Friday, February 29, 2008

Hun Sen rejects border criticisms

27 February 2008
By Keo Nimol Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

Prime minister Hun Sen rejected various criticisms saying that under his rule, neighboring countries are moving their borders inside Cambodian territories on a daily basis.

In a speech given at a religious festival in Koh Thom district, Kandal province, on 27 February, Hun Sen said: “They say that, each day, Vietnam moves (the border) by 1-meter, or 10-meter, or 100-meter, that Thailand moves (the border) by 1-meter, or 10-meter, or 100-meter. I think that based on their propaganda, maybe, by now, all the Cambodian borders have already vanished. I say that these propagandas are sometimes made to degrade our people, to degrade our own race. About the topic of land sales to foreigners, I think that it is pitiful, and it is a topic that degrades our own race.”

Kem Sokha, the HRP president who recently criticized the draft law that would allow foreigners to have the rights to own lands, said in response to Hun Sen comments that: “There are (border) changes based on reports from our people, and these did not come from a single person, there were many places where the borders have changed, indeed these changes are taking place in some areas, such as in Takeo province, people have told us this also, and also in Kampong Cham province, people talk about it, I also received the same information from people living in Ratanakiri province as well.”

Son Chhay, a member of the National Assembly permanent committee and a member of the SRP, said about this issue: “Talking about the moving of borders (into Cambodian territories), in some areas, they are moved in by 5 km, 10 km, 8 km, this is what the (border) experts confirmed based on maps internationally recognized. In the past we saw already that in 1994 we declared “white zones” (no-man’s land) along our borders with neighboring countries, and these white zones led us to lose a portion of our lands along the borders. It is necessary that there must be technical reviews made so that all the Cambodian people are satisfied with (these borders).”

In the past, the Paris-based Cambodia Border’s Committee (CBC) led by Mr. Sean Pengse used to distribute communiqués accusing the violations of Cambodian territories by neighboring countries, and the CBC demanded that the Cambodian authority cancel all the border treaties concluded between 1980 and 1993 also.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

i tend to agree with the prime minister about cambodia being taken by neighboring countries like thailand and vietnam, especially in this day and age. maybe in the past was true, but to politicize this issue now is like being hysterical. sometimes, i have the feeling that many political groups used this land issue with neighboring countries way, way too much to the point of out of proportion.

i really think if what some political parties are saying is true with obvious evidence, etc., i don't think the prime minister of cambodia would hesitate to protest for the cambodian people. i have studied and observed many, many times in cambodian current history that this baseless blame or claim seemed like a culture in politics to awaken khmer nationalists to this border problem. don't get me wrong; although i think this is a good thing to say; however, it just becomes too mundane, too tiresome, too irritating, and, of course, too politicizing which is sick to the hear. i mean, it is every khmer citizen's responsibility to look out after our beloved motherland, cambodia. i suggest everyone of us should be protecting our territory, no matter who they are.

i think the border dispute with the neighboring countries of thailand, vietnam, and even to some degree, laos, is a painful one, given they cambodia's territory extended so huge during the angkor era and even as late as the 1800s, and 1900s time frame. we should be asking: who's fault was it? why did we lose a lot of our ancestors' land to thailand, vietnam, and laos? i think this issue will not go away, no matter who's in office in cambodia. it is a painful and emotional issue for cambodian people. image if you are a prime minister and the khmer people are accusing you of allowing neighboring countries taking our land, how would you feel? how would you react? in a way, i don't blame, prime minister hun sen so much on this issue because i can see that he is frustrated with it and perhaps, is so sick and tired of hearing it over and over again and again. i can not image that mr. hun sen would allow these neighboring countries to just keep on taking our khmer land as if back in the dark, dark period of cambodia's history. i just can't image this! so, for any political party to accuse him of this is perhaps, barking up the wrong tree or something. what is he supposed to do about what lost already? even the prime minister himself needs the people's support about this issue. i don't think he can do this by himself without the cambodian citizen's assistance and support! i just wish everyone of us help to protect our precious land and stop complaining, just inspect and verify to make sure the border delineation is correct and sound and reasonable. that's all. everyone of us can help with this.

Khmer Young said...

Hun Sen's political rhetoric about this border issue is clear for us to understand his standing point of view and political career. He is self-esteemed to say and act whatever that he can manipulate his own citizens (Cambodian peoples). But when Hun Sen faces with international countries, especially Cambodia's neighbors, he has always admitted defeat.

