Sun, 23 Sep 2007
Op-Ed by Jayakhmer
Posted online
Approaching the age of 85, Norodom Sihanouk remains the most controversial figure among the actors of Cambodian politics. The retired monarch has done it all. In a span of more than six decades, he was a prince, king, prime minister, head of state, prisoner, head of a movement against the Vietnamese occupation, king again, and now king father.
A larger than life figure, Norodom Sihanouk is loved by ordinary people and despised by educated people especially those who maintain that Norodom Sihanouk's politics and policies in the 60's had stirred Cambodia into its demise and total destruction by the Khmer Rouge regime.
The fact that he paid a heavy personal and political price for his political maneuvering that resulted in the death of an estimate of 1.7 million people from executions and starvation during the Khmer Rouge era of whom five of his children and fourteen grandchildren had disappeared makes it worthwhile to examine the turning point. There was a moment in which a decision had to be made.
The options, then, were between bad and worst. His policy of neutral stance could not withstand the pressure of the war. According to David P. Chandler, "The kingdom survival for so long certainly owes a great deal to Sihanouk, who made a series of choices, disastrous in the long run, perhaps, but rational at the time and geared to his perception of Cambodia's welfare in a way that American decisions in Vietnam were seldom if ever geared to the welfare of the Vietnamese".
Sihanouk had to choose between these options. Chandler went on to say:
"Had he refused to aid the Vietnamese insurgents, they would have set up their bases in Cambodia without his permission and killed as many Cambodians as they felt was necessary to achieve their larger aims. Had he allied himself with South Vietnam, Cambodia would have been sucked into maelstrom of the war. Had he come out in support of any contender in the conflict, the others would have opened fire. By 1969 he felt it prudent to cultivate the North Vietnamese while improving his relations with the United States."
Could Sihanouk have sided with the U.S.? In retrospect, that makes sense, but the relations between the U.S and Cambodia at the time was strained at best.
Sihanouk, perhaps, did not realize that he was dealing a force that was beyond his control. Cambodia unfortunately located near the epicenter of the cold war that was being fought and orchestrated by the super powers.
Should Norodom Sihanouk be held accountable for the actions? Yes, but if we are going to form a judgment about Norodom Sihanouk, let us evaluate the entire record. That record should include his fight for Cambodia independence in 1953, his involvement with the Khmer Rouge, and his leadership in the peace process in the early 90's with the support of the U.S. and ASEAN that led Cambodia to the first UN sponsored democratic election. The record should also be noted that Norodom Sihanouk "has never enriched himself at the expense of the country or the people despite having unlimited possibility to do so..."
Whether one loves or hates him, if one tries to find an example of a patriot who has tried and failed, Norodom Sihanouk would be a perfect example.
A larger than life figure, Norodom Sihanouk is loved by ordinary people and despised by educated people especially those who maintain that Norodom Sihanouk's politics and policies in the 60's had stirred Cambodia into its demise and total destruction by the Khmer Rouge regime.
The fact that he paid a heavy personal and political price for his political maneuvering that resulted in the death of an estimate of 1.7 million people from executions and starvation during the Khmer Rouge era of whom five of his children and fourteen grandchildren had disappeared makes it worthwhile to examine the turning point. There was a moment in which a decision had to be made.
The options, then, were between bad and worst. His policy of neutral stance could not withstand the pressure of the war. According to David P. Chandler, "The kingdom survival for so long certainly owes a great deal to Sihanouk, who made a series of choices, disastrous in the long run, perhaps, but rational at the time and geared to his perception of Cambodia's welfare in a way that American decisions in Vietnam were seldom if ever geared to the welfare of the Vietnamese".
Sihanouk had to choose between these options. Chandler went on to say:
"Had he refused to aid the Vietnamese insurgents, they would have set up their bases in Cambodia without his permission and killed as many Cambodians as they felt was necessary to achieve their larger aims. Had he allied himself with South Vietnam, Cambodia would have been sucked into maelstrom of the war. Had he come out in support of any contender in the conflict, the others would have opened fire. By 1969 he felt it prudent to cultivate the North Vietnamese while improving his relations with the United States."
Could Sihanouk have sided with the U.S.? In retrospect, that makes sense, but the relations between the U.S and Cambodia at the time was strained at best.
Sihanouk, perhaps, did not realize that he was dealing a force that was beyond his control. Cambodia unfortunately located near the epicenter of the cold war that was being fought and orchestrated by the super powers.
Should Norodom Sihanouk be held accountable for the actions? Yes, but if we are going to form a judgment about Norodom Sihanouk, let us evaluate the entire record. That record should include his fight for Cambodia independence in 1953, his involvement with the Khmer Rouge, and his leadership in the peace process in the early 90's with the support of the U.S. and ASEAN that led Cambodia to the first UN sponsored democratic election. The record should also be noted that Norodom Sihanouk "has never enriched himself at the expense of the country or the people despite having unlimited possibility to do so..."
Whether one loves or hates him, if one tries to find an example of a patriot who has tried and failed, Norodom Sihanouk would be a perfect example.
7 comments:
Between try & fail and power greedy the meaning are differences ,when we go back to his history how many time he was in the thrown, prime minister and the head of State? Why he should Jealous of Seung Ngoc Thanh that he sent Seung to do his job and retaliated Seung with life threat because of Seung Ngoc
Thanh had more popular? Also Lon Nol and In Tam they did their parts of Seihaknouk ordered Why Seihaknouk hate those Khmer nationalism so bad?
