April 26, 2008
By SICHAN SIV
The New York Times (USA)
Angkor, Cambodia
Cambodia today is not unlike the Cambodia of my youth — there is deep poverty and enormous wealth, side-by-side. There is unrest beneath the surface, the unrest that helped to make the horrors of the last century possible.CAMBODIANS and other Theravada Buddhists celebrate their New Year in mid-April. They were not always able to do so. Under Khmer Rouge and Vietnamese rule, those ancient traditions were forbidden, impossible. But now Cambodia is free again and the festivities are in the open. As I wander the country of my youth, I see people spending the long holiday praying at temples and visiting relatives.
And I remember. My family used to hold a reunion on April 13 to mark both the New Year and my mother’s birthday. In 1975, we had no idea that it would be our last. We were all apprehensive about the future, and my mother was distraught because I had missed the American evacuation.
The day before, an officer of the United States Agency for International Development had told me that I had to be at the embassy within an hour if I wanted to be airlifted out of Cambodia. (I was a manager for the American relief agency CARE and had been selected for the evacuation.) Instead, I went to a meeting to find a way to help 3,000 families stranded in an isolated province.
“Maybe I can make the meeting and get to the embassy in time,” I thought.
But as I returned to Phnom Penh, the traffic became heavily congested. Thousands of people on ox carts and overloaded bicycles were making their way to the capital to seek shelter and safety. When I finally reached the American Embassy and gave my name to the security officer, he looked puzzled.
“They are not coming back — they are gone!” The guard shouted his answer to emphasize the hard truth. And he added: “The war is over. We will have peace!”
Speechless, I went to the riverbank and looked at the horizon to see if I could spot the helicopters. The sky was blue and cloudless. I saw nothing. Years later, I learned that I had been looking in the wrong direction. The helicopters had flown westward toward the Gulf of Thailand. And I was looking east.
I was 30 minutes late. My life was going to change forever.
Everyone in the city was in a very somber mood. We prayed that our beloved country would return to the peaceful and stable life of the 1960s. What would happen to us now that the United States had closed its embassy? Two days earlier, President Gerald Ford had announced: “The situation in South Vietnam and Cambodia has reached a critical phase requiring immediate and positive decisions by this government. The options before us are few, and the time is very short.”
Five days later, on April 17, I stopped at a street-side restaurant to have a bowl of Phnom Penh noodles. A waiter took my order in Khmer and shouted in Cantonese loudly enough to be heard all the way to the kitchen: “One bowl of Kuytiev Phnom Penh, no MSG, no fat, blanched bean sprouts, hot tea for the skinny guy with glasses, white shirt, dark pants, table 13!” A different waiter brought my noodles in less than three minutes. Not once had they got the order wrong. It was going to be my last proper breakfast in Cambodia.
I had read gruesome descriptions of the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge against enemies of their revolution: babies thrown into the air and caught with a bayonet, children smashed into trees, villagers having their throats cut with the thorns of palm branches, merchants clubbed to death with the back of a hoe. I did not believe them.
The street was lined with city residents, a few still wearing the kramas and sarongs they had slept in. One was brushing his teeth. But all were looking north, waiting for something. They looked fearful.
I spent all day in a temporary emergency room in the Hotel Le Royal doing what I could to help. I came out for fresh air and saw the Khmer Rouge being welcomed. People seemed genuinely happy that the war had ended.
Later that day, the first day of “peace,” I and 15 of my family members left our home after the Khmer Rouge had ordered all cities immediately emptied, and walked to Pochentong, the village where my siblings and I were born. Our house was occupied by strangers, so we went to the temple. The monks were already gone and there were bodies lying around. Mother was sobbing. The women and girls in our family were choking back tears. The boys and men were all silent.
Shortly thereafter, I was separated from my family by the Khmer Rouge. After a year in slave labor camps, where I survived two death sentences, I escaped to Thailand. Following a few months in a Thai jail, in a Buddhist temple and in a refugee camp, I arrived in Wallingford, Conn., with $2 in my pocket. I later learned I was the only survivor in my close family. The Khmer Rouge had killed everyone else.
Cambodia today is not unlike the Cambodia of my youth — there is deep poverty and enormous wealth, side-by-side. There is unrest beneath the surface, the unrest that helped to make the horrors of the last century possible. And so, as I walk from one memory-filled place to another, I pray for a new year in which Cambodia’s leaders will find a way to bring about peace and stability. And, of course, I pray for my family.
Sichan Siv, a former United States ambassador to the United Nations, is the author of the forthcoming “Golden Bones.”
37 comments:
What the fuck? Why are you unabashedly keeping posting the article about the fucking idiot. The fucker should not be part of Cambodia community.
Stay in your Texas ranch, boy!
If you're are true-blooded Cambodians, you should not buy the books; he's trying so hard to promote his books, and the KI is helping him. And I say: ban the book promotion.
That shit again?!
From my observation, I found that the thing called Siv Sichan is not Cambodian helper.
Yes, 8:31
You're right.
Again, why is the KI keep posting this shit again and again.
The fucker is not Cambodia helper.
He's doing this to cleanse his image. The shit is already damage, cannot undo the damage.
Please, do not post anything has to do with this idiot (siv) article.
Take down the article. No one needs to read this article; it's useless the survivors and victims of the killing fields. The guy is useless to Khmer community.
A coward that dares to bark at a Khmer only behind a monitor. Face to face it's a monkey, but not a real knowledgeable person. You stupid coward.
