Reaksmei Kampuchea newspaper
30th December, 2008
Translated from Khmer by Khmerization
The Thai people have copied Khmer culture, adopted and practised it as a new culture to build a brand new society on the lands of the ex-Khmer territories and developed Thailand into a more advanced and prosperous country than Cambodia, which is the original owner of the culture and the lands.
Who are the Khmers? What is the Khmer culture? Who are the Thais? Where did they come from?
Khmer are peace-loving people who never fight one another. They are a people who were born and lived in the Golden Peninsula (Chroy Sovannaphum) since a long time ago.
According to the evidence from the pre-historic sites of Spean Neak Bridge at a reservoir northwest of Cambodia, it show that the Khmer people lived in the areas since 5000 years before the Christian Era. The Khmer people practised Khmer culture, which was a culture that taught Khmer people to behave appropriately, to become law-abiding citizens. It is a culture that teaches people to always respect elders, especially their parents, their teachers and older people.
The culture Khmer is the Khmer language, Khmer literature, ancestors worshipping, Brahmanism, Buddhism, Khmer traditions and Khmer arts etc. Khmer culture teaches Khmer to be intelligent and sow the seed of a hard working Khmer race. Khmer culture educate Khmer to be a dignified race, the first settlers in the territories of Nokor Phnom (Funan in Chinese). At the beginning of the first century of the Christian Era, Khmer culture was the most civilised culture during the Angkorian Era of 802-1431 AD. The Khmer people speak Khmer language which was the oldest language of the Khmer-Mon family in the region. During the Funan Era, the Khmer language was the most developed language due to the integration of the two languages of ancient Khmer language and the Sanskrit language of India.
Khmer have created the system of writing in the 7th century AD, which was evidenced by the first stone inscription in 611 AD at Angkor Borei in Takeo province. This system of Khmer writing, which was a source of Khmer values, have helped develop a more advanced culture until this present day which is the Khmer cultural assets including Khmer literature, traditions and arts. This culture has helped built many fine Khmer ancient temples, including the temple of Angkor Wat which was built in the 12th century and the Preah Vihear temple which was built in 911 AD.
Who are the Thai? Where did they come from?
The proper answer is very easy and that is the Thai people were wanderers who have moved to settle on the former Khmer territories. According to Mr. Henri Parc Monde (spelling?), a French author who wrote a book titled “Angkor” published by a Phnom Penh bookstore in 1960, wrote in page 9 that “The Thai people, who have a T’ai bloodline, came from southern China to settle in the Khmer territories, influenced by Khmer civilisation and have considered Khmers as their masters, but the T’ai people didn’t wait too long before usurping against their masters, the Khmers, through wars and at the end they have conquered the whole of Khmer territories.”
Mr. Dolfin Miniere (spelling?), another French author who wrote the “History of Cambodia” which was published in 1968, wrote in page 50 that “the T’ai people have created a state called ‘Nanchao’ in the 8th century in Yunan province of China and later moved to live in the mountain valleys of central China and Burma. Taking the chance when Burma was sacked by the Mongols led by Kublai Khan, the T’ai have taken control of most parts of Burma and learned the military strategy and tactics from the Mongols and copied the system of Khmer writing and later the T’ai managed to gain control of the whole Khmer administration in the Menam region."
The Khmer have fought against the T’ai (Thai) fiercely but lost and the T’ai established their capital at Sukhothai, which was a former Khmer capital. Even Mr. Anumarn Rajathorn, a Thai professor of the University of Chulalongkorn and a chairman of Thai History Review Committee, in 1968 wrote similar to what Mr. Parc Monde and Mr. Miniere had written.
Mr. Anumarn had written a book titled “Essay on Thai folklore”, published in Bangkok in 1968 in which he wrote on pages 8-11 that the T’ai people were originated in the south of the Yang-tse Kiang River in China and the Chinese people have recorded in their history book that called the T’ai as “jungle people”. In the 7th or 8th century, the T’ai people have created a state called “Nanchao” which was a name originated from the combination between the T’ai and Chinese words formed together. The word “nan” in Chinese means south and the word “chao” in Thai means prince/king.
In the 13th century, under the leadership of two leaders, the Thai have taken control of the Khmer capital of Sukhothai from the Khmer king and established their capital at Chiangmai. At the end of the 13th century in 1283, the Thai king, the third king of Sukhothai named Ramakamhaeng, had modified the Khmer alphabets into Thai alphabets, which the Thai people considered as the historical year of the Thai culture.
Before they have their own alphabets, they used Khmer alphabets in writing and because they have used Khmer alphabets they were able to seize Sukhothai from the Khmers. After they have created a state at Sukhothai, the Thai still use Khmer alphabets in their writing, especially Buddhist literatures which the Thai used to write on “Rith” leaves to make religious scriptures because the Thai believe that Khmer alphabets are sacred letters. After they sacked Sukhothai, the Thai were not satisfied and began their military expeditions to sack Angkor, which in 1431, 193 years after the sacking of Sukhothai, the Thai sacked Angkor and plundered almost all of Khmer cultural assets which caused miserable separations of Khmer families for hundreds of years afterward.
Since then, Khmer people do not know clearly what is Khmer culture which is an obstacle to the developments of Khmer society. Mr. Anumarn wrote in page 85 in his book “Essay on Thai Folklore” which describes that “ The Thai have combined little by little the Mon and Khmer languages into the Thai language and literature.”
In fact the Thai language is a language of the natives of Nanchao but the Thai borrowed many Khmer vocabularies. For example, the Khmer word “tess diel”(criticism), the Thai write and read as “tik tien”. The Khmer word of “kol” (movie), the Thai pronounced as “kon”, “kampeng“ (fortress/wall), the Thai pronounced as “kamphaeng”, thnol (road), as “thnon”, “rup reang” (form/shape), as “rup rang”, salarien (school), as “rong rien’, “chamroen” (prosperity), as “charoen”, preah vihear (temple), as ‘phra viharn”, ktum tess (water crest), as K’thum thet” etc. Mr. Anumarn wrote that the royal vocabularies that have been used by the Thai royal families were also borrowed from the Khmer royal vocabularies.
The Thai copied Khmer culture of the young respecting the old, copied the Khmer traditional code of dress like wearing sarong and they copied the Khmer architecture of building their houses in Khmer styles. In Khmer literature, the Thai copied from Khmer the Reamker epic (Ramayana) and called it “Ramaken”. The Khmer prawn soup “sngor nheaim“, the Thai called it “tom yam”. And the Thai ‘h’mok” (steamed spicy meat/fish paste) which Khmer called “amok” is also a Khmer food.
In arts, the Thai have copied many Khmer artistic performances, but they changed they way they dance to differentiate from Khmer.
In the Brahmanic (Hindu) belief, the Thai have copied many ceremonies and festivals from Khmer such as the royal ceremony of Royal Ploughing, Water Festival (om touk), kite flying etc.
Mr. Peter Jensen wrote in the Hindustan Times published on the 18th May, 2008 which quoted Mr. Sulak Sivaraksa, a renowned Thai historian on Khmer empires, who said that “The Thai invasions of Khmer territories made the Khmer to become weak, but the Thai copied all Khmer cultures and traditions, including the belief in the god-king and the ceremonies in the royal palace and the most influential belief among the circles of present Thai politicians is the “Khmer black magic”.
The above brief history show that the Thai people came from Nanchao of southern China in the 13th century to invade Khmer territories. Now, in the 21st century, the Thai still harbour the ambitions and still invade Khmer territories and plunder Khmer cultural assets. The Thai actions can only be likened to the words of Mr. Anumarn, the renowned Thai historian, on page 10 of his book “Essay on Thai Foklore” which he said “The Thai never ceased to be on the move.”
