Socheata Has addressing the Long Beach City Council (Photo: Angkor Borey)
Arun Thach addressing the Long Beach City Council (Photo: Angkor Borey)
Paline Soth addressing the Long Beach City Council (Photo: Angkor Borey)
Navy Phim addressing the Long Beach City Council (Photo: Angkor Borey)
Frank and Ratana Lim addressing the Long Beach City Council (Photo: Angkor Borey)04 March 2008
By Ly Diep
Excerpt from Angkor Borey – Khmer Voice Overseas
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
In the evening of 04 March 2008, at the meeting room of the Long Beach city council, under the presence of a group of about 30 Cambodian-Americans who oppose the presence of Mr. Sok An at the inauguration for the opening of Cambodia Town, Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster clearly indicated that his office did not issue any invitation letter to “anyone” in Cambodia to participate in any event taking place in Long Beach.
Mayor Bob Foster made this declaration after 5 community activists (Socheata Has, Arun Thach, Paline Soth, Navy Phim and Frank) addressed the city council about the displeasure of Long Beach Cambodian-Americans, as well as other Cambodians from all over the world, to the opportunistic use of “Cambodia Town,” which has just been officials recognized by the city of Long Beach on 03 July 2007, to serve to spread the political influence of the Hun Sen government, and in particular, to spread the influence of the Cambodian People Party (CPP) among various Cambodian communities overseas.
In the name of Cambodian-American activists who oppose Sok An, Ms. Socheata Has handed over a petition bearing more than 1,100 signatures to the city. Tonia Reyes Uranga, District 7 councilwoman, asked the question to the mayor about this invitation. Dee Andrews, District 6 council member, also asked: “If the mayor (did not issue the invitation), could it be that his deputy did?” (Dee Andrews wanted to point to Bonnie Lowenthal, District 1 city councilwoman and the deputy of the mayor. Everybody knows that she is a close friend of lawyer Evan Braude, a member of the Cambodian Town delegation who met with Sok An in Cambodia). Councilwoman Bonnie Lowenthal immediately answered that she did not invite such person.
Therefore, it is still unknown who was the person who actually made the invitation. However, Mayor Bob Foster promised that he will find the truth on the event that took place, as well as the misuse of his name (to make the invitation).
It should be noted that, during the Long Beach council meeting, I (Ly Diep) asked Councilwoman Tonia Reyes Uranga to help arrange for a request for a city authorization to hold a demonstration against Mr. Sok An’s inauguration of Cambodia Town and his presence of the Cambodian New Year parade. She ordered one of her employees to take me to meet Mr. Phil T. Hester, Director of the Department of Park, Recreation & Marine. Mr. Hester told me that there was no problem, he will make the arrangement to issue this authorization to me.
Long Beach City is home to the largest group of Cambodian political refuges overseas since 1975, after Cambodia turned into a savage “Killing Fields” in the world at the end of the 20th Century. In addition to other surrounding cities, the number of Cambodian refugees amounts to more than 100,000. Along Anaheim Blvd, which divides Cambodia Town in two, there are several Cambodian shops and restaurants which attract customers from all over the place. If one were to drive along this street, one feels as if it is located inside a small Phnom Penh also.
The idea of forming “Cambodia Town” came in 2000 by Mr. Lee Bunny (Harrison Lee), a former Cambodian Air Force pilot, and 2-3 of his close friends. In 2001, Mr. Lee Bunny decided to hold a meeting to obtain the public opinion. The result of the meeting indicated overwhelmingly that the Cambodian community has reached a point where it wanted its own town, just like other nationalities (Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Korean, Japanese, etc…) who immigrated here. Chinatown, Little Saigon, Thai Town, Korean District, Little Tokyo all existed already, with the exception of Cambodia town. At the beginning, there was opinion exchange about the selection of the Cambodia Town name, a number of Cambodian people asked to choose the name Little Phnom Penh, but the majority asked to select Cambodian Town instead, as it stresses on the country rather than the capital.
We take this opportunity to thank and to praise Mr. Lee Bunny (Harrison Lee) who came up with this idea, and who put a lot of effort, such as going door to door with his wife, going store to store, to collect more than 4,000 signatures to form “Cambodia Town.”