Looking at this attitude of Hun Sen's leadership by comparing with the leaders of other countries, we can surely assume that:

1. A good leader should value their own citizens and nation. Though sometime, our citizens are so proud and aggressive, we should not intimate or downgrade them with any kind of speech or threat. Leaders should avoid not to value foreigners as superior than their own citizens. In reality, Cambodian peoples are not aggressive. Cambodian peoples are peace-lover. But often, their sentiment towards neighboring countries is accurate because they have clearly seen that Cambodia land gradually become smaller and smaller. Current leader has only oppresses them not to think about their border or territory integrity.

2. Good leader is smart to keep good international relations with other countries, but it is in a different relationship manner with their own citizens. Does Hun Sen's leadership is articulating in this way?

Cambodian peoples are not only banned from public demonstration to express their freedom to criticize their leaders, Cambodian peoples are also currently banned and threated not to express their freedom and nationalism to protect their own motherland and territory integrity.

KY

Anonymous said...

maybe, mr. hun sen and his party should just allow the cambodia people to protest without them interfering with this matter. would that make people change their mind about his leadership ability? why not just allow people to voice their opinion about vietnam or thailand, why do the gov't have to stop people from doing this? maybe, like the KR regime's mistake by killing people and starving them, should mr. hun sen administration make the same mistake by not allowing the people to voice their unhappiness. i guess by allowing the people their freedom, unobstructedly, maybe, people will see him differently? it makes me wonder! because by him not allowing people to protest vietnam and thailand, it makes people think they he's not for cambodia or not fit to be a leader or something? again, this is only one issue that, perhaps, he fails to be successful like his many other stance on other things in cambodia. maybe he ought to loosening up a bit about this anti-vietnam and anti-thailand feelings in cambodia. what would the world think of him then, if he just ignore their violent protest or something? personally, i would want the next prime minister of cambodia get cambodia involve in war or something in that manner. have people really thought about this as well? this not an easy issue. what would happen if mr. hun sen steps down from office like thaksin of thailand or marco of the philipines? would cambodia be any different in regards to this view of vietnam and thailand, or what would the difference be like? maybe, it's just a political thing; it's hard to know!!

Anonymous said...

This Cambodian skunk leader is very stink! afraid of neighboring country.
Inability to defend own border, own people. That free coffins offered by him will insert his body and his disciples in the future. As of now, he and his clans can only enjoy whores in brothels all over Phnom Penh, let his country and his people persecute freely by Vietnamese and Thai. This stupid Cambodian PM is nothing but just dirt.

Anonymous said...

hot topic to talk about, huh!

Khmer Young said...

9:13AM

You might not have high expectation by changing Hun Sen to other leader. At lease, as we expect, we can eliminate the puppet lineage in Cambodia. Also from this puppet lineage change, new leader will have not (less?) criticism about selling border to neighbor.

And the fear that when Hun Sen losses power, Cambodia can experience war again is just the old song sung by retarded dictator.

KY

Anonymous said...

My beloved Khmers!

I undoubtedly think that a lot of Khmers are unquestionally still believe Samdech Dey DekCho Hun Sen's unashamed words, even anyone simply brings enough evidences to prove that we Khmers have recently lost more land to Youn. When do we Khmer eventually except the truths?

Anonymous said...

Okay, hurry up because I want to see some evidence for myself.

Anonymous said...

We do lose our land to Thailand and Vietnam. I assure you all 100% corect about this accuse.

Please countrymen, if you all want to make sure about this issue, if you don't belive us, when you visit our country please take only a day visit to any province bordering with Vietnam and ask the people there and let's vitness by your own eyes and ears. Then come back and tell me, if the accuse is correct.

It is also better if you have the map with you -1960s map.

I even dare to say that Hun Sen is the true traitor of Cambodia because of allowing this territorial integrity's invasion of neighboring countries.

Recently, Thai have taken our Prasat Tamean, and hun sen govt say nothing.

If hun sen dare to bet with me, the truth will be accepted.
http://sokheounpang.wordpress.com/the-presient-of-smd-pang-sokheoun-to-challenge-pm-hun-sen/

Anonymous said...

More maps?