Indeed, they are still on the move……
30th December, 2008
Translated from Khmer by Khmerization
The Thai people have copied Khmer culture, adopted and practised it as a new culture to build a brand new society on the lands of the ex-Khmer territories and developed Thailand into a more advanced and prosperous country than Cambodia, which is the original owner of the culture and the lands.
Who are the Khmers? What is the Khmer culture? Who are the Thais? Where did they come from?
Khmer are peace-loving people who never fight one another. They are a people who were born and lived in the Golden Peninsula (Chroy Sovannaphum) since a long time ago.
According to the evidence from the pre-historic sites of Spean Neak Bridge at a reservoir northwest of Cambodia, it show that the Khmer people lived in the areas since 5000 years before the Christian Era. The Khmer people practised Khmer culture, which was a culture that taught Khmer people to behave appropriately, to become law-abiding citizens. It is a culture that teaches people to always respect elders, especially their parents, their teachers and older people.
The culture Khmer is the Khmer language, Khmer literature, ancestors worshipping, Brahmanism, Buddhism, Khmer traditions and Khmer arts etc. Khmer culture teaches Khmer to be intelligent and sow the seed of a hard working Khmer race. Khmer culture educate Khmer to be a dignified race, the first settlers in the territories of Nokor Phnom (Funan in Chinese). At the beginning of the first century of the Christian Era, Khmer culture was the most civilised culture during the Angkorian Era of 802-1431 AD. The Khmer people speak Khmer language which was the oldest language of the Khmer-Mon family in the region. During the Funan Era, the Khmer language was the most developed language due to the integration of the two languages of ancient Khmer language and the Sanskrit language of India.
Khmer have created the system of writing in the 7th century AD, which was evidenced by the first stone inscription in 611 AD at Angkor Borei in Takeo province. This system of Khmer writing, which was a source of Khmer values, have helped develop a more advanced culture until this present day which is the Khmer cultural assets including Khmer literature, traditions and arts. This culture has helped built many fine Khmer ancient temples, including the temple of Angkor Wat which was built in the 12th century and the Preah Vihear temple which was built in 911 AD.
Who are the Thai? Where did they come from?
The proper answer is very easy and that is the Thai people were wanderers who have moved to settle on the former Khmer territories. According to Mr. Henri Parc Monde (spelling?), a French author who wrote a book titled “Angkor” published by a Phnom Penh bookstore in 1960, wrote in page 9 that “The Thai people, who have a T’ai bloodline, came from southern China to settle in the Khmer territories, influenced by Khmer civilisation and have considered Khmers as their masters, but the T’ai people didn’t wait too long before usurping against their masters, the Khmers, through wars and at the end they have conquered the whole of Khmer territories.”
Mr. Dolfin Miniere (spelling?), another French author who wrote the “History of Cambodia” which was published in 1968, wrote in page 50 that “the T’ai people have created a state called ‘Nanchao’ in the 8th century in Yunan province of China and later moved to live in the mountain valleys of central China and Burma. Taking the chance when Burma was sacked by the Mongols led by Kublai Khan, the T’ai have taken control of most parts of Burma and learned the military strategy and tactics from the Mongols and copied the system of Khmer writing and later the T’ai managed to gain control of the whole Khmer administration in the Menam region."
The Khmer have fought against the T’ai (Thai) fiercely but lost and the T’ai established their capital at Sukhothai, which was a former Khmer capital. Even Mr. Anumarn Rajathorn, a Thai professor of the University of Chulalongkorn and a chairman of Thai History Review Committee, in 1968 wrote similar to what Mr. Parc Monde and Mr. Miniere had written.
Mr. Anumarn had written a book titled “Essay on Thai folklore”, published in Bangkok in 1968 in which he wrote on pages 8-11 that the T’ai people were originated in the south of the Yang-tse Kiang River in China and the Chinese people have recorded in their history book that called the T’ai as “jungle people”. In the 7th or 8th century, the T’ai people have created a state called “Nanchao” which was a name originated from the combination between the T’ai and Chinese words formed together. The word “nan” in Chinese means south and the word “chao” in Thai means prince/king.
In the 13th century, under the leadership of two leaders, the Thai have taken control of the Khmer capital of Sukhothai from the Khmer king and established their capital at Chiangmai. At the end of the 13th century in 1283, the Thai king, the third king of Sukhothai named Ramakamhaeng, had modified the Khmer alphabets into Thai alphabets, which the Thai people considered as the historical year of the Thai culture.
Before they have their own alphabets, they used Khmer alphabets in writing and because they have used Khmer alphabets they were able to seize Sukhothai from the Khmers. After they have created a state at Sukhothai, the Thai still use Khmer alphabets in their writing, especially Buddhist literatures which the Thai used to write on “Rith” leaves to make religious scriptures because the Thai believe that Khmer alphabets are sacred letters. After they sacked Sukhothai, the Thai were not satisfied and began their military expeditions to sack Angkor, which in 1431, 193 years after the sacking of Sukhothai, the Thai sacked Angkor and plundered almost all of Khmer cultural assets which caused miserable separations of Khmer families for hundreds of years afterward.
Since then, Khmer people do not know clearly what is Khmer culture which is an obstacle to the developments of Khmer society. Mr. Anumarn wrote in page 85 in his book “Essay on Thai Folklore” which describes that “ The Thai have combined little by little the Mon and Khmer languages into the Thai language and literature.”
In fact the Thai language is a language of the natives of Nanchao but the Thai borrowed many Khmer vocabularies. For example, the Khmer word “tess diel”(criticism), the Thai write and read as “tik tien”. The Khmer word of “kol” (movie), the Thai pronounced as “kon”, “kampeng“ (fortress/wall), the Thai pronounced as “kamphaeng”, thnol (road), as “thnon”, “rup reang” (form/shape), as “rup rang”, salarien (school), as “rong rien’, “chamroen” (prosperity), as “charoen”, preah vihear (temple), as ‘phra viharn”, ktum tess (water crest), as K’thum thet” etc. Mr. Anumarn wrote that the royal vocabularies that have been used by the Thai royal families were also borrowed from the Khmer royal vocabularies.
The Thai copied Khmer culture of the young respecting the old, copied the Khmer traditional code of dress like wearing sarong and they copied the Khmer architecture of building their houses in Khmer styles. In Khmer literature, the Thai copied from Khmer the Reamker epic (Ramayana) and called it “Ramaken”. The Khmer prawn soup “sngor nheaim“, the Thai called it “tom yam”. And the Thai ‘h’mok” (steamed spicy meat/fish paste) which Khmer called “amok” is also a Khmer food.
In arts, the Thai have copied many Khmer artistic performances, but they changed they way they dance to differentiate from Khmer.
In the Brahmanic (Hindu) belief, the Thai have copied many ceremonies and festivals from Khmer such as the royal ceremony of Royal Ploughing, Water Festival (om touk), kite flying etc.
Mr. Peter Jensen wrote in the Hindustan Times published on the 18th May, 2008 which quoted Mr. Sulak Sivaraksa, a renowned Thai historian on Khmer empires, who said that “The Thai invasions of Khmer territories made the Khmer to become weak, but the Thai copied all Khmer cultures and traditions, including the belief in the god-king and the ceremonies in the royal palace and the most influential belief among the circles of present Thai politicians is the “Khmer black magic”.
The above brief history show that the Thai people came from Nanchao of southern China in the 13th century to invade Khmer territories. Now, in the 21st century, the Thai still harbour the ambitions and still invade Khmer territories and plunder Khmer cultural assets. The Thai actions can only be likened to the words of Mr. Anumarn, the renowned Thai historian, on page 10 of his book “Essay on Thai Foklore” which he said “The Thai never ceased to be on the move.”
Indeed, they are still on the move……
41 comments:
Thai tried hard to change the history so the young generations and the foreigners confuse about the Khmer/Thai real history.
another word, thai, tai, siam, siem can go to hell for their sins..
