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Ms. Sorn Sievmey: the modern heroine of Cambodia in a controversial context
Her first speech after championing gold medal of Taekwondo match from her rival in Asian Games 2014 at South Korea, Sievmey proudly said:“First of all, I would like to thank my mom who gave me life, who breastfed and raised me, and who has encouraged me all the time….” Her brilliant and vivid words are reflecting tough stature of Khmer women, and one of them is her mom who is a widow after her husband died several years leaving 6 children as a family burden for her to bear with. In Cambodian society, and like many other societies, children are taken care by mother; but the most challenging motherhood in Cambodia is there are many single-moms who must take care many children by her own responsibility without having support or subsidy from the government. Ms. Seavmey is her last daughter among those six children. She is only 18 years old. She failed the first BAC II exam this year, while she is busy in training to bring back both personal achievement and national fame, her second exam laid out by the Ministry of Education might be possibly unsuccessful. However, the prospect to give her BAC II pass for free from the Ministry is feasible and indisputable.
Ms. Sorn Chanty who is Siev Mey’s mother is very proud of her daughter’s achievement. In the news interview, she suddenly exclaimed that her daughter is bringing fame for the Cambodian people. Ms. Sievmey, who was trained out of the Olympic Stadium under South Korean coach Choi Yong-Sok, beat fighters from Uzbekistan, the Philippines and Iran to take the women’s under-73kg gold.
The national heroine of gold medalist Siev Mey landed home with the warmest welcome from Khmer compatriots. She is greeted in person by the Minister of Sport and Education, and the Minister of Tourism. Ms. Sorn Siev Mey must be supported by both short term and long term plan. Many thousands dollars shall be handed to her from personal pocket of Khmer millionaires including the Prime Minister Hun Sen. This action is considered a short term welcoming. At a long term support and modeling, the Cambodian Assembly through Commission for Women Affairs and Labors etc. led by Mrs. Ke Sovannaroath, must set up an agenda to approve for her status of at lease Special National Ambassador for Sport and Education of Cambodia with salary and recognition of not lower than Secretary of State. This action would encourage and empower the merit-based culture in Cambodian society.
Ms. Sorn Siev Mey has involved in many sport matches in both national and international arenas. Currently, she is possessing 7 medals of three gold medals, three copper medals, and one silver medal. In the future, she must be a national icon. The responsible government must be able to allow her to using her own potential at the highest such as to instruct and lead millions of Cambodian youths with genuine prize of merit.
Vietnamese veterans celebrated their retreat from Cambodia 25 years ago
Comment: Reading news by BBC on “Vietnam’s forgotten Cambodian war”, I am fascinated by Mr. Nhan whose words are reflecting younger Vietnamese population who see the invading into Cambodia is a waste of manpower and left bad reputation for Vietnam many years to come. Hence, their new paradigm shift is in reverse to the imperialism and Nam Tien policy of top Vietnamese leaders. As this country is still governed by Communist system, the voice of those youth has no space to express or to change such entrenched mentality at all. Mr. Nhan is not alone on his reaction to the invasion over Cambodia, the villagers in central Vietnam whom I visited in 2007 whispered to me that their children were forced to carry guns and trucked them to Cambodia. The parents and relatives were so suffering and painful. As they knew, I am Cambodian, everyone seems in hurry to recall their past suffering. An aged woman recalled about the non-returned son, and another man smiled as his son is still alive and can re-unionize with the family. Nhan is right saying that “American soldiers thought they helped Vietnam. Then their illusion was broken,” Mr Nhan said. “We were the same in Cambodia.” His fearful momentum was that in daytime those Cambodians are friend but they turned to be enemy in the night time. I am going to purchase his book “Away from Home Season – The Story of a Vietnamese Volunteer Veteran in Cambodia” and try to understand his point of view although it has been censored and distorted the original manuscript by the Vietnamese government to fit their political agenda.