I want to see just one map, and I hope not the one from the 1300's.

Anonymous said...

Are you stupid or what 4:30PM? Your father is ah Kwach?

Anonymous said...

9:59 AM

What the fucking are you talking about?

Cambodia does not ready for new leadership. Samdach Hun Sen is doing a great job in marching Cambodia forward. And why do you want to march Cambodia backward?

Now, shut the fuck up!

Anonymous said...

Stop stalling, 11:32, let's see the stupid map.

Anonymous said...

To 6:03AM

You want to be spoon fed with information? How old are you? If the fucken Vietcong can't even see the 10 million Khmer Krom people in Kampuchea Krom (Southern Vietname) and what make you think the fucken Vietcong can see the stupid map that you claimed?

It doesn't matter what map the Cambodian offer to the Vietcong and the Vietcong will never recognize it and the only way is to gain total independence from the Vietcong!

Fuck all the Vietcong!
Fuck their language!
Fuck their culture!
Fuck their fake diplomatic relation!
Fuck the Vietcong government!

Anonymous said...

3:38, I don't care what the Vietcong want to see or not want to see.

I want to see the God Damned Map. What word don't you understand here? So stop stalling!

Anonymous said...

To 3:57PM

So stop stalling what Vietcong bitch! I can only show you the map only if the Paris Agreement is forced to invalidate the all the fucken Vietcong agreements since 1979 during the Vietcong occupation of Cambodia under AH HUN SEN Vietcong slave puppet government!

Take it or leave it!

Anonymous said...

Hey, we are talking map and lost land here, not the Stupid Paris Agreement.

Now, if you want to change subject and talk about the Stupid Paris agreement, tell me exactly and clearly what your objection is or are, alright? Therefore, go! And don't take forever here too. No one can live for 200 years, you know?

Anonymous said...

This is not the issue of changing subject but this is the thorny issue of the fucken Vietcong using AH HUN SEN Vietcong puppet government to alter Cambodian map during the 10 years of the Vietcong occupation of Cambodia!

At this stage of the game the Cambodian map is useless because in any border dispute with the Vietcong and the Vietcong will insist on using their fucken map as evidence as they did with China to lay claim to any land and sea border which they claimed belong to them such as the Sprately Islands and Koh Tral!

If you want to know how much land Cambodia lost to the Vietcong is to check the Vietcong topographic map and with this information Cambodian cartographer can use the most modern system of measurement from the sky such as GPS to verify every square inch of Cambodian land and sea border and compare it to the map before 1979!

This kind of problem must be solved backward to trace back to the original problem!

The Paris Agreement will confirm once and for all if the Vietcong did move the fucken borders inside Cambodia or not!

(Another issue is the French signed away Khmer Kampuchea Krom to the Vietcong in 1949 and if Khmer Kampuchea Krom belongs to the Vietcong in the first place and why do the French have to sign it the Vietcong in the first place? This proves that Khmer Kampuchea Krom was always part of Cambodia from the beginning of time!)

Anonymous said...

Okay, I hear what you are saying. Now can I see some evidence/s please. Specifically, I like to see how many sq meter/kilometer lost, when and where. Is that too much to ask?

Anonymous said...

Do you have the fucken money to fund the whole research team and their equipments?

You can tell your leader AH HUN SEN Vietcong slave to see if he cares enough to allocate some money to help solve the border dispute with Vietcong!

So far AH HUN SEN kept all the dealing with the Vietcong in secret and for those Cambodian protesters who refuse to go a long with him and he even put them in jail and threatens to turn Cambodia into republic if Cambodian King refuses to ratify his Vietcong treaty!

I believe the fucken border dispute with the Vietcong can never be solved as long as AH HUN SEN Vietcong slave puppet government remains in power because he kept protecting and taking side of the Vietcong!

Anonymous said...

Money? count us out. That you have to find yourself.

As for secret, all governments on this planet do that. We are not the only one.

And what do you mean we can't solved border dispute? We inherited the damn issue from our predecessors, remember?

Anonymous said...

To 2:54PM

It you Vietcong slave mother fucker inherit the fucken problem from your predecessors and why the fuck do you have to sign more border treaties with the Vietcong leaders to give away more Cambodian land and to violate Cambodian sovereignty?

It is the fucken same old thing with all the Vietcong bitches and slaves and that is excuse after excuse!