Reflection on President Sam Rainsy’s Speech

May 3, 2008
Opinion by Justin C. Sok

“In a democracy the poor will have more power than the rich, because there are more of them, and the will of the majority is supreme.” - Aristotle

I wanted to take this important opportunity to share with everyone about the important information that I have learned from President Sam Rainsy’s speech at the banquet on the 27 of April, at the New Paradise Restaurant in Long Beach, California.

It was a very pleasant and a friendly atmosphere. Despite the short notice, there were still approximately two hundred people at the reception. I was glad to see some of our old friends and got acquainted with new ones. It was an honor for me, for the first time, to have met with President Sam Rainsy in person. We had exchanged greetings with Chum Reap Sur and shook hands.

President Sam Rainsy had spoken at length about the current political and social ills in Cambodia, which he whole heartily believes that if we, the citizens at all levels, through our collective insensitivity and inaction, we allow the status quo to either continue or become even worse. Consequently, our people and our homeland would face greater challenges in the near future.

President Sam Rainsy spoke eloquently with compassion and empathy about the struggles our people go through every day. For so many years, our people have endured so much suffering, which obviously stemmed from the inequality, injustice, and poverty caused by the Hun Sen Regime. President Sam Rainsy appeared enthusiastic, energetic, determined, and decisive about his strategic plans. He professed with confident on how he and his administration, should he win the national election in July, would plan to go about to resolve the political and social issues for our people and our homeland.

President Sam Rainsy expressed his heart felt concern with all of his supporters about the societal problems that include political oppression (death threats and threats to sue in the court of law), unemployment, poverty, land grabbing, eviction, and daily harassment by those corrupted officials of the Hun Sen Regime. He also emphasized on the important political issues that is include: economy (i.e. inflation), border issues, environmental concerns, and the continuing of influx of illegal immigrants, which is threatening our national security. President Sam Rainsy appealed to his countrymen, with all his heart for their full-fledged support to help elect him to become the next Prime Minister. He vehemently vowed to keep his promises. He plans to bring solutions to the Cambodian people when he takes office after July.

President Sam Rainsy had specifically pointed out that corruption is at the core of Cambodia current predicament; this has hampered the country from moving forward. His top priority is to eliminate corruption. He had wished to eradicate corruption since he had stepped up into political arena in the early 1990’s. Corruption is a cancer, which is imbedded deep down in our society among the rich and powerful. “Ah Tom Si Tom, Ah Touch Si Touch,” he stated. The corruption among the high-ranking officials and the privileged has continued to cause the country to deteriorate both politically and economically, and thus, indeed, has threatened our survival as a nation. My general intellects about President Sam Rainsy’s speech of an on-going corruption within the Hun Sen Regime has led me to believe that Mr. Hun Sen has completely failed to acknowledge these problems and/or Mr. Hun Sen is incompetent or is too ignorant to care to rectify these problems.

President Sam Rainsy has pointed out how the ways that Pol Pot and Ieng Sary’s Clique have killed millions of our people as compared to the ways our people are being killed now under the Hun Sen Regime. Under the Pol Pot and Ieng Sary’s Clique, our people were systematically killed. The people were executed right on the spot. The people were killed in mass and dumped into the ditches. The people were starved to death. People died due to a lack of medical treatment. The people were forced to work 20 hours or more, a day, with a little food to eat. The Pol Pot and Ieng Sary’s Clique constantly watched our people and guarded Cambodia under the iron curtain - no information about what had been going on in the country got out to the outside world. Within 3 years 8 months and 20 days, the Pol Pot and Ieng Sary’s Clique killed more than 2 million of our people.

On the other hand, the Hun Sen Regime is used a different strategic plan to kill our people. First is the land. Currently, land is a hot commodity and it is at a “high peak” in value. Mr. Hun Sen allowed his high-ranking officials to either force our people to sell their land at a lower price or their land would be confiscated and they would not be compensated. Mr. Hun Sen allowed the foreign companies to buy off thousands and thousands of acres of land, rubber plantations, and hired people to work at low wages. The high-ranking officials put our national monument “Angkor Wat Temple” for lease and pocketed the money. Our own people are being evicted; their homes have been bulldozed and burned down. They were chased and prodded from their land and villages. As a result, our people are ended up in the streets begging for food for their survival. Some of our people have no choice but to choose dumpsites as their living squatters.

Second, illegal immigrants have swarmed into our Tonle Sap. They trashed, polluted the lake, and they have used hand grenades and electric shock to kill our fish. They have depleted and driven extinction to some of our fish species and destroyed of their habitats.

