Friday, February 02, 2007

Professor Keng Vannsak's comments on Jayavarman VII are met with anger

Professor Keng Vannsak

Click here to listen to Part 1 of Prof. Keng Vannsak's interview in Khmer
Click here to listen to Part 2 of Prof. Keng Vannsak's interview in Khmer
Click here to listen to Part 3 of Prof. Keng Vannsak's interview in Khmer
Click here to listen to Part 4 of Prof. Keng Vannsak's interview in Khmer
Click here to listen to Part 5 of Prof. Keng Vannsak's interview in Khmer
Click here to listen to Prof. Keng Vannsak's response to his critics in Khmer

Friday, February 2, 2007
Academic's Comments on Angkor King Anger Many

By Lor Chandara
THE CAMBODIA DAILY

Cambodia's most famous historical figure of the Angkor period caused an outpouring of emotions this week following a radio interview in which he was depicted as less than the perfect national hero he is now considered.

The suggestion that Jayavarman VII—the Khmer king who governed Angkor when the Khmer empire was at the zenith of its power—may have been half Cham prompted angry headlines in Khmer-language newspapers.

In a Radio Free Asia interview broadcast and posted on the Internet on Jan 22, the writer and Khmer-language academic Keng Vannsak also said that Jayavarman VII had lent the land where Sukothai would later develop as the capital of Siam, Thailand's former name.

Keng Vannsak—whose cultural and political opinions landed him in jail in the 1950s—also said that Jayavarman VII had forced workers to carry heavy stones to build monuments. The 12th-Century King built some of Angkor's most famous structures including the fortified city of Angkor Thorn and the Bayon temple.

Keng Vannsak also described Jayavarman's close links with the neighboring Kingdom of Champa. In a telephone interview Thursday from France, Keng Vannsak said that, based on documents he has, the father of Jayavarman VII may have been Cham and his mother Khmer.

On Thursday, 18 Cambodian journalists issued an open letter in which they accused Keng Vannsak of distorting history.

"His accusations against Jayavarman VII, who is considered by Khmer citizens to be a great King, seriously affects Khmer citizens," they wrote in the letter. "This is an insult to the Khmer royal family."

Ros Chantrabot, a historian and deputy president of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, questioned Keng Vannsak’s historical sources.

"It hurts today's Cambodian people who believe in King Jayavarman VII, Khmer soul and culture—it could cause turmoil," he said.

Historian Michael Vickery said that he did not know what documents Keng Vannsak had based his opinion on.

However, he said, "Historians now accept that Jayavarman VII spent several years in Champa in the 1160s-1170s…and he had Cham princes and troops who assisted him in his campaign to reconquer Cambodia," after the reign of a Khmer king who had been hostile to him.

46 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think they should leave the damn
history alone, even if there are
some error in it. No one can
proved anything dated back that
far, so what is the added benefit?

Anonymous said...

KMENG WAT KNONG SROK
TO
2:56 PM

AH PLEOU! SHUT YOUR MOUTH IF YOU ARE NOT EDUCATED OF KHMER HISTORY... JUST KEEP LEARNING HOW TO BARKING LIKE POUK AH SVA AND POUK AH SEK KMEAN SROK

14 MILLIONS CAMBODIAN ARE PROUD OF OUR HISTORY... AND PROF. KENG VANN SAK JUST STAY AND SPENG THE REST OF YOUR LIFE IN PEACE!

KMENG WAT KNONG SROK

Anonymous said...

Keng Vannsak is full of shit. He's nothing but a hopeless old man.

Anonymous said...

KMENG WAT KNONG SROK, We have been
writting history for the last
couple hundred years now. When are
we going to stop changing it, huh?
It time to leave the damn thing
alone, LOL.

Anonymous said...

I absolutely object to Keng Vansak´s opinion. If he is realley sure pls show us the proof but not just speaking basing on his previously accepted credit. it would be better for him to use his knowledge to value the real soul of khmers and history which in need of healing. May be Pol Pot is his best leader.

Anonymous said...

The comment of Prof.Keng Vansak is full of bias as he is the anti-monarchy. Even, I respect some of his findings, the rest make me question on his credibility and the so called documents he refered on.

