Recently, there have been talks on printed and broadcasting media about people, who are advocating republicanism, tend to have antimonarchy tendency. This kind of view or belief is gravely erroneous.
I am neither a republican, nor a democrat, nor a monarchist. Though I exercise my privilege of voting, I always vote according to my conscience, NOT according to political ideologies. With this disclaimer upfront, let me, if I may, humbly offer an explanation on what a republic is and who the republicans are.
Politically speaking, people who advocate republicanism could not and should not be branded as antimonarchy. If this were the case, all Cambodian people who cast their votes to elect their representatives are antimonarchy, for casting a vote in the ballot box is an act of republicanism.
The foundation of democracy or republic as a form of government could be traced back to the works of two men by the names of Plato and Aristotle. They both were teacher and student, respectively. They had laid down the formation of governments as follow:
Because some countries have many, many millions of people, the process of having them all participated in governmental decision making was impossible to do; thus a mechanism of having people elected their representatives to participate in governmental decision making and make decisions on their behalf was created as a modification to the principles of democracy. This modification was known as Representative Democracy. This representative democracy is also called a Republic—a term which is so frequently misused and misunderstood by so many politicians and ordinary citizens alike.
In its purest form, a republic is a representative democracy. By this token, people who cast their votes to elect their representatives in a democratic process could also be called republicans.
The problem with Cambodia is that unscrupulous politicians have been using and misusing political terms to deceive people for as long as anyone could remember. The best example of this is Democratic Kampuchea which had nothing to do with the principles or practice of democracy whatsoever. The same could also be said of other regimes which used and abused the terms republic or democratic to achieve their political ends.
I hope this helps set the record straight on what a republic is and who the republicans are.
Chanda Chhay
Washington, DC (USA)
I am neither a republican, nor a democrat, nor a monarchist. Though I exercise my privilege of voting, I always vote according to my conscience, NOT according to political ideologies. With this disclaimer upfront, let me, if I may, humbly offer an explanation on what a republic is and who the republicans are.
Politically speaking, people who advocate republicanism could not and should not be branded as antimonarchy. If this were the case, all Cambodian people who cast their votes to elect their representatives are antimonarchy, for casting a vote in the ballot box is an act of republicanism.
The foundation of democracy or republic as a form of government could be traced back to the works of two men by the names of Plato and Aristotle. They both were teacher and student, respectively. They had laid down the formation of governments as follow:
- Monarchy = A government ruled by one person.
- Aristocracy = A government ruled by a few or several people.
- Democracy = A government ruled by many, many people.
Because some countries have many, many millions of people, the process of having them all participated in governmental decision making was impossible to do; thus a mechanism of having people elected their representatives to participate in governmental decision making and make decisions on their behalf was created as a modification to the principles of democracy. This modification was known as Representative Democracy. This representative democracy is also called a Republic—a term which is so frequently misused and misunderstood by so many politicians and ordinary citizens alike.
In its purest form, a republic is a representative democracy. By this token, people who cast their votes to elect their representatives in a democratic process could also be called republicans.
The problem with Cambodia is that unscrupulous politicians have been using and misusing political terms to deceive people for as long as anyone could remember. The best example of this is Democratic Kampuchea which had nothing to do with the principles or practice of democracy whatsoever. The same could also be said of other regimes which used and abused the terms republic or democratic to achieve their political ends.
I hope this helps set the record straight on what a republic is and who the republicans are.
Chanda Chhay
Washington, DC (USA)
5 comments:
Thank Chanda Chhay.
In cambodia they kill Republicans by painted as Lon Nolians.
Cambodia has to move on.We need a Decent khmer who will lead khmer nation into prosperity to go along with the rest of the world.
The Leader has his/her duty to defend Khmer Nation's interests.
....Hope sometime Khmer People will select our own real Leader who serves only Cambodia & its People.
Free Cambodia !
Chanda,
Good synopsis on topic.One thing relative to Democratic Kampuchea in its intent was to be a direct democracy which people(mass) decide what to do with best for the common cause.It is an opposite of what your described, the representative democracy.
Republic could have and have been the oldest from of system both Greek and Roman instilled in their rulings.
