December 23, 2009A. Gaffar Peang-Meth
Pacific Daily News (Guam)
Christians, who make up about a third of the world's population, celebrate the birth of Jesus to Mary on Friday. Non-Christians worldwide, too, will join this public holiday festivity.
As words of love and compassion ring here, there and everywhere, taped next to my computer is a postcard I purchased years ago at the United Nations bookstore in New York, when my wife and I were students in a university U.N. program. It is a postcard of Norman Rockwell's wall-sized mosaic painting, hung at the U.N. headquarters.
The painting shows men, women and children of different races -- black, brown, yellow, white -- wearing serious, solemn faces, children with hands clasped, others carrying religious offerings, mothers carrying youngsters, all standing behind a scripture which reads: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" -- Matthew 7:12, the "Golden Rule."
And Matthew 7:12 has its equivalent in other religious and moral traditions: Buddhism's scripture, "Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful"; Islam's "None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself"; Judaism and Christianity's "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
And Confucianists say, "Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you"; Hindus say "This is the sum of duty: do not do to others what would cause pain if done to you."
Thus, it is fitting today to reflect on this universally accepted maxim of reciprocity that advocates peace and harmony in all relationships -- personal, societal, national and global.
On Dec. 10, President Obama spoke in Oslo, where the Nobel Peace Prize was bestowed upon him. Admitting humbly that so many others around the world are "far more deserving of this honor than I," Obama cited the Golden Rule as, "the one rule that lies at the heart of every major religion, ... this law of love (that) has always been the core struggle of human nature."
He acknowledged human weaknesses: "We are fallible. We make mistakes, and fall victim to the temptations of pride, and power, and sometimes evil." And he told the world, "make no mistake: evil does exist in the world."
Yet, he said, "We do not have to think that human nature is perfect for us to still believe that the human condition can be perfected. We do not have to live in an idealized world to still reach for those ideals that will make it a better place." And he declared, "We are not mere prisoners of fate. ... Our actions matter."
Citing world peace as "unstable where citizens are denied the right to speak freely or worship as they please," Obama said solemnly that "neither America's interests -- nor the world's -- are served by the denial of human aspirations."
"Whatever mistakes we have made, the plain fact is this: the United States of America has helped underwrite global security for more than six decades with the blood of our citizens and the strength of our arms," Obama said. He cited Americans' "enlightened self-interest" that dictated Americans' actions, "because we seek a better future for our children and grandchildren, and we believe that their lives will be better if other people's children and grandchildren can live in freedom and harmony."
Quoting President Kennedy's "Let us focus ... not on a sudden revolution in human nature but on a gradual evolution in human institutions," and civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I refuse to accept the idea that the 'isness' of man's present makes him morally incapable of reaching up to the eternal 'oughtness' that forever confronts him," Obama appealed: "So let us reach for the world that ought to be -- that spark of the divine that still stirs within each of our souls."
He outlined his vision to "build a just and lasting peace." Regimes that break the rules "must be held accountable" through "increased pressure"; a peace is just and lasting when "based upon the inherent rights and dignity of every individual"; and as development requires security, there can't be security if food, clean water and medicine do not exist. Hence, citizens' civil and political rights must go hand in hand with economic security and opportunity.
And Obama promised in Oslo: "America will always be a voice for those aspirations that are universal," a reassurance of what he promised Dec. 1 at West Point, that "America will speak out on behalf" of the human rights of "every man, woman and child around the world, ... and tend to the light of freedom and justice and opportunity and respect for the dignity of all peoples."
So, as we celebrate Christmas and prepare for the new year, let us pray Obama will succeed in trying "as best we can to balance isolation and engagement, pressure and incentives, so that human rights and dignity are advanced over time."
As he declared, "We can acknowledge that oppression will always be with us, and still strive for justice. We can admit the intractability of depravation, and still strive for dignity. We can understand that there will be war, and still strive for peace. We can do that -- for that is the story of human progress; that is the hope of all the world; and at this moment of challenge, that must be our work here on Earth."
Merry Christmas and happy New Year!
A. Gaffar Peang-Meth, Ph.D., is retired from the University of Guam, where he taught political science for 13 years. Write him at peangmeth@yahoo.com
As words of love and compassion ring here, there and everywhere, taped next to my computer is a postcard I purchased years ago at the United Nations bookstore in New York, when my wife and I were students in a university U.N. program. It is a postcard of Norman Rockwell's wall-sized mosaic painting, hung at the U.N. headquarters.
The painting shows men, women and children of different races -- black, brown, yellow, white -- wearing serious, solemn faces, children with hands clasped, others carrying religious offerings, mothers carrying youngsters, all standing behind a scripture which reads: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" -- Matthew 7:12, the "Golden Rule."
