KR Trial
now browsing by category
Political Paradigm of Pragmatism from the Khmer Youth part 22
This part has been broadcasted by CMN radio on Sunday, May 31 and re-broadcasted on Monday, June 1, 2015, the author Mr. Sophan Seng described the “Culture of Dialogue” in Buddhism taught by Lord Buddha.
In the past, Lord Buddha wandered from places to places tirelessly to propagate his teachings to the people who adhered strongly to Hinduism. But through his effort and communicative dialogue, those Hindu population changed to follow Buddha that allowed them to pursue life of moderation, believing in oneself, and no classes system in society etc.
Buddha said “Dhamma-sakacchaa, Etam-mangalamutamam” means “Dialogue and conversation within a proper time and circumstance is the blessing”.
By essence, successful dialogue could be occurred through integrity of each side Buddha addressed such as good intention in physical expression by no intimidating or killing, stealing or cheating, and sexual misconducting; good intention in speech such as no telling lie, using rude words, back-stabbing wording, and talking in vain; good intention in thought such as no ill-will, revenged, and jealousy minding.
In sum, as a nation-state, political rivalry is a norm of politics in all civilized countries, but dialogue to maximize Cambodia national interests and collective successes are admired by the wise while integrity and honesty of the peer(s) are very essential.
The Pol Pot dilemma
In relation to that war, the cables give insight into some of the tactics employed by the Vietnamese to topple the Khmer Rouge, including allegedly training up Cambodians to operate as subversives in their homeland. They also reported the Khmer Rouge assertion that the murder of British academic and Khmer Rouge sympathiser Malcolm Caldwell during a trip to Cambodia was perpetrated by infiltrating enemy agents. Elsewhere in the cable, they relayed reports that the killers had been dressed differently from most cadres, and noted that, at the very least, the killing would be great propaganda for the Vietnamese.
“That such an incident took place in their presumably heavily guarded compound in Phnom Penh will be a propaganda coup for the Vietnamese, who have been harping for months on how insecure the Pol Pot government is,” reads a cable from the China US Liason Office to the State Department on December 23, the day of Caldwell’s death.
—-
“[Chinese foreign minister] Huang Hua noted that having defeated the US and acquired large quantities of US arms, the Vietnamese had ‘swollen heads’, and that they have long harbored plans for an Indochinese Federation,” reads a cable from the US Embassy in Malaysia to the State Department on April 27, sent after a meeting with a member of a Swedish government delegation that had just visited China.
Op-Ed: The Phnom Penh Post
The Pol Pot dilemma
A trove of more than 500,000 US diplomatic cables from 1978 released by WikiLeaks on Wednesday includes hundreds that paint a vivid picture of a US administration torn between revulsion at the brutality of Pol Pot’s government and fear of Vietnamese influence should it collapse.
“We believe a national Cambodia must exist even though we believe the Pol Pot regime is the world’s worst violator of human rights,” reads a cable sent by the State Department to six US embassies in Asia on October 11, 1978. “We cannot support [the] Pol Pot government, but an independent Kampuchea must exist.”
Political Paradigm of Pragmatism from the Khmer Youth part 21
This part, the author Mr. Sophan Seng, interestingly described the trend of “Culture of Dialogue” vs. “Culture of MAD Politics”. MAD is derived from “Mutually Assured Destruction”.
Historically significant, the WWI and WWII as well as the Cold War, the world faced destruction from military confrontations and MAD tactics. But by realizing such destructive behavior, each party sit down to face up through verbal communication, not weaponry confrontation any more.
This new embracing to dialogue is called “Enlightened Era”.
Cambodia was not exceptional in receiving and being ruined by this confrontational approach or MAD politics. But while the world had resumed MAD politics, Cambodia was still having aura of MAD politics from the world. Cambodia was engaging in civil war, killing and atrocity, and foreign occupation etc.
Though the UNs came to help setting up and monitoring the election and crafting democracy for this country, the leaders have failed this country shamefully.
But the election result on 2013 is the turning-point for Cambodia has been emerged.
Political Paradigm of Pragmatism from the Khmer Youth part 20
This part, the author Mr. Sophan Seng, keenly described the different views 
and practices of “Culture of Dialogue”. Once, the dialogue happened as both parties have shared similar strength.
At the present, Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) and Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) are believed to affording enough strength by both sides to drive for positive change of this country.
At the end, the Culture of Dialogue needs honest conversation and integrity to achieve its original contents.