"Khmer are peace-loving people who never fight one another." -- Gorilla Fucker.
????
hum...
from my own research... the thais were native people of the land... when the mongols expanded thier power southward... the weaken state of burma was overtaken by these tribe in thuse forming two states of "thai" a north and south which later form the thai as we know it. the siem renounced and called themselves "thai" which means free, so they were the thai people - free people...
when the thai extended their power onto the peninsula, they broke off one section to form loas, which is another story about power and consolidation. in fact the taking over of angkor wat was not brought out as dramatic as one may think, the khmer kings after J7 were weak and abandoned the city because they failed to secure embassies with china and java, which they broke off in 14th century due to pressure from the mongol and rising state of vietnam... more to this than what the author of this history of thai orgin worte.... makes me sad how ignorance is a bliss...
See, that multiple personalities/identities Ph.D from Hanoi, the self-proclaimed Intellectual/Scholar is leaving for nowhere.
As evidenced by his one-line comment @8:42 AM, this Viet trash is impersonating Khmer using his anonymity to wrecklessly harass, attack and alienate readers constantly and consistenly here on KI-Media.
Go home to Hanoi you Viet trash Ph.D from Hanoi!!!
ទៅងាប់នៅហាណូយទៅអាចុយម្រ៉ាយ ដុគទ័រ ក្លែង
ក្លាយយួនកន្តប!
Readers,
Neither you is so smart, or the author of this article is incorrect.
Think:
Step 1, is the above story true?
Step 2, if you think it is true, think again is it really, really, and absolutely true?
Step 3, if you have any doubts, reverse step 1, is it false?
Step 4, if it is false, why did the author trying to write this article? to gain or confuse what?
Step 5, go to search it yourself before writing any supports or your comments against the above author.
Step 6, write what you have found so we can share your research.
It is our duty to live in Peace with one anothers including Thais or Vietnameses.
8:42am, do mean the reaksmei kampuchea newspaper is the gorilla fucker or the author of this article, who is a journalist of reaksmei kampuchea newspaper, is the gorilla fucker? or maybe they are your mother's fuckers?
-----
the article is not 100% correct because it is not based on research, but i would say about 70% is correct. this is not important, the important thing is that the thai copied and modified khmer culture to suit them. yes, from my own research, they came from nanchao of yunan province in southern china. they did borrow a lot of khmer vocabularies, as did khmer borrowing from the thai. but culture, dress, arts and dances, they copied from khmer when they sacked angkor in 1431.
If we read the history of Post Angkorian, the largest kingdom was habitated by khmers and Mon. Khmers were living all over the present Cambodia, Kampuchea Krom and part of Thailand like Chanbury, Surin, Ayuthia, Nokor Phnom, Korat etc.. and etc.. Mon have lived in werstern part. During the Mongolian invasion, the Dai King has fled tp Cambodia with his fellow citizen from Mongolian warriors. Until 1238, the Dai King has declared ( three provinces )Sokho Thais with in Cambodia. territorial. According to Lauk Ta Keng Vansak, Cambodian King have written to Mongolian warrior not to invade Cambodia and Cambodian would want to pre-surrender to Mongolian. For that proposal, Mongolian warrior of Yuon Dynasty ( Mongol has fully controled China, Tibet, Manchury and XingJiang region), has offered a counter proposal to Khmer King for a tub of human livers. Please let us learn together. To have a full tub of human livers, Khmer King needed to kill millions of people for having those livers. Who were the victims? I think the victims were all innocense Khmers who were not relatives of Khmer king and were not related to powerfull fellow Khmer. They were mostly poor khmers. I wonder at that time, Many khmers would declared themselves as Laos and Thais to escape from that killings. We can see that Khmer Has divided during that time into three Kingdom, Sokhothais, Cambodia and Laos. The recent histoty of Khmer from 1970-1979 and till now have taught us that all Khmer Leaders have never cared their own citizen. They have always created fears and killed their own people to keep themselves in power. Therefore many khmers and mons have joined with the new Dai to make the modern Thailand. If anyone visite Ayuthia, you would see that Dai King had used Chinese scripture and not the present Thais scripture. Therefore we can immgagine that the present Thais scripture had been part of Khmer Scripture as well and also our present Khmer Scripture has also been changed through the years as well. There are many temples in Bangkok has cambodian scripture to write sangsakrit and pali. Many millions Thais people are the descendent of mons and khmers. If they were from Yunan( Nan Zhao China ), they are properly very ligh skin instead of dark skin. Areak Prey
9:04PM is Julalongkon U student, we Khmer do not have to response any thing to him/her. That is how Bougee blind King wanted their offspring to be teached, evrything about Khmer is fakes, especially Kru Khmer History. They wanted to free themselves, changed from Siamese to Thais=Freedom, then coppied everything from Khmer to be a New Nation on earth then promptly they attempted to destroy Khmer throughout one century to another.This childishy nation will pay the prices; the ending day is near do not worry dear Khmer compatriots. Abhi-Shit and Ka-Shit will make Thais fight against Siamese. They are destroying Thai's democracy.
Khmer, Lao, Thai, and Viet live among each other fine in China, and still is as we speak today. However, when they move down south, they got screwed by Ah Indian (or Ah typical tomato pickers who currently live oversea). Just look at the condition around Pakistan, India, ...., and Afghanistan. The resemblance should be obvious.
This is impressive historical description. Thanks KR for your time and effort to translate this article.
However, I am interesting to read VN's invasion and dominating on Cambodian land that their expanding has been gradually achieving. VN started southward march to sack Champa, Prey Norkor, Khmer Krom of Mekong Delta River, and currently on Cambodia.
How Cambodia is independent from VN when major Cambodian current policemen are VN's agents and impersonating as Khmers.
Very dangerous for Cambodian people to have foreigner like VN to guard their safety.
The population list of Cambodia is in VN's impersonating policemen. When you become Cambodian citizen, you have to request VN's impersonating policemen to register for you.
We need more VN polices in Cambodia to keep Pouk Ah tomato picker from oversea in check.
I must also ad that during the negociation for Cambodian territoty with thailand in 1907 by France with thailand, Chanbury was a khmer territory. Therefore after svapping that province to Thailand, ten of thousands of Cambodian would have taken into Thais citizen instead of Khmer Citize. The same time when The Thailand government returned Battambang, Siem Reap and Preah Vihear back to Cambodia after sencond world war, millions of Cambodians have also moved with Thais people into Thais citizen. The same time, Cambodian authorities have killed their own citizen during Issarak revolution against France occupation. My parents have told me about massacres made by Issarak authorities against people living under French authority. There were discrimination killings. The same time, khmers who have worked french authorities have also killed indiscriminately against innocens khmers who were alleged for supporting Issarak movernment. Therefore from the past after the falling of Angkorian until present all Cambodian leaders have always killed their own citizen for their own power. The khmer civilisation have been weakening by their own incompetent leaders who have cared nothing more than Power, moneys and girls. Areak Prey
I think it is a good piece of information with supporting references. Thanks Author and the translator for your time.
If anyone knows more than this, please share us more with references like the author did. Do not write .... ...., because it won't make sense no matter SUPER-PhD you have. So, spend simetime to write and share us the facts (not your own thinking or ignorance)
Some people looks into the past history for inspiration, some for righting the wrong, some for self-pride, some for stirring up hatred, some for political ends, and some for changing the past history itself.
Regardless of how one views history, one fact remains applicable to humanity. The majority of the people rarely look into the past to build a better future for mankind. The global elite, which is made of just a few wealthy families, looks into the past to find a better way to control this planet and its inhabitants. The current credit crunch has been planned by them to grab more resources from people who are in debts.
