Bora Touch
Letter to The Phnom Penh Post
Dear Editor,
Because of general ignorance and political manipulation – especially by foreigners, with the foreign “experts” on Cambodia being the worst offenders – the term yuon has become so controversial that the Khmers and the Khmer language have become the victims. The term has been criticised by foreign experts as “contemptible”, “derogatory” and as having a “savage connotation”.
In his letter to the editor of the Washington Times (September 13, 2002) David Roberts defamatorily called the opposition leader, Mr Sam Rainsy, a racist for using the term yuon when referring to Vietnamese. Roberts was harshly critical of Mr Rainsy and wrote: “Mr Rainsy is not a democrat. He is a disappointed authoritarian in the Cambodian tradition. He refers to his Vietnamese neighbors as ‘yuon,’ meaning savage”.
Yasushi Akashi, the head of UNTAC, was hypnotised by the foreign “experts” on Cambodia to the degree of, reportedly, speechlessness, when a Khmer journalist used yuon to refer to Vietnamese when asking him questions. Akashi’s foreign advisers even discussed criminalising the use of the term.
Samdech Hun Sen’s letter to US senators John McCain and John Kerry of October 3, 1998, capitalised on the senators’ ignorance of the term yuon in Hun Sen’s campaign against Mr Rainsy. Hun Sen stated, “Mr Sam Rainsy referred to me as a yuon puppet. In case Your Excellencies are not familiar with the term yuon, yuon is highly derogative and racist term used to denigrate those of Vietnamese ancestry”. Hun Sen is known for his ties to the Vietnamese. What Sam Rainsy said was nothing new. Hun Sen chose to attack his use of the term yuon rather than answer the charge that he was too close to the Vietnamese.
The term began to be politicised in the late 1970s, especially during the Khmer Rouge-Vietnam war. In an attempt to demonise the KR, the Vietnamese propagandists propagated that yuon is a pejorative term for the Vietnamese (see Hanoi’s propaganda against KR: Kampuchea Dossier (KD), April 1978, Pt I, p 35).
Robert’s definition of yuon as “savages” appears to have been drawn from the KR’s definition of the term found in the KR Black Papers (1978, p 9). The definition is incorrect and baseless, and was included by the KR and the Vietnamese for the purpose of their respective propaganda.
Let me set the record straight. The term is neither new nor contemptible or derogatory. In fact, the Khmers have been using the term for more than a thousand years, and it has become a piece of Khmer tradition and language. As far as the surviving recorded evidence shows, the word yuon appears in Khmer inscriptions dating back to the reign of King Suryavarman I (1002-1050), an immediate predecessor to the Angkor Wat temple builder Suryavarman II (see Inscription K105 or Coedes, Inscriptions du Cambodge, K Hall, Maritime Trade and State Development in Early Southeast Asia (1985) etc). Yuon was used in the context of trade and commerce to refer to the Vietnamese people and in no way was a term of contempt.
As a matter of fact, yuon was well-known and used by early European travellers and officials; for instance, by the British linguist Lieut-Col James Low, by a famous French naturalist Henri Mouhot, by Thai King Mongkut (1851-68) in his official correspondence, etc. Yuon was still in use by some French writers after the independence of Indochina states; for instance, by a French Sergeant Resen Riesen. In Khmer writings, the term yuon was not used as a racist slur nor to indicate contempt, but to refer to what since WWII have been known as Vietnamese people. None of the Khmer language dictionaries define yuon as “savage” or indicate that it is a pejorative term. Yuon has been used in old and new Khmer poetry and songs for hundreds of years compared with the term “Vietnamese”, which has been used for about 50 years.
It is true that most Vietnamese do not know the term yuon and only the Khmer colloquially use it to refer to them, but this surprises no Khmer because equally most of the Vietnamese do not know that almost the whole of south Vietnam (from Don Nai to Hatien provinces) rightly belong(ed) to Cambodia, and the Vietnamese ancestors (and themselves) have colonised that part of Khmer lands for the last three centuries. Yuon had been used long before the beginning of this brutal Vietnamese colonisation started in the late 15th century.
Some “experts” have argued that if the Vietnamese are offended with the use of term, the Khmer should follow their wish. Political “correctness”, or forced accommodation rather, is not new to the Khmer. Back in the 19th century, the Khmer were forced to learn and speak Vietnamese rather than the Khmer language, and to behave and to dress the way the Vietnamese did under the policy of Vietnamisation by Emperor Minh Mang or his dynasty. When the Khmer resisted, they were punished and, in some cases, executed. The resistance has continued.
Believe me, Khmers know which words in their own language are “bad” or pejorative, and we do not need foreigners to teach us or show us the way.