I only can find a word to define what keeps Cambodia so backwards.. the root of all the evils that paralize that society: ENVY
God damn it, take the fucking useless article down. The fucking idiot is useless to the (Khmer) society. What a fucking loser.
Now, take down the fucking article.
You meant bark "in front" of the monitor, not "behind." You're fucking idiot retarded shit fucked head.
Now, start barking in front of your monitor (not in front).
You're fucked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh si chan bork chhnang Khmer oeuy.
I felt so pity to hear your tender
voice again. If you are hungry go to experience with our poor Khmer dig in the trash piled looking for
treasure or food with them so you will understand once again about truth life of our poor nation. I knew and understand clearly that you forgot all of the sad song when
your wife brought you up for the opportunity of high rank position
in DC. You were enjoy drinking joking with western style and eat
number one cheese's quality and don't know how to eat Khmer's food.
Oh poor man may be now your wife needs more money right? If so tell us the truth my man.
Good luck for not selling none of your book. GOD knew who you are too.
This son-of-bitch is not Khmer; he's pretending that he's Khmer, but he's not. He used to be Khmer, but he's a fucking Khmer-Western cowboy.
Cambodia does not need your face.
who cares about your damn story, mr cowboy
he won't selling any books, these books are piece of crap, you'd better off spend on street whores.
Siv-Si-Ch-y.
Father mucker!
4:17 AM
Yes, that ... in fact, he is, and there's no denying.
The guy is a big loser. Big time loser.
My codolences for the negative comments about him.
Poor tirk si-iv
Yes. My condolences to these negative comments. They are not used to engage with a diplomacy, but thugs.
Diplomacy, my ass. This son-of-bitich is far from being a diplomatic shit.
I agreed! The guy is a loser.
2:29 you will die in a terrible accident within three months and go to hell. you're full of envy and ignorant brain.
It could be only one stupid dog that posted the most negative insulting comments. This stupid dog will die very soon and go to hell. you damn toilet germs.
2:29 and 2:44 is the same insulting devil who wrote "Good luck for not selling none of your book. GOD knew who you are too".
NOTE: This envious devil was usuing "GOD" in his many insulting comments. One stupid spirit is showing his nakedness. You dumb dog. I feel disgusted of you, spending time to just insult someone whom you never knew.
Just ignor those nagative commentators MF*ck! They are the former killer and KHmer Rouge. That is why they are so angry and frustrated! That's all there is to it.
I must admit that I have not seen this person done much, if anything, on behalf for the Cambodian community abroad or at home, but has been anything negatives to hurt the Khmer community?
10:44 PM, 11:57 PM
Listen up, you brainless shit fucked heads. Both of you need to be shot each with one bullet in the back of the head, and then we'll send you to hell, you fucked heads.
Both of you can lick and wash my ass.
Go fuck yourself, shit brains.
10:44 PM
Fuck yourself!
You're nothing, but fucked head.
Now, kiss my ass and go fuck your fucked head.
that's enough you stupid dog. go and die off, you devil you. you toilet scum. feel sorry for your good mom who beared a devil that barks like dog. feel sorry for your dad too. damn toilet scum.
How many Khmers can pull such article in The NY Time? Mr. Chan Siv. is a good man form head to toe!and the whole world should know abou him. Here is one for all of you Blah Blah blah negative trash mouths: go and drink crude oil! or go to hell! which ever is easy.
Again, all of you are fucked head morons!
This shit tirk Sa-iv has done nothing for Cambodia, so I say you and who support this useless shit deserve to go to hell, you fucking useless shit.
This fucker is nothing without his wife, Martha. If it had not been for Martha, the shit be driving taxi to this day.
This shit was on the New York article because of the Dith Pran's death.
Now, go and fuck yourself. And stop kiss this stupid moron's ass, you fucked heads.
10:44 PM
May the devil and mighty gods reverse the anathema, and anathematized your callous curse on others back to you.
Until then ... sleep well while you still have time.
Your curse falls short of perfection because of your stupidity and ignorance.
Now, go fuck yourself, you fucking son-of-bitch ass licker, brainless moron!
What a fucking useless article; it should be discarded. Of course, the article was prepared and written with the help of his wife, Martha, aimed at restoring his damaged image.
Again, what (if any)did this moron do to help Cambodia and Cambodians?
NOTHING! BUT HIS PERSONAL GAIN.
WHAT A FUCKING IDIOT MORON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No one needs to do anything, except you stupid a..hole!haaaaaaahhhaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!
burn in hell a..hole 4:53pm!!!!!!!!!!!!
I never listened to Siv Sichan when he gave speech at Pannasastra University in Phnom Penh. Too proud of what he has done - but what for Cambodia?
Stupid speech - just to promote his image among the ignorant Khmers.
I am a professor that teach the Khmer youth everyday, but I never say much proud words like him. He helps nothing - but builds his image only! When radio VOA interviewed me about him, I say that he is only a simple guy as many other useless people in this country; why i should say good about him. When i asked him, what will he do for Cambodia? He just play slippery-slop fallacious talk to the participants to say good about his life in the US and sad life in Pol Pot regime. Finally, i did not know what he talked about!
Our friends, can you tell me if you know Mr. Siv Sichan, what has he done for Cambodia? aside from trying to boast his life in the US?
What golden bones mean?
I never assign my students to read his book so-called 'golden bones'. it is only for ignorant people to feel awe about him, but nothing to learn to restore their nation!
Siv Chan can fool only some ignorant people; but not all people. We are not stupid as he underestimated.
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