What have we learned from our past history? And, what have we learned from the world history? There are people making profits out of the fruits of our ancestors' labour right now, and they are not Khmer. Let's not worry about the past. The future is now, not tomorrow.
thanks to the translator for his time. this is an interesting historical piece with backup references. let the traitors in the forum scream all they like. the facts remain the facts that thai copied almost everything from khmer.
Why do us or many other people still wondering around that Thai copy Khmer? Come on!
YOU DON'T HAVE TO LOOK ANYWHER FAR, JUST LOOK AT IT WHEN KHUANG APHAIWONG WAS A KHMER BY FATHER AND A THAI BY MOTHER STARTED MAKING THAI'S RICH HISTORY WHEN HE IMMIGRATED TO THAILAND JUST SOME WHERE ALONG THE BEGINNING OF THE 19TH CENTURY. HE IS THE SON OF GOVERNOR CHHUM OF BATTAMBANG. THE WHOLE FAMILY LEFT BATTAMBANG /CAMBODIA FOR THAILAND,ALL BECAUSE THEY WERE CONSIDERED AS A BLACK SHEEP AND A TRAITOR TO KING OF CAMBODIA AND FRANCE FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! THE MAN BECAME THE PRIMINISTER OF THAILAND NOT TOO LONG BEFORE KING BHUMIBOL WAS TAKING THE THRONE OR BEFORE HE BECAME KING FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!. HE WAS THE MAN WHICH EVERYONE CREDITED HIM AS THE FATHER OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY OF THAILAND TODAY. THIS FIRM GROUND SETTING UP BY APHAIWONG HAD SUPPORTED BHUMIBOL AND HIS FAMILY FOR OVER 60 YEARS! THAILAND BEFORE THE WORLD WAR II WAS JUST A LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN US, IF NOT AT THE SAME LEVEL. IT WAS BIGGER BY SIZE OF COURSE. AGAIN UNTIL APHAIWONG CAME ALONG, WHAT IS THAILAND REALLY? SAME? NOT THE SAME? COPY? NOT COPY? OR EVEN PLAGERISM? YOU GOT IT. WITH APHAIWONG, YOU CAN NOT SAY IT. WHY?, BECAUSE THE MAN WAS WHERE THE THAI'S REAL BRAIN MACHINE CAME FROM AND THAT IS TOO BAD THAT WE LOST HIM.
The Aphaiwong's family took anything and everything they could with them to Thailand. No wonder almost everything THERE look just like ours. By all means if he couldn't do it at home he will be able do it some place else and that some place else is Thailand today. It's so much easier for him as the son of the governor whom the THAI CONSIDERED AS THE MOST TRUSTED MAN than an ordinary foreigner to make it in Thailand. it's also because his mother is Thai AND FROM THAI'S DAY ONE, DIDN'T WE SAY WHO STOLE WHO? WHAT? WHEN? AND WHERE?. THANKS TO APHAIWONG OUR BOY. HE MADE EVERYTHING SETTLE AND BELIEVABLE AS THAI 100%. SURE. Doesn't it makes sence? and stop wondering why Thai and Cambodia look so much alike today!!! just stop it. The case is closed and please pass the word. Thank you
By the way, people say the best way to steal other people'S talent or culture or whatever is to get or to steal their people. The case of APHAIWONG AND THAILAND IS THE PERFECT EVIDENCE.
Dear Poster 12:53PM,
Your story is very coincidented with mine when the Thais suthority has withdrawn from Battambang province. we must remember that Thais has controled up to Trapeang Chuong river. One side of the river was Thailand and one side of the east was Khmer. I lived in Maung Russei which was completely controled by Thais. We have lost all Thais songs, Thais culture in battambang until around 1958. Ten of thousands of khmers there have moved to Thailand until most of the place were all empty lands. we have those lands re-filled by people from Khmer Krom, Takeo and Kampot around 1960-1970. So most of Thailand citizen now were khmer-re-adapte to Thais civilisation because of most killings in Cambodia by Cambodian leaders. Therefore we need to have a completed change to khmer mentality to make khmer strong. The same like I have always complained about slavery salaries and slavery wages will destroyed Cambodian human resources and Cambodian talents. If Khmer leaders won't wake up. then it will be too late. Vannak has said, even picking tomatoes in Australia, you can even earn more moneys than you are professor in Cambodian university. How can you keep human resources if you don't know how to keep them? Areak Prey
For all of us, we should call the countries in South East Asia, the Jayvarman Kingdom
Well, I'm so interested in all of your comments on Cambodia's history.
For my opinion, as we are Cambodian, we better to study more about Cambodia history from every resources...after all, analyses such why and how...then you can see why Cambodia devided to many pieces.
We used to called Khmer Empire in a big map, but why now we are the smalest in the region?
I also agreed with some comments from some of you. such as because Khmer leaders loved their life and power more than their own people. So they have to killed his own people for survived...How ashamed our leaders are? And still now, this attitude still not yet changed. So, what will you do for this lovely Nation?
ពី កូនខ្មែរម្នាក់ដែរ
Thai copied everything from khmer but they know how blend it and make it a successful culture and a prosperous country. when it come to conflict with foreigners they will unite. unlike khmer who will ask foreigners to help fight one another. hun sen has asked the vietnamese to help kick out khmer rouge from the country, the result is that vietnamese become the master of cambodia until today.
The Khmer mentality by professor Sar Sarun
The reasons why Thai stole everything from the Khmer. Should we still keep all our mentality or should we change?
Just post it again in case....
The First Root: MATRIARCHY
A principal component of the Khmer mentality is matriarchy. At all levels of organization within Khmer society, ranging from family life to national government, the accepted leader or decision-maker is a woman.
This pattern dates back to the beginnings of our recorded history. During the Funan Period we had as our monarch a queen known variously as "Soma," "Liev Yi," or "Neang Neak." An Indian prince known as "Kaodinhya" (Indian name), "Hun Tien" (Chinese name), or "Preah Thong" (traditional Khmer name) conquered the nation of Funan and eventually married the Khmer queen. During the wedding the prince followed the queen, and held on to the edge of her scarf so as not to be distracted by his surroundings.
Our Khmer ancestors carved this story into the walls of Angkor to remind us of the ancient origins of our matriarchy. At present-day royal weddings, custom still requires the groom to hold the edge of the bride's scarf. For ordinary people as well, matriarchy is a basic principle of social organization. This can be seen in the titles of important positions, in educational maxims, and in common social beliefs.
A) Within the family, female titles normally precede male ones:
* "mother and father"
* "grandmother and grandfather"
* "aunt and uncle"
B) In the armed forces, important titles include:
* "mother of the army" (army chief)
* "mother of the command" (commander)
* "deputy mother of the command" (deputy commander)
C) Government titles include:
* "mother of the commune" (commune leader)
* "mother of the town" (mayor)
* "mother of the district" (district councilor)
* "mother of the block" (block representative for a group of ten households)
D) An educational maxim:
* "It is better to face a shipwreck than to have the house burn down." (meaning: it is better to lose the father than the mother, because the father is less important.)
E) Some common social beliefs can be expressed as follows:
* Clean husband + Corrupt wife = Corrupt
* Bribe-free husband + Bribed wife = Bribed
* Husband's disapproval + Wife's approval = Approval
The wife is the chief of the family, while the husband seeks work outside the home in order to bring money back to her. If the sum is less than expected, his wife may chastise him. Khmer wives have the personality of "master-wife." In contrast, in Chinese society the husband controls the family's finances, and Chinese wives have the personality of "slave-wife."
The Second Root: HIDDEN STRENGTH
According to current research into our national history, a second element of the Khmer mentality is a "hidden strength," which has kept the nation from perishing despite repeated attacks from the outside world. We are now asking ourselves, "What is this hidden strength?"
