Culture
now browsing by category
The day of January 7 has become Cambodia political antique
Political Analysis:
Today has marked 38 years when Vietnamese troops invaded Cambodia to dispel Khmer Rouge. The retreat of KR to station at the borderline between Cambodia and Thailand to anchor its last resort of fighting against foreign occupation was happening in the same time of Vietnam’s plan to successfully install their regime body in Cambodia through the public banner of Cambodian People’s Party (CPP). Since then, this party has been believed was led by Cambodians but aided wholeheartedly by Vietnamese experts; and this party has celebrated the January 7 every year to ascertain their motto of “liberation Cambodia from the killing field of the Khmer Rouge” while the KR itself has become gradually disappeared from memory and its meaning from the Cambodian people.
Many post cold war movements, banners, and installing regimes have become antique which are unsalable, non-impressive, and gradually disappearing. The day of January 7 is one of them. After the election in 2013, the CPP didn’t make much public appeal of this day although Prime Minister Hun Sen promised with Vietnam during his short visit to the country. His returning back was expected to make this day as ever-making public celebration by spending huge amount of money to arrange it. Instead, his return immediately lined up arm-forces to halt all types of demonstration: conducted bloody shooting by authority towards garment workers in Veng Sreng street who demanded for $160 monthly raise, and demolishing CNRP’s stronghold freedom expression site at the freedom park, including many other bloody incidents happened. There were not much impressive years after that for January 7 day.
Courtesy: Facebook
This year, CPP is organizing this day under the frenzy of mocking public eyes especially from youths and those savvy social media individuals. While almost all government sectors are holding group to celebrate the day without worrying of “conflict of interest” in their government’s public servants and positions, the social media individuals are virally spreading interests and opinions opposing this day. A facebook post said “Vietnam killed millions of Cambodian people, burned millions of Cambodian houses, plundered millions of Cambodian resources and assets, and Vietnam just boiled 10 eggs to give one each among those 10 people, so those 10 people who has consumed eggs have invited Cambodians entire nation to pay gratitude and thankful to Vietnam“. And other post asked “what is the meaning of January 7, 1979 and April 17, 1975? Which one we must remember?” etc.
In conclusion, the decrease of popularity witnessed by election 2013 is likely caused by the deep intervention of Vietnam over Cambodia through Vietnam’s installing banner inheriting as CPP, and it is likely caused by CPP that has held strong idea to pay gratitude towards Vietnam. Hence, academics and observers have asked why CPP is holding this strong idea of paying gratitude towards Vietnam without prejudice or learning from past policy failed by taking Cambodian people voice as a key indicator?
Hun Sen has mainly focused his political tactics on divide and conquer through these 3 decades
Political Paradigm of Pragmatism from the Khmer Youth part 90
This part (90), Mr. Sophan described the political leadership of Hun Sen to mainly focus on divide and conquer of his contenders in which this strategy was happened between nation-states conflicts, but conflict within a state, they have rarely operated like what Hun Sen has been doing in Cambodia.
Courtesy: SlidePlayer
At current situation, Cambodia is facing challenges to be easily fragile. When Hun Sen made several extrajudicial decision-makings to advance his chess-board tactics aiming to weaken, divide, and demolish his opposition, the fate of Cambodia is not sustainable at all. He has used the same pattern of tactic to lure his opponents. Using carrot and stick to favour one side, but disfavour another side, has been very popular in this not-nation-state-interest approach. Once, when he favoured Eung Huot, but disfavoured Prince Rannarith, finally Eung Huot divided from Prince Rannarith; when he said he can work with Ngek Bunchhai only, finally Ngek Bunchhai divided from Prince Rannarith; when he said Ieng Moly is good partner with him, Ieng Moly and Son San divided from one another. When he began “culture of dialogue” with Sam Rainsy, he said he could work with Sam Rainsy only, not with Kem Sokha. But now after King’s pardon Kem Sokha, at the first parliamentary meeting session, Hun Sen adamantly stated that Kem Sokha is his conversation partner singly.
