Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Heard along the campaign trail

Monday, March 26, 2007
Collected by Ung Chamroeun and Ung Chansophea
Cambodge Soir

Unofficial Translation from French by Tola Ek

Click here to read Cambodge Soir’s original article in French

During the campaign for the commune election, we are reporting words heard at a street corner, in a market, from a seller, etc… discussing about the election. The words we are echoing here represent only the opinions of their respective authors.

Opinion exchange between a noodle seller and a rice seller in an area of Boeng Keng Kang I, just when a CPP campaign car was passing by. “Yesterday, the CPP people explained to me how to check the box for their party vote, I told them that it is not the first time that I am voting, I participated in several votes already, I know how to put the checkmark …,” the fried rice seller said. “That’s normal, they do that to check whether people support the CPP. As for me, I’ll vote for the party that will ‘beurk sarong’ for me [double meaning words: it could either mean ‘giving out a sarong,’ or it could also mean ‘opening the sarong’],” the noodle seller said while bringing laughter to her customers.

In the cafeteria of a private university, a group of students argue on the respective chances of the Funcinpec and the Norodom Ranariddh Party. “Prince Ranariddh is very sympathetic as a simple citizen, even though he has many wives. But most of all, he loves sports and soccer. When he was the president of the National Olympic Committee, he always came to the stadium to encourage the players,” one of the students explained. Another student is of the opinion that the result of this election will be crucial for the future of the two parties. “If the NRP get good results, its former followers who are still in the Funcinpec could join them,” he analyzed the situation. “But, if I were him, I would refuse to sit with these opportunists, and I would think first about those who participated in the formation of the NRP.”

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

That is so hilarious! That is what they called "funny short story".

Where as Sihanouk's "funny stories" have never make any sense.

"beurk sarong" ha! ha! ha! ha! You go CPP, go "beurk sarong" ha! ha!

Thank for sharing

Anonymous said...

haha Sihanouk's story didn't make sense to you because you belong to a lower level of the learned Khmer. and you don't know much being Khmer society

Anonymous said...

CPP always beurk sarong srey kmeng...now beork sarong for votes...but people change their mind...they are happily receiving Sarong, but never votes for the same corrupted men...

SRP comes strong and powerful now...

Anonymous said...

Fellow Cambodians:

All of you need to think about the future of Cambodia. Don't follow your parent footstep. If they join the bad party, don't follow them. Vote for the good party that you think will do good for Cambodia and its people. If you vote the wrong party like CPP, your future will depend on you. See the current and past situation on how this CPP had done to Cambodia and its people. Corruption, signed land to Vietnam, Grabbing land from poor people, killing innocent and opponents, let Vienamese people to live freely in Cambodia especially in Tole Sap and on and on.

So vote for the party that make good for your country. Like President Kennedy said "You can do for your country and not what your country can do for you". It's very powerful message.