To clear the air, he should present his reference documents, instead of just saying this and that.

Anonymous said...

Agreed, I don't think he can prove
anything.

And if we keep on tampering with
history, there will be a high risk
that it will lose its credential.

Anonymous said...

Fellow KI-Media readers,
Be advised that we have Viet trollers pretending to be Khmer in our hand here on KI. One typical common language of theirs is pretty much the same - calling us all SIRIKMATAKIS, and (racist) Ethiopian fleas. Another one with broken khmerEnglish portrayed himself as "KMENG WAT KNONG SROK" (my translation of that nick would be: local pagoda's thug). They are here to sabotage KI, not to intelligently argue with us...So please beware and just ignore them. We cannot be distracted by these Viet trollers. These killers Viets are specifically no different than the killers Viet behind the Killing Fields.

Passer-by Guest

Please join me to say:

Vietcong Go home!
Vietcong Go home!
Vietcong Go home!

Anonymous said...

KMENG WAT KNONG SROK
TO

Passer-by Guest (if you are foreigner please stay away from this forum)

and to Fellow KI-Media readers,

WE IDENTIFY HIM AS Passer-by Guest
AS TROUBLE MAKERS, PLEASE IGNORE HIS COMMENTS ABOUT ME...

TODAY, BUDDHIST CEREMONY " VISAK BOCHEA" KMENG WAT KNONG SROK IS BUSY TO PRAY AND OFFER FOOD TO MONKS AND TO ASK BONN KOKSAL FOR ALL OF YOU... TO BE RE-BORN NEXT LIFE AS HUMANS AND NOT BEAST SATH DERAHCHHANN KMEAN SROK...

YOU SEE AT LEAST KMENG KNONG SROK THINK ABOUT YOUR NEXT LIFE...

IS IT NOT NICE?

KMENG WAT KNONG SROK

Anonymous said...

dear kmuoy kmeng wat knong srok

lok ta ah chhar wat knong srok supports your fight!

chey yo !

Anonymous said...

I think it's the good discussion for development

You know the Cambodian history written by Youns in the year's 80 to support interests of Youns

And Cambodian history written by Royal family in the regime of Sangkum Reas ning yum (before 1970) to support interests of Royal family

Which is the true one?

We think the true one is from Dr. prof Keng VanSak who had documents supports and documents research. He is one of the Cambodia wise intellectuels who survived from KR regime

Hope

Anonymous said...

yuon go home!
yuon go home!
yuon go home!
yuon go home!
yuon go home!

Anonymous said...

What amuses me is that a bunch of uneducated hot-heads deign to question the work of a renowned historian. If you read correctly it says "may have been Cham", so he used cautious language, indicating there is room for doubt. Nothing to get hot under your collar about, KMENG WAT KNONG SROK. You are especially virulent with your remarks. Why don't you sit back and meditate a little in good Buddhist fashion before you deprecate your fellow KI-readers. You know, the fact that someone speaks perfect English does not mean he/she is a foreigner. That person just managed to get a good education, as opposed to most overseas Khmer by the way, who can't speak proper English even though they were born and raised in the U.S. And before you ridicule other members of this forum even more, please think where Cambodia would be without the foreigners' help after 1990. Yes, a lot went wrong but Cambodia is still a lot better off than before. Though 40% of all foreign aid disappears in the government officials pockets, the rest is still used to improve the life of all Cambodians. Now this was written by a foreigner friend of Cambodia, who even speaks Khmer. How about that? Don't you dare and call me Youn or some such shit.

Anonymous said...

half of cambodian is either chinese or youn or siam, so what else is new.... history is never acurate.

Anonymous said...

Actually he was 1/4 Cham, 1/4 Khmer, and half Vietnamese. Didn't the Vietnamese screw them both?

Anonymous said...

KMENG WAT KNONG SROK

YOU ARE STILL PLEOU ABOUT FOREIGN AID...PLEASE CONTACT ADB, WORLD BANK AND ASK THEM IF YOU ARE RIGHT????...

