Friday, May 08, 2009

Leaders are always right [-Was Pol Pot right also?]

Friday, 08 May 2009
Written by Sithen Sum
Letter to The Phnom Penh Post


Dear Editor,

I'm writing in response to Dr Naranhkiri Tith's May 4 letter. I'm not a doctor, nor a monarchist, nor a person smart enough to answer the doctor's provocative question. However, my reply is based on my experience as a motivational trainer.

If one accepts Sihanouk as a leader, it should be considered that he has a vision of his own. And I'd say virtually all leaders will claim they are right all the time. Why? Simply because of their vision. The vision is intact, yet their strategies to realise that may vary from time to time.

Let me take the example of Singapore's founding father, Lee Kuan Yew. Whatever he did was big picture and for the nation's sake.

The same holds true with Sihanouk. Although he was not right to change his position to support the KR, the change was necessary then to make Cambodian people independent from the US. What he expected of the KR was not the genocide but an independent Cambodia, as he testified to with our independence gained from France back in 1953. If he's been an ally to Hun Sen, it's probably because it's the only way to stabilise the country politically, and eventually, economically.

In a nutshell, it's not who is right, but what is right that matters.

Sithen Sum
Phnom Penh

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's theory of the strong dominate the weak, which is wrong when the costitutional laws are created and enforced for the purpose of serving the people in general.

Anonymous said...

In a nutshell, it's not who is right, but what is right that matters.

Sithen Sum
Phnom Penh
_____________________________

Dear Sithen,

Those leaders don't know what's rigth either. They are egocentric. They always think that they're always right. Look, see, hear, feel and taste what's has happened so far in the course of our Khmer history. We need to recognize our strenghts and weakneses and reflect what has happned so we learn lessons and try to do better.

I know that all leaders always want something good whether for themeslves or for for their county, but some times they are in the wrong tract in the process because of the egocentric behavior.

Anonymous said...

I agree with your first paragraph, 9:44PM.

Anonymous said...

Can someone tell me:
About the leaders who "Ran away" (most of them with the US army help) from their responsible before the Khmer Rouge took the power. They let the innocent million Khmer citizen into the hand of the Khmer Rouge.
Did they told us "wrong or right" what they have done.

Anonymous said...

Pol Pot and his men were a very discriminated fool right from the start. He discriminate against his own people and he discreminated against other people. They were cracy mad dog. Above all, he was an incompetent and an ignorant fool. That's what he is. Otherwise he wouldn't allow the killing to go on right under his nose and two millions of our people were gone forever.

Anonymous said...

10:39pm, I wish that i have every and all informations to tell you, but I don't. All I know that the Lon Nol's government lost any control of the war, because the American were no longer to want to fight the Vietcong and didn't want anything to do with them anymore. The Lon Nol government probably saw that coming, but they didn't know what to do, but surrender to the Khmer Rouge who heart was beast and unforgiving. They thought and hope that Th eKhmerRouge would spare their life and so that they can somehow changing thing around and working side by side, but not. Khmer Rouge are beast. They are so used to fight like beast and that wa show they intended to treat everyone in Cambodia on April 17th. 1979. They had stormed in and spared no one related to the Lon Nol. 24 hours to completedly leave Phnom Pehn said a million words. The 13 Millitary officers and also doctors who life had dedicated to nothing, but saving injured people from the war were the first to die by the Khmer Rouge right after they took over Battambang. What did those officers and doctors do wrong? They just people who job just like you and I. Khmer Rouge could not understand that. All they saw, was those people were enemies and all enermies deserved to die. It didn't matter, if they die like dog or cat. The killing went on and continued for years and until 2 millions people were extracted from Khmer pupolation. You tell us why did those people do what they did? If it's not great fear and crazy than what? Fear drove people to do vicious thing. All because they didn't understand and having control of their emotion. They were very sick people. What could Prince Sirimatak or Mr. Long Boret do to protect Khmer people? Nothing. They couldn't even protect their own. Just remember when you know that people are crazy, you either tell other people that can help or run!

Anonymous said...

10:39pm, Lon Nol government lost the war. People who don't want to get kill or executed "run" to survive. Anything wrong about that?

The Khmere Rouge won and proceeded to kill millions their own citizens in their quest for a new Cambodia.

And yet you let the KR off the hook.

Anonymous said...

not necessarily true all the time. don't forget that to err is human. nothing is set in stone, my dear. everyone needs each other; it's like a team sport, you can't win playing alone, you know!

Anonymous said...

get an educate, please, that assumption sounds so ignorant. leaders aren't necessarily right all the time. get rid of that stone age mentality, please. adopt new concept for it will be an improvement. thank you.

Anonymous said...

King & Queen tosted their champaigne glasses in China when Khmer Rouge won, but did they actually come to Cambodia right away? bet not. They must have waited to see what happens first. Many of us know that Sihanouk quited sometimes in 1976 right? Would it because Khmer Rouge refuse to settle Cambodia under the Monarchy's Law? Sure, it was. King will always want to be King and given upon by proper right. Khmer Rouge isn't going to do that. It would mean complte betrayal to their peasants men and women. When Sihanouk was left to no power, that was when hell broke loose. Fight and say it back, if it wasn't true.

Anonymous said...

How about his firering squarts?
How about his suppression force?
How about his revence on his own people?

How about his stupidity? braged to be a play boy! to be King too young to know what to do with his Dignity!

And his thing people who just want to live with dignity ah human are LONOLian shit!

I not hate Shihanouk I just hate his stupidity!

Anonymous said...

11:06 PM
Thanks for the explanation. It sound to me almost Khmer leaders want only the power for them selves. When got into the big trouble, they just run away from their responsibility. Never heard from one of them told us or to the Khmer people, about their mistake. Of course the one was, Mr. Duch had courage to ask for forgiving.

Anonymous said...

Almost everyone in Cambodia were treated as prisioner of war between April of 1975 and January of 1979. Only few people that are associated with the Khmer Rouge's soldiers or their top officers could do thing freely and having plenty of things to eat. The rest was none. Zero. That was how we died and that was how they lost their war with the vietnamese.

Anonymous said...

Dear Beloved Countrymen,

We know the problems like we are sick so we must go to see the doctor for medical treatment especially our nation we must stand up and solve the problem. You can read the book of Khmer Nation Leaders 1-2 to know well about country. You can get the idea to lead.
Best wishes,

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11:27 AM