Editorial by Khmerization
On the web at http://khmerization.blogspot.com
Read previous Khmerization editorial about Dam Sith's arrest (The Hor Namhong Factor: Double Perpetration vs. Double Victimisation?) here.
Sam Rainsy's offer to swap jail term with Mr. Dam Sith, an editor of the Moneaksekar Khmer newspaper, who was arrested on the 8th of June on charges of defamation, has sent shiver down my spine. My worry has not so much focussed only on his brave offer, but much on the possibility that his offer might be accepted. I admired his courage and bravery but I also feel that his offer will result in devastating consequences for his political career and the survival of his party, if it is accepted.
First, let's look at the real scenario that might come out of this deal. And let's look at the negative side first. Rainsy must realise that he is dealing with a brutal regime and a dictatorial prime minister. Should Rainsy's offer be accepted by the Cambodian court, aided and abetted by Hor Namhong, Rainsy could be sent to jail in no time. In retrospect, Rainsy should look at the Aung San Suu Kyi's case in Burma very closely. Suu Kyi is a classic case. She has been in jail for over 18 years. And even with strong protest and sanctions from the international community, the junta regime in Burma refused to budge.
The worst case scenario that would come out of this daring deal would be the future of his political party. If he is jailed , and after international outcry Hun Sen still refuse to budge, what would the future hold for his party? A possible scenario would be that, if Rainsy is jailed for as long as Suu Kyi then his party would surely be weakened and disintegrate to the point of not being salvageable. And that would be the end of his party and his political career. No one, myself in particular, wants to see this scenario happen.
Now, let's look at a positive scenario. If the offer is accepted and Rainsy is imprisoned and he is released immediately after the international outcry, then Rainsy and his party can claim to have won a moral victory over evil. If this scenario occurred, Rainsy and his party surely has achieved public and voters' sympathy that would translate to increased electoral chances for the upcoming election. And Rainsy would be hailed a hero upon releasing from jail.
But one has to admit that Rainsy is dealing with a brutally undemocratic regime that is facing electoral defeat in the upcoming election. It will take any opportunity to sabotage Rainsy's chances of an electoral victory. And the ruling Cambodian People's Party, especially Mr. Hun Sen, would see Rainsy's offer of going to jail on behalf of Mr. Dam Sith as a great opportunity to thwart Rainsy's chances.
Lastly, I wish that this defamation suit would be resolved in a civilised manner, with Dam Sith and Rainsy exonerated unharmed.
Sam Rainsy's offer to swap jail term with Mr. Dam Sith, an editor of the Moneaksekar Khmer newspaper, who was arrested on the 8th of June on charges of defamation, has sent shiver down my spine. My worry has not so much focussed only on his brave offer, but much on the possibility that his offer might be accepted. I admired his courage and bravery but I also feel that his offer will result in devastating consequences for his political career and the survival of his party, if it is accepted.
First, let's look at the real scenario that might come out of this deal. And let's look at the negative side first. Rainsy must realise that he is dealing with a brutal regime and a dictatorial prime minister. Should Rainsy's offer be accepted by the Cambodian court, aided and abetted by Hor Namhong, Rainsy could be sent to jail in no time. In retrospect, Rainsy should look at the Aung San Suu Kyi's case in Burma very closely. Suu Kyi is a classic case. She has been in jail for over 18 years. And even with strong protest and sanctions from the international community, the junta regime in Burma refused to budge.
The worst case scenario that would come out of this daring deal would be the future of his political party. If he is jailed , and after international outcry Hun Sen still refuse to budge, what would the future hold for his party? A possible scenario would be that, if Rainsy is jailed for as long as Suu Kyi then his party would surely be weakened and disintegrate to the point of not being salvageable. And that would be the end of his party and his political career. No one, myself in particular, wants to see this scenario happen.
Now, let's look at a positive scenario. If the offer is accepted and Rainsy is imprisoned and he is released immediately after the international outcry, then Rainsy and his party can claim to have won a moral victory over evil. If this scenario occurred, Rainsy and his party surely has achieved public and voters' sympathy that would translate to increased electoral chances for the upcoming election. And Rainsy would be hailed a hero upon releasing from jail.
But one has to admit that Rainsy is dealing with a brutally undemocratic regime that is facing electoral defeat in the upcoming election. It will take any opportunity to sabotage Rainsy's chances of an electoral victory. And the ruling Cambodian People's Party, especially Mr. Hun Sen, would see Rainsy's offer of going to jail on behalf of Mr. Dam Sith as a great opportunity to thwart Rainsy's chances.
Lastly, I wish that this defamation suit would be resolved in a civilised manner, with Dam Sith and Rainsy exonerated unharmed.
18 comments:
the gandhi or martin luther king jr of cambodia? god bless all.
Brave? Who are you kidding?
Rainsy is the greatest modern Cambodian patriot.
In his head, Hun Sen fears only one person, Sam Rainsy!
What a previlige that we, Khmers, have a modern Khmer hero in our midst!
If Hun Sen government dare put Mr. Sam Rainsy in jail and Sam Rainsy Party members will become more radicalize than it is right now and it will be the straw that broke the camel back!
Hun Sen Government is a byproduct of a foreigner military intervention and a puppet government that seek to oppress Cambodian people!