Many academics, as well as other citizens who are concerned with the nation's future integrity, are now searching for the source of this defensive power. Historical research tells us that the Khmer nation has repeatedly been invaded. In some of these periods the Khmer were enslaved by the Thai. The successive Khmer capitals of Angkor and Longvek were subjected to terrible devastation. The great sages and scholars were taken prisoner and sent to serve in the invaders' country. How have the Khmer land and the Khmer people survived to the present day?
These case studies show that the Khmer have a hidden quality of persistence, which gives them defensive strength and keeps the Khmer nation from falling. For this reason our ancestors created the popular proverb, "The Khmer territories will never perish." The very fact that they had the confidence to say this clearly indicates the strength contained in the Khmer mentality. Yet, we no longer know the exact nature of this essential, hidden strength, nor exactly where it resides in the Khmer identity.
Only when we find this hidden part of the Khmer spirit can we continue to protect our land and our nation from danger. Until then, we will have no reason to believe the optimistic proverb mentioned above. The Khmer spirit and identity are tightly intertwined with our culture and civilization.
The Third Root: SELF-PRAISE
The third element of the Khmer mentality, based ultimately on considerations of geography, lies in the fact that the Khmer have considerable pride, and have a strong inclination to praise themselves. This is because the Khmer people originally belonged to an ethnic family known as the Mon-Khmer, which inhabited the entire peninsula of Indochina . At that time the region was called Sovanna Phum ('Golden Country'), and shared a border with China .
The name comes from the Pali words sovann , meaning 'gold', and phum , meaning 'land' or 'country'. People living in the Golden Country of Sovanna Phum led joyful lives, blessed with natural riches, and in their unconscious mind there slowly developed a high level of pride, as well as a tendency to boast. The inhabitants of Sovanna Phum belonged to three different ethnic groups: the Mon, the Cham, and the Khmer. They lived in tribal communities, without clear land boundaries, and mainly traded gold with the Portuguese, who traveled by sail in the China Sea .
The people of the Golden Country had no concerns other than the gold trade. This is what gave rise to their boastful attitude, and to the development of a high level of pride. In this respect the Mon ranked first, followed by the Cham and then the Khmer, who were the humblest of the three. Nonetheless, the Khmer were firmly trapped in the same up-bringing, and our Khmer ancestors made this explicit in the following parable:
* The Mon take the heavens for their seat.
* The Cham raise a single palm to the sky.
* The Khmer ascend to the clouds, but then pass through the earthworm's shit.
According to this saying, the self-praise of the Khmer went as high as the clouds, but not so high as the sky or the heavens. Moreover, the Khmer usually came back down to earth quickly: They boasted, but then returned to reality. When the Khmer spoke among themselves, they did not realize that they were boasting, because they shared a common level of pride. But when they spoke with the Cham, who were even prouder, they could see that the Cham liked to boast. Likewise, the Cham did not see themselves as a boastful people, but when they spoke with the Mon, they did notice that the Mon were remarkably fond of boasting.
* The Mon boasted more than anyone else, until they lost all their land.
* The Cham, second only to the Mon in boasting, lost their land, too.
* The Khmer boasted only moderately, and thus retained some of their land.
Yet, by no means should we expect the Khmer to retain their remaining land forever. At present the Khmer nation is headed for catastrophe.
How did boasting cause these three ethnic groups to lose so much of their land? The answer goes something like this. As they continued boasting and enjoying their natural resources, they forgot that the surrounding ethnic groups coveted their land. The Thai, who originated in China 's southern province of Yunnan , became known in the Eighth Century when they started to migrate southward. When the Mongolians invaded China in the Thirteenth Century, the Thai took advantage of the resulting chaos and attacked the city of Sukhotey . They took over all the Mon areas, and also conquered a number of northern Khmer provinces beyond the Danrek Mountains , along the Semourn River . These included Nokoreach, Surin, Sangkeas, Kouk-khan, Sisaket, and Burirum. Moreover, they extended their control into southwestern areas, as far as Malaysia . All of this territory had belonged to the Sovanna Phum Peninsula .
Later, in 1794 and 1795, three Khmer aristocrats were competing for state power. Each considered himself superior to the others, because all three belonged to an unconditionally proud people. One of the aristocrats, Ben, tricked another, Sous, into assassinating the third, Mou. Afterwards Ben tried to kill Sous, but failed, because the latter had strong allies. Ben then requested the help of the Thai army, whom he allowed to enter Cambodia . In exchange for their help, Ben let Thailand annex several Khmer provinces, including Battambang, Mongkolburi, and Serisophan.
What led these Khmer aristocrats to fight one another for power? In that day there was an active race for power based on self-proclaimed superiority, with assistance from foreign armies. The aristocrats had placed on the throne a six-year-old prince named Ang Eng, the son of Prince Otey II, who was too young to rule. Their goal was to seize power for themselves.
Thus, we can see from history that foreign invasions of the Khmer territory were possible only because Khmer leaders were stubbornly convinced of their own superiority, and failed to realize that the country was headed for disaster.
The Khmer fondness for boasting is also well-documented, for instance, in such ethical poems as "Father's Testament," "Rules for Children and Grandchildren," "Fable for Children and Grandchildren," and "Conduct Rules for Men." All these writings seek to awaken the Khmer people from their dreams of self-praise and irrational pride.
The following are some examples.
"Father's Testament":
DO NOT BOAST ABOUT YOUR STRENGTH...
"Fable for Children and Grandchildren":
A FROG BOASTS THAT IT CAN FIGHT WITH THE ELEPHANT...
A TOAD BOASTS THAT IT IS AS BEAUTIFUL AS GOLD...
"Rules for Children and Grandchildren":
DO NOT BOAST ABOUT YOUR RANK...
Another example comes from an academic conference held at Chakdhumuk Hall on 9 November 1970 , where a Buddhist monk argued that the Khmer language "has excellent linguistic rules that are superior to those of any human language in the world [sic]."
Further discussion of our people's taste for boasting can be found in a recently published book by Mr. Bun Chan Mol, The Character of the Khmer .
The Fourth Root: AGRICULTURE
The fourth element of the Khmer mentality is a link to agriculture. From the beginning, Khmer society relied almost exclusively on agriculture, and eventually it took agriculture as an important source of cultural identity. All aspects of Khmer education have their "roots" in agriculture, because the Khmer have a strong tendency to use agricultural metaphors in explanations.
A) In the family domain:
* "WHEN YOU FARM, LOOK AT THE GRASS."
(meaning, when you marry off your children, look at their partners' roots.)
* "START FARMING NOW, WHILE THE SOIL IS STILL WARM."
(meaning, start courting the girl now, while your heart is still aflame.)
* "TRANSPLANTED RICE-PLANTS BRING ALONG THEIR ORIGINAL SOIL."
(meaning, a wife can elevate her husband.)
B) In the military domain:
* "YOU FARM A FIELD WITH WATER."
(meaning, you fight a war with food.)
C) In the domain of national development:
* "AGRICULTURE IS THE BREATH OF THE COUNTRY."
D) In education, more generally:
* "DROP BY DROP, THE PALM TREE FILLS THE TUBE."
* "VERTICAL RICE PLANTS BEAR NOTHING, LEANING ONES BEAR GRAIN."
* "HAPPY FARMING AND PLANTING WILL BRING
* TRADE, RESPECT, AND A GOOD MEAL.
* REAL WEALTH ISN'T HARD TO GET.
* THE JOY IS TRUE, BECAUSE IT LASTS."
(from "Father's Testament"; original verse in crow's-walk rhyme)
* "THINK ABOUT, AND WORK ON, GROWING RICE
* DURING ALL THE SEASONS.
* A RICE FIELD SHOULD HAVE A SIGN,
* WHILE A FRUIT FARM SHOULD HAVE A FENCE."
