Please stop offending Hun Sen by calling him "blind" ... because he's only half-blind

Hun Sen: stop calling me "ah kvak", you stupid

Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Editorial by Khmerization
Originally posted at: http://khmerization.blogspot.com/

“...he (Hun Sen) was and still is the worst offender when it comes to using offensive language to describe his critics and political opponents.”

I felt sorry for Mr. Hun Sen when I read the article below. And I welcome his comments wholeheartedly when he said that: “We must value people with disabilities.” I also sympathised with him for being offended when people call him “blind” or Ah Kvak in Khmer. I know he is hurt by the description. But I condemn his hypocrisy in the strongest term. He hadn’t woken up to the fact that he was and still is the worst offender when it comes to using offensive language to describe his critics and political opponents. His comments are still fresh and are splashed in many national newspapers. Recently he called a journalist “insolent” (prohern) when the journalist asked him about his possible continued alliance with Funcinpec Party after he sacked many of its members from the government. He had called many of his critics, and particularly Prince Ranariddh, “stupid” (Ah pler, Ah La-nguong). And if my memory is right, back in 1996, he had called Sam Rainsy “animal” in an interview published in the Phnom Penh Post newspaper. He had called Prince Thomico “Ah Thomico” (the contemptible Thomico) and he had called Ruom Ritt, who wrote numerous critical comments against Hun Sen’s government which were published in ex-king Sihanouk’s official bulletin, “Ah Ruom Ritt” (the contemptible Ruom Ritt). Many suspected that Ruom Ritt is a pen name of ex-king Sihanouk and Hun Sen had also once mentioned that he suspected that Ruom Ritt is in fact Sihanouk.

Mr. Hun Sen must remember that a leader must lead by example. And the leader must be a good role model to his people. But most importantly, one must earn people’s respect. By this I mean that Mr. Hun Sen has never led by a good example because he was and still is the worst offender when it comes to using offensive language against his critics and political opponents. And as a result he has not earned any respect from many people.

While I do not support the calling of Mr. Hun Sen “Ah Kvak”, I do understand why people call him as such. First, Hun Sen is thuggish and must earn people’s respect. And secondly, he must stop using insulting and dehumanising language in describing his critics and political opponents because Hun Sen‘s “word will reflect on his character and his attitude will reflect on his family lineage.” As we say in Khmer: “Somdei Sor Cheat, Meayeat Sor Puoch.” By hearing Hun Sen’s thuggish language one can judge what kind of a family lineage he came from.