By Baphuon
Op-Ed posted online by one of
Prof Keng Vannsak's former student
Mr. Vannsak and Suzanne, his wife, were my professors at Lycée Sisowath, classe Math Elem. They were loved and respected by their students. Vannsak teachings influenced the political thinking of my generation. Vannsak was a brilliant student at Sorbonne University in the 1950s .
Sometimes you agree with his theory, sometimes you don't. But as scholar he was very prolific in ideas and created so much threads to keep the political debate alive and interesting.
In the US , 95% of the University professors, Harvard, Yale etc, well known as the generation of anti-Vietnam War, are liberal. They shaped the American thinking, the American foreign policy and financial, political and social policy. But the US policy was not necessary liberal. First of all, as any other country in the world, American defended American interests. It could be hawk, and it could be liberal.
So the professors might be liberal but their students could also be conservative.
In international policy, it needs the American leadership to get something done. The UN charter, the NATO Treaty, and the International Court of Justice etc... were all American concept. In any international conference, it needed American plan, American proposal, American structure of discussion to reach an agreement. Brief, it needs American leadership to achieve a common goal. This created jealousy.
In Cambodia , Vietnam ordered the CPP people to hate the American, and speak bad about the US policy and glorify Vietnam as the heroic country which defeated the first power in the world.
Sharp contrast between Vietnamese and Cambodian reception of former President Clinton.
On December 4, 2006, former President Clinton visited officially Cambodia to sign a memorandum for the foundation to continue supporting and expand pediatric treatment of HIV/AIDS in Cambodia.
Cambodia, one of the world's poorest countries, has an HIV infection rate of 1.9 percent for people aged 15-49, among the highest in Southeast Asia . The rate has been significantly reduced from 3 percent in 1997.
About 20,000 children under the age of 15 live with HIV or AIDS in Cambodia , out of a total 123,000 people who are either infected with the virus or have the full-blown disease.
It is noteworthy the sharp contrast between Cambodia and Vietnam reception of the former President Bill Clinton. It tends to convince that Vietnam is smart and Cambodia is dumb.
Indeed, Clinton was received by Om Yin Tieng, an insignificant minister at his arrival at Phnom Penh airport during his visit to Cambodia while he was received with great pomp and honor at Hanoi airport by Prime Minister of Vietnam off Clinton airplane.
Vietnam spoke sweetly peace but in the back Vietnam make war.
Is Hun Sen dumb for not seeing the importance of the courtesy we own to President Clinton for helping our HIV/AID infected people? Or Hun Sen is afraid of Hanoi ?
For the CPP, January 7th 1979 was the CPP Victory against the Khmer Rouge.
Up to today, Vietnam celebrated publicly and officially every year the anniversary of January 7th, 1979 victory. It was a public celebration. Vietnamese Public radio and TV and presses all together celebrated the anniversary of January 7th, 1979 victory. Vietnam officials did not hide it under the friendship anymore.
January 7th, 1979 was: Ho Chi Minh dream comes true. Vietnam conquers Indochina . All the three countries, Vietnam , Cambodia and Laos unified under Vietnam rule. Just read Vietnamese presses and listen to Vietnam radio and watch Vietnam TV on January 7th to convince that Vietnam intention was to swallow head to toe Cambodia, said Thach Chan.
Vannsak's actions had always impact in the public conscience. He was courageous to speak out his mind. A dozen years ago, Hun Sen warned Vannsak: Do not engage in political party. If you do, you will be assassinated.
Even now, after his recent Jayavarman VII statement, Vannsak was still popular in Cambodia . He attracted so much attention to the point that Kem Sos, the director of RFA, had to ask him to make a kind of apology to cool down the atmosphere. The CPP might use that particular scholar discussion to redo another sack in the style of the sack of Thailand Embassy on February 2, 2003.
In the US , some American scholars, specialists in Cambodia policy, would like to invite Vannsak to their department to make speeches. Some of my friends are working on this.
During the first years of 1950s, Indochina was in ebullition. Ho Chi Minh and Vietnamese movements fought aggressively against French colonialist.
