It’s still a good time to reconcile!

It is not too late to reconcile!

As a Khmer, not a politician, at the time of Cambodia’s great mourning; Sam Rainsy has done his part. Now it's up to the King and Premier Hun Sen to decide.

There is no one else in Cambodia except Cambodia’s King and Prime Minister that Sam Rainsy can ask for help for such a special request. 

King Father Sihanouk has passed and for Sam Rainsy to go through Vietnam, China or other nations for help is inappropriate because according to Premier Hun Sen Cambodia is independent.

The rejection from the part of Hun Sen’s regime only gives Sam Rainsy a new ammunition to fight on to gain his credibility. 

Communications among Khmer brothers must be continued. Without communication, we will not be able to help each other build Cambodia.

Reaching out to his opponent does not mean that Sam Rainsy is weak. It takes courage to request his adversary's help in time of a great national grief and respect.

If he believes that Father King Sihanouk was the father of all Khmers, Premier Hun Sen should be able to show his courage to help. It is much better for Hun Sen to help Sam Rainsy now than to have some foreigners to intervene later on or to handle future problems---putting Sam Rainsy in Cambodia’s jail when Sam Rainsy decides to go in on his own.   

Politically speaking, Hun Sen should not be worried about Sam Rainsy if he believes that the CPP is completely in control of Cambodia’s political landscape.

To let Sam Rainsy in at this time Hun Sen will both save his face and will prove that Cambodia and his regime is independent from any foreign’s domination and interference.

It’s still a good time to reconcile!

Timothy Chhim

October 22, 2012

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David Chandler On King Sihanouk!

http://www.opendemocracy.net/david-chandler/norodom-sihanouk-cambodian-life

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Mourners offer incense near a photograph of King Father Norodom Sihanouk outside the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh on Friday. (Lauren Crothers/The Cambodia Daily)

Sam Rainsy Seeks Return To Bid King Father Norodom Sihanouk Farewell

By Dene-Hern Chen and Chhorn Chansy - October 21, 2012

Opposition party leader Sam Rainsy has sent a request to Prime Minister Hun Sen and King Norodom Sihamoni asking for permission to return to Cambodia in order to pay his respects to the late King Father Norodom Sihanouk, who died October 15 in Beijing.
Currently in self-imposed exile in Paris—where he has now been for three years—Mr. Rainsy wrote his request in two letters sent and delivered October 18 to the Council of Ministers and King Sihamoni’s cabinet.
“During this time of great sadness, I would like Samdech’s help and understanding to allow me to pay my respects to his soul and see the King Father’s face for the last time in Phnom Penh,” Mr. Rainsy wrote in the letter.
“I was very close to the King Father and I owe him a lot. So the least I could do is pay my last respects,” Mr. Rainsy said by telephone from Paris.
“I would be happy [to return], even for 24 hours,” he said.
Mr. Rainsy was sentenced in 2010 to a total of 12 years in prison on charges of incitement, disinformation and destruction of public property for removing a temporary border marker along the frontier with Vietnam. Although critics slammed the verdict for being politically motivated, Mr. Rainsy has remained abroad, often communicating with his supporters through video link.
He recently vowed that he would return to Cambodia in December to lead the national election campaign of the Cambodian National Rescue Party, a newly merged coalition between the Sam Rainsy Party and the Human Rights Party.
Prince Sisowath Thomico, chief of cabinet for the late Norodom Sihanouk, confirmed that King Sihamoni’s staff had received the letter, but admitted that it was not something the King could intervene on.
“There is an arrest warrant against Sam Rainsy. So if the King allows him to come and pay his respect to the King Father, then what about the arrest warrant? The King cannot decide this case,” Prince Thomico said.
“This is a decision from the royal government.”
Prince Thomico added that in the spirit of honoring Norodom Sihanouk, the government should consider issuing a blanket amnesty for all political prisoners, and under those circumstances, Mr. Rainsy could return without fear of arrest.
“King Sihanouk is a symbol of national reconciliation and I think it would be a good opportunity on this occasion for the government to grant an amnesty to all political prisoners,” Prince Thomico said. “This would be a great opportunity to show that the royal government is paying respects to the King Sihanouk.”
Phay Siphan, spokesman for the Council of Ministers, referred questions to officials at Mr. Hun Sen’s Cabinet. Deputy chief of the prime minister’s Cabinet, Lim Leangse, declined to comment.
Mr. Rainsy was one of the first members of Funcinpec, the royalist party formed by Norodom Sihanouk when he was in Paris in 1981. Though he went on to become a Funcinpec minister of finance after the 1993 elections, Mr. Rainsy was subsequently expelled from the royalist party in 1994 after a disagreement with his party leader, Prince Norodom Ranariddh, and CPP leader Mr. Hun Sen, who were sharing the role of co-prime ministers at the time.
Mr. Rainsy said that any disagreements he had at the time with Prince Ranariddh and Funcinpec did not extend to the King Father.
“[Norodom Sihanouk] gave me a lot of advice when I was minister of finance—he encouraged me to stop corruption in government, and to stop deforestation,” Mr. Rainsy said by telephone from Paris.

