It is clearer now that the merging between Kem Sokha’s “Human Rights Party” and Sam Rainsy’s “Sam Rainsy Party” was likely created to help rescue Sam Rainsy as well as to prolong the life of Kem Sokha’s political profession. However, the persons who will probably benefit most from the merging are Kem Sokha as well as Hun Sen.
Picture from VOA.
It appears at the moment that Hun Sen will not allow Sam Rainsy to return to Cambodia, unless, like in the past, Sam Rainsy does something drastically to help benefit the CPP better than Kem Sokha can do.
One would remember that the main reason why Sam Rainsy changed his Party’s name from the Khmer Nation Party to his personal name was to avoid a possible internal coup staging by those who may be bought by the CPP. Such a coup has destroyed nearly all opposition parties thus far and the Cambodian political history speaks for itself. Now, Sam Rainsy has finally given up to such a long-term belief.
Recently, Sam Rainsy announced in advance that he would be the only Candidate for Cambodia’s Prime Minister representing the so-called National Rescue Party to oppose Hun Sen. Therefore, Hun Sen must allow him to return to Cambodia otherwise the election will be meaningless. Such an announcement has raised some eyebrows of some democratic lovers who thought that internal electoral processes among both parties (as well as others) should take place before any announcement is made.
Looking closely, people may also note that there are no such democratic processes, because the motives behind the merger was never meant to include any other individuals nor to truly embrace democratic processes to allow any other smaller opposition leaders to get involved. The top positions of the newly merged Party had already been previously handpicked. That is one of the reasons why people believe that the merging is not about saving Cambodia--- it is about saving individuals’ profession.
Nevertheless, if Sam Rainsy is not allowed to return, (which is more than likely) the second person in command of the not-yet-born “National Rescue Party” would be Kem Sokha. Without the presence of Sam Rainsy in Cambodia, Kem Sokha would push his way to run as the candidate for the Prime Minister against Hun Sen. Unquestionably, Hun Sen will win again.
It is well-known that Kem Sokha has a much closer relationship with Hun Sen than Sam Rainsy does. Kem Sokha’s brothers and relatives are members of the CPP holding good positions there. If Kem Sokha is used by Hun Sen to break up the New Party, there is no chance that Sam Rainsy can recuperate. The cooperation between Kem Sokha and Hun Sen in the future may be seen as the return of an old comrade in arm for Hun Sen and as a new victory for the CPP, but it would spell the end of the Sam Rainsy’s styled opposition as we know it until this day.
We should send a clear message to all Cambodian politicians that regardless how cleverly you package yourselves; people will eventually see through your masquerade and recognize you for what you really are. As a general rule, people will accept you for what you say you are until you prove yourselves to be otherwise. Don’t take advantage of the goodwill of the Cambodian people. They have suffered long enough from your game. As President Abraham Lincoln once stated, “You may fool all the people some of the time, you can even fool some people all the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all the time.”
"Silence is not necessarily golden"
Timothy Chhim
08-20-12
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