In 1950, Cambodian students in Paris , France , started to discuss how to fight France for the independence of Cambodia . Their leaders were: Keng Vannsak, Phung Ton, Ea Sichau, Hang Thun Hak, Sum Vaddhana You, Thioun Mom, Hou Yon etc.
When the majority of his peers kept quiet, Vannsak denounced the monarchy and King Sihanouk. King Sihanouk at that time did nothing for Cambodia independence. He spent his time in the movies and entertained his royal court, said Vannsak.
In 1953, the Vietminh derailed the train Phnom Penh-Battambang and slaughtered all the voyagers. Jump to the occasion, Vannsak wrote in the Union des Etudients Khmers magazine under a pen name: "The Khmer monarchy is a leech which sucked Khmer people blood. The King did nothing while the people suffered. The monarchy did nothing for the liberation of Cambodia."
King Sihanouk exploded angrily. Then he cut off all the funding of the scholarship of those Khmer students.
Khmer students acknowledged that Vietnam was much well organized for the liberation war. Vietnam was far better organized than Cambodia .
All Khmer student leaders agreed: If Cambodia was not organized to liberate Cambodia from France colonialism, Cambodia would fall under Vietnamese yoke when France was defeated and forced to leave Indochina . Then Vietnam would replace France to annex Cambodia under Vietnamese rule. Khmer students in Paris knew so well that extreme danger that Cambodia would face in the next decade.
But the question is: How to organize Cambodian armed resistance independent from Vietnam to fight for Cambodia independence? How to get the arms and ammunitions? What country would give Khmer resistance armament and finance to fight against France ?
War for the independence from France and Vietnam will be long, said Hang Thun Hak. We should learn how to fight and how to organize the guerilla warfare from other armed force struggle movements, added Hang Thun Hak. We should learn from the armed struggle in the Middle East . We should send our people to learn there, said Hang Thun Hak who was well known among leftist artists and well connected to the Middle East armed resistance. Those Khmer Student leaders including even the communist Khmers did never ever trust the Vietnamese.
The only countries that might provide armament to fight the imperialist ( France and later the US ) were Russia and China . But Russia and China had their own agenda. Russia would like to have the absolute control of the Kommintern. All armed resistance should be under her thumb. China had her own policy too.
When Ea Si Chau tried to get the arms directly from Russia through French communist party, he got no as answer. Indeed, you should cooperate with Ho, because everything should go trough Ho Chi Minh, the delegate of Kommintern for Indochina , said French communist leader.
Then Ea Si Chau made a last try with the Republic of China to get the armament for Cambodian armed resistance. Ea Si Chau, was a Hautes Etudes Commerciales alumni, the French equivalent to Harvard MBA, left Phnom Penh by boat to Hong Kong then to Beijing . The communist Chinese leaders told Si Chau that King Sihanouk is very popular. The moment is not yet propitious for popular war. Mao said to him, in popular war you have to suffer, endure the sacrifice to succeed. You have to wait, be patient, added Chou En Lai.
Ea Si Chau returned to Cambodia with empty hand.
After several tries to get armament from communist countries, Vietnamese communists and Cambodian armed resistance arrived to the same conclusion: They ought to purchase armament for the armed resistance by their own means.
For this reason, Battambang and Siemreap provinces play a vital role in the purchase of arms and ammunitions from Thailand . This explained also, why Battambang and Siemreap provinces were the cradle of all revolutionary movements, Vietminh, Khmer Issaraks, Dap Chhuon, Khmer Serey etc...
From the start, Vannsak did not fit in any armed struggle. He is a thinker, a philosopher but not an armed fighter whereas Hang Thun Hak and Ea Si Chau and Roth Samoeun and the communist believed that political change ought to be through an armed struggle. But the communist always talk sweetly peace while in the back make war.
Baphuon
Sometimes you agree with his theory, sometimes you don't. But as scholar he was very prolific in ideas and created so much threads to keep the political debate alive and interesting.
In the US , 95% of the University professors, Harvard, Yale etc, well known as the generation of anti-Vietnam War, are liberal. They shaped the American thinking, the American foreign policy and financial, political and social policy. But the US policy was not necessary liberal. First of all, as any other country in the world, American defended American interests. It could be hawk, and it could be liberal.