At the official recognition of “Cambodia Town,” Mr. Lee Bunny became an Advisory Council member of the “Cambodian Town, Inc.” organization. In the past few weeks, he expressed his displeasure on the executive committee of “Cambodia Town, Inc.” which took action opposite to the original idea for the formation of Cambodia Town, and he resigned from his position as Advisory Council member of “Cambodia Town, Inc.” (In fact, among the 10 founding members of this organization, 8 have already resigned, and more recently, Mr. Phillip Thong, “Cambodia Town Inc.” first vice-chairman, also asked to resign from the board of directors also) because of internal dissension. According to Mr. Lee Bunny, the original idea for forming Cambodia Town was to push for the development of the Cambodian community in Long Beach, in terms of commercial and cultural developments, similar to other minority groups. There was no intention of pushing “Cambodia Town” into the political arena in any way shape and form.
Mayor Bob Foster made this declaration after 5 community activists (Socheata Has, Arun Thach, Paline Soth, Navy Phim and Frank) addressed the city council about the displeasure of Long Beach Cambodian-Americans, as well as other Cambodians from all over the world, to the opportunistic use of “Cambodia Town,” which has just been officials recognized by the city of Long Beach on 03 July 2007, to serve to spread the political influence of the Hun Sen government, and in particular, to spread the influence of the Cambodian People Party (CPP) among various Cambodian communities overseas.
In the name of Cambodian-American activists who oppose Sok An, Ms. Socheata Has handed over a petition bearing more than 1,100 signatures to the city. Tonia Reyes Uranga, District 7 councilwoman, asked the question to the mayor about this invitation. Dee Andrews, District 6 council member, also asked: “If the mayor (did not issue the invitation), could it be that his deputy did?” (Dee Andrews wanted to point to Bonnie Lowenthal, District 1 city councilwoman and the deputy of the mayor. Everybody knows that she is a close friend of lawyer Evan Braude, a member of the Cambodian Town delegation who met with Sok An in Cambodia). Councilwoman Bonnie Lowenthal immediately answered that she did not invite such person.
Therefore, it is still unknown who was the person who actually made the invitation. However, Mayor Bob Foster promised that he will find the truth on the event that took place, as well as the misuse of his name (to make the invitation).
It should be noted that, during the Long Beach council meeting, I (Ly Diep) asked Councilwoman Tonia Reyes Uranga to help arrange for a request for a city authorization to hold a demonstration against Mr. Sok An’s inauguration of Cambodia Town and his presence of the Cambodian New Year parade. She ordered one of her employees to take me to meet Mr. Phil T. Hester, Director of the Department of Park, Recreation & Marine. Mr. Hester told me that there was no problem, he will make the arrangement to issue this authorization to me.
Long Beach City is home to the largest group of Cambodian political refuges overseas since 1975, after Cambodia turned into a savage “Killing Fields” in the world at the end of the 20th Century. In addition to other surrounding cities, the number of Cambodian refugees amounts to more than 100,000. Along Anaheim Blvd, which divides Cambodia Town in two, there are several Cambodian shops and restaurants which attract customers from all over the place. If one were to drive along this street, one feels as if it is located inside a small Phnom Penh also.
The idea of forming “Cambodia Town” came in 2000 by Mr. Lee Bunny (Harrison Lee), a former Cambodian Air Force pilot, and 2-3 of his close friends. In 2001, Mr. Lee Bunny decided to hold a meeting to obtain the public opinion. The result of the meeting indicated overwhelmingly that the Cambodian community has reached a point where it wanted its own town, just like other nationalities (Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Korean, Japanese, etc…) who immigrated here. Chinatown, Little Saigon, Thai Town, Korean District, Little Tokyo all existed already, with the exception of Cambodia town. At the beginning, there was opinion exchange about the selection of the Cambodia Town name, a number of Cambodian people asked to choose the name Little Phnom Penh, but the majority asked to select Cambodian Town instead, as it stresses on the country rather than the capital.
We take this opportunity to thank and to praise Mr. Lee Bunny (Harrison Lee) who came up with this idea, and who put a lot of effort, such as going door to door with his wife, going store to store, to collect more than 4,000 signatures to form “Cambodia Town.”