Congratulations Sam Rainsy: A good move to reconcile

Congratulations to Sam Rainsy for reaching out.

Mr. Sam Rainsy (L) and Mr. Hun Sen during an unexpected meeting in front of the National Assembly in 2006.

http://www.voacambodia.com/articleprintview/1528966.html

It is now up to Premier Hun Sen and His Majesty King Sihamoni to help reconcile among all Khmer brothers.

On October 15 I wrote on this blog suggesting that a phone call should be made (by someone).... and all Khmers should use this sad  occasion to reconcile. Now 3 days later, Sam Rainsy has made a move to reach out.  Congratulations.

If you think you can, you can.

Timothy Chhim
October 18, 2012.

A Great Opportunity to Reconcile: Make that phone call now.

A Great Opportunity to Reconcile: Make that phone call now.

When the father is gone, the children should reconcile.

Every adversity, defeat, loss, disappointment carries with it the seed of an equivalent or greater benefit, said Dr. Napoleon Hill the author of “Think and Grow Rich” which had sold nearly a billion of copies worldwide.

Regardless of how each of us thinks or feels about King Sihanouk, the majority of Khmer people and the people of the world recognize him as the Father of ALL Cambodians and a god King of Cambodia.

Perhaps Khmers can find the seed of an equivalent or greater benefit from the loss of King Father. 

The very least I can think of now is that the death of King Sihanouk can definitely help bring unity for all Cambodians regardless of their political or religious beliefs. That means it is time for ALL Cambodians to reconcile.

Sam Rainsy should pick up the phone and call Hun Sen to let him know that as one of King Sihanouks’ sons and a son of Cambodia Sam Rainsy will be in Phnom Penh to join Hun Sen in the mourning ceremony of Cambodians “God King” or King Father. 

Hun Sen should reconsider and help facilitate one of his Khmer brothers to join him in such a rarest ceremony. Let King Sihanouk’s spirit leaves this planet in peace. By doing this Sam Rainsy and Hun Sen will both win, hence the Cambodian people will also win.

As a great gesture the Current Cambodian King Sihamoni should use this opportunity to help free all political prisoners including Mam Sonando and others. He should also request Premier Hun Sen to intercede with the Cambodian court to help remove all charges against Sam Rainsy. By doing this King Sihamoni will be remembered as the next great King of Cambodia after King Sihanouk.

Yes, there are more seeds or opportunities than we need to find good things to help Cambodia after her greatest loss in modern time: the death of the God King. 

But, someone needs to take his personal initiative: Make that phone call, now.

Timothy Chhim

October 15, 2012

Good-Bye God King....

Good-Bye God King

Picture: Author's record

For those who dislike the former King, the most joyful day is here. Their wishes are fulfilled and yet their hatred will continue from here to eternity. 

Nothing in this world that anyone can do to heal their injuries and hate—for all they see is what the former King has done wrong. They will consume much energy to talk about “evil” things that they think the King had committed.

For those who look for the King’s positive side, they are mourning the passing away of their revered King. Regardless of what the King had done wrong, they will forgive and willing to forget. Their mind will be at peace and there is no hatred left. Perhaps they will be happier than those who possess hatred...

One chapter of Cambodian history is closed. The talk of the town will continue for a while and then Cambodia will move on without the former King.

The future of Cambodia will depend on whether Cambodians can learn how to build a better Cambodia together. Khmer people need to think right. With accurate thinking Cambodians will be able to see things clearly and in order to think accurately Cambodians must not possess negative emotions for such emotions will lead to more confusion. No one in this world can do things right when they are confused.

Universal law permits no one to become successful when he or she possesses negative emotions such as hatred, revenge, jealousy, anger, fear, greed and superstition, etc…For these reasons the best thing that we all can do is to stop the cycle and the recycling of the above emotions.

For me I would say farewell to the former head of State, the former Prince, and the former King…the history will judge you and the law of cause and effect or Karma which rules the Universe will determine your fate.

Yes, I used to love you when I was once a young high school boy who was diving from the crowd to grab your hand under the hot sun; 

...then I used to hate you when I learned that you allowed the Vietcong and North Vietnamese to use Cambodia to fight the Americans; then I despised you when the Khmer Rouge sent me to be executed.  

Then my heart melted when you decided to turn against the Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia in 1979…and the world knows the rest of the story.

