"His Excellency The Patriot" Lu Laysreng (L) proudly stands next to his colleagues after removing Prince Ranariddh, their boss, from the FuncinpecCambodian leader welcomed back with gratitude
09/25/2007
By Samantha Gonzaga, Staff writer
Long Beach Press Telegram
LONG BEACH - When Lu Lay Sreng left Long Beach in 1979 to fight the Vietnamese in Cambodia, the farewell to his three children seemed final.
"I said goodbye to my children and thought I wasn't coming back," said Sreng. "I thought I was going to die. I thought I would not return. But I thought then we should try (to fight), and that's why I left."
The 70-year-old recently returned to Long Beach, a city with which he still retains ties. At a private party Friday in Hak Heang Restaurant in Long Beach, some 450 Cambodian business leaders and their families dined with a man addressed these days as "His Excellency."
Sreng is one of Cambodia's seven deputy prime ministers and the Minister of Rural Development.
The Cal State Long Beach graduate and former businessman visited tables followed by a news camera, shaking hands, posing for photographs and engaging in brief conversations over the din of live entertainment.
It's a long way from his days as a CSULB industrial arts and mathematics student in the 1960s, and as a restaurant and grocery store owner. Sreng arrived in Long Beach in September 1962 as a 25-year-old, and one of his first jobs in this country, he said, was servicing a Press-Telegram newspaper route through the Ximeno, Redondo and Fourth Street neighborhoods.
"This is just to show how much love there is out there to support him," said Rathana Ung, who organized Sreng's appreciation dinner with her parents, Lim Eang and Monirath Ung. The Ungs run an income-tax business and frequently do charity work in Cambodia.
Sreng said his 20-day trip to America was a personal one - plans include visiting his three adult children - as well as for health reasons.
According to his government biography, Sreng from 1982 to 1991 fought against the Vietnamese occupation. From the mid-1990s to 2003, he was Minister of Information, spending August 1998 working with the Cambodia People's Party to restore Cambodia's government.
"I'm so proud of myself," Sreng said. "My sacrifice and efforts have paid off."
Ung described Sreng as a patriot, crediting him with helping facilitate charity work by Cambodians in America to help those in Cambodia's poorest areas.
Some of those projects have included upgrading the thatched-roof homes in impoverished villages to large tin-roof houses, and a yearlong palm tree preservation effort in Kompong Speu Province. Ung said villagers were taking cuttings of the national tree to sell for $2 apiece.
Ung also said Sreng brought food donations gathered by the Ungs to the northeastern province of Ratanakiri where summer floods made travel impossible.
Sreng is hoping his name will inspire confidence from Cambodians and Cambodian-Americans.
"What I'm trying to do is help and trying to push for my name to be well-known," he said. "I let history dictate itself. At the same time, I really appreciate the Khmer community in Long Beach that comes together every year to help Cambodia."
But food relief isn't enough, Sreng said.
The solution for predominantly agricultural Cambodia is to be self-sustaining. Sreng said he plans to jumpstart a water sanitation program and an investment-heavy project called the Cambodian Business Initiative Rural Development. CBIRD would pair manufacturers with villages with ready labor.
The government's reputation for corruption makes investors hesitant, he said.
The region also has ongoing issues with deforestation and land grabbing. In a 2006 report by the Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission, land grabbing has increased in recent years, going from 148 complaints in 2003 to 356 the next year. The poor are typically the victims, the group said. Sreng said the laws are "loose," that NGOs and news organizations don't see the full picture:
With growth in jobs, he projected a different Cambodia by 2020, predicting that resources would make it "a major donor instead of a beggar."
"I said goodbye to my children and thought I wasn't coming back," said Sreng. "I thought I was going to die. I thought I would not return. But I thought then we should try (to fight), and that's why I left."
The 70-year-old recently returned to Long Beach, a city with which he still retains ties. At a private party Friday in Hak Heang Restaurant in Long Beach, some 450 Cambodian business leaders and their families dined with a man addressed these days as "His Excellency."
Sreng is one of Cambodia's seven deputy prime ministers and the Minister of Rural Development.
The Cal State Long Beach graduate and former businessman visited tables followed by a news camera, shaking hands, posing for photographs and engaging in brief conversations over the din of live entertainment.
It's a long way from his days as a CSULB industrial arts and mathematics student in the 1960s, and as a restaurant and grocery store owner. Sreng arrived in Long Beach in September 1962 as a 25-year-old, and one of his first jobs in this country, he said, was servicing a Press-Telegram newspaper route through the Ximeno, Redondo and Fourth Street neighborhoods.
"This is just to show how much love there is out there to support him," said Rathana Ung, who organized Sreng's appreciation dinner with her parents, Lim Eang and Monirath Ung. The Ungs run an income-tax business and frequently do charity work in Cambodia.
Sreng said his 20-day trip to America was a personal one - plans include visiting his three adult children - as well as for health reasons.
According to his government biography, Sreng from 1982 to 1991 fought against the Vietnamese occupation. From the mid-1990s to 2003, he was Minister of Information, spending August 1998 working with the Cambodia People's Party to restore Cambodia's government.
"I'm so proud of myself," Sreng said. "My sacrifice and efforts have paid off."
Ung described Sreng as a patriot, crediting him with helping facilitate charity work by Cambodians in America to help those in Cambodia's poorest areas.
