The Deputy vs. PM

05 Monday Jul 2021

Posted by KhmerPAC in Event, Governance, International, Issue, Justice, Politics, Social, Stories

My dear Kacvey,

In a cavern inside the City of Tonlé Buon Mouk, is the war between the “prime minister” and his 1st deputy now open to public view?

You may wish to closely analyze these 2 articles since you live right in the middle of the axis between the residences of the weak strongman and of the “deputy”:
1) Cambodianess: “Confiscated Lion Returned to Chinese Owner Following PM Hun Sen’s Intervention” by reporter/journalist Phoung Vantha, and
2) Phnom Penh Post: “Sar Kheng: No violence towards protesters” by reporter/journalist Voun Dara.

Is the weak strongman now trying to tell the world that not only he screwed his government front and back by stupidly reversing his own Ministry of Environment action just to please his Northern Capital master but also by so dying he is the worst imbecile and sick among world autocrats, past and present?

Kacvey, would you happen to know whether the weak strongman and the deputy talk to each other, and why the deputy was not at the meeting with U.S. Deputy State Secretary when the issues of human rights, arrest and jailing of opposition politicians and activist were discussed?

Rumors of dissention inside the corrupt people party has been in the air for quite sometime, is this the 1st of ray of light out of that tunnel of secrecy after 37 years of ex-KR rules, corruption as high as Mount Everest and wide as the Pacific ocean, and the selling of land, lakes, rivers, seashores, swamps, forests, rice fields, sands and mountains to 2 groups of foreigners?

The weak strongman was so silent on the issue of eviction of floating houses on the Mekong, and now becomes so vocal on the lion owned by that hideous Chinese man? Is he now the unconditional defender of the Chinese man inhumanely atrocious and illegal action?

There is common denominator between the Chinese man and the weak strongman: their attitude of cruelty against living creatures. The weak strongman arrests and jails opposition politicians and activists with bogus and trumped charges. The hideous Chinese man deteethed and denailed the lion, a torture method in ancient time and similar to what went on in Tuol Sleng under the KR, to which the weak strongman belonged before he fled to the neighboring country to seek help in 1977.

“Delay Is Preferable To Error”

04 Monday Jan 2021

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

≈ Comments Off on “Delay Is Preferable To Error”

My dear Kacvey,

Today is 4 January 2021, and you, without a doubt, have heard that the return of the vice-president of the opposition has been postponed to 15 January 2021.

Since the weak strongman in the City of Tonlé Buon Mouk has confirmed that he is a pure selfish coward and funk in refusing to issue entry visa to her and to other members of the opposition to attend the court hearing for which they have been summoned, it is fair to assess that such coward strongman has weighed his dilemma on the scale of risks: no matter what happens, for his political safety, it would be preferable for him, for now, to keep the opposition outside the country, be it in France or the US, by using whatever means available: ugly, illegal, irrational, insane or otherwise; simultaneously, inside the country, he would continue the politics of repression by his goons and injustice by his kangaroos court. He is not that dumb not to know that if the vice-president returned, she would be acclaimed and welcomed like the former oppo No. 1 did in July 2013. The specter of that return combined with the one related to the funerals of Mr. Kem Ley in July 2016 still haunt him day and night, because never in his life he has been recognized, acclaimed, cherished or respected like in those 2 events, albeit 3 years apart. Worst, as of now, the only contact with the people, even his own people, is through the solitary screen of Facebook in his gilded 4-wall palace guarded by thousands of bodyguards.

The following articles are for your students to keep abreast of the fluidity of the situation and to ponder consequently. The letter will be updated as situation evolves:

– RFA, 2 January 2021
ថ្នាក់ដឹកនាំគណបក្សសង្គ្រោះជាតិលើកពេលវិលចូលស្រុកពីថ្ងៃទី៤ ទៅថ្ងៃទី១៥ មករាវិញ
– Phnom Penh Post, 4 January 2021
Former senior CNRP lawmaker’s return postponed
– VOA, 4 January 2021
មាតុភូមិនិវត្តន៍របស់លោកស្រី មូរ សុខហួរ ត្រូវជួបឧបសគ្គដោយពុំទាន់បានទិដ្ឋាការប្រភេទ K
Cambodian Gov’t Says Mu Sochua Free to Come Back, But Won’t Issue Visa

Is this postponement to 15 January 2021 a blessing in disguise for the opposition or “timeo danaos et dona ferentes” for the coward? Since no mortal can predict the future, it would not be imprudent or injudicious to reflect on the words of:
1) Thomas Jefferson in his letter to George Washington on 16 May 1792: “Delay is preferable to error“, and
2) Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger in his interview with Smithsonian Magazine in November 2010: “A delay is better than a disaster.”

Stay tuned!