Picture: Author's record

…and then the one other thing that we had in common was music. Music has no color and you were a real good musician… And for whatever will happen to Cambodia next, I will always like your music… and I will remember the times when we used to play together…

For yours and my own sake: We are at peace.

R.I.P

Good bye God King!  

Timothy Chhim
October 14, 2012

When politicians promise...

When politicians promise, people need to beware.

Most people believe that, “a man needs to help himself first, then God will help him.” Buddha preaches self-reliance, “Attahi Attano Neatho” that is Man is himself his master. No one can be his master.

For decades—thanks to the world-- Cambodian people have been receiving all kinds of aid and assistance from international community.

Let’s hope that Cambodians are no longer being the recipients and do something to become self-reliant and that soon we can become donors to the world.

Let’s hope that Cambodian government and politicians begins to inspire people to use their own power from “within” to help themselves and their nation.

What the government ought to do is to help create opportunities for the people to allow them to find decent job.

What the people need to do is to help themselves by stop depending on outsiders for their assistance. And what the politicians need to do is to encourage people to work and stop promising or providing lip services for some kinds of free assistance after certain politicians win the elections.

Let’s hope that everyone in Cambodia “thinks.”

All living things on this planet need to work for a living. If they don’t work, they don’t eat and they will die; but all natural worlds do work.

Birds, bees and all kind of animals that want to live freely have to work for a living. The rest of them like cow, pig, sheep, etc… whose life depends on being fed are either human’s slaves or used to be slaughtered.

Next time, when politicians promise, we must think. Don’t let them incite us to get something from nothing. There is no such thing as a free lunch. Past empty promises have never been materialized because we expect something from nothing.

As a human being we must take possession of our own mind. Our mind is the only thing that we can control. We have the capacity to think. Our thought is the power that can help us become free, self sufficient and self reliant.

Don’t let anyone think for you otherwise you can never become independent. We need to be the master of our fate by practicing the law of cause and effect. Think first, then take action and you will get results. Don’t wait for politicians.

When politicians promise, people need to beware.

Attahi Attano Neatho!

Timothy Chhim October 6, 2012

Negative Campaign: It will not work!

Negative Campaign: It will not work!

Let’s hope that Cambodian political campaigns are more about serious issues and not about who can scream the loudest or who can curse better. However, until now leaders of the oppositions as well as the ruling party are trying to outshout each other hoping to win voters’ attention, to show their power or perhaps in order to gain their respect.

Besides the shouting matches, the oppositions somehow do not like President Obama to visit Cambodia. Many people think that they shoot themselves in the foot.

Obama’s visit should be encouraged. Let him see the truth and judge Hun Sen’s regime on his own. The oppositions should not be worried or fearful about the visit of any leaders of the world. The culture of trying to stop any leader from visiting Cambodia should be discontinued. It is backfired. There are other ways to bring our concerns to them. Disorganized demonstrations against political leaders or random petitions only show how week the oppositions are and for many years they have not been helpful.

Shouting, cursing, demonstrating and petitioning may not earn much respect from the world’s leaders as well as from the Cambodian people. Good leaders gain respect by the manner they conduct themselves. Good morality is among other behaviors that the world and Cambodian people want to see. Negative attitudes repel supporters.

Perhaps it is time for the leaders of oppositions to change themselves first before declaring that they can change Cambodia. They must demonstrate to the people that they care about them, about Cambodia and about their supporters. They must show that they will always look out for people’s interests, not their own interests. Living in a luxurious villa while the people are hungry is a bad example to be a leader. Fooling around with people’s money is a destructive behavior.

A good officer always makes sure that the troops are provided for before he takes care of his own needs. If you ever expect to have authority over others, you must first prove yourself worthy. If you look to gain respect you must respect others, including your opponents. Remember, negativity repels. 

Timothy Chhim

09-30-12

Politcal Merger: The new golden boy?

Political Merger: The new golden boy?

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

Where past performance is guarantee to future results

To form long-lasting alliance individuals must share the same definite purpose and have the same burning desire to achieve that purpose. Top members of the alliance must work together harmoniously. Harmony is the key. Any frictions among leaders will not only cause total destruction to the alliance but will also put those who follow the leaders in greater danger.

While we don’t know for sure about Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha’s genuine motive(s) behind their recent hasty actions in Manila, we can presume that their mutual intention is to seek all types of support in order to win a little bigger or to gain seats in the general election next year.  The very least is to get the followers excited with this “special event” that usually take place before the elections.

Accurate thinkers know that with the current system in place there is no chance that the CPP will loose or yield their power to the two men. Accurate thinkers can tell that statements made by many politicians and reported by the media are not factual. Accurate thinkers do not form their opinions based upon newspaper, radio or television reports for such information are merely hopeful wishing and not the result of careful analysis of facts.