So the professors might be liberal but their students could also be conservative.
In international policy, it needs the American leadership to get something done. The UN charter, the NATO Treaty, and the International Court of Justice etc... were all American concept. In any international conference, it needed American plan, American proposal, American structure of discussion to reach an agreement. Brief, it needs American leadership to achieve a common goal. This created jealousy.
In Cambodia , Vietnam ordered the CPP people to hate the American, and speak bad about the US policy and glorify Vietnam as the heroic country which defeated the first power in the world.
Sharp contrast between Vietnamese and Cambodian reception of former President Clinton.
On December 4, 2006, former President Clinton visited officially Cambodia to sign a memorandum for the foundation to continue supporting and expand pediatric treatment of HIV/AIDS in Cambodia.
Cambodia, one of the world's poorest countries, has an HIV infection rate of 1.9 percent for people aged 15-49, among the highest in Southeast Asia . The rate has been significantly reduced from 3 percent in 1997.
About 20,000 children under the age of 15 live with HIV or AIDS in Cambodia , out of a total 123,000 people who are either infected with the virus or have the full-blown disease.
It is noteworthy the sharp contrast between Cambodia and Vietnam reception of the former President Bill Clinton. It tends to convince that Vietnam is smart and Cambodia is dumb.
Indeed, Clinton was received by Om Yin Tieng, an insignificant minister at his arrival at Phnom Penh airport during his visit to Cambodia while he was received with great pomp and honor at Hanoi airport by Prime Minister of Vietnam off Clinton airplane.
Vietnam spoke sweetly peace but in the back Vietnam make war.
Is Hun Sen dumb for not seeing the importance of the courtesy we own to President Clinton for helping our HIV/AID infected people? Or Hun Sen is afraid of Hanoi ?
For the CPP, January 7th 1979 was the CPP Victory against the Khmer Rouge.
Up to today, Vietnam celebrated publicly and officially every year the anniversary of January 7th, 1979 victory. It was a public celebration. Vietnamese Public radio and TV and presses all together celebrated the anniversary of January 7th, 1979 victory. Vietnam officials did not hide it under the friendship anymore.
January 7th, 1979 was: Ho Chi Minh dream comes true. Vietnam conquers Indochina . All the three countries, Vietnam , Cambodia and Laos unified under Vietnam rule. Just read Vietnamese presses and listen to Vietnam radio and watch Vietnam TV on January 7th to convince that Vietnam intention was to swallow head to toe Cambodia, said Thach Chan.
Vannsak's actions had always impact in the public conscience. He was courageous to speak out his mind. A dozen years ago, Hun Sen warned Vannsak: Do not engage in political party. If you do, you will be assassinated.
Even now, after his recent Jayavarman VII statement, Vannsak was still popular in Cambodia . He attracted so much attention to the point that Kem Sos, the director of RFA, had to ask him to make a kind of apology to cool down the atmosphere. The CPP might use that particular scholar discussion to redo another sack in the style of the sack of Thailand Embassy on February 2, 2003.
In the US , some American scholars, specialists in Cambodia policy, would like to invite Vannsak to their department to make speeches. Some of my friends are working on this.
During the first years of 1950s, Indochina was in ebullition. Ho Chi Minh and Vietnamese movements fought aggressively against French colonialist.
In 1950, Cambodian students in Paris , France , started to discuss how to fight France for the independence of Cambodia . Their leaders were: Keng Vannsak, Phung Ton, Ea Sichau, Hang Thun Hak, Sum Vaddhana You, Thioun Mom, Hou Yon etc.
When the majority of his peers kept quiet, Vannsak denounced the monarchy and King Sihanouk. King Sihanouk at that time did nothing for Cambodia independence. He spent his time in the movies and entertained his royal court, said Vannsak.
In 1953, the Vietminh derailed the train Phnom Penh-Battambang and slaughtered all the voyagers. Jump to the occasion, Vannsak wrote in the Union des Etudients Khmers magazine under a pen name: "The Khmer monarchy is a leech which sucked Khmer people blood. The King did nothing while the people suffered. The monarchy did nothing for the liberation of Cambodia."