=====
Update:

1. SEA GLOBE, 5 January 2021
‘Be a leader’: Sochua calls on king to intervene to ensure her return
2. The Diplomat, 7 January 2021
A Letter from a Cambodian Woman in Exile
3. RFA, 8 January 2021
រដ្ឋាភិបាលប្រកាន់ជំហរមិនផ្តល់ទិដ្ឋាការឲ្យថ្នាក់ដឹកនាំបក្សប្រឆាំងចូលស្រុកតតាំងក្ដីក្នុងតុលាការឡើយ
4. The Diplomat, 11 January 2021
The Cambodian government says it will not grant travel documents to exiles hoping to return to stand trial.
5. RFA, 11 January 2021
មេធាវីការពារក្ដីឱ្យមេដឹកនាំបក្សប្រឆាំងគ្រោងដាក់លិខិតទៅតុលាការថ្ងៃទី១២ មករាជួយអន្តរាគមន៍អាចឱ្យកូនក្ដីខ្លួនមានវត្តមាននៅតុលាការ
Opposition Lawyer to Request Court Allow Clients Entry to Cambodia to Face Charges
6- Thmey Thmey, 13 January 2021
លោកស្រី មួរ សុខហួរ ស្នើសុំព្រះមហាក្សត្រអន្តរាគមន៍លើរដ្ឋាភិបាល ឱ្យខ្លួនចូលស្រុកវិញ ដើម្បីតតាំងរឿងក្តី
7- RFI, 16 January 2021
ដំណើរមាតុភូមិនិវត្តន៍របស់ថ្នាក់ដឹកនាំអតីតគណបក្សប្រឆាំង ទទួលបរាជ័យជាលើកទីពីរ
លោកស្រី មូរ សុខហួរ ទាមទាររកយុត្តិធម៌ ក្រោយត្រូវក្រុមហ៊ុនអាកាសចរណ៍បដិសេធមិនឲ្យឡើងយន្តហោះ

There was 9 November 2019. Now, it’s 4 January 2021

19 Saturday Dec 2020

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

≈ Comments Off on There was 9 November 2019. Now, it’s 4 January 2021

My dear Kacvey,

You’re certainly aware of the planned return from the US of the vice-president of the opposition party to the City of Tonlé Buon Mouk on 4 January 2021. If you are, local media comments, analysis, opinions can’t escape your attention. That being said, you must now be waiting for the reaction of the weak strongman: Would he behave the same way as he did on 8-9 November 2019 when the oppo No. 1 was returning from Paris via Bangkok and then changed to Malaysia, such as: threatening to arrest him as soon as he stepped his feet on Khmer land, threatening international airlines, pressuring neighboring ASEAN governments not to let him in their country, mobilizing thousands of bodyguards, soldiers and policemen, deployment of tanks, missiles, heavy artillery and machine guns near the borders and at airports?

Nobody is surprised anymore if that would happen again! Fear of losing power is the food that the weak strongman feeds himself every time he breathes.

But thing is different this time around: the vice-president of the opposition volunteered to return at her own “known and expected” risk and peril in direct response to the subpoena issued to her to appear at the court on criminal charges. The first questions are: Will the weak strongman allow his sycophantic embassy if Washington DC to issue entry visa to Cambodia to her on her US passport? Would he have political courage to allow that to happen and be enough of a man to be face-to-face with the opposition of the opposite sex?

Meanwhile, your attention is drawn to these two articles where the position of the US ambassador to Cambodia is very clear and unambiguous:
VOA, 18 December 2020
សហរដ្ឋអាមេរិក ប្រាប់កម្ពុជាឱ្យគោរពនិងទទួលសំឡេងប្រឆាំង
U.S. Ambassador Questions Cambodia’s Single-Party Parliament, Attacks on Dissent

Time will tell what will happen on that 4 January 2021 at Pochentong airport in front of world television cameras and thousands smart phones. History tells that the Pol Pot KR and his brain-washed subalterns were not afraid of inflicting fatality or injury to innocent Khmer, as testified by the torture instruments and photos left in S-21 and the skulls in Choeung Ek. Will the weak strongman issue order to his thousands bodyguards, soldiers and policemen to arrest the single unarmed lady after her deplaning?

What other alternatives would the weak strongman have? One ploy that he has been recently using and quite often is to let the judges who are under his power grip to find any excuse, lame or otherwise, to postpone the hearing again and again. So doing, postponement saves his cowardliness and spinelessness.

Kacvey, this letter will be updated with any development that will occur between now and 4 January 2021.

=====
Update:

The Three Kingdoms

17 Thursday Dec 2020

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

≈ Comments Off on The Three Kingdoms

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’?

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

≈ Comments Off on Prisonnier de l’Ancien Khmer Rouge

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

	KhmerPAC on The Corrupt, The Dirty, The Sa…
	Chum Sirath on The Corrupt, The Dirty, The Sa…
	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 Victory