Past and present records and credibility of these two men are very important. Not long ago we had heard traceable bickering and internal strife between them and between their party leaders. Not long ago, Kem Sokha angrily stated that two men were likened to “oil and water.” They could not see each other eye to eye form many years. Suspicions and worries are still lingering among them and many followers. Now when the election is near, the pressure is on and not enough money is coming, they conveniently found a two day meeting in Manila to announce such an alliance. Both people have also had history of forming an alliance or coalition with different parties previously. Such past alliances had never lasted and many promises had not been kept.

Please use your own judgment and be cautious no matter who may endeavor to influence you. If these people’s actions and statements do not seem reasonable or do not harmonize with your own experience you may want to hold it in abeyance for further examination. Personally, I do want to see true unity among all Khmers where those with different political backgrounds join hands to help save and rebuild Cambodia.

I can only tell by using logical reasons found in natural laws: when any members of the alliance do not work together honestly and harmoniously, the alliance will be self-destructed. The lack of proof that these two men could work together in the past seems to suggest that the Alliance is temporary.  The distance between the two men is one of the many reasons that harmony between them is impracticable.

This statement should be viewed as a positive suggestion to members of the so-call coalition that without working in harmony toward their mutual definite purpose, the alliance will not last, hence the consequence. In this case “past performance” is guarantee to future results: the same.

Sample of political bickering: Mao Monyvan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-WXEdHXafE

Cambodian Politics: Same Action, Same Result!

"Silence is not necessarily golden"

Cambodian Politics: The true Democratic Party Vs the fake ones

The battles have begun, but who will win the war?

Picture from KI media
The banner in the background in Khmer says: Ture Democracy!

There are 28 months to go for the next general election to be held in July 2013. Cambodia's Democrats or the non-CPP political parties have begun their series of fighting to become the number 2 spot.


Some leaders of the oppositions are hoping to become Hun Sen's partner in the next Cambodian government. It is one of the promises used to string along those gullible members who can come up with large sum of money.

The hot battle this month is the struggle for Kg Cham's province where verbal artillery between Kem Sokha and Sam Rainsy had been launched. Cell phone or personal discussions are unsuitable; thus, both leaders exchanged their punches via open mails.

Kampong Cham belongs to top leaders of all parties. Kem Sokha ran as the number one candidate in 2008 and “won” without having to spend much of his own money. The person who spent most money in that province didn’t win and subsequently defected to the CPP. If you could ask him about the democratic processes inside HRP, he would tell you how much he needed to spend to be listed as a top ranking candidate in that province.

Kampong Cham is the most populated province in Cambodia. It is one of SRP’s strongholds besides Phnom Penh where SRP also holds 5 seats. 18 congressional seats will be up for grab in 28 months. For this mandate, the CPP holds 11 seats, SRP 5, NRP 1 and HRP 1.

CPP’s big gunners Heng Samrin and Hor Namhong and 9 others are in Kampong Cham making this province a must win for the CPP. Meanwhile Sam Rainsy, Kem Sokha and You Hokry, the heavyweight from the Non-CPP parties, are struggling to maintain their presence there. Every ones are hoping to maintain their current seat or to win more votes in July of 2013.
Picture from SRP Website

There is a slim chance for non-CPP parties to get more votes from the CPP's members; hence, it is easier for Kem Sokha to target SRP’s voters, especially when this party’s leaders are in trouble with the CPP.

It is necessarily for HRP to push for a few thousands more votes to get an additional seat. Otherwise, there will be no chance for others besides Kem Sokha to pay for the campaign in Kg Cham. In 2008, HRP got 72,772 votes and won only one seat. Some 30,000 votes were wasted.

The Absence of Sam Rainsy from Kg Cham may have contributed to the internal or personal fighting that caused Mao Monyvan to be expelled and later on defected to the so-called "true Democratic Party." People may wonder if there is such a true Democratic Party, then the rest of Democrats are the fake ones.

In 2013, Mao Monyvan will probably be appointed "democratically" by Kem Sokha to run in Kg Cham. More than likely he will be listed as one of the top candidates for he claims that most of SRP members will follow him. It would be interesting to know what will happen to those hopeful HRP candidates who have already been promised to be listed as one of the top contenders as well.

According to RFA news, the recent reception held by Kem Sokha in Kg Cham before the Cambodian New Year brought in about 500 new members for HRP. They were not all SRP members. It was included those dubious "hidden members" from the ruling party and other parties.

Why such a small number if the majority of SRP members in Kampong Cham were so unhappy about Sam Rainsy? Was it because of the Khmer Rouge styled system (accused by Mao Monyvan) that made SRP members decided not to defect en mass?

