Op-Ed by BaphuonOriginally posted on the web on 21 Feb 2007
Mr. Vannsak and Suzanne, his wife, were my professors at Lycée Sisowath, classes Math Elem. They were loved and respected by their students. Vannsak teachings influenced the political thinking of my generation. Vannsak was a brilliant student at Sorbonne University in the 1950s.
Sometimes you agree with his theory, sometimes you don’t. But as scholar he was very prolific in ideas and created so many threads to keep the political debate alive and interesting.
In the US, 95% of the University professors, Harvard, Yale etc, well known as the generation of anti-Vietnam War, are liberal. They shaped the American thinking, the American foreign policy and financial, political and social policy. But the US policy was not necessary liberal. First of all, as any other country in the world, American defended American interests. It could be hawk, and it could be liberal.
So the professors might be liberal but their students could also be conservative.
In international policy, it needs the American leadership to get something done. The UN charter, the NATO Treaty, and the International Court of Justice etc… were all American concept. In any international conference, it needed American plan, American proposal, American structure of discussion to reach an agreement. Brief, it needs American leadership to achieve a common goal. This created jealousy.
In Cambodia, Vietnam ordered the CPP people to hate the American, and speak badly about the US policy and glorify Vietnam as the heroic country which defeated the first power in the world.
Sharp contrast between Vietnamese and Cambodian reception of former President Clinton
On December 4, 2006, former President Clinton visited officially Cambodia to sign a memorandum for the foundation to continue supporting and expand pediatric treatment of HIV/AIDS in Cambodia.
Cambodia, one of the world's poorest countries, has an HIV infection rate of 1.9 percent for people aged 15-49, among the highest in Southeast Asia. The rate has been significantly reduced from 3 percent in 1997.
About 20,000 children under the age of 15 live with HIV or AIDS in Cambodia, out of a total 123,000 people who are either infected with the virus or have the full-blown disease.
It is noteworthy the sharp contrast between Cambodia and Vietnam reception of the former President Bill Clinton. It tends to convince that Vietnam is smart and Cambodia is dumb.
Indeed, Clinton was received by Om Yi Tieng, an insignificant minister at his arrival at Phnom Penh airport during his visit to Cambodia while he was received with great pomp and honor at Hanoi airport by Prime Minister of Vietnam off Clinton airplane.
Vietnam spoke sweetly peace but in the back Vietnam make war
Is Hun Sen. dumb for not seeing the importance of the courtesy we own to President Clinton for helping our HIV/AID infected people? Or Hun Sen. is afraid of Hanoi?
For the CPP, January 7th 1979 was the CPP Victory against the Khmer Rouge
Up to today, Vietnam celebrated publicly and officially every year the anniversary of January 7th, 1979 victory. It was a public celebration. Vietnamese Public radio and TV and presses all together celebrated the anniversary of January 7th, 1979 victory. Vietnam officials did not hide it under the friendship anymore.
January 7th, 1979 was: Ho Chi Minh dream comes true. Vietnam conquers Indochina. All the three countries, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos unified under Vietnam rule. Just read Vietnamese presses and listen to Vietnam radio and watch Vietnam TV on January 7th to convince that Vietnam intention was to swallow head to toe Cambodia, said Thach Chan.
Vannsak’s actions had always impact in the public conscience. He was courageous to speak out his mind. A dozen years ago, Hun Sen. warned Vannsak: Do not engage in political party. If you do, you will be assassinated.
Even now, after his recent Jayavarman VII statement, Vannsak was still popular in Cambodia. He attracted so much attention to the point that Kem Sos, the director of RFA, had to ask him to make a kind of apology to cool down the atmosphere. The CPP might use that particular scholar discussion to redo another sack in the style of the sack of Thailand Embassy on February 2, 2003.
In the US, some American scholars, specialists in Cambodia policy, would like to invite Vannsak to their department to make speeches. Some of my friends are working on this.
During the first years of 1950s, Indochina was in ebullition. Ho Chi Minh and Vietnamese movements fought aggressively against French colonialist.
In 1950, Cambodian students in Paris, France, started to discuss how to fight France for the independence of Cambodia. Their leaders were: Keng Vannsak, Phuong Ton, Ea Sichau, Hang Thun Hak, Sum Vaddhana You, Thioun Mom, Hou Yon etc.
When the majority of his peers kept quiet, Vannsak denounced the monarchy and King Sihanouk. King Sihanouk at that time did nothing for Cambodia independence. His spent his time in the movies and entertained his royal court, said Vannsak.