(from "Inherited Conduct Rules"; original verse in Bhramngit rhyme)
The Fifth Root: INDIFFERENCE TO RULES
The fifth element of the Khmer mentality, due once again to considerations of geography, is a relative indifference to laws and regulations. Why should this be so? The Khmer region is seldom threatened by the natural disasters found in Japan and Europe :
* Freezing winters
* Earthquakes
* Volcanic eruptions
* Savage storms
* Typhoons
* Large-scale floods
The Khmer territory seldom faces such disasters. Indeed, natural disasters are almost unheard of, aside from minor floods that occur every few decades, and even they are not especially brutal.
The climate is so warm that Khmer people can survive without clothing. The only significant "earthquakes" are caused by bombs dropped by B-52's, which come day and night, destroying both the farmland and the occupants of many villages.
Because the Khmer countryside is rarely subjected to natural catastrophes, the Khmer people are less aware of nature, and have little need to adjust themselves to natural constraints. This exemption from constraints has shaped the Khmer mentality, making it insensitive to social and legal rules except where there is coercion. This stands in contrast to countries in colder regions, where people cannot even survive without appropriate clothing.
Yet, people from those regions who migrate to the Khmer territory eventually adopt a mindset similar to the Khmer people's. Likewise, Khmer people who go to live in colder regions eventually adopt the mindset of the people there. Thus, the fifth element of the Khmer soul is explained by geographical conditions.
The Sixth Root: BEING INACTIVE
The sixth element of the Khmer mentality is inactivity. Because the Khmer people live in the tropics, they tend to avoid physical exertion. The Khmer artistic spirit dwells in a soft, fanciful, and romantic state, one that is low in energy. Khmer music tends to be sentimental, and to make people sleepy.
Khmer people move slowly. They set off for the workplace at a relaxed pace, as if they were on vacation. These factors have shaped the Khmer mentality to prefer people who are inactive rather than active, conservative rather than progressive.
Examples:
The Khmer admire people who work less and earn more, rather than people who work hard and earn little. Likewise, the Khmer admire a government official who simply signs a document and earns millions of riels, rather than one who works from morning till evening and hardly earns enough to survive. In fact they should appreciate the latter, who makes a personal sacrifice and saves money for the national budget. Yet, if an educator and a customs official simultaneously ask to marry a family's daughter, the former will end in despair. Where does this come from?
Indeed, this is the unfairness of society in a tropical country.
Shall we continue with this lifestyle, spoiled by nature? Or shall we try to win out over nature? Shall we destroy this root of the Khmer mentality, or leave it undisturbed? The solution lies mainly in the awareness of Khmer youngsters, but the right awareness will be possible only after education – that is, after enlightenment. If we lack enlightenment, our minds may unconsciously drift in the wrong direction. Being blind or ignorant is a great evil, and allows other people to manipulate us easily.
The authors of Khmer folktales exhibit this aspect of the Khmer mentality in the following ways:
* An ignorant man finds two jars of gold hidden in the ground;
* A senseless man usually has a wife of excellent quality;
* A stupid man is the one likeliest to get sacred powers;
* An uneducated man gets promoted to the rank of lord;
* Kong Hean is made a Khmer hero by his own shit.
Another example is an old Khmer saying that tells us, "A sage falls into a hole, while a fool rises up to paradise." Shall we retain this root of the Khmer mentality, or cut it off?
The Seventh Root: FUZZINESS ON COMMITMENT
The seventh root of the Khmer mentality is a tendency to be confused about commitments.
This is because the Khmer people live in a country in which the various seasons are not clear-cut: the rainy season and the dry season, as well as the cold season, start and end at fuzzy dates, known to no one. In contrast, countries in colder regions have clear-cut seasons. For example, on the European continent:
* Spring is from 21st March to 21st June;
* Summer is from 21st June to 22nd September;
* Autumn is from 22nd September to 21st December;
* Winter is from 21st December to 21st March.
* Clear-cut seasons have trained the people of that region to have clear plans:
* When they work, they concentrate on working;
* When they play, they concentrate on playing;
* When they study, they concentrate on studying;
* When they eat, they concentrate on eating;
* When they rest, they stop all work.
In France it is almost impossible to find a restaurant that serves anything more than drinks before 9AM , or after 10PM . The Khmer region's fuzzy seasons have spoiled the minds of the people living there, with fuzziness in all aspects of commitment:
* Work and play are mixed together;
* Conflict at work is similar to conflict at home;
* Study time and break time are intermingled;
* Eating time lasts from morning through the middle of the night, until the sun rises again;
* Office tasks and home tasks are mixed together;
* A government-owned car is also taken as a personally-owned car, and used to carry the wife, transport the children to school, and even carry the mistress;
* Experts at organizing theatrical plays, or at teaching in school, assume ministerial positions in the government (although different people have talents in different areas).
* In order to correct this root of the Khmer mentality, it is necessary to impose truly strict laws, and also to have good examples from the top down.
The Eighth Root: EXTREMISM
The eighth element of the Khmer mentality is an ambivalent extremism. Khmer extremist thinking is not always oriented in one particular direction. When we come to like something, we go out of our way to stick to it. But when we start to dislike it, we go far in the opposite direction.
This is reflected in the following popular expressions:
* The more loving, the more hating. For example, in the story of "Tum and Teav," Teav's mother initially loved Tum so much that she asked him to become her adopted son. But when she started to dislike him, she sought to have him killed in an extremely violent way.
* Teav's mother: "OR-CHOUN, YOU HAVE POWER. WHY NOT USE IT RIGHT NOW? ARREST THAT STUBBORN SHIT TUM. HAVE NO MERCY. ORDER YOUR MEN TO BEAT HIM, STAB HIM, KILL HIM. HIS GUILT IS TOO HEAVY TO BE PARDONED ON EARTH" (original verse in seven-word rhyme)
* When we believe people, we believe them a hundred and twenty percent. But if we stop believing, we stop forever.
* If you drink, then drink so much that others have to carry you. If you can still walk by yourself, then what was the point in drinking?
* If you kill someone, go ahead and taste the flesh.
* If you put your hand into the fish paste, go ahead and stick your whole arm in.
* If you want to cut someone, go ahead – don't just pretend!
The Ninth Root: HONORING OATHS
The ninth element of the Khmer mentality is the sanctity of one's "truth-word," or oath. Faithfulness to one's word is among the principal Khmer virtues. Examination of Khmer literature indicates that this has been true for a very long time. Some believe that it resulted from contact with Hinduism, for Hindu Brahmans were considered the agents of God, with a mission to spread their religion, and were said to honor their word strictly. Truth to one's word was seen as a major virtue of Hinduism, and indeed as the essence of its theology.
* The essence of the body is chastity.
* The essence of speaking is one's oath.
* The essence of the mind is courage.
We can see this philosophy in the Khmer version of an Indian legend called "Ramayana," where a king named Preah Bat Tusarath does not dare violate his oath. The King has promised a woman named Neang Kaikesi that he will leave his throne to a particular prince, Preah Phirut, if he wins a war with the Sun. In Part One of "Ramayana," the city of Aiyutya is at the center of a conflict over the throne, and the solution is for the King's oath to take priority over tradition. As a consequence, Preah Ream, Preah Laksma, and Neang Sita have to leave the kingdom and live in the forest.
In the story of "A Young Weaver of Palm-leaf Baskets," a personal oath is once again taken as a binding contract. The weaver is stuck at the top of a palm tree, and promises to become a slave to anyone who will save him from falling to his death. A person passing by, riding on an elephant, takes him at his word and initiates a rescue, without asking for any real guarantee of the promise. The elephant rider himself becomes trapped with the weaver. The two make the same promise to four bald men, who again come to their rescue without requiring any real guarantee, because they take the two men's promise as an oath.