I CAN'T GIVE MY COMMENT AND I DO NOT READ POLITICAL GOSSIP: KI-MEDIA OR SACRAVATOONS...

I AM A PRAGMATIC AND I DON'T BELIEVE IN POLITICAL GOSSIP...

TRY TO BE MORE HONEST WITH YOURSELF... AND THE TRUTH WILL COME OUT FROM YOUR MOUTH!

KMENG WAT KNONG SROK

Anonymous said...

Professer Keng VanSak said that King Javarman VII gave KHMER TERRITORY to the Thai based on his research ,not his own idea.
He said Mr. Leang Hab An who was a Museum Director in Phnom Penh threw away a page that wrote about King Javarman VII gave KHMER TERRITORY to the Thai which was written by a French Historian because he wanted to please King Sihanouk .
We will not find the thruth in our Khmer history if there is political involment.
For those who do not agree with Dr. Keng Vansak , please provide your proof in this case instead of blaming on him.

Anonymous said...

you have to find peace in the past too.

if you weak you can not hold some thing to heavy you have to drop it to survive.

Keng Vansack and the french have not thing to prove just assumption.
If there is such doccument by french-man it should find it in Paris.

So what so big deal about the great king is part Cham? we and cham are brother, we may mix after 1000 and 1000 of years live side by side.

Joint together khmer and khmer islame to kick the invader Viet back to China!

Fonzi said...

Most of Cambodian history was written by foreigners.

The Cambodians wouldn't even know about this stuff without the French colonizers who preserved the history of a great empire that no modern Cambodian gave a shit about way back then.

And who cares if Ja 7 married a Cham? That whole area was Cham long before it was Khmer.

I miss you dumb Cambodians would grow up and stop acting like the Thais.

Cambodians have an awesome heritage.

I am sure Khmer Kings were banging all kind of broads from all over Suvarnabhumi, there is no need to get excited about it.

By the way, if you want to feel proud about Cambodia, clean up the country today instead of relying on ancient history for your identity.

Anonymous said...

Hey 1:51 a bit strong but accurate in principle. Some dumb folks on this site try to blame everything on outsiders, be it Vietnamese, Khmer Krom extremists (whatever that is), Thais, other foreigners. Now they have this new invective 'Ethiopian flea' (whoever came up with this?). Goodness, they are just plain stupid. They don't know that the whole of SE Asia is one melting pot, has been for ages. They knock Hun Sen, but don't go back to their country to help their own. It's those damn overseas Khmer stirring up the pot with their armchair politicking.

Anonymous said...

Who care of Jayavarman VII may or may not Charm, as long as he was rules and build once was a Khmere Impire. Kennedy was an Irish decend. Well, it is better than a Real Khmere such as "A Hen Sen" helping Youn, killing his own Khmere. Javavarman VII can be Phnong but he was one of our great King. The King who carried our Khmere herritage for more than 1000 years. If Angkok wat was build at North Vietnam or at Middel of Vietnam than I would be angry. Be possitive, Khmere!

Anonymous said...

Wrong, no one in their right mind
(except for Ethiopian tics) would
beleived that Somdach Hun Sen
risked his own life to liberate
Khmers people from the brutal
Khmer Rouge regime only to abuse
them afterward. That is absurd and
stupid.

Anonymous said...

He needs to clarify his facts and state where his claim is from.

Anonymous said...

Alors, ecoutes Tonton - Pourquoi est-ce que tu as decide de reveler tout ca maintenant? Qu'est-ce que tu as a gagner, Tonton?

Passer-by Guest

P.s. Sans blague, mes ancetres etaient CHAM? Mais c'est pas mal en tout cas...n'est-ce pas? J'irais me pendre si jamais tu disais qu'ils etaient Viet!

Anonymous said...

Permettez-moi de te poser une
question, mon ami: Combien d'année
est Champa été occupée par le
Vietnam?

Anonymous said...

Dear all people in the forum,

I doubt about the sources that Prof. Keng Vansak used to interpret his assumptions, not only about Jayavarman VII, but for the other assumptions that he made before. Would manuscipts (Sastra Sleuk Rith) be more reliable than inscriptions (Selachareuk)? I wish Prof. Keng Vansak make a reasonable assumption with a reliable sources, rather just speaking from his mouth and imagination. As his speech is listened by millions people (through radio and internet), I think his speech should be more scientific, not just his own imaginative thoughts.