In 1953, the Vietminh derailed the train Phnom Penh-Battambang and slaughtered all the voyagers. Jump to the occasion, Vannsak wrote in the Union des Etudients Khmers magazine under a pen name: "The Khmer monarchy is a leech which sucked Khmer people blood. The King did nothing while the people suffered. The monarchy did nothing for the liberation of Cambodia."
King Sihanouk exploded angrily. Then he cut off all the funding of the scholarship of those Khmer students.
Khmer students acknowledged that Vietnam was much well organized for the liberation war. Vietnam was far better organized than Cambodia.
All Khmer student leaders agreed: If Cambodia was not organized to liberate Cambodia from France colonialism, Cambodia would fall under Vietnamese yoke when France was defeated and forced to leave Indochina. Then Vietnam would replace France to annex Cambodia under Vietnamese rule. Khmer students in Paris knew so well that extreme danger that Cambodia would face in the next decade.
But the question is: How to organize Cambodian armed resistance independent from Vietnam to fight for Cambodia independence? How to get the arms and ammunitions? What country would give Khmer resistance armament and finance to fight against France?
War for the independence from France and Vietnam…will be long, said Hang Thun Hak. We should learn how to fight and how to organize the guerilla warfare from other armed force struggle movements, added Hang Thun Hak. We should learn from the armed struggle in the Middle East. We should send our people to learn there, said Hang Thun Hak who was well known among leftist artists and well connected to the Middle East armed resistance. Those Khmer Student leaders including even the communist Khmers did never ever trust the Vietnamese.
The only countries that might provide armament to fight the imperialist (France and later the US) were Russia and China. But Russia and China had their own agenda. Russia would like to have the absolute control of the Kommintern. All armed resistance should be under her thumb. China had her own policy too.
When Ea Si Chau tried to get the arms directly from Russia through French communist party, he got no as answer. Indeed, you should cooperate with Ho, because everything should go trough Ho Chi Minh, the delegate of Kommintern for Indochina, said French communist leader.
Then Ea Si Chau made a last try with the Republic of China to get the armament for Cambodian armed resistance. Ea Si Chau was a Hautes Etudes Commerciales alumnus, the French equivalent to Harvard MBA, left Phnom Penh by boat to Hong Kong then to Beijing. The communist Chinese leaders told Si Chau that King Sihanouk is very popular. The moment is not yet propitious for popular war. Mao said to him, in popular war you have to suffer, endure the sacrifice to succeed. You have to wait, be patient, added Chou En Lai.
Ea Si Chau returned to Cambodia with empty hand
After several tries to get armament from communist countries, Vietnamese communists and Cambodian armed resistance arrived to the same conclusion: They ought to purchase armament for the armed resistance by their own means.
For this reason, Battambang and Siemreap provinces play a vital role in the purchase of arms and ammunitions from Thailand. This explained also, why a Battambang and Siemreap province was the cradle of all revolutionary movements, Vietminh, Khmer Issaraks, Dap Chhuon, Khmer Serey etc…
From the start, Vannsak did not fit in any armed struggle. He is a thinker, a philosopher but not an armed fighter whereas Hang Thun Hak and Ea Si Chau and Roth Samoeun and the communist believed that political change ought to be through an armed struggle. But the communist always talk sweetly peace while in the back make war.
Baphuon
Sometimes you agree with his theory, sometimes you don’t. But as scholar he was very prolific in ideas and created so many threads to keep the political debate alive and interesting.
In the US, 95% of the University professors, Harvard, Yale etc, well known as the generation of anti-Vietnam War, are liberal. They shaped the American thinking, the American foreign policy and financial, political and social policy. But the US policy was not necessary liberal. First of all, as any other country in the world, American defended American interests. It could be hawk, and it could be liberal.
So the professors might be liberal but their students could also be conservative.
In international policy, it needs the American leadership to get something done. The UN charter, the NATO Treaty, and the International Court of Justice etc… were all American concept. In any international conference, it needed American plan, American proposal, American structure of discussion to reach an agreement. Brief, it needs American leadership to achieve a common goal. This created jealousy.
In Cambodia, Vietnam ordered the CPP people to hate the American, and speak badly about the US policy and glorify Vietnam as the heroic country which defeated the first power in the world.