At the official recognition of “Cambodia Town,” Mr. Lee Bunny became an Advisory Council member of the “Cambodian Town, Inc.” organization. In the past few weeks, he expressed his displeasure on the executive committee of “Cambodia Town, Inc.” which took action opposite to the original idea for the formation of Cambodia Town, and he resigned from his position as Advisory Council member of “Cambodia Town, Inc.” (In fact, among the 10 founding members of this organization, 8 have already resigned, and more recently, Mr. Phillip Thong, “Cambodia Town Inc.” first vice-chairman, also asked to resign from the board of directors also) because of internal dissension. According to Mr. Lee Bunny, the original idea for forming Cambodia Town was to push for the development of the Cambodian community in Long Beach, in terms of commercial and cultural developments, similar to other minority groups. There was no intention of pushing “Cambodia Town” into the political arena in any way shape and form.
56 comments:
So suprise, first time, i see Soth Poline photo, he's my lovely writer...
Just a bunch of fucking retarded gorillas got together whinning.
Greedy CPP doesn't politicize only in Cambodia within all national public fields, but this greedy (puppet party) has also spread its virus in third country.
China town or Viet town have never been interrupted by those political organs their original countries. But why greedy CPP has to do everything to keep its dominance?
This retarded CPP doesn't care about peace of others, or Cambodian national interests, but this retarded and puppet CPP care about power and its ruthlessness only.
5:36pm
You still called them a bunch of retarded gorillas? You still don’t feel the lost of your stupid deputy prime ministry’s invitation do you? I really wonder if any of your brain cells is still working properly.
5:53 PM
Yes, and yes ... we STILL proudly call you and the rest "Fucking retarded gorillas."
And ... go fuck yourself!
Go to hell 5:36 p.m and his boss gang of thugs .Bunch of scum bag , lunatic ,idiots ,paranoias ,retarded , bastard , sucker of Cambodian people blood.May lightning strike ah kwack forehead at the stroke of noon time.Power to the powerless dirt poor Cambodian people ......
Happy Birth Day To Mr.Richer San and Mrs.Sothear San hope both of your will invited deputy Prime Minister SOK AN to Westminster for Cambodia New Year Parade.
SOK AN and his Crook work for (YOUN) almost 30year Why would you let him come? not nice...
6:30 PM
We ALL know that we're free to express our freedom of expression with anger and frustration. And, why are you so upset?
You PEOPLE cannot get rid of us ... because without us, there weren't be a true expression of anger and frustration when exchanging our strifeful dissension. Therefore, you PEOPLE need to get use to the idea of opposing us (preferably with plausible comments), diametrically.
Again, we'll be every corner of your opposing ideas, and we'll make your opposition as the epicenter of true freedom of expression (even with undesirable conflagration). However, you PEOPLE still are retarded gorillas!
Congratulation!
Finally, Sok An lost his chance to spread out CPP's influence in Khmer community abroad.
5.36PM
Chheur Chapp?
:D
Be calm, u can still visit long beach if you want, but make sure the US will offer u visa or not.
k.
it is not sure if the mayor had cancelled the invitation to sok an. is the invitation still on? will sok an still come to the parade? Anyway my hat off to those people who addressed the long beach city council. they had done a very good job. sok an and his corrupt cpp crooks should not be allowed to politicize the cambodia town and use it as their staging point for launching or spreading their sphere of influence, or their viruses as some had called them,to america. the cpp had corrupted the cambodian society in cambodia. now sok an and his cpp crooks want to corrupt the cambodian society in america as well. we should not allow them to do so.
7:26 PM
Sorry, gorilla! I not only hold a U.S. passport, I also hold a Khmer passport. Have you head of dual passports, incidentally?
Remember what we told you? We're always two steps ahead.
I might have sat right next to you? Or, I might have sat right next to the gorillas in the auditorium while you people were oblivious of my presence.
long beach city council must cancel sok an's invitation, the sooner the better.
God damn Ah Khmer-Yuon gorillas fuckers.
5:36pm,
You and your faggot sell-out self and deputy prime minister Shit An can go and fuck yourselves or fuck each other's asses like how you were trained by the Hanoi Viets. You and your kind has been so fucked up by the Viets treating you like puppet dogs that all you know how to do these days is fuck your fellow Cambodians. Why dont you go suck Ah Hun Sen's penis while you let the rest of the CPP gang bang your ass, yeah? I hear you mom screams like a whore, your son squeals like a little girl and your daughter gets $1 every night in Svay Pak from Hun Sen's cronies. As for you,I don't think Hun Sen can save your ass because to him, you are just an ant and nothing else. Hun Sen knows you are rubbish and he feeds on your ignorance.