I hope Khmer would learn to be more reasonal in his/her speech, because he/she has only one mouth. Instead, he/she should pay double attention on reading and listerning for a better reasons as he/she has 2 eyes and 2 ears.


Though I question Prof. Keng Vansak's sources for reliability, I still respect him as an old Khmer man who keep heart and thinking about Khmer culture and history.

A Khmer student from RUFA-Phnom Penh.

Anonymous said...

Hi Khmer Student 11:16 AM.
May I ask what is your majoring?
You don't have to tell me if you don't want to.

I'm from USA, Duke Univ.
Nice to meeting you my friend.
I don't have a clue about Dr. Keng Vansak's speech, because I don't read Khmer but I can speak a little bit. His is a very highly educated and very famous man and many respect him in the US and some other countries. Your Khmer people ought to be glad or at least show him a respect and give him credits, he knows so much that some ordinary Khmer people are clueless. Dr. Keng Vansak, Dr. Naranh Kiri Tith, and Dr. Michael Trenet are highly Khmer Intellectual.

I always Salute the great mind like them.

Anonymous said...

Mr. moi28,

Glad to hear you have good impression of Khmer researchers and thanks so much for that. My major was Archaeology, specialized in arts history.

We should respect old people for their knowledge and experiences, but we should also challenge them for improvement if theirs are not reasonable. However, we learn from mistakes, and we improve from that.

Though history is what happened in the past, and mostly we was not borned in the events, we have sources to study, either primary, secondary or comtemporary resources.

Thanks so much,
A Khmer student

Anonymous said...

Ooooooo... Moi28 from USA, Duke
Univ. and that give him the licence
to be judge of the world, and
Khmer people are clueless about
anything.

What is a fucking lost moron?

Anonymous said...

Anon@11:07AM

Tu NE peux pas me tutoyer et en meme temps me vouvoyer? Donc ta question est laissee sans reponse.

Anonymous said...

Moi28 seems to attend many universities. I think he is a damn phony.

Anonymous said...

Oh, you meant he went to Fluke
instead of Duke?

Anonymous said...

Eh..., Je suis désolé, mais je ne
suis pas une diplomate, Post9:10.

Anonymous said...

;-) Say whatever you want my friends. Duke is Duke not Duke & Durham. Ask Dean David Levi, who is moi28. ;-) You'll lose a big time my friends. Don't judge by my writing in KI, or I will judge you for real.

This to A Khmer Student. Thanks for the reply. I totally agree with you about the elders. But my talk was by no means purely formal.
I ddin't know much about Khmers/Cambodia until I was about to head my freshman year. Eh Khmer Student, good career you get. Keep up & stay away from the primitive Taliban.

From Duke U.

Anonymous said...

Moi28: What else can we judge you by, if not by your writing here? And that is quite contradictory, simple, and sometimes ludicrous. I have been following your posts. You went to George Washington Univ., some Catholic university, now Duke (which Duke if not the one in Durham, NC). You are a multimillionaire at age 28, use terms like Taliban in the wrong context (it sure doesn't apply to Khmer affairs), all in all you don't seem to be very rational in your posts. Who are you trying to impress? Do you have an identity problem? Now at least we know you are not Khmer. So what is your connection to Cambodia? What makes you take a stand on this blog?

Anonymous said...

I read news about Keng Vannsak in Khmer lanaguage through - www.kohsantepheapdaily.com.kh - and I learnt that there are many Khmer students, professors in Cambodia who are now questioning about sources which he used to interprete about Jayavarman VII too. For me, not only do I question about his sources for Jayavarman VII, but I also question him sources which he use for Khmer history and Khmer culture so far.
To moi28, it is good that you can share point of view about Khmer, and I appreciate that. To be a scholar, we should know what is right or wrong, at least through the way an author used his/her sources. We cannot judge a book through cover; instead we need to look a bit deeper into the content and references and so on.