In two other folk tales, "A Man and a Tiger" and "A Man and a Crocodile," the main character promises a wild animal that he will come back and be eaten, as soon as he has written his will. In each story, the man keeps his word. Likewise, in "Golden Arrow," a king states that he will kill anyone who interferes with his war plan. When he discovers that his own consort, the Queen, has made this mistake, he bitterly forces himself to keep his word, and executes her with the golden arrow.
To capture the sanctity of one's oath, the Khmer people have formulated the following proverb:
* "ONE'S WORD IS AS PRECIOUS TO A HUMAN BEING
* AS IVORY IS PRECIOUS TO AN ELEPHANT."
Yet, the sanctity of one's personal oath decreased somewhat after an event known as "the lord's tea-spilling," which first occurred around 1845 under an occupying Vietnamese general, Troeung Minh Yang. One night the general ordered his troops to behead four or five Khmer citizens, in response to an order from the Vietnamese emperor, Ming Mang. The victims' heads were then used to support the boiler for his tea.
This practice, which continued up until the French entered our country, shook the Khmers' spirit to its very core. In response, the Khmer people began to consider "tricky" approaches to problem-solving, as indicated in the following saying:
* "CONSIDER THE CURVED ROAD; AVOID THE STRAIGHT PATH."
Yet, the value placed on one's oath persists to this day, and has been inherited in something close to its original form by people in rural and mountainous areas, whose strict adherence to their personal word resembles the practice of an ascetic monk. In mountainous regions, people teach their children that a person who fails to honor an oath cannot live on the mountain.
The Tenth Root: CHASTITY AND PURITY
The tenth element of the Khmer mentality is to place a high value on chastity and purity. Indeed, the Khmer essence is a devotion to chastity, especially in women. Khmer women work incredibly hard to preserve their chastity, including, of course, their physical purity, or virginity. Correspondingly, Khmer men are inclined to accept as "queen" of their heart only a woman of fairly complete chastity, for which bodily purity is a necessary condition.
When a single woman loses her purity, she generally believes that her body has no more worth, having lost its essence. Her life becomes meaningless, and she sometime tries to end it through suicide. This stands in stark contrast to European women, who generally accept the loss of bodily purity as a natural event in their life, and who are more inclined to value the reality of their heart, which they consider the essence of their life.
Khmer people place greater value on the quality of the body, than on the quality of the heart. There are those who believe that this emphasis on bodily essence has its roots in Brahmanism, for the Brahman likewise values bodily essence as a principal quality of Brahmanhood. Yet, we believe that such a transfer of values is possible only when the recipient was, at some level, already thinking along similar lines.
The existence of this value in the Khmer mentality is noted in many works of Khmer literature:
* In the story of "Ramayana," when Preah Ream takes refuge in a forest, his wife Neang Sita accompanies him.
* In the story of "Preah Vesantar," when Preah Vesantar is exiled to a forest, his wife Neang Metri goes with him.
Some people think that these stories are influenced by Indian thought. Yet, acceptance by one country of another country's influence, whether in beliefs, customs, religion, or ideology, is possible only when the influence is compatible with the accepting country's pre-existing ideas. Hence, we conclude that Khmer women's devotion to chastity existed even before the Indian influence, which simply added new momentum to our own way of thinking, and led to a greater fondness for stories that praise this value.
For example:
* In the story of "Tum and Teav," which is a purely Khmer love story, we see the Khmer woman's devotion to chastity clearly in the deeds of Neang Teav. When she learns that her lover Tum has been executed with a knife, she follows him by cutting her own throat with a knife.
* In the story of "Sophat," Neang Manyan believes that Sophat has drowned, and follows her sweetheart by drowning herself in a river.
Now, what evidence do we have that this characteristic is invariably present? One piece of evidence comes from the present-day rotation of Khmer soldiers through different locations, which is required by different missions of the armed forces. As the husbands respond to various dangers, the wives follow them and devote themselves to providing support. Despite the challenges to family finances, and the difficulty of constantly changing their habits and lifestyle, Khmer women take this devotion as their highest priority, and thereby preserve their chastity.
********************
"Knowing others is Intelligent;
Knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Mastering others is power;
Mastering yourself is true strength."
Today we remember those who give their blood to defense Khmer!
It is time to stand upon the middle kingdom.
Together my friends! we shall bring the bright future for Cambodia.
:: A single grain of rice may tip the scale, one man maybe different between victory and defeat. ::
of course, the thai nation and even the lao nation, too, had copied or adopted almost all khmer culture, tradition, ways, methods, etc, thanks to the great khmer angkor civilization and angkor was the evidence of that. i'm sure, most educated people who are educated to know cambodia knew this fact already! it is no different like the roman copied the greek, and a lot of europe and america copied or adopted from the roman and the greek as well. same in southeast asia except the thai and lao copied from the khmer civilization of cambodia, the great khmer angkor civilization, of course!
Khmer say ………………
Ladies and gentlemen and all the khmer patriots. Ph.d from Hanoi is the tricky disguised man who is playing several different personalities to lead us Khmers to a particular state of mind and thinking. Nevertheless, let me take this opportunity to give my humble recommendations to tackle with the current “confusing-complicating-splitting-conquering strategy”:
Let us Khmer consider this: at our level intellectual with critical thinking and reasoning skills, we can absorb the flow of information so comfortably and in the meantime make judgment and evaluation for the source of reliability and truth of the information and to explore and discover “the root of the causes.”Or simply put, we are smart enough to realize whether the truth is true or it’s some kind of propagandas or can be “traps” and we will make attempt to grasp the root of the problem. (I take the stance of criticizing the ruling gov.t: bigger, yet incapable and corrupted with the least conscience demonstrated by “the ministers of councils”-about four hundred larger, yet with gross deficiency compared with governments in the world next to Burma and Zimbabwe.)
In addition to the unstoppable flow of information and the undying desire to learn, we intellectuals can shed light over the darkness by bringing about the discussion and provoke more debate with elaboration of details so that people involved can understand all aspects and angles of the problems. To put it frankly, however, it is rather hard to convince, guide and lead people to walk on the same path. Nevertheless, by their instinct and growing intellectual, people likely to select wiser, trust-worthy and more prosperous paths of sustainable livelihood. (Consider Pol Pot Regime: though with armed soldiers, millions of Khmers were thirsty and dying to rebel against the regime. The then-leaders of liberation would only buy weapons as the “means” and people would fight till their last breath. Or if then-leaders could form more net-workings to support and supply, the volunteered people would destroy the structures and organization of Pol Pot regime.) These are the strategies, though a bit abstract, but are effective to play against the current gov.t.
Eventually, my advices are:
-empower each individual of Khmer to have critical thinking and reasoning skills—to provoke more discussion and debate to discover the solutions for all; I mean the constructive ideas to steer the country ahead and not bowing and ceding land as concessions to neighboring countries like VN and Siam.
-Remember that not all people will want to walk on one path of life. Nevertheless, ISN’T IT WISE TO SEE PEOPLE ABLE TO MAKE DECISION FROM THEIR OWN WILL WITH THE LIGHT FROM THE FLOW OF INFORMATION? OR you say that people make wise decision in the darkness or with their ignorance of what happened? Think twice of this strategy!
-Raise awareness by establishing more networks to spread the information&Policy and to provide “Service of guiding, setting good examples and if possibly implementing”. The Ruling gov.t still stays in power coz it can fool people around backward and forward and by shutting up the media and broadcasting through its propaganda machines. For this reason, we need to bring to people the better images of their villages&communes and to educate them how disastrous the corruption is…just to name a few.
By this line, I fade from writing and God bless us all.
From KHMER
I dream of a day when Ah Krem stops being used to parrot-talk for Hun Xen : " there is no hunger or starvation in Cambodia on TVK".