Some of those projects have included upgrading the thatched-roof homes in impoverished villages to large tin-roof houses, and a yearlong palm tree preservation effort in Kompong Speu Province. Ung said villagers were taking cuttings of the national tree to sell for $2 apiece.
Ung also said Sreng brought food donations gathered by the Ungs to the northeastern province of Ratanakiri where summer floods made travel impossible.
Sreng is hoping his name will inspire confidence from Cambodians and Cambodian-Americans.
"What I'm trying to do is help and trying to push for my name to be well-known," he said. "I let history dictate itself. At the same time, I really appreciate the Khmer community in Long Beach that comes together every year to help Cambodia."
But food relief isn't enough, Sreng said.
The solution for predominantly agricultural Cambodia is to be self-sustaining. Sreng said he plans to jumpstart a water sanitation program and an investment-heavy project called the Cambodian Business Initiative Rural Development. CBIRD would pair manufacturers with villages with ready labor.
The government's reputation for corruption makes investors hesitant, he said.
The region also has ongoing issues with deforestation and land grabbing. In a 2006 report by the Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission, land grabbing has increased in recent years, going from 148 complaints in 2003 to 356 the next year. The poor are typically the victims, the group said. Sreng said the laws are "loose," that NGOs and news organizations don't see the full picture:
With growth in jobs, he projected a different Cambodia by 2020, predicting that resources would make it "a major donor instead of a beggar."
18 comments:
Hahaha, Sreng you are really stupit mate! You are well-known as alcoholic.
Why are they copying the Siam to wear such shirts? Couldn't they thought for themselves? Are your leadership going to be a copycat for Cambodia?
Give me a break!! Why he claims by 2020 Cambodia won't be a beggar? A beggar is always a Beggar. How could you claim that when your party and CPP run the country almost 15 years whereas Hun Sen is in power for 27 years? There're more corruption and other illegal activities. Whoever supports him and his party are traitor, not hero as they claimed? They signed the land to Vietnam. Don't these supporters see what 's wrong with this party?
If I'm in Long Beach, I won't pay a penny to attend this stupid party. I was a resident of LB also and I won't support whoever doing corruption like this guy.
I predicted about the same thing a couple years ago before I knew about the oil. I remember stating that we would no longer needed International Aid by 2020 if we can sustain a good economic growth as in the recent years.
Accordingly, depending on how much oil we got at our disposal, we could become a donor country by then (2020).
Clinically 20/20 is a perfect vision,not bad for a 70 year old CPP agent who still has that kind of vision.
Dang we have 7 deputy prime minsters? WTF. How are they getting things done in the office?
Hey, you are looking at a bullet proof system here. I mean it is much harder to assassinate 7 deputy prime ministers then 1 deputy minister. I bet you never thought of that, huh?
Phnom-Penh.....Long Beach base here, the ego has landed.
Seven deputies are important for the transparency of the government:
when you ask a question to the prime minister,he send you to his deputies and before you could finish your tour of the deputies,
the day office time is finished and you have to start over again
tomorrow.
Damn, why don't this Lu Lay Sreng retired? At least, He still has some honors. If He still want to stay where he is right now, maybe sooner or later CPP will show how Lu Lay Sreng collect money from the Ministry of rural development. Rumors from the cabinet of Hun Sen say that CPP deposit the money of Lu Lay Sreng to his daughter bank's account in France. What's the hell, I don't know how many daughters does this LU LAY SRENG had? The cabinet of Hun Sen did not said how much money they received everytime they deposit the money in the account of Lu Lay Sreng's daughter. Money from the rural development project!
Everybody in Fun know that this Lu Lay Sreng does nothing for the party. So old Sreng, please quit before it's too late.
People shall see how rural Cambodia countryside is since the Ministry of Rural Development under Lu Lay Sreng guidance.
Sadly sad indeed...
Yeah, but that is only because we used most of our budget to develop our city first, but we will get to our rural soon. Fact of the matter is we don't have the cash to do both area at the same time. Plus, every country on this planet always develop the city first before they develop the countryside. So, what is your point?
Lu Lay Sreng is an idiot. What did he do for Cambodia? Not a damn thing! He's like one of the most corrupted politician.
Even my cousin was disgusted by him when he try to haggle vegetables at the market in Phnom Penh.
They all are Polibusiness.........
Excellency General 7 Diamond Stars Oknha Achar Knoy- Hon. Dr, Dr. Phd. es Bandit from Chea Chamroeurn Unversity, PP, Cambodia
Oh good, we all are in good hands.
rubbish! rubbish Lu Lay Sreng, how can you assume that we will be a donor in 13 year time. Additional 1 billions a year does not make us reach old man! We are now living on $50/month according to GDP. We need to get 10 times more on salary. So $500/month is good for us, but may be just for people in the city and its surrounding.
Old man, you should look at how we can help poor people within 10 year time to have job, healthy and school. I did not see we can do it within 10-15 years.
Don't use Money as indicator to judge poor or rich country. Look deeper, what is the difference between rich and poor people? Very different in Cambodia. How can we make balance? It takes ages at least 50 years I guess if things go smothy as now, plus oil/gas revenue.
I appreciate his life dedication to Cambodia as NATIONALISM. I like him but not his speculation.
True, if you are talking linear mathematic, but keep in mind that the economy is growing exponentially (non-linear). Thus, it is not impossible if we can managed to sustain our current growth rate.
3 poor guys. You will come to nothing if you won't bowe your heads to the CPP. And you have no other choice!
Ranaridh is aleardy dead politically. Whose will you rely on?
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