Now, it comes to CNRP on how to perform its due diligence to handle with these severe attempts. While the attempts to divide two top leaders, these historical tactics had worked well with strong top down approach leadership and corruption addiction occurring in both Funcinpec and National Liberation of Son San party, then we do believe it will not be problematic when both Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha who have learnt very well of these historical tactics and both leaders have purified themselves from all mentioned disqualified leadership, the divide and conquer attempts shall be in vain. On the other hand, as CNRP has strong body and legs, the shaking head cannot tumble the body and feet easily. These head, body, and legs, need political maturity and due diligence to achieve its goal of commune election 2017 and national election 2018. Thus, the 55 law-makers from CNRP whip especially the minority leader and committees chairs can impeach anyone including Prime Minister Hun Sen from power when gross mistakes are found and each case has been diligently and professionally researched and published.
Happy New Year 2017
ជូនពរឆ្នាំថ្មីឆ្នាំសកល ២០១៧
សូមបងប្អូនប្រជាពលរដ្ឋខ្មែរទាំងអស់បាននូវពុទ្ធពរទាំងឡាយ៤ប្រការគឺអាយុ វណ្ណៈ សុខៈ និងពលៈ កុំបីឃ្លៀងឃ្លាតឡើយ។ សូមប្រជាពលរដ្ឋខ្មែរនៅក្រៅស្រុកទាំងអស់មានសិទ្ធិបោះឆ្នោត ដើម្បីកំណត់ជោគវាសនាប្រទេសជាតិរួមគ្នានាពេលខាងមុខ។ សូមយុត្តិធម៌និងសេរីភាពពិតប្រាកដកើតមាននៅលើទឹកដីដ៏ពិសិដ្ឋមួយនេះ។
Happy New Year 2017
May all Cambodians attain 4 blessings of Lord Buddha: Longevity, Brightness, Happiness and Energy. May all Cambodians overseas exercise their voting rights to help build Cambodia collectively. May true justice and freedom anchor this wonder land.
From: Cambodia Leadership Skills, December 31, 2016; www.sophanseng.info
Three essential components to develop democracy in Cambodia
Political Paradigm of Pragmatism from the Khmer Youth part 89
This part (89), Mr. Sophan analysed on how to develop Cambodian human resource to be agent of change and democratic catalysts. By comparing to old saying that Khmer people are fluently reciting “if
Courtesy: Mu Sochua blog
you want to get knowledge, you must kill your instructor; if you want to receive fruits, you must burn down the trunk”, the philosophy conundrum of Cambodia politics is muddier and murkier. The saying explicitly means don’t be afraid of accumulating and digesting knowledge from instructor by asking questions, interacting, and making friendship with instructor.
In sum, these three components are essential to develop agent of change and democratic catalysts in Cambodia as following:
- Children must be developed democratic mindset in family setting as a strong foundation by having parenthood with potential parenting pedagogy. Majorly, Cambodian parents regard their children as objective, not subjective at all. Major parents has used authoritarian approach to raise children. Without allocating space for children to express their opinion and questions parents, is the shortage of democratic mindset, and this practice is a pro-domestic violence in which it has become the cycle of violence from generations to generations.
- Schools are centre of democratic development, but Cambodia schools have been slow in both financial funding and capacity building. Teachers are used less learnt to teach the unlearnt. This setting is really out of context to develop pedagogy of teachers to teach students in a democratic way. Nonetheless, schools have been viewed as a political campground for government-led party to influence through providing salary, gifts, and entitlement. Major school principles and superintendents must proclaim loyalty to government-led party to ensure their career.
- Top leaders are the most effective public figures who are showing both role model and leadership. Democratic leaders are persons who set aside personal interest by working harder to bring collective interests for their long lasting fame of the future. Cambodian leaders are in contract. Both personal raising and schooling are not a good example for Cambodian children to follow. When he has been raised in a violence family, he is tending to be more authoritarian than democratic. When he has been nominated to position by backing from foreigner, he is tending to be more into self-deceiving than self-motivation in nation building. Cambodia is unfortunate to having their incumbent leader that is not a democratic person!