Sharp contrast between Vietnamese and Cambodian reception of former President Clinton
On December 4, 2006, former President Clinton visited officially Cambodia to sign a memorandum for the foundation to continue supporting and expand pediatric treatment of HIV/AIDS in Cambodia.
Cambodia, one of the world's poorest countries, has an HIV infection rate of 1.9 percent for people aged 15-49, among the highest in Southeast Asia. The rate has been significantly reduced from 3 percent in 1997.
About 20,000 children under the age of 15 live with HIV or AIDS in Cambodia, out of a total 123,000 people who are either infected with the virus or have the full-blown disease.
It is noteworthy the sharp contrast between Cambodia and Vietnam reception of the former President Bill Clinton. It tends to convince that Vietnam is smart and Cambodia is dumb.
Indeed, Clinton was received by Om Yi Tieng, an insignificant minister at his arrival at Phnom Penh airport during his visit to Cambodia while he was received with great pomp and honor at Hanoi airport by Prime Minister of Vietnam off Clinton airplane.
Vietnam spoke sweetly peace but in the back Vietnam make war
Is Hun Sen. dumb for not seeing the importance of the courtesy we own to President Clinton for helping our HIV/AID infected people? Or Hun Sen. is afraid of Hanoi?
For the CPP, January 7th 1979 was the CPP Victory against the Khmer Rouge
Up to today, Vietnam celebrated publicly and officially every year the anniversary of January 7th, 1979 victory. It was a public celebration. Vietnamese Public radio and TV and presses all together celebrated the anniversary of January 7th, 1979 victory. Vietnam officials did not hide it under the friendship anymore.
January 7th, 1979 was: Ho Chi Minh dream comes true. Vietnam conquers Indochina. All the three countries, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos unified under Vietnam rule. Just read Vietnamese presses and listen to Vietnam radio and watch Vietnam TV on January 7th to convince that Vietnam intention was to swallow head to toe Cambodia, said Thach Chan.
Vannsak’s actions had always impact in the public conscience. He was courageous to speak out his mind. A dozen years ago, Hun Sen. warned Vannsak: Do not engage in political party. If you do, you will be assassinated.
Even now, after his recent Jayavarman VII statement, Vannsak was still popular in Cambodia. He attracted so much attention to the point that Kem Sos, the director of RFA, had to ask him to make a kind of apology to cool down the atmosphere. The CPP might use that particular scholar discussion to redo another sack in the style of the sack of Thailand Embassy on February 2, 2003.
In the US, some American scholars, specialists in Cambodia policy, would like to invite Vannsak to their department to make speeches. Some of my friends are working on this.
During the first years of 1950s, Indochina was in ebullition. Ho Chi Minh and Vietnamese movements fought aggressively against French colonialist.
In 1950, Cambodian students in Paris, France, started to discuss how to fight France for the independence of Cambodia. Their leaders were: Keng Vannsak, Phuong Ton, Ea Sichau, Hang Thun Hak, Sum Vaddhana You, Thioun Mom, Hou Yon etc.
When the majority of his peers kept quiet, Vannsak denounced the monarchy and King Sihanouk. King Sihanouk at that time did nothing for Cambodia independence. His spent his time in the movies and entertained his royal court, said Vannsak.
In 1953, the Vietminh derailed the train Phnom Penh-Battambang and slaughtered all the voyagers. Jump to the occasion, Vannsak wrote in the Union des Etudients Khmers magazine under a pen name: "The Khmer monarchy is a leech which sucked Khmer people blood. The King did nothing while the people suffered. The monarchy did nothing for the liberation of Cambodia."
King Sihanouk exploded angrily. Then he cut off all the funding of the scholarship of those Khmer students.
Khmer students acknowledged that Vietnam was much well organized for the liberation war. Vietnam was far better organized than Cambodia.
All Khmer student leaders agreed: If Cambodia was not organized to liberate Cambodia from France colonialism, Cambodia would fall under Vietnamese yoke when France was defeated and forced to leave Indochina. Then Vietnam would replace France to annex Cambodia under Vietnamese rule. Khmer students in Paris knew so well that extreme danger that Cambodia would face in the next decade.
But the question is: How to organize Cambodian armed resistance independent from Vietnam to fight for Cambodia independence? How to get the arms and ammunitions? What country would give Khmer resistance armament and finance to fight against France?