8:28am, i'm not for anyone in particular, but your last comment is reminiscence of the french colonial master in cambodia who the royal family courted and french in turn suppressed the cambodian people, then. so, aren't we all are! who are you kidding? that said, cambodia don't depend or need the vietcongs for anything in cambodia. so, back home, vietcongs! cambodia is a bad place for you type of people.
Remember NELSO MANDELLA of South Africa ?After 28 years in jail,he become President.
I do see the Gandhi, the Suu Kyi, the Martin Luther King and the Nelson Mandela scenario for Rainsy. But the only difference is those people were jailed by civilized govt., except Suu Kyi. Rainsy will be jailed by former communists and brutal people who committed war crimes after the 1997 coup, committed the 30th March 1997 grenade attacks, who executed Ho Sok and gouged Kruoch Yoeum's eyes. So a happy ending might not happen for Rainsy after long years of jail term. But I don't think this case will reach that stage.
impossible! dont worry. Legally, how can it be exchanged like that? Then I can offer to be imprisoned for s.o too.
There are two kinds of heroism. One is to die for a noble cause and another is to live for it. The first case, you try to be perfect and would not make any compromise on your conscience. The second case, you are flexible. You sometimes do things you don't like to achieve one noble goal. The first kind is the romanticist's hero, the second is the modern day hero: the heroic anti-hero. People now prefer the 2nd version because he gets the job done. So we better think what kind of hero are we talking about and what kind of hero we want to be.
No need to worry gorilla fucker. Our court doesn't follow any of Ah Scam Rainxy order.
1:53, no class or morality for supporters of Hun Xen? Like Chanrithy Him's book title, "When Broken Glass Floats". Evil will show it's ugly head and cause havoc onto the good. All in all, the evil that is will eventually sink back to the bottom. Evil will never stay up for good. Hun Xen is on borrowed time.
True, Hun Sen live on borrowed time. The time will come one day. No one will live forever, the same as no one will rule forever. Remember? Khieu Samphan, Duch, Ieng Sary, Nuon Chea, they were all jailers, but now they are prisoners. don't think that you can jail everyone all the time, one day you will be jailed by them, so don't just overstep or overdo things.
Please don't offer youself Mr. Rainsey. It won't mean much to those who purposely want to put you or your party in jail. No one fight better for yourself or your party than you. Be on the outside and keep pounding. Never let yourself fall into their trap. Everyone stars to see more and more of Mr. Hor N.Hong's color each day already. Soon or later, he'll just have to come out and confess on his own. The devil will never able to sleep at night knowing that he was the actually killer or master of this death camp. Many more people also aren't going to shut up and let this fool go on playing a deception game forever. It will take sometimes.
the key in all of this is that people should know and be aware of professional boundary. they can get in trouble with the law when they overstep their boundary. this goes with anyone anywhere in the world as well as cambodia. have to respect professional boundary, even at work. same concept applies with unless you are a private citizen which should have all rights to expression without fear or repercussion from authority.
also, extreme and radical demands is also unrealistic as often showed by the demand of most opposition parties in cambodia. they want cambodia to change and develop at a break-neck speed overnight like democracy, poverty eleviation, etc., without regards to the ability and availability of fund etc, that cambodia lacks, etc... yes, reforms and changes are inevitable for cambodia, however, to expect to fast like overnight express is not just impossible, but unfair and unjust as well because of these kind of demands. i mean, of course, cambodia wants to develop and to reform for better in all fields, however, gov't kept saying it will take time, step by step as cambodia was just awaken from the nightmare and suffering unprecedent in modern history of the world, and for people like those in the opposition party do make a hasty demand is unrealistic, given the situation and status of cambodia. that said, cambodia is working very hard to rectify and to please everyone and we need unity and cooperation from everybody to help us through this trial and turbulence. god bless cambodia and her beautiful khmer people.
also, extreme and radical demands is also unrealistic as often showed by the demand of most opposition parties in cambodia. they want cambodia to change and develop at a break-neck speed overnight like democracy, poverty eleviation, etc.,
29 YEARS, COMRADE @ 3:57 AM!
without regards to the ability and availability of fund etc, that cambodia lacks, etc...
I DON'T KNOW WHO YOU WOULD LIKE TO FOOL, NOT ME.
NO OFFENSE, MY FRIEND! MY ASSESSMENT ON YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND INSIGHTS ABOUT THE WHOLE ISSUES YOU HAVE MENTIONED IN YOUR COMMENT IS BASELESS! MY SUGGESTION TO YOU IS TO DO A LITTLE RESEARCH AND MOST OF ALL, KEEP YOUSELF UP-TO-DATE.
To 3:57AM
Cambodia must start somewhere! Cambodia can afford to have a single leader like AH HUN SEN to micromanage Cambodia like King Sihanouk in the 1960!
When the world come to Cambodia and they will ask Cambodian people to jump and Cambodian people better say how high otherwise they will be label as the most low class backward kind of people who refuse to modernize!
The world expects Cambodian people can do better!
What world? Ah Khmer-Yuon got no friend on this planet.
Heh 2;42PM. Can I ask you this?
Who are Khmer_Yuon? I am confused. May be I don't know much about new terms.
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