To all Cambodian beloved one ,that is your right you can hate you can love what ever you wanted, but my question is what Seihaknouk wants? Look at his plan what kind of benefit of?
Kielled all khmer heros and heroines now Cambodia in Viet 's mouth, whose gonna help us to get all what we lose from Viet back?????????????????
That is frustrated solution I hope Sam Ransy has that answer
chhim said...
Lok Ke Kim Se, Listen to who's talking? People of diffenent views from lowly Sihanoukists are not all Khmer Republic elements but Khmers who saw clearly that Sihanouk is the ultimate cause of the nation downfall and people suffering. Again Sihanouk is no Buddhist but a communist pawn who would not think twice to have own people killed because of his own egotistical and narcissistic nature. He,Sihanouk, is quick to judge and condemn anyone who saw difference in his self destructive policies.before Khmer Republic,Sihanouk killed thousands of landowner in Battambang because of his inept government officials and profiteers in collusion to steal their lands. Khmer Republic was the schematic and consequence of Sihanouk political entrapment after he had allowed Viet Cong to use Khmer land for their war mongering agendas. Sihanouk is clearly a monkey that play with matches on the roof of its master house.When all happened where was the monkey then? It was far above Beijing Plum tree.Because of that foolishness,he had no choice but to kow tow to Khmer Rouge.Becaue of that he agitated people to fight Khmer Republic government efforts to restore national integrity and sovereignty. Sihanouk,is no one else, who had burned the house,plundered treasury and neglected own national defense. Sihanouk is a stooge who disgraces true Khmer nation in allowing enemies to advance their agendas at Khmer expenses,not once but repeatedly.Sihanouk is the violator of Geneva conference and UN agreement.Sihanouk cowardly abandonned Khmer Krom land and inhabitants without uttered a protest to French as Cambodia king. Other hand Sihanoukists are categorically enemies accomplices then and now like yourself who insulted folks of different views but yet spinelessly laid beneath the unscrupulous Sihanouk feet. Shame on them.
2:38 PM
And he talk stupid just now a day!
Well, I venture to say that things would have been different if Sihanouk had allied Cambodia with the U. S. Nixon just didn't trust him. It take a wily politician to know a wily politician. Sihanouk was too proud to make amends to the Americans and he was straddling the fence, trying to accommodate both the U. S. and North Vietnam, thinking he could jump off in time to whichever side was going to win. That could never work. So he was a fool at the time. And when it suited him he allied himself with the Khmer Rouge, for the better of the Khmer people? Who are you trying to fool here? He wanted back into power, but the Heng Samrin regime was stronger as it installed by the Vietnamese who had the support from the Soviet Union. The Chinese kept supporting the Khmer Rouge, even the Americans sold them weapons, just to counter the Soviet Union. All it would have taken at the time was to side with the U. S. requesting they protect Cambodia in return.
Now look who Sihanouk is supporting now of all people - Hun Sen, precisely the man he fought 20 years ago. He lauds him on every possible occasion. He is still being true to himself - as unreliable and untrustworthy as ever. The love of his country and his people is just window dressing.
I do agreed with chhim. Sihanouk is a greedy power hungry person who will do whatever it take to get there. He did not protested the french because he afraid that the french would not let him be king. He was more than willing to cut khmer krom to the vietnamese just to be king. He joined Pol Pot so he can be back in power, but he was wrong, because Pol Pot was smarter than he look. He gave Hun Sen the title as samdech so he can still be king. Can anyone out there tell me what Sihanouk did for khmer so far? I don't think you can find anything other than what he did for himself and his family. We all need to stand up and get rid of that useless idiot.
Some of our beloved Khmers here do not agree with my ideas, that is OK, because I am only the rice farmer's son, but I would like every true patriot’s Khmer who lives around the world to carve my words onto their hearts and remember them for ever. At the end of the day you all will see whether the rice farmer's son (have never been a Khmer Rouge or Khmer Rouge supporter, and never have been a YUON’s slave)words are full of meaning or just useless hated sentences.
May almighty God and America, Canada, Finland, Australia, EU, UN, NATO help to rescue our beloved country Cambodia from YUON'S(Vietnam, Vietcong, Vietminh)occupation and China's communist influences.
All true Khmer compatriots, ladies and gentlemen,
Cambodia has cancers that were embedded into her by China+YUONS+Vietminh-CPP-Hun Sen+all royal crooks through traitor Sihanouk's flesh and blood, also through his YUON wife Monique and Sihanouk’s clique.
To have true and lasting peace for Cambodia these cancers have to be removed once and for all, either by the law of ECCC-KRT or by any means, as long as the majority of true Khmers agree with it.
If these cancers remain inside Cambodia, without proper treatment, YUONS will continue to swallow us bit by bit every day and China will gobble the whole region without mercy toward Cambodian land and all Khmer people. They will achieve this with the continued assistance of NORODOM SIHANOUK and HUN SEN.
KHMER LAND IS OURS.
KULEN MONOROM
(the rice farmer's son)
Read these dumbers criticized King Sihanouk, just to be sure they were once Khmer Rouge. Ah prass srok kutven monorach, vea ruth choul propun khmer tov york srey christian and every time he prays he asked to hurt people, ah runteass banh ngorp teing t'ngay trawng.
Chey Yo King Sihanouk
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