By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer Washington
06 November 2009
Cambodia’s claim to independence 56 years ago, led by former king Norodom Sihanouk, prevented the country from weakening and losing territory, opposition lead Sam Rainsy said Thursday, four days ahead of Independence Day.
“Luckily, we had leaders, especially…Norodom Sihanouk,” Sam Rainsy said, as a guest on “Hello VOA.” “By then he had the highest clever wisdom to claim independence. And if we had not claimed independence, we would have been a weak country, mistreated, without sovereignty, losing territory and dignity.”
Cambodia had been a protectorate under French colonialism, a position that lasted 90 years but one that prevented Cambodia from being taken over, half by Thailand and half by Vietnam, split at the Mekong River.
Independence would be followed by years of turmoil: Sihanouk was ousted in 1970 and a republic was established, only to be overrun by the communist Khmer Rouge in 1975, who were pushed out by the Vietnamese and their decade-long occupation.
It was not until 1991 that Cambodia became a constitutional monarchy, where a king reigns but does not rule, signing off on legislation that is drafted by the executive branch and debated and approved by the National Assembly and the Senate.
Sihanouk abdicated in 2004, but is still widely respected as the man who brought independence.
“So a good leader, this our Khmers respect, our Khmers follow, and our nation progresses,” Sam Rainsy said. “But when there is a lamentable leader, an uneducated person, a cruel person,” he can only be the leader if he has help from foreigners, if foreigners install him to be the leader, he said. “They owe the foreigners, and the foreigners want what in payment?”
“And this is not a new story,” he continued. “It’s an old story, centuries old. They want our land. They want more of their people to flow into and live on our land. Then one day, to that will be another Kampuchea Krom. Then it’s finished. That’s why we need a leader who is a real nationalist, who has high idealism, that all Khmers can unite with.”
Without a good leader, Cambodia would lose more of its territory to Vietnamese and Thai expansion, he said. Sihanouk was able to maintain neutrality, “a good policy,” Sam Rainsy said, allowing the Vietnamese to fight with each other and the Thais to fight with each other.
“Let them fight,” he said. “We do not need to take sides. That would be just like playing with fire. And playing with fire can burn the hand, and if it doesn’t burn the hand, it can burn the house, and if the houses surrounding our home are burning and we go to play, we blow the fire and it may ignite our home.”
Cambodia should remember Independence Day, he said, and the hard struggle by former nationalists who helped Sihanouk achieve it.
“Luckily, we had leaders, especially…Norodom Sihanouk,” Sam Rainsy said, as a guest on “Hello VOA.” “By then he had the highest clever wisdom to claim independence. And if we had not claimed independence, we would have been a weak country, mistreated, without sovereignty, losing territory and dignity.”
Cambodia had been a protectorate under French colonialism, a position that lasted 90 years but one that prevented Cambodia from being taken over, half by Thailand and half by Vietnam, split at the Mekong River.
Independence would be followed by years of turmoil: Sihanouk was ousted in 1970 and a republic was established, only to be overrun by the communist Khmer Rouge in 1975, who were pushed out by the Vietnamese and their decade-long occupation.
It was not until 1991 that Cambodia became a constitutional monarchy, where a king reigns but does not rule, signing off on legislation that is drafted by the executive branch and debated and approved by the National Assembly and the Senate.
Sihanouk abdicated in 2004, but is still widely respected as the man who brought independence.
“So a good leader, this our Khmers respect, our Khmers follow, and our nation progresses,” Sam Rainsy said. “But when there is a lamentable leader, an uneducated person, a cruel person,” he can only be the leader if he has help from foreigners, if foreigners install him to be the leader, he said. “They owe the foreigners, and the foreigners want what in payment?”
“And this is not a new story,” he continued. “It’s an old story, centuries old. They want our land. They want more of their people to flow into and live on our land. Then one day, to that will be another Kampuchea Krom. Then it’s finished. That’s why we need a leader who is a real nationalist, who has high idealism, that all Khmers can unite with.”
Without a good leader, Cambodia would lose more of its territory to Vietnamese and Thai expansion, he said. Sihanouk was able to maintain neutrality, “a good policy,” Sam Rainsy said, allowing the Vietnamese to fight with each other and the Thais to fight with each other.
“Let them fight,” he said. “We do not need to take sides. That would be just like playing with fire. And playing with fire can burn the hand, and if it doesn’t burn the hand, it can burn the house, and if the houses surrounding our home are burning and we go to play, we blow the fire and it may ignite our home.”
Cambodia should remember Independence Day, he said, and the hard struggle by former nationalists who helped Sihanouk achieve it.
