Can “China Dream” have a nightmare?

05 Monday Aug 2019

Posted by in International, Politics

≈ Comments Off on Can “China Dream” have a nightmare?

My dear Kacvey,

In the current world geopolitical turmoil, it would be good for your students who are studying the relationship between Cambodia and China and the consequential vassalization of Cambodia by China, to take a step back and serenely ponder on the Chinese ancient text of Dao De Jing, Chapter 29:
“Does anyone want to take the world and do what he wants with it?
I do not see how he can succeed.
The world is a sacred vessel, which must not be tampered with or grabbled after.
To tamper with it is to spoil it, and to grasp it is to lose it.”

道德经 – 第二十九章：

将欲取天下而为之，
吾见其不得已。

天下神器，
不可为也。

为者败之，
执者失之。

Hope you would have a deep discussion on the issue of the possibility that Cambodia will lose everything that the Khmer have built since time ever to the people of the Northern Capital to whom the weak strongman has sold the entire country for his diabolical greed of power over the Khmer without knowing that he just is an expendable worms in the “One Hundred-Year Marathon” scale and when the people of the Northern Capital achieve their “China Dream.”

36 Stratagems

28 Tuesday May 2019

Posted by in Culture, History, Politics

≈ Comments Off on 36 Stratagems

My dear Kacvey,

As Cambodia has already started to be dominated, vassalized or colonized by China, it would be important that your students should be aware of the unsaid, unexplained or unrevealed Chinese thinking that could help them when coming face to face with the invaders or colonizers. To learn to understand the Chinese is the only way that would enable them to deal vigorously and intelligently with the Chinese that had studied and understood Khmer attitude and thinking long, long time ago.

The Chinese are using the tricks that their ancestors had taught them since time memorial, and every Chinese from high school up knows them by heart, thinks, reasons and behaves accordingly, both in planning and negotiating, and in critical moments.

The present era is that the Chinese have put in actual application what they have learnt all along; they do it to the world, and by extension to Cambodia with the help of US trade deficit and US largess on sciences and technology since the historical Richard Nixon’s visit in 1972.

The fundamental ideas are contained in a very ancient and classic text called “The Thirty-Six Stratagems” (三十六计) that illustrated a series of stratagems used in politics, war, and in civil interaction.

Kacvey, you can argue that since the essay is available in every book store, why making such a big deal? You have indeed a very valid point, but the issue is not about availability of the material, but the knowledge that the material is important and should be studied. A book that is open but unread doe not make the person holding it knowledgeable.

Below is the list of stratagems contained in the 6 Chapters of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, and the basis of that, your students could begin to study further and deeper their meaning under different forms, situations or circumstances, bearing in mind that the value is not in the literal meaning of each Chinese character or their combination into phrase or idiom, it rather is in the figurative meaning that is hidden in the pictograph of the Chinese language.

Chapter 1: Winning Stratagems 胜战计

  1. Deceive the heavens to cross the ocean 瞒天过海
  2. Besiege Wei to rescue Zhao 围魏救赵
  3. Kill with a borrowed sword 借刀杀人
  4. Wait at leisure while the enemy labors 以逸待劳
  5. Loot a burning house 趁火打劫
  6. Make a sound in the east, then strike in the west 声东击西

Chapter 2: Enemy Dealing Stratagems 敌战计

  1. Create something from nothing 无中生有
  2. Openly repair the gallery roads, but sneak through the passage of Chencang 明修栈道,暗度陈仓
  3. Watch the fires burning across the river 隔岸观火
  4. Hide a knife behind a smile 笑里藏刀
  5. Sacrifice the plum tree to preserve the peach tree 李代桃僵
  6. Take the opportunity to pilfer a goat 顺手牵羊

Chapter 3: Attacking Stratagems 攻战计

  1. Stomp the grass to scare the snake 打草惊蛇
  2. Borrow a corpse to resurrect the soul 借尸还魂
  3. Entice the tiger to leave its mountain lair 调虎离山
  4. In order to capture, one must let loose 欲擒故纵
  5. Tossing out a brick to get a jade gem 抛砖引玉
  6. Defeat the enemy by capturing their chief 擒贼擒王

Chapter 4: Chaos Stratagems 混战计

  1. Remove the firewood from under the pot 釜底抽薪
  2. Disturb the water and catch a fish 浑水摸鱼
  3. Slough off the cicada’s golden shell 金蝉脱壳
  4. Shut the door to catch the thief 关门捉贼
  5. Befriend a distant state while attacking a neighbor 远交近攻
  6. Obtain safe passage to conquer the State of Guo 假道伐虢