As reported by Soy Sopheap, there were about 90 percents of SRP signs were supposedly bought down. People may scratch their head for there must be something wrong with the above figure.

What Party the CPP would use to break up SRP?

The CPP’s interest is to see the fight goes on; especially, between the "true" Democratic and the “fake” ones. The best party for the CPP to support or employ in the fight against SRP is HRP. It knows that Kem Sokha and Sam Rainsy will never get along. NRP and FUN are already tainted as CPP’s allies. Some clues are found with Soy Sopheap's suggestion to Kem Sokha and to Mao Monyvan as seen on Bayon TV's Special program recently. Please click here.

If the CPP and HRP succeed in chopping down SRP, HRP will not hesitate to become a partner of the CPP in the next Cambodian government. This will leave SRP to remain the biggest opposition for the next 5 years.

While the battles between the so-called True Democratic Party and the fake ones go on, the real winner in the political warefare will be the CPP.

Cambodian Politics: The enemy of my enemy is my friend

"The enemy of their enemy is their friend"

Perhaps Kem Sokha is taking Soy Sopheap's advice.

Please see: http://youtu.be/6J60RKfpAUo for Soy Sopheap's comment.

Soy Sopheap urged SRP members to follow Mao Monyvan wherever he goes.

If we read between the lines, it appears that Soy Sopheap is siding with HRP and Mao Monyvan in their efforts to chop down SRP.

Knowing that Soy Sopheap has better relationship with the CPP than with any other parties, his advice to Kem Sokha brings HRP closer to the CPP not to SRP. This makes Sam Rainsy’s statement relevant when he questioned Kem Sokha’s motives behind all activities done by Kem Sokha.

The lingering and dubious questions behind such motives started even before HRP was created. It will linger indefinitely until the issues of HRP’s relationship with the ruling party are clarified. I doubt that all questions can be explained satisfactorily given the nature of HRP’s business activities and Kem Sokha’s family and personal connection with the CPP. However, most SRP members know Kem Sokha and his HRP’s operation better than many of us do.

Realistically speaking, (if the politic is real) in the tightly controlled political arena where it is tough for HRP to compete, HRP has nowhere to go besides trying to take some advantages over SRP’s problems. Hence, Mao Monyvan’s case was boasted to drum up for monitory support. The excitement will not last when those defectors learn more that there is no different between the two parties.

Undoubtedly, only the CPP will benefit from all of this—with or without the political UNITY between SRP and HRP.

Leaders of the CPP know this quite well; hence the enemy of their enemy is their friend.

The real obstacles to politcal unity

The main reason SRP changed its name was to avoid the internal coup that could split the party. We had seen such a coup in the past when internal fighting within a party split the party into pieces. It has been suspected that the split was the work of the ruling party which had the “ways and means” to buy out some greedy opposition’s leaders. But, you can't buy without a seller, can you?

Whether the work has been done by the ruling party or not, a self-named political entity can only last as long as the person with that name lives provided that he can hold on to his duty.

However, with the entire political arena controlled and monitored by the ruling party, the same can find the way to dismantle its opponents with little or no problems. The important thing is whether politicians truthfully believe in their own principles and are honest with their party and to themselves.

Being a father who is away from home, the family can be shattered; hence the concerns over Sam Rainsy Party without Sam Rainsy being home are understandable. It becomes clearer now that the theory behind naming a political party after one’s own name in order to stay united or to win does not work given that there is no proper democratic process in the political theater.

With the current electoral procedures, the oppositions have no chance to succeed. The political opportunity is set by the ruling party for the oppositions to play in order to legalize its rules. Many years ago Sam Rainsy said he would not become an alibi to the CPP, but as of today Sam Rainsy still wants to continue the same processes. His party has asked to the King to pardon Sam Rainsy so that he would be able to play again in the same uneven political ground. This reason proves that politicians use whatever tactics they can to stay in politic for it is their lifetime career.

Yim Sovann is rational enough for saying that some SRP defectors would only use other political parties such as HRP as a parking lot to move on. Some politicians have already done that. After all, Premier Hun Sen said he would always welcome more defectors to his party.

Learning from Yim Sovan meandering statements as well as my own experience, it is ashamed to find out that certain politicians are deceitful. A number of politicians are playing game by double-dealing having their family members working in different political parties to secure their family’s businesses and their own profession. Using the pain and suffering of Cambodian people as baits, some leaders mix up political and personal businesses at the expenses of innocent donors.

With regard to a mass defection, if it happens at all; it is not because one party is better than the other democratically. HRP is not democratic. Defection is about whether politicians see their potential in a certain party or not. Some people jump ship to seek a better position and/or for a better opportunity. After a while, when they learn about the new leadership and the lack of opportunity, they would do it again—and the final destination would be at the party that can offer them some money, security and position.