17 comments:
I rather call sihanouk independence a “yuon independence”, offered by yuons like yuon offered 17 april 1975 and 7 jan 1979 to polpot and cpp. It was the beginning of way to the killing field, kindly offered by yuons. - And contrary to what rainsy, sihanouk ass kisser from father to son, said in this text, Khmer lost everything because of this yuon generosity string, not only sovereignty, territory and dignity
Shameful to rainsy and all yuon slaves
Under French colonization khmer lost half to thai and half to yuons but while khmer getting out of French colonization it is not half but WHOLE to yuons in which millions of khmer people are being massacred to be replaced by yuon migrants. Resources natural (99;99% at least) dated of millions years are sacked by yuons. Now you can walk in the street of phnom penh or in the markets with impression that you was in Hanoi. Yuons are everywhere from base people to top leaders with Chinese or yuon names (nha, nhong, nhang, kim, kong kang, kouy, keang) if not, there are yuons with khmer appellation. On the other hand you still can find top leaders with khmer names and identity in Thailand though.
Before 1970,yes.After Aar Kor People khmer with theang Tnort and 4 432 123 vietcong in AngKor Wat,we can say that the disppearance of all Empire Khmer.
Wait the declaration of ECCC.
Don't call it's youn's land, yet. There is still hope. All we have to do, is voting for Mr. Sam Rainsey. The whole thing will turn around.
Shame on our nation.
WHAT'S NOW?
fUCK YOU 5:24am!
5:24 AM why you need to insult thing or people for other people else doing, did people insult your mother fucken, sister or brother for your own ill act or for someone else act
Too many parties always used Sihaknuk and latter failed,now Ransy he out of his mind? Is you still using that king of the khmer rouge your career will go no where ,because Sihaknuk not a good brand name any more from this day on.
Nis Chea roup thât (picture) ah Norodom Sihanouk doeu lerng kamsan nov khnong toeuk Stung nov khnong Khet Battambâng doauy mean Tea hean doeu âm rop roy neak min mern Ah Norodom Sihanouk tov chbâing Chea muoy Yuon yeak Minh roeu Chea muoy baraing té. saum kom choeu Ah Norodom Sihanouk or Ah mother-fucker or Ah choy mê vea. Ngorp tov Ah khbâth cheat Khmer Chhmors Ah Norodom Sihanouk.
Pi Anh, Chea Sim President of CPP.
good, everyone of the statemen is being remembered for something, really!
Eh!Mr Siem! Do you want Mr samrainsy all Khmer people give to you free and add one more Mr Kim Sokha no Khmer people need them if you want call me 911 ok!
we have been victimized by foreign countries namely china, youn, siam, russia and us; as well as our khmer leaders-- sihanouk, pol pot and hun sen.
9:06am, you are mostly right on the mark! Just add dumb Lon Nol to your list too.
Dear Folk - We have to understand the way SR talked on this issue. I don't like Sihanouk - I hate him but we have to understand that SR has no choice between the King and the Dictator. In this situaction he cannot use one stone kill two birds. Hun Sen watches every move and every words SR does.
I am a CPP supporter but I am with SR in this situaction.
King Sihanouk deserved the Varman Title!!! Long Live King Sihanouk!!!
ក្រោយពីបានឯករាជ្យប្តូរនឺងកម្ពុជាក្រោមរួចមក
ស សីហនុត្រូវប្រទាញប្រទង់ដោយប្លុកពីរគឺសេរីនឺងកុម្មុយនឹស្ត។ប្លុកសេរីប្រើនយោបាយកំហែង
ឯប្លុកកម្មុយនឹស្តប្រើនយោបាយបព្ចោចបពើ្ច តែទី
បំផុតសីហនុត្រុវជូអេងឡាយទឺញបានហើយអូស
គាត់ឲ្យចូលអន្ទាក់សង្រ្គាមវៀតណាមដែលចិន
ចាញ់បោកយួនបន្តមកទៀតហើយច្រានសីហនុ
ឲ្យមកជាប់ដៃប្រឡាក់ឈាមជាមួយខ្មែរក្រហម
ទីបំផុតទៅសីហនុជាមនុស្សចាញ់បោកគេគ្រាប់
គ្នា។មានម្តងគាត់ប្រៀបខ្លួនគាត់ដូចផ្លែពុទ្រា
ដែលគេជពា្ជក់អស់ជាតិហើយគេតែងតែខ្ជាក់
គ្រាប់ចោលជាពុំខាន។ឥឡូវគាត់ដឺងខ្លួន ទើបគាត់
ស្រែកថា ខ្ញុំសមតែស្លាប់ទេ។ហ៊ុនសែនចាញ់បោក
យួន តែបានអំណាចនឺងសម្បតិ្តមហាសាល តែបន្តិចទៀតគាត់លង់នឺងសម្បតិ្តទាំងពីរនេះ
ហើយស្លាប់តៃហោងក៏ដោយសារតែសម្បត្តិទាំង
ពីរនេះដដែល។
9:15 AM rainsy can have mouth shut in this kind of situation, nothing force him to lick sihanouk behinds but it is his true nature and color
sam sary,sam ranisy, like father like son
this is the reasons why rainsy cant go further in his political career beside being cpp tool. Funny to see a khmer rouge like hun sen use rainsy to size and maintain in power
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