Chapter 5: Proximate Stratagems 並战计

  1. Replace the beams with rotten timbers 偷梁换柱
  2. Point at the mulberry tree while cursing the locust tree 指桑骂槐
  3. Feign madness but keep your balance 假痴不癫
  4. Remove the ladder when the enemy has ascended to the roof 上屋抽梯
  5. Deck the tree with false blossoms 树上开花
  6. Make the host and the guest exchange roles 反客为主

Chapter 6: Desperate Stratagems 败战计

  1. The beauty trap (Honeypot) 美人计
  2. The empty fort strategy 空城计
  3. Let the enemy’s own spy sow discord in the enemy camp 反间计
  4. Inflict injury on oneself to win the enemy’s trust 苦肉计
  5. Chain stratagems 连环计
  6. If all else fails, retreat 走为上计

Your students should also be knowledgeable about the Chinese concept of “Tianxia” 天下  (or “All Under the Heaven”) that could be found comprehensively explained in the book “RENEWAL – The Chinese State and the New Global History” by Wang Gungwu 王賡武, a historian and professor.

Kacvey, please also warn your students that learning the above essay is like scooping up a bucket of water from the ocean of Chinese history and thinking, but like Laozi said in Chapter 64 of Dao De Jing 道德经: “A journey of a thousand leagues starts from where your feet stand”, 千里之行，始於足下.

Start the journey!

Is the Eternal Second Having his Own Jersey?

16 Saturday Mar 2019

Posted by 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: 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

“Straight from the Horse’s Mouth”

24 Sunday Feb 2019

Posted by in Culture, Issue, Politics, Social

≈ Comments Off on “Straight from the Horse’s Mouth”

My dear Kacvey,

Hope you had dinner with enough rice in your plate.

Why “enough rice”?

Ah, you must then have not read this Phnom Penh Post’s article by journalist Niem Chheng.

No, didn’t read it. Too much nonsense lately out there. What’s about?

Well, the weak strongman admitted that has chosen “to eat the grass with the Cambodian people.”

Yeah, “Khmer si smauv.” The students had been talking non-stop about it, and related jokes were even heard in the corridor.

What jokes?

Can’t tell. Too crude. Will tell when meet in person. But it’s awkwardly strange that the weak strongman changed his diet to include grass.

Like a cow or a horse!

But an omnivorous man is also herbivorous, naturally.

It’s more than that. Since the weak strongman unequivocally said it, it looks like it is coming straight from the horse’s mouth. What would that mean? Let surmise to get some sense out of it:
– By eating grass the weak strongman brags that he “won’t die soon” and “no one (in his family) has had any serious illnesses since the ancestors.” Eating grass renders immortality, doesn’t it?!
– By eating “grass with the Cambodian people”, did he imply that Cambodian people “si smauv” not rice? True, there are quite a number of vegetables, herbs and spices that look like “grass” and are delicious, but to “eat grass” does not necessarily suggest the same culinary or gastronomic connotation as to eat vegetables.
– By eating grass, does he insinuate that he grazes?
– By eating grass, does he imply that he also “smokes” it?
– When eating grass, does he chew it?
– By eating grass, does he have a stomach with 4 pockets?
– By eating “grass with the Cambodian people”, who eats the rice from the Khmer rice fields, or who “si bai”?
– By insinuating that Khmer eat grass, does he continue to insult them by reviving the Pol Pot era’s tragic nightmares when he was a devoted subaltern?
– By eating grass, does he acknowledge that he reserves rice for his 2 lords who feed him with power and wealth?
– If he ate grass, would his relatives share the same menu or table?
– While on golf course and if hungry, would he grab a handful of bentgrass or bluegrass for snack?
– If he eats grass, why did he hint that Cambodian people eat grass? Is he imposing dictatorial measures upon Cambodian people for grass consumption?
– When self-serving grass, would he part the sprigs or the blades first?

Kacvey, if you went out to cut the grass for your dinner as decreed by the weak strongman, please bear in mind these few words from Virgil: “There’s a snake lurking in the grass.”

The weak strongman, being so sure of his endless longevity declared that: “I am not going to die any time soon”. Let his words be witness of his life, against the background painted by Mother Angelica: “God knows Himself and every created thing perfectly. Not a blade of grass or the tiniest insect escapes His eye.”

And if he is “not going to die any time soon”, Frank Richard Stockton would have this wish for him: “May you live to see the green grass growing over your grave.”

He Who Committed Crime of Lèse Majesté…

05 Saturday Jan 2019

Posted by 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 “ជាមួយ​ខ្ញុំ​កុំ​និយាយ​ឲ្យ​សោះ​ឪ​ស្តេច​ម៉ែ​ស្តេច ក៏​ខ្ញុំ​ដាក់​ដែរ”. 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“

Crude Man, Crude Language

02 Sunday Dec 2018

Posted by in Culture, Governance, Human Rights, Politics, Social

≈ Comments Off on Crude Man, Crude Language

My dear Kacvey,

Hope that your students, in their dealing with their family, friends and colleagues possess higher standard of character, courtesy, respect, consideration and vocabulary towards their interlocutor than the lowly educated ex-KR and weak strongman.