However, Mr. Nhan including many Vietnamese see that the choice government chose was not right for them but they are sill voiceless to be heard and the cycle of Kamma of an imperialism mindset under the yoke of communist system has been rolling non-stop although barking sound sometime distracted them a lot. I would like to invite everyone to read this report by BBC written by Kevin Doyle from Phnom Penh
CAMBODIA:There is yet hope for Cambodia’s peace and stability by Dr. Gafar Peang Met
Ahead?
I was encouraged to see political pragmatism emerge as ruling and opposition leaders dealt with the seat fight and the Assembly’s rejection of CNRP nominees. I don’t expect the Premier to abandon his MachivellianAsian Sam Kokmaneuvers against the CNRP. But I trust the Premier’s desire and ability to do what is right to leave a legacy for the younger generation. He is not blind to the overwhelming numbers of people, even in his own party, who want change. I hope members of the CNRP also will continue to be measured in their discourse and focused on their goals.
Neither party should be swayed byinflexible and intransigent notables and supporters who are blinded by “we-they” perspectives and obsessed with denial and blame.Read about them in Charet Khmer (Khmer personality traits), by the late Boun Chan Mol, but don’t let them thwart the progress that is on our doorstep.
For a better Cambodia, Khmer democrats need to recallBuddha’s teaching and guiding principles: Do good, avoid evil, purify the mind. CNRP lawmakers must devote tireless efforts to seek reforms and report back to the people and to international observers. The people will hold those who thwart progress accountable at the polls. No government can last without the support of the governed.
Events have made clear that neither Prime Minister Hun Sen and his ruling Cambodian People’s Party, despite their control over state institutions and the national wealth, nor Mr. Sam Rainsy and his opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party, despite increasing popular support, has sufficient leverage to finesse the other.
My last article in this space, “A compromise based on the high national interests and the people,” dealt with the July 22 Agreement, signed by leaders of both parties, proclaiming”an end” to a year-long political deadlock. The Premier sought to “legitimize” his government by bringing to the National Assembly the 55 boycotting members elected from the CNRP. Mr. Sam Rainsy concluded that he and his party had more to gain by bringing their opposition to the Assembly floor. The Agreement provides Cambodia and her people with a reprieve from chaos and an opportunity to focus on economic development issues.
But, “It ain’t over till it’s over.” The road to implementing the Agreement is long and obstacles are many, starting with Charet Khmer, including the Khmer cultural propensity of A’thmarAnh, of favoring one’s own well-being to the detriment of collaboration. “National reconciliation and national unity” require a spirit of compromise and the deferral of one’s immediate interests, concepts not embedded in the Khmer ethos. Khmer leaders face this hurdle among many others on the road to progressive change.
I remain mystified that is has taken a year of deadlock, of lives lost and of diminished national economic productivity to conclude on the one hand that the opposition cannot be eliminated and on the other that mass street protests are insufficient to force the Premier’s resignation; that no signatory government of the 1991 Paris Peace Agreement will initiate the proper implementation of the Accords; that until CNRP leaders present themselves as a credible alternative, world community members are likely to deal with “the devil” they know…
Right words, good intents
On August 8, the 55 CNRP lawmakers-elect took their seats in the National Assembly despite endless pronouncements that they “would never” do so without the guarantee of a new election. As such, CNRP leaders have accepted to become a part of a (CPP) government they had branded as illegitimate. CNRP lawmakers – who collectivelyreceived votes from at least half of the electorate – now have a moral responsibility to right what they see as contributing to that illegitimacy. They have to work with the 68 CPP lawmakers to reform theNational Election Committee,amend the National Assembly’s internal regulations, and the Constitution.
In welcoming the 55 CNRP lawmakers, Premier Hun Sen urged “all MPs to increase the culture of dialogues in order to work together to serve the nation.” CNRP leader Sam Rainsy replied, “This is the opening of a new historic chapter in Cambodia. We will work together to defend territorial integrity and to build prosperity for the nation,” and declared, “We should not work against each other as enemies but as partners who have come together in good faith to find long lasting solutions for a just, fair and sustainable development. Let us leave behind the dark pages of the past.”