War for the independence from France and Vietnam…will be long, said Hang Thun Hak. We should learn how to fight and how to organize the guerilla warfare from other armed force struggle movements, added Hang Thun Hak. We should learn from the armed struggle in the Middle East. We should send our people to learn there, said Hang Thun Hak who was well known among leftist artists and well connected to the Middle East armed resistance. Those Khmer Student leaders including even the communist Khmers did never ever trust the Vietnamese.
The only countries that might provide armament to fight the imperialist (France and later the US) were Russia and China. But Russia and China had their own agenda. Russia would like to have the absolute control of the Kommintern. All armed resistance should be under her thumb. China had her own policy too.
When Ea Si Chau tried to get the arms directly from Russia through French communist party, he got no as answer. Indeed, you should cooperate with Ho, because everything should go trough Ho Chi Minh, the delegate of Kommintern for Indochina, said French communist leader.
Then Ea Si Chau made a last try with the Republic of China to get the armament for Cambodian armed resistance. Ea Si Chau was a Hautes Etudes Commerciales alumnus, the French equivalent to Harvard MBA, left Phnom Penh by boat to Hong Kong then to Beijing. The communist Chinese leaders told Si Chau that King Sihanouk is very popular. The moment is not yet propitious for popular war. Mao said to him, in popular war you have to suffer, endure the sacrifice to succeed. You have to wait, be patient, added Chou En Lai.
Ea Si Chau returned to Cambodia with empty hand
After several tries to get armament from communist countries, Vietnamese communists and Cambodian armed resistance arrived to the same conclusion: They ought to purchase armament for the armed resistance by their own means.
For this reason, Battambang and Siemreap provinces play a vital role in the purchase of arms and ammunitions from Thailand. This explained also, why a Battambang and Siemreap province was the cradle of all revolutionary movements, Vietminh, Khmer Issaraks, Dap Chhuon, Khmer Serey etc…
From the start, Vannsak did not fit in any armed struggle. He is a thinker, a philosopher but not an armed fighter whereas Hang Thun Hak and Ea Si Chau and Roth Samoeun and the communist believed that political change ought to be through an armed struggle. But the communist always talk sweetly peace while in the back make war.
Baphuon
19 comments:
The passing of a giant.There will never be another one like him.May god bless his soul .
..I was also a Lycee Sisowath Math Elem of 1960. Vannsak was remembered as a Cambodian professor associated with the Khmer Democratic Parti. He was anti royalist and symphatized with the Vietnamese occupation of Cambodia until 1954 Geniva peace conference. He was a friend of Noun Suon the former CPP leader in 1954. Vannasak alledged that our independence was as a result of the Vietnamese victory over the French in Dien Bien Phu in 1954. We got our indenpence (through Sihanouk crusade) in 1953 or 1 year before Dien Bien Phu. Vannsak wanted to be a Cambodian leader in the fight for independence. Too bad, he associated himself with the Vietnamse in the 1950's. He was a traitor to his own people.
any leader should be free to think and act according to the best interest of the nation and should not let anyone else dictate or influence him/her in a way that other educated people see as a puppet of some sort. money isn't everything. what's more important is the achievement, the lasting imprint that leader have on his/her country so his/her people can memorialize their leader that could make a huge difference for the nation. it is simple, it's called being smarter, cleverer, and skillful, perhaps. i would like to look back at the history or achievement in cambodia and be able to credit the reforms or changes to a certain capable leader. take for example, in thailand history, their king mongkut, who loves for western style and ways, had abolished slaves, and introduce his country to embrace the western ways by going as far as keep the english governaness, anna, to train his royal children the western ways such as philosophy, thinking, etc... now, that was sometime the present people of thailand could look back and feel proud of their leader for having brought changes and reforms to their country. this is what people in cambodia should be able to do and feel proud of their leader, too, when they look back say 50 or 100 years from now. until the leader smarten up, there will always be some sort of problem to sort out. i mean, it doesn't have to be a western way, it could be any other great civilization out there, just make a difference for the nation is what count. god bless cambodia.
Not to mean disrespect for the deceased, but here is my humble opinion about Prof. Keng Vannsak.
From what I know, Prof. Keng was at first considered as a republican who courageously and defiantly challenged the Sihanouk’s (Songkum) regime in the 1950’s. He later became Pol Pot close friend and personal mentor when the latter and Ieng Sary came to study in France. Through his recent writing dated Dec 11, 2008, it appeared that Prof. Keng carried his bitter animosity toward the monarchy until the very last day of his existence.