This passage extracted from an article published by Radio Free Asia shows how crude and rude the weak strongman is in his public speech: «ហ្អែង​ចង់​ដឹង​ពេល​ហ្នឹង​ហា បើ​មិន​ហ្អែង​មិន​គេច​ទាន់​ទេ ពេលនេះ គឺ​ធ្វើបុណ្យ​ខ្មោច​ហ្អែង​បាត់​ទៅ​ហើយ តែឯង​ពូកែ​រត់ ពូកែ​ស្រែក ហើយ​រត់​ក៏​លឿន តែ​គ្រាន់តែ​គេ​មិន​ដេញ​តាមតែ​ប៉ុណ្ណឹង​ទេ​ឲ្យ​ឯង​រត់​សិន អញ​ក៏​មិនទាន់​ចង់​សម្លាប់​ហ្អែង​ដែរ ព្រោះ​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​មួយ​មិន​ឲ្យ​មាន​ការ​ចង់​ផ្ដួល​រំលំ​តាម​ចិញ្ចើម​ផ្លូវ​នោះ​ទេ»

How could a man who considers himself a statesman use such a foul and repugnant words such as ហ្អែង​, បុណ្យ​ខ្មោច​ហ្អែង​, អញ​, អញ​ក៏​មិនទាន់​ចង់​សម្លាប់​ហ្អែង​?! The only and possible explanation would be that he is by nature rude, rough, crude, raw and lacking in social refinement; it could also suggests ignorance of or indifference to good form and plain and intentional discourtesy.

On the contrary, Radio Free Asia, in its English program, provided a better and polite version to cover him in front of the international public: “I want to let you know that if you hadn’t fled Cambodia, you would already have had your funeral,” and “We didn’t pursue you because we didn’t want to kill you at the time”.

With such character and outside his realm of corrupt sycophants, who can give him respect? Mark Twain had the answer when he said: “A man’s character may be learned from the adjectives which he habitually uses in conversation.”

Kacvey, you have good students who “learn”!

History in Lexicon

02 Sunday Dec 2018

Posted by in Culture, Event, History, International, Politics, Social

≈ Comments Off on History in Lexicon

My dear Kacvey,

Your students must certainly have read this online information from both VODhotnews and The Cambodia Daily. Since the relationship between the Khmer communists and the Vietnamese communists went as far back as 1946 – quite possibly your students’ great-grandparents or grandparents generations – and still continue to influence the current conduct of the Khmer Rouge and ex-Khmer Rouge that rule the land of the Khmer since 1975, the visit should not be without controversy and your students’ attention and focus should be armed with some background awareness:

  • Ho Chi Minh (original name: Nguyen Sinh Cung) was the founder and a revolutionary leader of the League for the Independence of Vietnam or the Viet Minh, who led the Viet Minh Independence movement in 1941, and was president of Vietnam democratic republic in 1945.
  • Since the end of the Vietnam War and the reunification of Vietnam, between 1976 and today, Vietnam has had 7 presidents and 2 Chairmen of the Council of State.
  • Meanwhile, in 1975 Cambodia was led by Khmer Rouge and genocidal Pol Pot.
  • In 1977, the weak strongman (original name: Bunal or Nal) left his Khmer Rouge group and fled to Vietnam for protection and reorganization similar to the mold of the Khmer Viet Minh in 1954.
  • In 1979, he returned to Cambodia with the support of Vietnamese troops and became Cambodia solo prime minister since 1985 until today.
  • Would the trip to Vietnam under its 9th president who took office in October 2018 look like to pay homage and to recognize the eternal debt the weak strongman has contracted for his power as a subordinate ruler in Cambodia?
  • Would future history confirm its past?

Here are some historical lexicons that your students might wish to have in their notebooks:

  • COOC: Central Office of Cambodia
  • Lao Dong: Vietnamese Workers’s Party (founded by Ho Chi Minh)
  • Nam Bo: Southern Department
  • COSVN: Central Office of South Vietnam
  • CCP: Cambodia Communist Party
  • Ban Can Su: Cadre Affairs Committee
  • KC: Khmer Communist
  • KCP: Khmer Communist Party
  • Son Ngoc Minh: Khmer Communist leader during pre-and-post-Independence
  • KCPC: Khmer Communist Party Committee
  • Region 203: Southeast region of Cambodia
  • Muoi Cuc (Ten chrysanthemums?): (Possibly a.k.a Nguyen Van Cuc or Nguyen Van Linh) Head of COSVN in 1954 and Chief advisor of Khmer Communists
  • CLA: Cambodia Liberation Army, formally known as Cambodia National People’s Liberation Armed Forces
  • CCKL: Central Committee for the Khmer Liberation
  • Nguyen Thanh Son: Chief of Nam Bo’s Foreign Affairs Section
  • Training Camps and Ethnic Minority Training Camps: in Hanoi area for training regroupees of Khmer Communists
  • Regroupees: Khmer Communists who were relocated to Vietnam after Independence
  • Son Thay Military Academy: where best KC were trained
  • Nguyen Ai Quoc School: Where KC senior cadres were trained
  • Khmer Viet Minh: Khmer Communists indoctrinated and trained in Vietnam
  • GVN: Government of (South) Vietnam
  • NLF: Vietcong’s National Liberation Front
  • CCFAF: Central Committee to Fight Against Fraud (the group chaired by Lon Nol to oversee shipments of rice to Vietcong
  • CCC: Cambodian Communist Central Committee
  • Red Khmer or Red K: Khmer Krâhârm, Khmer Rouge (coined circa 1962)
  • Khmerization: (1) use of Khmer language (instead of French); (2) conversion of Khmer Leu (Northeastern Khmer) into Khmer
  • B3 Front: Vietcong military command based in Rattanakiri
  • CPK: Communist Party of Kampuchea
  • Don’t spill the tea: Warning that the tea being boiled for the master is more important than the life of the oppressed.

Last but not least, let keep this definition in the back of the mind if the weak strongman doesn’t realize his bounded vassalage because of blindness or ignorance:
“The definition of a vassal was someone in feudal times who received protection and land from a lord in return for allegiance and performing military and other duties, or someone who is subordinate.
“An example of a vassal is a person who was given part of a lord’s land and who pledged himself to that lord.
“An example of a vassal is a subordinate or servant.”

=====

Update:
On 5 December 2018, The Cambodia Daily online published this piece: មេដឹកនាំ​ខ្មែរ​នឹង​ទៅ​ទស្សន​កិច្ច​ក្នុង​ប្រទេស​វៀតណាម​អម​ដោយ​មន្រ្តី​ កំពូលៗ​ជាច្រើន​មិន​ធ្លាប់​មាន​ពី​មុន​មក​

‘I do not do policy or diplomacy by tweets’

17 Saturday Nov 2018

Posted by in Culture, International, Issue, Politics, Social

≈ Comments Off on ‘I do not do policy or diplomacy by tweets’

My dear Kacvey,

The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, has given a lesson of responsibility in high politics and diplomacy that you may wish to instill in your students ethical behavior in the modern and fast age of technology and social media.

Politico has this title: Macron to Trump: ‘I do not do policy or diplomacy by tweets’ and The New York Times: Macron’s Response to Trump: ‘I Do Not Do Policy or Diplomacy by Tweets’

You may ask what does that have to do with my class?
Well, good behavior and respect of high responsibility have a lot to do with your students prospective careers.

Let leave to Emmanuel Macron and Donald trump what belongs to Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump to deal with between themselves. Instead, let just recall how the weak strongman uses Facebook to rule Cambodia, to brag about his millions “like”, to disparage people he doesn’t like, and also to raise wager with his nemesis!

Your students should bear in mind that:
– the country has scales of laws and regulations (whether or not voted and implemented by the kangaroos!)
– the prime minister is the head of the government composed of ministers (sycophantic or otherwise!) to run the ministries;
– the government has ambassadors accredited to various world capitals, and
– the government has administrative procedures and mechanism to ensure that governmental decisions are passed on hierarchically for smooth implementation.

In a very simple term, if the weak strongman uses his Facebook account to dictate his wimp, why should there be ministers and all those useless officials or ministries? why should there be national assembly? why should there be courts and tribunals? why should there be ambassadors?
Why not then abolishing the whole concept of the three branches of power and just having a big screen with the weak strongman sitting in front of the screen and belting out any stupidity that crosses his mind?

In international diplomacy and official dealings, who on earth outside Cambodia cares about what the weak strongman says or writes in Khmer in his Facebook account? Do world leaders at the UN, the EU, the IPU, or the ASEAN, etc … pay any attention to what the weak strongman says or writes in Khmer about his justification of the sham election for one-party state, of the death of democracy and the abuse and violation of human rights and freedom of association? No, no, and no.

Your students are clever enough to understand that you, Kacvey, don’t care about what they think or write in their Facebook account, and that you only accept home works or term papers either in hard copy or through email from them directly submitted to you. None of your student should never argue that: “But, professor Kacvey, I wrote my dissertation on my Facebook!”

To which you laughingly respond: “I do not correct your Facebook paper!”