It is therefore reasonably concluded that, it’s not about the name of the party, nor about the democratic processes within a party that are the real obstacles for political unity. It’s about the attitude, level of commitment and moral obligation of many Cambodian politicians toward Cambodia’s national interests and toward their party’s principles.

Cambodian politic nowadays is nothing more than just a form of profession which is banking on the pain and suffering of the Cambodian people. However, if ones are mentally corrupted and blinded by money, sex and nepotism; no types of party on earth can help them win for Cambodia.

Regardless of what many corrupted politicians promise to the people, the smelling is too strong for most of them to believe.

Opposition dilemma --The Unity is still in the clouds

Defection is nothing new...

Merging, cooperating, uniting, working together, etc. begin with the right attitude of all parties involved.

Nothing in their work now indicates that the Human Rights Party and Sam Rainsy Party can work together. It begins with the attitude of both men—the leaders.

However, if our national interest is not their number one priority they will never have the right attitude to unite. Given their personal records, I know Sam Rainsy is right—the Unity is in the clouds. I will elaborate later when I have the time.

============
Opposition dilemma
phnompenhpost.com

Human Rights Party President Kem Sokha has invited members of the Kingdom’s largest opposition group, the Sam Rainsy Party, to defect to the HRP following the announcement this week that ex-SRP lawmaker Mao Monyvann would join the party.


Mao Monyvann, formerly an SRP parliamentarian from Kampong Cham province, resigned from his post earlier this month before holding a press conference this week to criticise the SRP leadership, accusing lawmakers Yim Sovann and Eng Chhay Eang of wielding excessive control over the party. In the aftermath of his comments, the SRP asked him to resign from the party and he joined the HRP.

SRP head Sam Rainsy now lives abroad to avoid a pair of jail terms totalling 12 years that were handed down against him last year in connection with a protest he staged at the Vietnamese border in 2009. He was stripped of his parliamentary seat earlier this month as a result of his convictions.

“The HRP will become the biggest opposition party in Cambodia if Sam Rainsy cannot return,” Kem Sokha said.

“We do not want him to be absent – I want to have him here as a partner,” Kem Sokha added. “But if he is not present, I believe the HRP will play an important role in pressing for a change from the current leadership.”

Yim Sovann said Kem Sokha was “dreaming” if he thought the HRP could become the Kingdom’s largest opposition party, noting that the HRP only holds three seats in the National Assembly compared with the SRP’s 25.

The spat raises questions about the proposed merger between the parties, which have been in talks for months but have yet to reach an agreement.

Merger talks between the HRP and SRP have stalled in part due to disagreements about the leadership structure of a unified party. SRP lawmaker Son Chhay said yesterday that his party was still committed to the negotiations, but that Mao Monyvann’s public criticisms this week had prompted a reassessment of the proposal.

“The HRP used Mao Monyvann’s attack and broadcasted it on the radio, and it is not right to act this way,” Son Chhay said.

Senior CPP lawmaker Cheam Yeap said the recent bickering among the opposition parties showed that a merger was unlikely.

“They cannot live together, and it has been this way for a long time,” he said. “The SRP has 25 parliamentarians and they do not allow a party with three parliamentarians to control them.”

Can Sam Rainsy Party survive without Sam Rainsy?

It is a real test for SRP, as this headless organization is trying to weather a violent storm. 

Internal power struggling (for positions and money) is generally the main factor. 

Without Sam Rainsy, SRP sooner or later will be crumbled.

 ======================================

 This article is from The PPP:

Photo by: Heng Chivoan

Mao Monyvann, a former Sam Rainsy Party parliamentarian who represented Kampong Cham province, speaks to reporters yesterday in front of the National Assembly in Phnom Penh.

Former Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker Mao Monyvann has blasted the SRP leadership one week after announcing his resignation from parliament, charging that a handful of opposition leaders have monopolised control of the party.

Mao Monyvann, formerly an SRP parliamentarian representing Kampong Cham province, stepped down from his post last week, citing “personal reasons” and a promise he said he had made to his supporters that he would leave his post if he failed to increase support for the party in other provinces.

At a press conference held yesterday morning in front of the National Assembly, Mao Monyvann told reporters that the families of lawmakers Yim Sovann and Eng Chhay Eang had taken an excessive amount of control of the party in the absence of SRP president Sam Rainsy, who fled the Kingdom in 2009 to avoid a court case against him and remains in self-exile.

“Sam Rainsy has national ideals and bravery, but this cannot liberate him from the power of these two families,” Mao Monyvann said. “Do we have any hope at all if Sam Rainsy cannot liberate himself from the grasp of these two families?”