Third, is the forestry. Mr. Hun Sen had allowed the foreign logging companies to cut down of our precious trees and shipping them abroad and his high-ranking officials pocketed the money. Mr. Hun Sen has allowed the foreigners to slowly nibble away our vital natural resources (land, forest, and water) until they are depleted. Land, forest, and water are the heart and soul of our Khmer survival as a nation, and if allow this to continue, eventually, it would eradicate the whole Khmer nation.

In my political opinion, it would be foolish if President Sam Rainsy used his political platform to run for political office as a roadblock for other political parties. He has chosen to run for political office because he believes he has the knowledge, skills, ability, and political experience (national and international) to bring democracy to our people and our homeland. He wants a free and democratic Cambodia. He wants to plant the seeds our democracy in Cambodia and to help grow respect for human rights and dignity, so that each and every Cambodian citizen in this generations and the next, would have the opportunity to freely exercise their basic fundamental rights without fear of being persecuted. This has always been the top priority of his and it is of monumental importance for all of us. He believes the people have trusted in him, and in return, he wants to invest more in our people, in their economy, and in their future. He fights for Factory/Garment Workers to raise their wages. He makes sure that proper working conditions are met including adequate salary, benefits, and sick and vacation times. President Sam Rainsy advocates for our teachers. He demands raising their salaries, and provide continuing education and trainings for our teachers. President Sam Rainsy would ensure that every Cambodian child will receive an excellent education. Those that have graduated from college and universities would be sure to land a decent job. “No one is born a good citizen; no nation is born a democracy. Rather, both are processes that continue to evolve over a lifetime. Young people must be included from birth. A society that cuts off from its youth severs its lifeline.” Kofi Annan. More over, President Sam Rainsy fights for women rights. He advocates for equal opportunity for women in political office and corporations in Cambodia. Equally important, we are the agricultural nation; therefore, farmers are our backbones for our country. President Sam Rainsy would ensure that our farmers have adequate support and have all the resources including irrigation systems and equipments to work on their farmland and growing crops.

President Sam Rainsy has strong public policies on corruption, terrorism, human and drug trafficking, environmental concerns, illegal immigrants, and border issues. More importantly, President Sam Rainsy’s utmost goal, upon becoming Prime Minister, is to unify all Cambodian compatriots by embracing all of our Khmer people, living inside Cambodia and overseas to join forces in rebuilding our country.

The responsibility for alleviating the plight of our people and our homeland falls upon all members of our society. As individuals, all citizens have a duty to assist our homeland through acts of charity and personal commitment. We also carry the moral responsibility to assist and empower the people by working collectively through and with the government to establish just and effective public policies. But one crucial societal aspect remains to be clarified publicly by the Hun Sen Regime. If all members of our society are ready to lend a hand and take charge in sharing responsibility with the government so the whole nation can benefit and move forward, what has stopped the people from doing it? To answer the question, let’s we all closely examine the recent political message made by Mr. Hun Sen for the purpose of his political campaign. “If the people voted for the ruling party, CPP, there will be no war. The people don’t need to run for the trenches.” The statement is clearly point out that, in fact, Mr. Hun Sen is the main roadblock for our people and our country to move forward. Surprisingly, this is not an unusual message coming out from Mr. Hun Sen’s mouth. As a matter fact, this is an excellent example on how he and his regime have been able to continue to stay in power by using forces against his political opponents.

A new political message is therefore called for. It must begin with the age-old assumption that we are only as strong as our weakest link. It asseverates that the judgment of our society will depend not on how it treats its most powerful, privileged, and wealthy, but rather on how its treat its most vulnerable. It will invoke a spirit of cooperation, rather than one of greed. And it will place the concern and needs of every Khmer, rather than those of corrupted groups, at the top of the government. If we can begin to move the country toward such a political message, I envision a dramatic positive change of our Khmer nation.

Coming this July, I plead with all my heart to all of our Khmer people living in all 22 provinces to carefully consider about making a final decision before you casting your vote. Your vote should match with the most qualify candidate, whom you think will be the next Prime Minister that can lead our people and our country to a brighter future. I totally understand the struggles your family and you are going through each day. But it is the important moment that each and every one of you must make a wise decision. It is not about a bag of salt and/or a bag of sugar, one Sarong and/or one Kroma, one cow here and one chicken there, in exchange for your vote. It is about your vote, and your vote is your voice. Your voice is for you and your children’s future. And your future will be depending on the liberty and freedom that you will have.

I am very confident with President Sam Rainsy. He is genuine and a man of moral integrity. He is a charismatic leader. President Sam Rainsy is the right man, for the right time, and for the right reasons for our people and our homeland. Please vote for President Sam Rainsy for the next Prime Minister!

Thank you for reading.

Som Preah Chea Mchas Chouy Bom Pleu Plov Aoy Koun Khmer Yoeung Krup Knea Ning Brotest Cheat Yoeung Tov Rok Ana Kut Dor Roung Roeung!