Also look at all groups in present Cambodia tend to mislead people in primciples and practice as usual under the ghost of monarchy.
Also Cambodia politic is neither moral nor ethical based but it is rather a personality cult via clique incline since Viet or Siam or Frank built their respective toilet houses in Khmer land.
What you pointed out here is valid in principles. Also religion is another topic that Cambodia has to have a grip on. Present Cambodia's Buddhism is screwed over by personality cult as well.
Cambodia system is not an ideal democracy since all elected officials have no natrural links with the electors mandate.All are using voters to elect a group of party elites to be assigned to represent people at local level that mostly have no common lonk to their representative.For example FUNCINPEC or SRP or CPP appointed individualiies who live and bear foreign nationalities as local voters representatives,diplomatic representaives,ambassadors i.e Raingsy,Saumura,Rannridh,Chhang Song,Phay Siphan,Um Sim,Lu Lay Sreng, Kol Pheng,Eng Roland, Keo Puth, Arunrasmey, Rannridh no good daughter,Sereivuth or Vacheara....
This is the alienation that pushed most voters to accpet the lesser evil CPP as their government because of them shared tragedy and natural links.
All oppositions had not figured out why they kept failing and seemed unable to bail themselves out.Khmer society in true form is very conservative not liberal.Foreign interferences and subjugations led Khmers to be very suspicious of the foreign influenced politicos.
So your points touched some aspects,but to me,this is where it stems all rivalries and infights.
Chhim from Khbaal Khmoch near Aur Ta Ky of real old Battambang.
http://cambodianbrightfuture.blogspot.com
Monday, November 5, 2007
Cambodia nation and her people needs a change to see a positive move!
Good job MP Sam Rainsy,
Mahatma Ghandi said "you must be the change you want to see in the world."
I always admire your courage to stand up and confront with dictatorship system and ideology.
To change the leaders is not only happening in democratic countries, but it is also happening in social/communist countries such as Vietnam and China.
Recently, China top leaders have been relocating their power to younger generation. As well as Vietnam, eastern neighbor of Cambodia, has done several times to pass the power to their younger generations.
Doing so, for the actual national patriots, have deeply conceived that their nation will not be developed and moved in a right track if the same leaders and same clan keep controlling the country.
It is simple for those nationalist and patriotic leaders to sacrifice themselves for the sake of the nation.
So, MP Sam Rainsy, your proposal is not hit anybody on the head, but it is for the sake of Cambodia nation and her younger generation to grow in a right track. Anybody feels furious with your proposal, it means they don't want to see a positive change and development in Cambodia.
Current change acquisition in Cambodia will not go back to the era of Khmer Rouge or become worse like such revolution. Anyhow, this change is not a revolutionary!
Let us support the idea of change if we want to see some advanced in the future of Cambodia.
There are argument that it is important to mandate president of party to 2 mandates, but not PM candidate. He said "Sam Rainsy can not compete with Hun Sen, so that why he wants to change. It is not necessary to limit PM; and Hun Sen cannot live lasting life."
However, he missed to assure that it is necessary for PM to step down if he wants to see a development in his Cambodia nation. There are many able younger generations that have ability to lead the country like Hun Sen too. In many countries, PM or President has initiative to step down by themselves or sacrifice their power in order to see a change in their countries. For example, one party state such as Hu Chin Tao of China or Pham Van Khai of Vietnam. This is not counted democratic countries.
MP Sam Rainsy has never had opportunity to lead the country, so who else looks down his personal ability and how they measure that when they have never seen his action in government leadership?. They may have made a huge mistake because they only follow their personal limited thought to judge Sam Rainsy's ability.
So let give Sam Rainsy a chance and we can see a change to move on in Cambodia.
KY
Gandhi is wrong. He's an idiot who caused poverty in India. He did not know which country he was in. He think the west is the same as India.
Khmer people will never value such a moron.
We know who this Animal Viet troller @3:40AM that is pretending to be Khmer speaking for khmer is. This animal Viet troller will be castrated and then euthanized when time comes.
Go home Viet troller!
Go home Vietcong!
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