Wednesday, January 02, 2008Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Freshly out of the plane after his return from a tour in Europe, on 01 January 2008, opposition leader Sam Rainsy declared that he is not concerned about his personal safety, but that he is more worried about the safety of his grass root party supporters.
In a declaration given to reporters at the Phnom Penh International airport regarding the assassination of Ms. Benazir Bhutto, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan and current leader of the opposition, a role that Sam Rainsy is also playing in Cambodia, Sam Rainsy said that the political situation in Cambodia is unlike that of Pakistan, and the political situation in the two countries is very different from one another.
Sam Rainsy said: “In Cambodia, there are no extremists like Pakistan or Iraq. I am confident that we have a lot of experience, and we can avoid the situation in Pakistan from happening.” While stating that he is not concerned about his personal safety, to the contrary, Sam Rainsy said that he is more concerned about the security and the safety of SRP members at the grass root levels, with the fast approaching 2008 general election.
Sam Rainsy said: “For myself, I don’t have any problem because I have reporters, embassies in Phnom Penh that I can reach very quickly, but in the countryside, I am very concerned about the safety of SRP party members.” As part of his political message for 2008, Sam Rainsy called on all Cambodian politicians to work hard and to avoid using violence like what had happened in Pakistan, and he also stressed that in Cambodia, if each political party is courageous enough, it wouldn’t resort to the assassination of its political competitor.
Threats and assassinations of opposition political activists always take place in isolated grass root areas, especially when the election season is approaching. However, Koul Panha, Comfrel Director, noted that, based on investigations conducted by his organization on violence, threat, and the killing of non-ruling party supporters for the upcoming 2008 election seem to be lower than those during the 2003 election.
In a declaration given to reporters at the Phnom Penh International airport regarding the assassination of Ms. Benazir Bhutto, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan and current leader of the opposition, a role that Sam Rainsy is also playing in Cambodia, Sam Rainsy said that the political situation in Cambodia is unlike that of Pakistan, and the political situation in the two countries is very different from one another.
Sam Rainsy said: “In Cambodia, there are no extremists like Pakistan or Iraq. I am confident that we have a lot of experience, and we can avoid the situation in Pakistan from happening.” While stating that he is not concerned about his personal safety, to the contrary, Sam Rainsy said that he is more concerned about the security and the safety of SRP members at the grass root levels, with the fast approaching 2008 general election.
Sam Rainsy said: “For myself, I don’t have any problem because I have reporters, embassies in Phnom Penh that I can reach very quickly, but in the countryside, I am very concerned about the safety of SRP party members.” As part of his political message for 2008, Sam Rainsy called on all Cambodian politicians to work hard and to avoid using violence like what had happened in Pakistan, and he also stressed that in Cambodia, if each political party is courageous enough, it wouldn’t resort to the assassination of its political competitor.
Threats and assassinations of opposition political activists always take place in isolated grass root areas, especially when the election season is approaching. However, Koul Panha, Comfrel Director, noted that, based on investigations conducted by his organization on violence, threat, and the killing of non-ruling party supporters for the upcoming 2008 election seem to be lower than those during the 2003 election.
4 comments:
Declining of Khmer civilization profoundly recognized by most scholars is during the end of King Jayavarman VII in around 1215. This decline happened again after Khmer Empire had controlled by Java during 7th century, and Angkor Wat capital city was captured in a short period by Champa navy troops in 1117 (Martin et al, 1989:10). The causes of Angkorean Empire’s decline were described by researchers as:
* 1) the abandonment of the Royal Court’s adherence to Hinduism and Mahayana Buddhism,
* 2) the adaptation of Theravada Buddhism that emphasis on simple life, opposing luxurious Royal Ceremony of god-king,
* 3) there were drought and failure of economic development as the intricate hydraulic system was not able to repair (Martin et al, 1989:10),
* 4) the total sacking of Angkor Wat capital city in 1444 and the rapid Southward expanding of Dai Viet,
* 5) eventually, the rise of Siam in Ayutthaya of Thailand in 1238 and the Dai Viet with their successful Nam Tien expansionism to the South.
The declining has continued affecting and exacerbating the politics in Cambodia in later 400 years before the arriving of French colony in 1863. The significant political situation that Cambodia firstly became a vassal state was likely during the King Barom Reachea IV in 1603 when Siamese successfully installed him in power; and also few years later King Chey Chettha II who was a successor to Barom Reachea declared independence from Siam by the assistance of military force from the Nguyen Dynasty of Vietnam (Martin et al, 1989:11). Cambodia has impressively been intervened by these two dominant countries, Thailand and Vietnam, since the declination of Angkorean period. There have had silence of Cambodia politics after independence in 1954, but during American war and Pol Pot regime, Vietnam headed Thailand because they can oust the Pol Pot and installed their vassal government. Although politics have significantly been changed since 1993 to present, but the installed leaders who assisted by Vietnamese military in 1978 are still in power nowadays.
KY
Sam Rainsy's comment regarding Cambodia doesn't have extremists is very well underestimated the situation." There are plenty of them in Cambodia.
I thought he was almost killed in 1997 grenade attack. He didn't get the sense of what is going on aftee more than 20 years living in Cambodia. Mr. SAM and Mr. SAM thinks again !!!!!!!!!
EXTREMIST means people who are using an extreme measure to achieve a desire goal.
i don't think Sam Rainsy is as brave as Ms. Bhutto of Pakistan. if he wants to be a real hero to his people and country, he must step up the fight against Hun Sen/CPP and stop running when under threat. However, God bless Mr. Raisny and may he bring real victory in 08!
Yep, he is not stupid to have said that. he said it to soften up the tense situation coming up in July 08. In fact he knows too well taht it is very risky and Cambodia do have too many CPP extremists. You only need the nod from Hun Sen, and you will be gone.
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