Given the appalling and unjustifiable treatments he received from the Songkum high ranking officials and supporters, it was quite understandable that Prof. Keng had a very hash view on the monarchy, in particular King-father Sihanouk. And to some extent, his critics on King-father Sihanouk and Songkum were factual and had merits.
Like many respectable nationalists of his generation, Prof. Keng did exhibit some weak and regrettable Khmer characters. He was unwilling to put the past behind, and he let his personal feeling cloud his judgement and wisdom for a large part of his life. It was a huge loss to the nation and to himself to continue living in the bitter past rather than move on and devote his grand intellect to create an inspiring legacy for the future generation.
This is the main difference between Samdech Sangk’reach Chuon Nath and Prof. Keng, two men of comparable intellect but completely different wisdoms.
Khmer Blood
Baphuon is Thach Bunroeun the Khmer Krom student of Keng Vannsak.
Keng Vannsak was The Khmer Rouges' ongoing ideological struggle have been just as devastating. He has actually created a permanently exiled to France and city backwaters.
ChapTep:
Stop spreading your stupid professor's propaganda, Ah Retarded (Baphuon). No one cares. Let the man go to hell quietly, alright?
And who the hell are you Chap Tep? One of the Khmer-french racist from France? lol. Merde.
អា យួន កន្តប ចុយម្រ៉ាយ 3:21 AM មួយនេះមឹនទាន់ងាប់នៅឡើយទេ? ឌូម៉ែហា!
How come all of a sudden, people are claiming to be "students" of this person "Keng Vannsak". To me, he does not even look smart at all. He is old and baldy. He is probably living off his children. Stop associating with that old man, OK. It is not cool to be "old", OK, especially when one wasn't even born at that time at all. The point is that I too can whip something up and be blah blah blah. OK. You can actually read up on that old man Keng Vannsak on Wikipedia. One time I recomposed the bits and pieces from the Internet on the Khmer Rouge, and people thought I was born in Cambodia and a historian. That was cool, though, but I am no such thing. Hahaha.
Well 5:22 AM, if what you said is true then remember one thing - you can run but you can't hide. Hahaha! Don't say that I heven't told you so, okay? Until you get caught, have a nice life!
I'm from Central New York,
I'm deeply sadden of his death.
However, I never agreed with his theorys in Cambodia's history. He gave to much credits to the Thais. Sometimes, I wonder if he was the real Khmer in heart.
In my study, Siam and Nam Viet conquested, slaughtered, and looted the Khmer Empire. They put Cambodia into the dark age until the French, Spanish, and Porturguess arrived in 16 or 17 century.
Jayvarman VII was a true Khmer blood and his wife was Indian origin. Siam never existed then!!!
Love you all Khmers,
ChapTep (2:39 AM),
If Baphuon is Thach Bunroeun, then I must be you, and you must be your brother in disguise, and your brother may be your sister after all. You see the logic here? Where does it end?
I am you!
Who care about Ah fake professor (Keng Vannsak) who have been brainwashed by Nazies?
Bon Voyage to hell, motherfucker!
"Well 5:22 AM, if what you said is true then remember one thing - you can run but you can't hide. Hahaha! Don't say that I heven't told you so, okay? Until you get caught, have a nice life!5:32 AM"
WTH? Ah 5:32 Stupid Azz. Why do I have to hide for? for what and from what? I will be caught for what, FOOL! Haha. This is so hilarious...
well re-read what you wrote 10:28 AM?
អា យួន កន្តប ចុយម្រ៉ាយ 10:28 AM មួយនេះមឹនទាន់ងាប់នៅឡើយទេ? ឌូម៉ែហា!
Koun mi chouy mray kandouy mae vea nis veuy!
Du Ma cong cak don't be cursing me fools. Hahhah. What exactly did I say to cause all of these cussings from these fools 12:17 and 10:42 and 5:32. Haha. OK, the old baldy dude with the face of a child is already DEAD. OK. He is gone and forever gone. OK. Stop liivng in the past. OK. Hahha. Get a move on with your life. OK. Du Ma Cong Cak. Hahhah.
Say good bye, Professor Keng. Wrong or right I may think that you were a French Phylosopher.
Thank you for taking a lead of finding Khmer typewriter.
Khmer Long Beach
Thank you very much. History will not forget you.
Rest in peace and please help direct our people to love and protect Khmers.
Follow the link above to listen to Ken Vannsak's interviews about the difference between Yuon and Vietnam.
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