Yim Sovann’s wife, Ke Sovannaroth, is also an SRP lawmaker and serves as secretary general of the party. Eng Chhay Eang’s brother-in-law, Kuoy Bunroeun, is currently a lawmaker representing Takeo province who is set to replace Mao Monyvann in Kampong Cham as part of a parliamentary reshuffle announced earlier this year by the SRP.

Mao Monyvann was set to move to Takeo as part of the reshuffle, which was originally supposed to go into effect on Thursday but has since been postponed indefinitely. Mao Monyvann rebuked the party for this postponement, calling on it not to “return the words to its tongue”.

Mao Monyvann strongly denied having plans to defect to the ruling Cambodian People’s Party or any other party, though he said he preferred the leadership of the opposition Human Rights Party to that of the SRP.
Yim Sovann denied yesterday that his family wielded inordinate control over the party.

“In the SRP, a few individuals cannot do whatever they want,” he said. “There are millions of supporters – a few people cannot do whatever they want without a collective decision.”

Yim Sovann added that Mao Monyvann was within his rights to raise complaints, but that the SRP was confident in its strategy to take on the ruling party.

“It is normal that every decision will not make everyone happy,” he said.

Move on Mark A. Vejjajiva and be a better man--Thanarat did the right thing.

Mark Abhisit Vejjajiva should have more dignity as an educated man in modern times.

The Preah Vihear case is over and done with since 1962 when the World Court decided and when then Thailand Prime Minster Sarit Thanarat’s government agreed with the verdict of the World Court: Preah Vihear and its surrounding belonged to Cambodia.

On the left is the image at: www.safran-arts.com/sarit-thanarat.html

No one is crazy enough to believe that the World Court only awarded the "Temple" or "the monument" to Cambodia without the surrounding land.  Mark, you have made a fool of yourself.

It’s natural that any person or persons who lost in court would feel bad and disagree with the decision, but a man with dignity would live by such a decision and move on.  Prime Minnister Sarit Thanarat and many of his ministers reportedly wept over the decision, but they accepted the verdict with dignity. The case was closed!

According to the attached report (http://www.box.net/shared/3f0yyv84ve) Sarit told newsmen the Thai government's decision was based on a desire to "maintain our fine reputation in international affairs."  In the eyes of good men, it means that to accept the World Court’s verdict was the right thing to do for Thailand and for the world.

In this matter, Sarit Thanarat was a better man than Mark A. Vejjajiva -- an elite Thai with a PhD --who has been using the emotions of some yellow-shirt extremists to demonize himself, the Thai King as well as Thailand.  

Move on Mark.  It was the wrong move by Thailand from the beginning.  What Thailand have done here is to help put Premier Hun Sen , whom some of you have called him as “a bully boy next door “ on the pedestal and make him a hero and Cambodia the champion of ASEAN.  

Remember this; Premier Hun Sen may be “a bully boy next door” for Thailand but, it is the Khmer Temple of Preah Vihear that makes all Khmers unite behind him.  

The Puppets

The Puppets

There is no doubt that Hun Sen has gained his power as Cambodia’s ruler resulting from the Vietnamese invasion in 1979. The answers to why Vietnam invaded Cambodia have been debated and are still being debated nonstop for many years. Those who are on Hun Sen’s side say that the Vietnamese came to save Cambodia; those who are against Hun Sen say that the Vietnamese invaded Cambodia for its owns purpose—to create the Indochina Federation under full control of Vietnam.

The debates will go on forever, but the truth of the matter is-- Hun Sen is Cambodia’s Prime Minister.

If we believe that Hun Sen (and his CPP) is a Vietnamese puppet, a Vietnamese dog who runs Cambodia for his master, Vietnam; why should we be upset with Hun Sen? Why do we get angry with the puppet and not the puppeteer? Is it easier for us to beat the up the puppet?

When we acknowledge that Hun Sen is the puppet, we can reasonably believe that the puppeteer (Vietnam) can simply replace Hun Sen with another puppet, can’t it? Then what are we going to do with the new puppet? Get rid of that puppet again, right? I guess what I am trying to ask here is when will Vietnam stop employing its puppet, if its goal is to swallow Cambodia or to wipe out Cambodians from the surface of the earth?

Unfortunately, Hun Sen is not the only puppet that we need to deal with but Vietnam has millions of puppets who help Hun Sen run Cambodia. What are we going to do with those puppets? Get rid of them?

I am not asking you how we are going to get rid of them; I am asking do we need to get rid of them, too?

If we are able to get rid of them all, then how many Cambodians will remain in Cambodia?

