By VOA Khmer Stringers
Original reports from Phnom Penh
09 November 2007
"At the moment what I'm worried about most is the fate of the Norodom Ranariddh Party ... We're worried that this party is not going get any seat in the parliament. We want them to get one or two seats" - Concerns of Khieu Kanharith, Minister of Information and government spokesmanCambodia celebrated its 54th Independence Day Friday with the release of doves and the dedication of a refurbished monument in Phnom Penh, as some observers bemoaned the current state of the country.
Reigning King Norodom Sihamoni, Prime Minister Hun Sen and other top officials attended the ceremonies, along with a crowd of 20,000 people. Former king Norodom Sihanouk, who was the monarch when Cambodia was left 90 years of French rule, was not in attendance.
King Sihamoni lit a torch inside the Independence Monument to celebrate the break, in 1953, as students and other Cambodians looked on. Many said that Cambodia had backslid following independence.
"I would like to call for the current government to maintain real independence, not just independence by lip service," said Ly Ry, an English teacher in Phnom Penh. "I request that the leadership be independent, just like the independence we achieved in 1953."
Noranarith Anandayat, secretary-general of the Norodom Ranariddh Party, said the country had declined since achievements following its independence.
"Universities, hospitals, schools and so on have gradually been destroyed by concurrent governments," he said. "These are the biggest worries of the party. Nevertheless, we still congratulate the independence claimed by Norodom Sihanouk without bloodshed."
Government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said the party should have more pressing concerns.
"At the moment what I'm worried about most is the fate of the Norodom Ranariddh Party," he said, referring to next year's national elections. "We're worried that this party is not going get any seat in the parliament. We want them to get one or two seats."
Chun Sary, a 63-year-old retired government employee, said times had gotten worse since independence.
"Back then, the Ministry of Education was called the Ministry of Studies, and teachers' salaries were the highest among all the government positions," he said. "And that is the reason students tried hard in their studies. Farmers experienced no starvation. They cultivated once for three to five years worth of food."
8 comments:
Khmer Never have the real Independence
The period from 1945 - 1954 to 1970, I saw three stages in the history of Cambodia, this newly not fully independent state of the 20th Century:
1.Its efforts never to recover and consolidate its national institutions.
2.Its struggles against the vicissitudes of national and international politics.
3.Its denouement or unwinding. By denouement, I mean the change of the Name Kingdom of Cambodia [RGC] into the Khmer Republic [GKR] and its falls. What happened in Cambodia after 17 April 1975 in
“ Democratic Kampuchea” [DK] and its falls. (1979-93 Cambodia’s operated with two governments [CGDK] and Hanoi’s Installed Cliques [RPK] ).
From the international point of view, the problem of the first Indochinese conflict was settled by the Geneva Accords of 1954, and the the Khmer parties are too
hurry to be congratulated on the results of that conference whose sessions lasted only from 26th of April to the 21st of Jully 1954.
The rapidity and efficiency of the effort presaged a durable peace under the triple guaranty of the major power participants, Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and the People’s Republic of China was not working. (The U.S participated but chose not to adhere to the final declaration, Because the U.S. thought Khmer is CRAZY to Celebrated their fake peace ). An International Control Commission (ICC) consisting of India, Canada, and Poland was place in each of the three states of Indochina to ensure respect for the cease-fire, and at the end of 1969, Prince Norodom Sihanouk’s fired and expelled them all [ICC] and the poor tiny Cambodian country entered the WAR. Sihanouk fired and expelled the UN outs of Cambodia in 1995 and he entered his country into the WAR 1997 again. When will be the next WAR “Khmerization” vs “Vietnamization”?
Soriya
Soriya, your analysis is coinciding with current Cambodian government that has kept their bilateral relationship of Vietnam-Cambodia more important than their own Cambodian people. To testify this, let look these examples: case of imprisoning civil leaders during supplemental border treaty and sent Tim Sokhorn to be tried in Vietnam.
In reality, their bilateral relationship(Vietnam-Cambodia), sometime they said tri-lateral relationship (Vietnam-Cambodia-Laos) has embodied sine 1930 as the first creation of Indochinese Communist Party led by Ho Chi Minh. This political figure has tremendously achieved through toppling French, America and Pol Pot.
Now this so-called relationship has been used as the propaganda by Vietnam with their two satellite countries to legitimize Indochinese Federation(IF) by opening economic horizon, regional political relation with China and SEA, and strengthening people mutual understanding.
Scholars accept this tri-naitonal alliance and this IF strategic plan as a smart expansionism policy of Vietnam.
KY
What is a bunch of blind people? Cambodia is 100% independent, and we made independent decision. Ah Khmer-Yuon is independent; they made independent decision, and they loss their independent centuries ago. Let's leave fact as it is; shall we?
It is not easy to reclaim property that's been lost to coersiveness, bro. Why? Because our government (Cambodian) don't care enough to work for the country and/or its citizens, looked what happen to Provinces to the East -- people are living in fair. We are terrorized or loss of land to the Vietnamese because they said it's their. And any Cambodian who dare to challenge the VN soldiers beats them up and possibly shot them to death.
I understand your frustration, WE NEED CHANGE. WE NEEDED EVERY CITIZENS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR HIS/HER ACTION. CAUGTH IN CORRUTION, BRIBERY, AND LAND GRABBING -- VERDICT IS TO BE SHOT IN PUBLIC SQUARE.
HUN SEN, FIRST HUNG UPSIDE DOWN, THEN SHOT.
cambodia is completely hijack by youn communist government.it's ashame to khmer'sleader keep lying to their children,cambodia is not an independent state.
Yes, but not on this planet, maybe on Jupiter.
3:59pm you should stop lying to your parents & your children....ok boy..? cambodia no more indepence.
Well, most Khmer people is free to do almost whatever they please, and that is independence enough for me.
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