5:36pm,
oh by the way 5:36pm. You live in a make belief world in which you make yourself proudly think that you're two steps ahead of "us". You are nothing but simply an ordinary person who for some reason just has this infatuation for the CPP. All you do is simply have this liking of going on KI-Media and calling everyone "retarded gorillas" and thinking you're some sort of importance because to you it gives you a sense of false empowerment and self-esteem. I doubt you are anything you say. I seriously do think you have some issues and you will be saved one day from your ignorance and delusional sense of self-importance.
Seriously dude, go find something else to do and educate yourself. And then TRY AGAIN.
Also, tell your mom to stop screaming like a whore or else Hun Sen's cronies will give her another rectal prolapse that will last an eternity.
It's pretty entertaining taking a break from my studies to mess around with ya.
So,we are very suprise about this news!!!Ah Sok An and all the dictators in Srok Khmer don't allow to USA,exspecialy the Family's tree!!!
Thank you ,major Longbeach.
Slow down Ah youn Youn Hun Xen!!!!
Great Job Everybody who got involved in the historical process. CPP can stop this kind of process in Cambodia but not in Cambodian-Town or should we call it Khmer-Town.
Regarding the BIG ELEPHANT in this particular room, just don't pay attention to him/her and they go away. You know just don't response to their negative comments. Let the reader judge for themselves. I am sure the readers are educated enough to know what is right and what is wrong.
Once again fantastic job Khmer people and let not stop here.
Hold it.
How these Cambodian think in English?
I did not hear Bob Foster dismissed the invitation, he only asked the human dignity to look for. Don't you put words on Foster mouth.
Foster has no authority to dismiss the invitation, whoever invited M Sok An can dismiss but not Bob.
Your people KI get to go back and learn ESL.
http://longbeach.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=12&clip_id=1937
Listen to these appeallants read the letters and listen to what Bob said. Don't jump into the conclusion. Bob did not dismiss the invitation. I tell you that Foster has no authority to dismiss someone else work.
Bob only asked human dignity to look for just to make these people to get out of his auditorium.
KI you have to post a valid information and do not lie about Bob Foster.
The press release on the Cambodian government says that the invitation came from the Mayor's office. But the Mayor has put it on record that the invitation did not come from him or anyone in his office.
KI has nothing to do with these posters. Ly Diep (Ly Ngoc Dinh) is the one who provoked the lie story.
May be a law suit against both liars. Bob did not invite M Sok An and Bob did not dismiss the invitation. He asked the human dignity to look for.
Bob Mayor dismisses the claim by the Cambodian government that he issued the invitation. Why does the government claims that the invitation came from the Mayor when the Mayor is saying that it does not.
Bob did not invite or he can dismiss. He dismissed the claim but he did not dismiss the invitation that belongs to someone else. Both sides of your parties are Liars.
This is what is written in the article:
Mayor Bob Foster clearly indicated that his office did not issue any invitation letter to “anyone” in Cambodia to participate in any event taking place in Long Beach.
The invitation has not been withdrawn but the claim that it came from the Mayor's Office has been dismissed. Read the article carefully to see that there is no claim that the Mayor withdraw it or that anyone is claiming that it was withdrawn. Again, the dismissal is about the invitation coming from the Mayor office. What an embarrassment for the Cambodian government to go around claiming that it came from the Mayor when it did not. Now we need confirmation on whether or not, Sok An was invited to cut the ceremonial ribbon. If Cambodia Town denies inviting him to cut the ribbon, then the Cambodian Government is making things up?
I saw that. And why you lied that Bob dismissed the invitation of someone else did? He did not invite or knew about. Someone else did invite that person can dismiss not Bob. Bob has nothing to do with the invitation. He dismissed the claim that he invited M Sok An, but he did not dismiss the invitation of someone else.
You people are liar about Bob.
It's not Ly Diep's fault if you have comprehension problem and assumed that he is saying that the invitation was withdraw. It was dismissed, meaning that claim that it came from the Mayor office is not true. The article did not claim that it was withdraw. Mr. Mayor is dismissing the claim so it is a valid usage.
You accused Bob for someone else work? Why should Bob acknowledge something he did not do. He dismissed the claim that he issued the invitation but he cannot dismiss someone else work. Is it clear?