To other Khmer who loves Khmer, I am glad to know that you react to a non-sence writing about Khmer culture, and history. I hope we can make a positive criticism, rather than accuse or blame one another. We need a positive criticism to build a Khmer, not to discourage someone from sharing opinion for our culture and a better Cambodia.

From a Khmer student

Anonymous said...

//This is to 11:57 PM,

>Moi28: What else can we judge
>you by, if not by your writing >here?

//Whatever you like, my friend.

>And that is quite contradictory, >simple, and sometimes ludicrous. >I have been following your posts. >You went to George Washington >Univ., some Catholic university, >now Duke (which Duke if not the >one in Durham, NC).

//That's typographical erro. I meant to Duke not Fluke. Every body makes so typo, and you aren't special. If you have been following me then I should call you "an ignoramus". I "WENT" to GWU and CU for my undergrat., and now I'm here in Duke (Durham). So what is your problem? "went" and"go" both are different time. How many schools did you attend in your life?

>You are a multimillionaire at
>age 28,

//You deserve to be called "Ignoramus" again. Why? I didn't say #28 is my age. I said I'm a millionnaire from my parents or whatever my parents have. You want to have a fair debate you must copy and paste my previous comments and point them out.

>use terms like Taliban in the >wrong context (it sure doesn't >apply to Khmer affairs), all in >all you don't seem to be very >rational in your posts.

//I used the right term to those who called most posters "Ethiopian" Are you one of them? If so then you are "a primitive Taliban or Yuan Taliban".
"Don't seem to be or don't appear to be rational" to you because you are Irrational yourself. "Treat people th eway you want to be treated", so Taliban is perfect for those who called other posters "Ethiopian."

>Who are you trying to impress?

//Answer to your own question, since you're trying to impress others how much you learn about moi28.

>Do you have an identity problem?

//Have you heard "white privelege"?
Don't ask me that question, but you have to keep it for yourself.

>Now at least we know you are
>not Khmer.

//Hah. you lied to yourself. Whom are you trying to impress? Now this question is going to you. You said you know. Yeahhh right.

>So what is your connection
>to Cambodia? What makes you take >a stand on this blog?

//Huh? Now you transformed yourself into an anterrogator?
hahahaha... hehehe..
Look my friend. you are not a prodigy, so don't interroagte me or others' online. So what if I bragged about my self? hehehehe...
You just displayed a rather curious inconsistency in your comments toward me.
Hoooffff

Anonymous said...

;-)) I did it again. Typo.
//This is to 11:57 PM,

>Moi28: What else can we judge
>you by, if not by your writing >here?

//Whatever you like, my friend.

>And that is quite contradictory, >simple, and sometimes ludicrous. >I have been following your posts. >You went to George Washington >Univ., some Catholic university, >now Duke (which Duke if not the >one in Durham, NC).

//That's typographical erroR. I meant to Duke not Fluke. Every body makes soME typo, and you aren't special. If you have been following me then I should call you "an ignoramus". I "WENT" to GWU and CU for my undergrat., and now I'm here in Duke (Durham). So what is your problem? "went" and"go" both are different time. How many schools did you attend in your life?

>You are a multimillionaire at
>age 28,

//You deserve to be called "Ignoramus" again. Why? I didn't say #28 is my age. I said I'm a millionnaire from my parents or whatever my parents have. You want to have a fair debate you must copy and paste my previous comments and point them out.

>use terms like Taliban in the >wrong context (it sure doesn't >apply to Khmer affairs), all in >all you don't seem to be very >rational in your posts.

//I used the right term to those who called most posters "Ethiopian" Are you one of them? If so then you are "a primitive Taliban or Yuan Taliban".
"Don't seem to be or don't appear to be rational" to you because you are Irrational yourself. "Treat people thE way you want to be treated", so Taliban is perfect for those who called other posters "Ethiopian."

>Who are you trying to impress?

//Answer to your own question, since you're trying to impress others how much you learn about moi28.

>Do you have an identity problem?

//Have you heard "white privelege"?
Don't ask me that question, but you have to keep it for yourself.

>Now at least we know you are
>not Khmer.