And Matthew 7:12 has its equivalent in other religious and moral traditions: Buddhism's scripture, "Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful"; Islam's "None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself"; Judaism and Christianity's "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
And Confucianists say, "Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you"; Hindus say "This is the sum of duty: do not do to others what would cause pain if done to you."
Thus, it is fitting today to reflect on this universally accepted maxim of reciprocity that advocates peace and harmony in all relationships -- personal, societal, national and global.
On Dec. 10, President Obama spoke in Oslo, where the Nobel Peace Prize was bestowed upon him. Admitting humbly that so many others around the world are "far more deserving of this honor than I," Obama cited the Golden Rule as, "the one rule that lies at the heart of every major religion, ... this law of love (that) has always been the core struggle of human nature."
He acknowledged human weaknesses: "We are fallible. We make mistakes, and fall victim to the temptations of pride, and power, and sometimes evil." And he told the world, "make no mistake: evil does exist in the world."
Yet, he said, "We do not have to think that human nature is perfect for us to still believe that the human condition can be perfected. We do not have to live in an idealized world to still reach for those ideals that will make it a better place." And he declared, "We are not mere prisoners of fate. ... Our actions matter."
Citing world peace as "unstable where citizens are denied the right to speak freely or worship as they please," Obama said solemnly that "neither America's interests -- nor the world's -- are served by the denial of human aspirations."
"Whatever mistakes we have made, the plain fact is this: the United States of America has helped underwrite global security for more than six decades with the blood of our citizens and the strength of our arms," Obama said. He cited Americans' "enlightened self-interest" that dictated Americans' actions, "because we seek a better future for our children and grandchildren, and we believe that their lives will be better if other people's children and grandchildren can live in freedom and harmony."
Quoting President Kennedy's "Let us focus ... not on a sudden revolution in human nature but on a gradual evolution in human institutions," and civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I refuse to accept the idea that the 'isness' of man's present makes him morally incapable of reaching up to the eternal 'oughtness' that forever confronts him," Obama appealed: "So let us reach for the world that ought to be -- that spark of the divine that still stirs within each of our souls."
He outlined his vision to "build a just and lasting peace." Regimes that break the rules "must be held accountable" through "increased pressure"; a peace is just and lasting when "based upon the inherent rights and dignity of every individual"; and as development requires security, there can't be security if food, clean water and medicine do not exist. Hence, citizens' civil and political rights must go hand in hand with economic security and opportunity.
And Obama promised in Oslo: "America will always be a voice for those aspirations that are universal," a reassurance of what he promised Dec. 1 at West Point, that "America will speak out on behalf" of the human rights of "every man, woman and child around the world, ... and tend to the light of freedom and justice and opportunity and respect for the dignity of all peoples."
So, as we celebrate Christmas and prepare for the new year, let us pray Obama will succeed in trying "as best we can to balance isolation and engagement, pressure and incentives, so that human rights and dignity are advanced over time."
As he declared, "We can acknowledge that oppression will always be with us, and still strive for justice. We can admit the intractability of depravation, and still strive for dignity. We can understand that there will be war, and still strive for peace. We can do that -- for that is the story of human progress; that is the hope of all the world; and at this moment of challenge, that must be our work here on Earth."
Merry Christmas and happy New Year!
A. Gaffar Peang-Meth, Ph.D., is retired from the University of Guam, where he taught political science for 13 years. Write him at peangmeth@yahoo.com
10 comments:
2 421 321 innocent khmer were killed,and 5 124 321 immigrant vietcong were replaced in Cambodia,where is peace?But Sihanouk said Victory!
To all Khmer compatriots, ladies and gentlemen
CHINA and the USA do not know how to rescue Cambodia from Vietnamese jaws?
In relation to Cambodia, CHINA is Zero achievement, every time Chinese start to move their men or policies to influence Cambodia, the Vietcong/NVA punch in the Chinese nose first all the times.
Now the ECCC in Cambodia is indirectly control by Vietnamese government through their puppet Mr. Hun Sen/CPP government. The ECCC is charging former CHINA clients Mr. Khieu Samphan, Mr. Nuon Chea, Mr. Ieng Sary and his wife Mrs. Ieng Thirith as GENOCIDE crimes against the ethnic Vietnamese and the Cham in Cambodia. What is CHINA GOING TO DO ABOUT THAT?
BESIDE BRING MORE MONEY TO BUY Mr. Hun Sen/CPP government and perhaps to robe the whole of Cambodia through land development, ripping for Vietnam to take over again and again CHINA can not do anything to save Cambodia from Vietnam colonization.
CHINA WAS THE MAIN SUPPORTER OF KHMER ROUGE who is their clients now charging as genocide. Whereas the Vietnamese clients such as Hun Sen, Chea Sim, Heng Samrin, Hor Nam Hoang, Keat Chhon, Sam Kar, Sar Kheng, Men Sam An and much more who also GENOCIDED millions of Khmers are laughing at CHINA, USA, UN, EU, ECCC all the way to their own individual’s banks.