King Sihanouk exploded angrily. Then he cut off all the funding of the scholarship of those Khmer students.
Khmer students acknowledged that Vietnam was much well organized for the liberation war. Vietnam was far better organized than Cambodia .
All Khmer student leaders agreed: If Cambodia was not organized to liberate Cambodia from France colonialism, Cambodia would fall under Vietnamese yoke when France was defeated and forced to leave Indochina . Then Vietnam would replace France to annex Cambodia under Vietnamese rule. Khmer students in Paris knew so well that extreme danger that Cambodia would face in the next decade.
But the question is: How to organize Cambodian armed resistance independent from Vietnam to fight for Cambodia independence? How to get the arms and ammunitions? What country would give Khmer resistance armament and finance to fight against France ?
War for the independence from France and Vietnam will be long, said Hang Thun Hak. We should learn how to fight and how to organize the guerilla warfare from other armed force struggle movements, added Hang Thun Hak. We should learn from the armed struggle in the Middle East . We should send our people to learn there, said Hang Thun Hak who was well known among leftist artists and well connected to the Middle East armed resistance. Those Khmer Student leaders including even the communist Khmers did never ever trust the Vietnamese.
The only countries that might provide armament to fight the imperialist ( France and later the US ) were Russia and China . But Russia and China had their own agenda. Russia would like to have the absolute control of the Kommintern. All armed resistance should be under her thumb. China had her own policy too.
When Ea Si Chau tried to get the arms directly from Russia through French communist party, he got no as answer. Indeed, you should cooperate with Ho, because everything should go trough Ho Chi Minh, the delegate of Kommintern for Indochina , said French communist leader.
Then Ea Si Chau made a last try with the Republic of China to get the armament for Cambodian armed resistance. Ea Si Chau, was a Hautes Etudes Commerciales alumni, the French equivalent to Harvard MBA, left Phnom Penh by boat to Hong Kong then to Beijing . The communist Chinese leaders told Si Chau that King Sihanouk is very popular. The moment is not yet propitious for popular war. Mao said to him, in popular war you have to suffer, endure the sacrifice to succeed. You have to wait, be patient, added Chou En Lai.
Ea Si Chau returned to Cambodia with empty hand.
After several tries to get armament from communist countries, Vietnamese communists and Cambodian armed resistance arrived to the same conclusion: They ought to purchase armament for the armed resistance by their own means.
For this reason, Battambang and Siemreap provinces play a vital role in the purchase of arms and ammunitions from Thailand . This explained also, why Battambang and Siemreap provinces were the cradle of all revolutionary movements, Vietminh, Khmer Issaraks, Dap Chhuon, Khmer Serey etc...
From the start, Vannsak did not fit in any armed struggle. He is a thinker, a philosopher but not an armed fighter whereas Hang Thun Hak and Ea Si Chau and Roth Samoeun and the communist believed that political change ought to be through an armed struggle. But the communist always talk sweetly peace while in the back make war.
Baphuon
9 comments:
Wow! Great insight and I hope you continue to educate us younger generations about those tumultuous times in our nation history.
Whatever you raised about Kang Vansak's personality and achievement i accept, except for his critics about Jayavarman 7 which showed that he is proving the wrong trace of history. Pls dont make use his recognized credibility as scholar to change our history.I cant accpet.
Thanks Baphoun,
This is very informative...it is the revelation of what was happening in the past..it is good lesson...especially the grip policy of Vietnam.
Baphuon, Thank you and thank you.
2L/PaperChase
Borrrrriiiiiing ... What else
has you got aside from Yuon,
you piece for shit (Khmer Krom).
Anon@8:31AM,
Congrats for such a wonderful display of your ignorance, your arrogance and most importantly your racism towards other Khmer. You must have been obviously born in the stable.
Oh no, not the copy/paste spammer
idiot again. Don't they learned
anything else in their stupid
schools in the west?
Baphuon ! I will translate your article into Khmer and publish it in Khmer newspaper!
Many Thanks
There are khmer scholars inside and outside Cambodia, but Keng Vansak is unique. His ideas has always against the ruler of the country which caused him jailed in the 1950s. Keng Vansak was born in Pursat near a river bank of Lolork Sar district.
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