//Hah. you lied to yourself. Whom are you trying to impress? Now this question is going to you. You said you know. Yeahhh right.

>So what is your connection
>to Cambodia? What makes you take >a stand on this blog?

//Huh? Now you transformed yourself into an anterrogator?
hahahaha... hehehe..
Look my friend. you are not a prodigy, so don't interroagte me or others online. So what if I bragged about my self? hehehehe...
You just displayed a rather curious inconsistency in your comments toward me.
Hoooffff

Anonymous said...

Eh, Khmer Student.

I like your positive comments, my friend.

You just earned my respect. Please know I'm not a scholar, I'm a seeker of knowledge.

Take care and keep up

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

[[[[To moi28, it is good that you can share point of view about Khmer, and I appreciate that. To be a scholar, we should know what is right or wrong, at least through the way an author used his/her sources. We cannot judge a book through cover; instead we need to look a bit deeper into the content and references and so on.

To other Khmer who loves Khmer, I am glad to know that you react to a non-sence writing about Khmer culture, and history. I hope we can make a positive criticism, rather than accuse or blame one another. We need a positive criticism to build a Khmer, not to discourage someone from sharing opinion for our culture and a better Cambodia.

From a Khmer student

12:37 AM ]]]]

Anonymous said...

The comment posters, I think some of you are now out of topic from what to be discussed. Instead, some of you are now using this panel to mock, to accuse and to condemn one another. Shall we improve our sharing panel for the a better understanding and improving of Khmer? Please understand some other Khmers who wish to read and to learn news and your comments for a connection to their home country.
A khmer student

Anonymous said...

You are absolutely right 1:12. It is only when such flakes as this Moi28 appear on the scene, who are clearly show-offs, that such an exchange takes place. Now he is at Duke in post-graduate studies and uses such unscientific and nonsensical terms as Taliban Youn, Ethiopian,.etc. No educated man in his right mind would do that. We don't need these people on this blog. It was just too annoying to read those posts. That is why I even bothered to comment on them. I will from now on just ignore them. KI, of course, is partial, but it still is the best source of information on what's going in Cambodia. The comments, unfortunately, for the most part can't be taken too seriously.

Anonymous said...

Nope, KI is the best place to find
the backstabers SISOWATT
Sarimatakis people who want to
finish off what left of Cambodia.
But that aint gonna happened.

Anonymous said...

Dear All,

A document referenced by Prof. Keng Vansak is probably the following :

COEDES (G.). Un Grand Roi du Cambodge, Jayavarman VII.
Éditeur : Phnom-Penh : Eìditions de la BibliotheÌque royale, 1935. in-8°
broché, 42 pages, clichés in texte.


Good luck
A survivor from KR in Prasat - Varin - Siemreap

Anonymous said...

A barang academic writes: "Cambodian academics appear to join the trolls in condemning him out of hand, but that is to be expected in a society with a limited scholarly tradition and great national pride - after all look at Turkey... To my mind (n.b. I'm undertaking research on the situation of the Cham community in contemporary Cambodia), it would be great for inter-ethnic relations in Cambodia if the great J7 did turn out to have Cham blood."

Anonymous said...

PRECISELY, THIS IS WHAT WE WANT TO SEE HAPPENING WITH YOUR PEOPLE. WE HAVE BEEN PLANNING FOR CENTURIES SO THAT YOUR PEOPLE WILL FIGHT AND KILL ONE ANOTHER LIKE THE KILLING FIELD (THE FIRST STAGE) THEN THERE WILL BE THE SECOND STAGE WHERE WE WILL SYSTEMATICALLY KILL OFF ALL THE TOP CPP RULERS AND WILL PERFORM ANOTHER DAM TE ONG ( KILLING OF YOUR PEOPLE ALIVE BY USING YOUR HEADS AS KETTLE HOLDERS)

Anonymous said...

Grand pa Ho was right in saying we will make the path for the Cambodian to kill one another then we will take over the country and kill all Hun Sen and his followers and make it Kampuchea Krom the second. And there will be no Hun Sen, Keng Vansak, King Sihanouk, King Sihamoni Etc. Only us Viets will control all of you. From Ho Van Truong.