At this stage USA do not want to save Cambodia from Vietnam swallowing, so what CHINA must do is to wake up quickly by allying themselves with USA the same way as Mr. Deng Xao Ping did with Mr. Ronald Reagan in 1980’s and rearmed the ex- Khmer Rouge soldiers again to save Cambodia from extinction.
The condition must be attached onto those ex-Khmer Rouge troops, that those troops must be control and lead by ex-anti Vietnamese guerrilla’s leaders similar to the recipient of American Silver Cross Medal, Major Sergeant SARUN SAR of the American Special Force and many more of that types are waiting around the world and inside Cambodia to bring Vietnam and Hun Sen/CPP government to respect the 23rd October 1991 Paris Peace Agreement once more time.
Vietnamese government through their puppet HUN SEN had cheated the CHINESE GOVERNMENT, the UNTAC, the USA administrative and the whole Khmer Rouge organization by urging the Khmer Rouge to lay down their arm before 1993 and now control them like slave and master.
Now a day what CHINA hoping is to buy out HUN SEN and the whole CPP government with their money, so CHINA can have influence in Cambodia.
Vietnamese will not let HUN SEN go off their hooks so easily like CHINA wanted, if HUN SEN do want to escape from Vietnamese jaws, he will receive the same fate as his in-law former police crook-murderer Gen. HOK LUNDY.
Vietnam only allow Hun Sen as a bait to attract investment funds from China, so Vietnam who is Hun Sen master, can spare their own fund to buy 6 Sub-Marines and 12 Russian Airplanes to defeat CHINA once more time like in February 1979 from future China attack.
Vietnam at this moment will never let Chinese put a hand on Cambodia cake again, for inside Cambodia they had 100,000 NVA plus 5 million of Vietnamese illegal immigrants, and for augment sake who know how many Vietnamese militia in disguise among those 5 million illegal Vietnamese in Cambodia?
Therefore, the USA and the CHINA were manipulated by Vietnamese government again and again until they took all the South East Asian markets. Recently they took Laos, Cambodia and perhaps Thailand soon when the opportunity arises.
Vietnam smartly took Laos, Cambodia from CHINA and from the USA, and CHINA never dares to challenge Vietnam for CHINA and USA are always incapable to defeat Vietnamese hypocrisy in war or in politics, so CHINA and USA have no choice, but to unite like in 1980’s to stop Vietnam from swallowing Cambodia and to stop Vietnam expansionist strategy toward Thailand too.
CHINA CAN NOT BUY VIETNAMESE OR HUN SEN/CPP GOVERNMENT OUTRIGHT. CHINA and USA ARE THE LOOSERS TO VIETNAMESE COMMUNIST’S GOVERNMENT WITHOUT KNOWING IT, WHAT IS A SHAME!!!
Kulen Monorom
(The rice farmer’s son)
To the Honorable President Barracks Obama, The United States President of America,
Mr. Hun Sen says there are 100,000 North Vietnamese Communist arm forces still occupied Cambodia everyday and they stay on top of his head.
Eyes witness said there are 4 to 5 million illegal Vietnamese communists also occupied Cambodia to give illegal vote to Mr. Hun Sen and his CPP illegitimate government.
My appeal to President Barracks Obama are:
(A)***** Can the United States of America rescue Cambodia from Vietnamese communist government through their puppet Mr. Hun Sen/CPP government swallowing Cambodia now??? Your past policy in helping Cambodia on Human Right, Democracy, Health and education were so great, but they will not stop Vietnamese government from swallowing Khmer country in the near future.
Cambodia always wanted to be USA ally in her own independent right, not through the satellite of Hanoi government.
(B)***** Can the United States of America stay in Cambodia for ever by not desert Cambodia and left innocent Khmer as the most trust US ally to be slaughtered by Vietcong/NVA/Khmer Rouge soldiers (prince Sirimatak Sisowath last letter in March 1975 to then US Ambassador John Anthony Dean) like the USA did on the 12th of April 1975???
(C)***** Can the United States of America rescue Cambodia from the dictator Mr. Hun Sen the same way as America did rescue Iraqi people from the dictator Mr. Saddam Hussein???
(D)***** Can the United States of America do it now either by law or by force, before the Hanoi government swallowing Khmer people and Khmer land through it puppet Mr. Hun Sen/CPP government completely soon.
President Obama, by helping all Khmer inside Cambodia to stand up strong and tall against the dictatorship and corruption of Mr. Hun Sen and the Cambodian People Party (CPP) like Ambassador Rodley did in the Cambodian Olympic Stadium this year, US may also soon help rescue the whole of Cambodia from the occupation of the 100,000 disguised Communist Vietnamese Army + their advisers + 4 to 5 millions illegal Vietnamese immigrants who have not left Cambodia according to the 23rd October 1991 Paris Peace Accord yet!!!