Give rooms to the younger generations

Cambodian political landscape is now being divided into two main playing groups: the CPP and the Non-CPPs. While the CPP is still the “CPP,” the Non-CPPs are alienated into smaller parties including those which side with the CPP and those who claim to be democratic and nationalistic. For many years there have been speculations that the CPP would be crumbled, the rumors, however, have been falsely used to drum up supports for the Non-CPPs.

Both--the CPP and the Non-CPPs-- have been working hard to discredit their opponent(s.) The opponents to the CPP see nothing that the CPP does right and merely looking to count on what the CPP does badly so that they can gain popularity. The CPP, on the other hand, is trying to restrain its oppositions from pointing out what it does wrong and has used Cambodian legal system quite effectively to curb it opponents. The Non-CPPs seems to learn quite slowly not to walk into the CPP's legal trap.

While both sides are trying so hard, the CPP has the advantages over its opponents on all fronts. It has better financial backups, stronger infrastructures, and superior managerial skill. In addition, nearly all media networks favor the CPP and have had better relationship with the ruling party because of their financial ties and rewards. Many of us like to think that the CPP controls the media, but in reality, the media have been friendlier to the CPP because of their social ties, political ties, and financial interests. It should be noted that many newspapers in Cambodia belong to certain members of political party and independent newspapers do not exist.

Recently, the CPP has also infiltrated into overseas Cambodian communities and has done well in building its political and social networks in the US, Australia and in Europe. Pictures from Cambodia via Karaoke machines, television shows and tourists certainly make many overseas people think that Cambodia is now acceptable; hence they believe that Cambodia has been drastically improving. The CPP has managed to soften many hearts with their repeated propaganda and the help of overseas Khmers who have produced all kinds of entertainment products.

While the CPP has achieved its goals in many areas, the Non-CPPs are running out of valid reasons to effectively oppose the CPP. The passage of the anti-corruption laws will make the CPP smell better and it spells bad news for the oppositions. Those who look to get rich by becoming politicians or public officials to oppose the ruling party will have to think twice about their investments in Cambodian politics. Those who belong to the CPP have already achieved their financial riches and will continue to use their financial strength to protect their party's and personal interests.

What is left for the oppositions to attempt is their concentration on the emotional issues which strongly relate to Cambodia’s borders with Vietnam, human rights abuses, illegal immigration and political oppression. The key to their success will rest on what the majority of the Cambodians think. Will these particular issues matter to them on a daily bases? What matters to the oppositions might be irrelevant to ordinary Cambodians who have lived hand to mouth for many years.

Confrontation against the CPP will continue. Sam Rainsy and his party’s leaders have been working hard to expose Hun Sen and the CPP weaknesses, especially in the areas of border issue with Vietnam. Sam Rainsy even terms the arrest of the Thai engineer as being plotted by Hun Sen (and the Pheu Thai Party) in order to “divert public attention on Phnom Penh’s inaction against Vietnam's encroachment on thousands of square kilometers of Cambodia's territory.” Meanwhile Mme Mu SocHua has tried to win over Hun Sen on another issue- -the Women Rights issue. The leaders of the international community and NGOs seems to be very sympathetic and impressed with Mme Mu and her mission, unfortunately, Hun Sen also knows quite well that they are not Cambodian voters.

In reality, it’s the voters and the general gelection in the future that count. Most Cambodians do not care about some complicated issues that do not immediately affect their own pocket. They live day by day along with the ones whom they see the most--members of the CPP. Cambodian cultures have bonded those people together for many years and loyalty is the best policy for members of local Cambodian community.

With the current system in place the “déjà vu” of the electoral process will happen again. The CPP will employ their tricks and treats to win the heart and soul of Cambodian voters once more. With its financial strength, well established organizational structures at all levels and the “50% plus 1” system, the CPP will rule Cambodia for another 5 years from the next general election date. By then some kinds of the opposition party or parties continue to exist for just the alibis of the Cambodian People’s Party. The lack of organizational skill, manpower, and financial supports will drive members of the oppositions to defect to the ruling party. Cambodia and Vietnam will complete most of their tasks and there is nothing that ordinary Cambodians can do about that.

A few of those new and old professional politicians will manage to convince some susceptible overseas Khmer people to help support their life style in Cambodia for being heroic to fight against the CPP and its political machine. However, in real life there is not enough new blood Cambodians or resources to help support any viable political or non political movement to successfully challenge the CPP.

There will be no other alternative to help Cambodia better than the political processes which require all Cambodians to unite. This is the new challenge that the younger Khmer generations have to figure out. The older generations have had their opportunity to save and serve Cambodia, but for the most part, they have only saved and served their own personal interests. A drastic change is needed. Those who have failed to achieve true success for Cambodians and Cambodia need to step aside to make room for a fresh set of leaders to truly save and serve Cambodia. They cannot go on doing the same things and expect the difference.