Whatever you want to do then do it but don't bring Bob between your both lies. Both are liars.
Dear Mr. Sok An,
Richer San and Sithea San has a made a complete fool out of you. When they gave you the invitation to come to Long Beach and claim that it came from the Mayor's Office, they were lying to you. As you can see, the Mayor has made it clear that he did not issue the invitation.
To People of Long Beach !!
Good on you for choosing to renounce the presence of SOK An in your town. Sok An represente corruption and ditactorship of Hun sen and he shouldn't be allowed to be invited into any city or town outside of Cambodia as khmer. He is a true animal. Only a small group of animal who really think that he is an important person.
i'm glad to see khmer activists speaking out. good job and thank you all!
mayor bob foster made it clear on public record that the invitation did not came from his office, therefore what was said by the cambodian government is not true. whoever (richer san) told sok an that he was invited by the mayor is lying to him and to the cambodian government.
that's all this article says and it's not implying that the invitation was dismissed (yet).
also, the city council members have to find out who invited sok an first to be able to held them accountable. the invitation is ILLEGAL and the city can WITHDRAW the invitation once they can find out who did it.
the article isn't lying, some people just can't read.
Support all Cambodian all sides, but kick ah youn kantorb Ly Diep or Ly Ngoc Dinh out of our society.
Buddha bless all Khmers except ah Youn Kantorb.
good job, 2:59 AM!
Why don't Cambodian be own boss instead of having the Vietnamese Ly Diep Ngoc Dinh do jobs for them?
Cambodia town should for Cambodians should not be for the Viet Cong.
These people are making me puke.
You people have too much time in your hands. Get a life!
What are fucking big loser retarded gorillas.
Now, I need to puke!
These son-of-bitches of Long Bitch look like a fucking gangers from cockroach-ifested ghetto neighborhood, and dare ostentatiously assert themselves as fucking educated.
Stop whinning and complaining! Get a fucking life! You fucking loser retarded gorillas!
get a life! form a delegation like Richer San and Sithea San. Go to Cambodia and invite Hun Sen to be paraded and tell him it is an official invitation from the U.S. government.
ahaha 7:44 AM Thank for lough.
You got the best post. and very assertive indeed.
I wonder when these gorillas will go on a hunger strike?
Is that what you want to see, people are getting hunger and starve?
what kind of animal are you?
Yup! I think these gorillas need to go on a hunger strike to have the right to whine.
Fucking Ah Khmer-Yuon lop gorillas!
The Vietcong slaves are getting frustrated because they can't have what they want and what they want is to bully their way into democratic process! No can do!
God damn it! Stop repeating yourself!
To 3:19AM
When I stop repeating myself and I will kick your arse!
Yup! I will kick you ARSE, too!
Arse!
Get back into your cage!
To 10:13AM
Shut the fuck fool! Now tell me how you can kick me when I kick your arse first and I kick your arse until you hit the ground and can't get up! Ahhahhahahhahah
You're fucking retarded gorilla bastard!
Arse kicking the gorillas!
Arse kicking the gorillas!
Arse kicking the gorillas!
Arse kicking the gorillas!
Arse kicking the gorillas!
Arse kicking the gorillas!
Arse kicking the gorillas!
Oh! Did we say we going to kick your arse?!
I think we did. Yes, Arse kicking the gorillas!
To 12:05AM
Oh I see and you are beginning to warm up here! Ahhahhahhahah
Listen Vietcong slave gorilla you! I kicked your low land gorilla arse down to the ground already and there is no way you can get up and kick my arse! There is no way you can kick my arse because I kick you first!
10:00 AM
God damn it! Listen up! We are not gorilla's friends or families, so never referred us as "gorillas," because we're smarter than those fucking retarded gorilla bastards.
Remember I was the ONE who labeled you people as "gorillas." You fucking copycat gorilla bastard.
To 4:31PM
I did copy you Vietcong slave low land gorilla? And I can prove it!
You said "gorillas"
But I said "Vietcong slave low land gorillas" Duh!
You are a fucken retard low land gorilla! Ahhahhahahhahhaha
Yet another ah lop, jkuot gorilla!
What a bunch of fucking retarded gorilla bastards.
Of course, there are no shortage of ah jkuot and mea lop among these retarded gorillas.
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