In the East we have got colonized by Hanoi, whereas in the West we have the threat from the Thai government and her powerful Arm Forces everyday since July 2008.
President Obama, may I urge you to put pressure on Mr. Hun Sen and his Royal Cambodian government to immediately accept 10,000 of American Arm Forces plus 10,000 United Nations Arm forces to the Khmer-Thai and to Khmer-Vietnamese border to:
1- Prevent the Royal Thai Arm forces from burning Khmer civilians alive again.
2- Prevent the Royal Thai Arm forces from invading Cambodia and killing all the former Khmer Rouge soldiers and their teenage sons on Hanoi and Mr. Hun Sen government behalf.
3- Prevent Mr. Hun Sen government from signing any new contracts with his master Hanoi in bringing 100,000 or more Bodoi troops to fight with the Royal Thai Arm forces from Inside Khmer territory. Although, previously there were 100,000 of NVA + 4 to 5 millions of illegal Vietnamese immigrant inside Cambodia already, but the 25 years troop intervention (invasion) contract between Hanoi government and the Royal Cambodian Government in the past have finished many years ago.
May almighty God Jesus Christ bless America and little innocent Cambodia.
May almighty God Jesus Christ rescue Cambodia from Vietnam swallowing and from the Royal Thai Arm forces invasion.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all Americans and to all Cambodians.
Regards,
Kulen Monorom
the rice farmer's son)
Wednesday 23rd of December, 2009
All Khmers,
The Freedom is not FREE. You have to fight to get that.
No Gods or Super Power Countrties will come to help you free from Vietnamisation. You have to organise and help yourselves first, and then the world will come to help you.
What peace? If human beings truly
evolve, I don't see any signs of
a peaceful world soon. May be in
a trillion yrs from now.
No, there is no peace! A person can
win a million Nobel Peace Prizes,
still, peace is an elusive thing.
The UN cannot bring peace. Matter
of fact, they create instability.
By creating instability, the UN can
implement the One World Government.
Individual freedom is of the past,
enslavement is the future for those
who trust in them.
Don't be deceived for a world peace, its only a bait to get you
into their snares.
This world is heading for a disaster soon. It is even in the making. When they say "peace and
safety", doom is near.
The starting place, is the Middle
East. All has to do with the country of Israel. Israel is a
thorn to the world peace. But by
Israel, will peace come to the world.
So be prepare for an earth shaking events to take place soon. I mean,
the earth will reel to and fro like
a drunken person. There's an evil hiding behind the 'peace' mask.
It must happen. No man can stop it.
Just like death cannot be put off for a future date, likewise, this
crooked and perverse world will be
judge by it's creator for it's rebellion against his truth.
I do really respect Dr. Peang very much, but I disagree with him about Obama's peace.
I am not much a believer in peace. Because in order to find peace we have to terminate our enemies, and if we cannot then we won't have peace. Peace will come with a highest price, and the price can be our lives we have to sacrifice.
Cambodia has been under Yuon, then Barang then Yuon again. Khmers are almost extincted by Yuon, and again Khmers fight with each others and a few still believe Yuon' propagandas saying the King was the killer, bulshit. Now we Khmers don't even have peace among ourselves.
About Obama, I have no faith on the guy who joined Racist black Church for many years. As a preacher, Obama can talk, but he himself has not found peace after he threw his own white grand mother under the Bus. Like Chavey said, Obama received NP from Norwagian socialist who bought him to be faithful to Communist party that's all. The guy has not done anything to deserve the NP and he hismelf admitted he didn't deserve.
The NP should be given to Ghandi.
Yes peace OB is talking about is that he carries the same war as Prez Bush. What peace?
I am not wrong about peace. My peace is the suffering of others.
Since we all are human, it doesn't matter black, white or yellow. we all need to come and meet up to the standard of the 21st century that is by breaking all barriers and share the same universal together because in the end we belong to the earth and the earth does not belong to us! Aust
In order to have peace, one must agree to disagree but not selfishly insult others. Obama has a single opportunity to bring peace and he has done his best. We all are also have one opportunity to help make peace; so choose it wisely or you end up doing the opposit things..
I too believe that Ghandi was a greatest man who deserved the Nobel Price, but since he is not Black he lost. Yes Obama's peace is to rob other hard working people to fill another pockets who are lazy to keep power. He can't bring peace in his native Kenya while his cousin grabbed power from the elected leader and why do you think he can fool us?
Communist system didn't work and why do you think it is working now?
Dr. Peang-Meth is a very respectable scholar but he embraces Communist USA. May be he thinks Communist USA is better than Communist China or far better than Communist in his homeland, Cambodia.
American Democrat party is Communist party.
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