Dear Dina et al;
Thanks for picking up this important question. Of course, this is the existing question and we have no way to change the course of this question. As we all know, foreigner or our competitor in their cultivating for their nation building, they (Thailand and VN) have striven hard to get what they think that thing is their national pride.
Thailand and VN have taken all seconds of possibility to choke us for their benefit. And yes we cannot blame on them because it is the nature of competition and the game of the nation-state.
The important things as we are Cambodians/Khmers must look at ourselves first. We have always looked beyond our own flaws. We have always looked at them and assign blame or point finger at them which this action have only given prowess to them more and more.
So let start our new course on asking “what have we done for our country?”, not to ask “What our country has done for us?”
For that perspective, historically speaking, our country has likely led by the leaders who put their personal/power interest before national interest in the excuse that if they don’t have full power how can they develop the country. This embedded idea is contradictory to other leaders in other countries that their power is flexible in accordance to the need and interest of the nation. Most of the time, our leaders will use the excuse of the national sovereignty to persecute our own nationals. This excuse and rhetoric have been using ever since.
I would like to ask our CAN members here that “what does it mean and its boundary on the concept of sovereignty?”