Go out to the countryside or just tune in to Sambok Khmum, Ah Krem.
What? are you telling us that hundreds of NGO are all blind or something?
What ? are you saying ? Can't understand what you are trying to say.
Khmer is the oldest brother of all Southeast Asian.
Thieves of Southeast Asian are:
Youn
Thai
These two nationalities are migrating down from China into Khmerland and proclaim independent from the mercier.
One day Khmer glory will return!!
Khmer n the hood,
It also makes you wonder, why none of our people want to come back to our own land? Is it because we always have dumb and weak government like we always have? or even nasty and ignorant one like we had during pol pot's era or perhaps like the one that we have today? These type of leaders are constantly put the country and our own people behind everyone else. Who would want to join a loser? Did you ever hear they extend their arms to our people from out side of Cambodia? One time. Yeah, when Mr. Ing Sary went to Europe and America in 1976 to get our people back. He said to come home and help them out. Well, that was a pure lie. Almost all of them went to death camp instead. What really happened to Prince Sisowath Matheavy and his wife? Anyone know? Everybody else out side of Cambodia are bad. Very very bad. Here is what it looks and sounds like " when you come back, we will kill you or else throwing you in jail". That is our leaders. They don't want you when you are different from them. It's the mentality of being afraid and feeling threatening by someone else's differences. Instead of looking at them as real helper and partner. They look at those people as their competitors. They expect everyone else to bow their heads to them or respect them like they were God, but for them to respect those people back? That won't happen. That is not all of them, just a majority of the people that are runing our country. They usaully are the most powerful one. They can be very nasty and sick. They just cann't it handle it. Very very shameful.
P.S / you may go back to Cambodia at your own risk. That is their last and nicest message.
Regardless of where Thais, Khmer, Vietnamese came from; Khmer must work hard to defending the country from even more deteriating (spelling?).
10:44am, i think most khmer people overseas don't want to go back to cambodia, especially to live there again because (myself included) cambodia lacks many things like modern healthcare system, good infrastructure/conveniences like that in the USA that is, the social security/welfare system/the human services system, too much corruption system are just a few that top the lists. because khmer people don't have the trust in their gov't, especially to service their own people and country. until some of these issues are addressed and put into use, then will khmer people trust and want o come back to live in cambodia again. now, i'm not saying all khmer people; a few may have no problem with the current system, however, the majority, like the myself, for example, would not want to go back to live there permanently or at least think twice about going back to live there. i mean, don't get me wrong, i love cambodia as there are a lot of beautiful things to do and see or have in cambodia; it's just the system there needs a lot of reform and upgraded, etc. in short, cambodia still seems to lack a lot of things that we take for granted here in the western society like in the USA, the EU, japan, etc... until there are improvements, people of khmer origin, of course, will think seriously about moving back to cambodia. so, i hope everyone will help and get to work so cambodia can enjoy the same good life like we see or have in the USA, the EU and other industrialized nations out there. that said, i still love my motherland of cambodia. may god help resurrect her from the past pain and suffering and make cambodia into one of the more pleasant and desirable country to live and work on the planet. god bless cambodia.
10:44am, i think most khmer people overseas don't want to go back to cambodia, especially to live there again because (myself included) cambodia lacks many things like modern healthcare system, good infrastructure/conveniences like that in the USA that is, the social security/welfare system/the human services system, too much corruption system are just a few that top the lists. because khmer people don't have the trust in their gov't, especially to service their own people and country. until some of these issues are addressed and put into use, then will khmer people trust and want o come back to live in cambodia again. now, i'm not saying all khmer people; a few may have no problem with the current system, however, the majority, like the myself, for example, would not want to go back to live there permanently or at least think twice about going back to live there. i mean, don't get me wrong, i love cambodia as there are a lot of beautiful things to do and see or have in cambodia; it's just the system there needs a lot of reform and upgraded, etc. in short, cambodia still seems to lack a lot of things that we take for granted here in the western society like in the USA, the EU, japan, etc... until there are improvements, people of khmer origin, of course, will think seriously about moving back to cambodia. so, i hope everyone will help and get to work so cambodia can enjoy the same good life like we see or have in the USA, the EU and other industrialized nations out there. that said, i still love my motherland of cambodia. may god help resurrect her from the past pain and suffering and make cambodia into one of the more pleasant and desirable country to live and work on the planet. god bless cambodia.
so Khmer People according to you NEVER fight each others.... hum... what about Polpot and his killing fields??/ what about when the khmer commies fought your government??
gee you must be a member of the Khmer nazi party ... you sound like a real nationalist biggot moron !!! get a fucking life !!! maybe you can fix your country one day... but with people like you I doubt it !!!
To 4:33am
We'll pray that it happens, but you and I probably will have to wait until you see the tripple moons appears in sky at the same time. Then it might happen. The one that we have running our country today? It deosn't seem like. It will probably take them another century to get that smart and be able to catch up with everybody else. You're big joker, but it's good that you think positive. Hey! keep it up brother.
Does it matter whether we are Thai or Cambodian?
Its because we constantly have a need to identify ourselves which creates this animosity, and separation from the fact that we're all humans.
Why do we have such a need to
dominate one another?
- Patiwat
Khmer are peace-loving people who never fight one another.
It is difficult to attach any credibility to anyone who could write that.
I am impressed with the high quality of well informed comments made in this column so far. But, I should urge one or two contributors here to find and appreciate 'truth' or 'facts' as such in the general content of the discourse i.e. its essence or character rather than singling out isolated words for their apparent literal unfeasibility in relations to empirical evidence such as the reference to the Khmers as peaceful folks who never fight one another.
Of course, they do just as human beings do any where in the world. Marco Polo had also described China as a peace-loving people and thanked Heaven that they were, for otherwise they would have terrorised the world over - like the Mongols had done - with their great numerical number and industry.
'Peace-loving' is a term used to describe many nations around the world from Tibet to Native Americans just as the word 'war-like' is used to prefix so many other peoples and nations.
Most Khmers are peace-loving in their cultural context; their social interactions e.g. their tendency to avoid direct or overt confrontation with one another through adopted yet innate pattern of speech such as reference to strangers as 'uncle', 'grandma' or 'brother' etc.
We should look to history or our nation's great cultural heritage for the good that such heritage can impact and enrich our present and future generations as well as inform their understanding and thus fortressing their sense of belonging and identity which is critical to their prospects for survial as a species or nation. We should also be humble enough to ackwoledge the many positive influences that we as a people have adopted and enjoyed from other nations, not least from those immediately around us.
Anthropologists have also seen this positive role that cultures play as well in that cultures are there as bridges linking humanity in all its veried 'races' and differences together forming an inter-linked tapestry of human community. Some will seize upon culture and supposed achievements of their country's past as evidence of their nation's moral, social or intellectual superiority and abuse them for their own purposes or exploit them as a propaganda tool.
We should take pride in our nation's heritage, but be respectul of other people's achievements as well.
Khmer are a peace-loving people? What are you smoking?! So the five meter high column of skulls in that village that we drove through--the local attraction in the land of no electricity--and the landmines that still blow people's legs off, are all part of this peaceful disposition I see. You're nuts and bitter. Thailand is a poor-ass country, but one thing is for sure, it's ten times (no make that 100 times) better than having to scrape together a living in Cambodia.
Oh and by the way, your English sucks.
Oh, and dare I remind you, for all you talk about the "illustrious achievements" of the now extinct Khmer people, you guys would still be squatting in caves or living in trees had the Indians and the Chinese not showed the ways of civilization.
Never heard any story about the liver part. Base on my research, so called modern Khmer are mixed with Melanesian and Mongoloid. One part of Khmer who is from India came over to Cambodia and invaded Funan people(little black people). Chinese came along and bang everyone until we got straight hair. Then now we look Asian, just darker.
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