Bora Touch
Sydney, Australia
In his letter to the editor of the Washington Times (September 13, 2002) David Roberts defamatorily called the opposition leader, Mr Sam Rainsy, a racist for using the term yuon when referring to Vietnamese. Roberts was harshly critical of Mr Rainsy and wrote: “Mr Rainsy is not a democrat. He is a disappointed authoritarian in the Cambodian tradition. He refers to his Vietnamese neighbors as ‘yuon,’ meaning savage”.
Yasushi Akashi, the head of UNTAC, was hypnotised by the foreign “experts” on Cambodia to the degree of, reportedly, speechlessness, when a Khmer journalist used yuon to refer to Vietnamese when asking him questions. Akashi’s foreign advisers even discussed criminalising the use of the term.
Samdech Hun Sen’s letter to US senators John McCain and John Kerry of October 3, 1998, capitalised on the senators’ ignorance of the term yuon in Hun Sen’s campaign against Mr Rainsy. Hun Sen stated, “Mr Sam Rainsy referred to me as a yuon puppet. In case Your Excellencies are not familiar with the term yuon, yuon is highly derogative and racist term used to denigrate those of Vietnamese ancestry”. Hun Sen is known for his ties to the Vietnamese. What Sam Rainsy said was nothing new. Hun Sen chose to attack his use of the term yuon rather than answer the charge that he was too close to the Vietnamese.
The term began to be politicised in the late 1970s, especially during the Khmer Rouge-Vietnam war. In an attempt to demonise the KR, the Vietnamese propagandists propagated that yuon is a pejorative term for the Vietnamese (see Hanoi’s propaganda against KR: Kampuchea Dossier (KD), April 1978, Pt I, p 35).
Robert’s definition of yuon as “savages” appears to have been drawn from the KR’s definition of the term found in the KR Black Papers (1978, p 9). The definition is incorrect and baseless, and was included by the KR and the Vietnamese for the purpose of their respective propaganda.
Let me set the record straight. The term is neither new nor contemptible or derogatory. In fact, the Khmers have been using the term for more than a thousand years, and it has become a piece of Khmer tradition and language. As far as the surviving recorded evidence shows, the word yuon appears in Khmer inscriptions dating back to the reign of King Suryavarman I (1002-1050), an immediate predecessor to the Angkor Wat temple builder Suryavarman II (see Inscription K105 or Coedes, Inscriptions du Cambodge, K Hall, Maritime Trade and State Development in Early Southeast Asia (1985) etc). Yuon was used in the context of trade and commerce to refer to the Vietnamese people and in no way was a term of contempt.
As a matter of fact, yuon was well-known and used by early European travellers and officials; for instance, by the British linguist Lieut-Col James Low, by a famous French naturalist Henri Mouhot, by Thai King Mongkut (1851-68) in his official correspondence, etc. Yuon was still in use by some French writers after the independence of Indochina states; for instance, by a French Sergeant Resen Riesen. In Khmer writings, the term yuon was not used as a racist slur nor to indicate contempt, but to refer to what since WWII have been known as Vietnamese people. None of the Khmer language dictionaries define yuon as “savage” or indicate that it is a pejorative term. Yuon has been used in old and new Khmer poetry and songs for hundreds of years compared with the term “Vietnamese”, which has been used for about 50 years.
It is true that most Vietnamese do not know the term yuon and only the Khmer colloquially use it to refer to them, but this surprises no Khmer because equally most of the Vietnamese do not know that almost the whole of south Vietnam (from Don Nai to Hatien provinces) rightly belong(ed) to Cambodia, and the Vietnamese ancestors (and themselves) have colonised that part of Khmer lands for the last three centuries. Yuon had been used long before the beginning of this brutal Vietnamese colonisation started in the late 15th century.
Some “experts” have argued that if the Vietnamese are offended with the use of term, the Khmer should follow their wish. Political “correctness”, or forced accommodation rather, is not new to the Khmer. Back in the 19th century, the Khmer were forced to learn and speak Vietnamese rather than the Khmer language, and to behave and to dress the way the Vietnamese did under the policy of Vietnamisation by Emperor Minh Mang or his dynasty. When the Khmer resisted, they were punished and, in some cases, executed. The resistance has continued.
Believe me, Khmers know which words in their own language are “bad” or pejorative, and we do not need foreigners to teach us or show us the way.
Bora Touch
Sydney, Australia
28 comments:
Thank you Lok Bora Touch. Khmer has virus spreading all over the body. we have to find way/remedies that can clean all those virus out.
Fuck the ignorance PhDs or the cock suckers liars!
to some degree, i think mr. david roberts allegation has some truth to it, especially with regards to sam rainsy, the mad person in khmer tradition. however, as for ther term "youn", i think fail to understand the proper usage of it. i suggest he continue to learn from this blog and khmer people of this term alone. but i do admire him for thinking sam rainsy is a true trouble-making in cambodia! i mean, pluralism and democracism is one thing, but to mix it with something else with the intention or purpose to confuse the public is arrogant and madness in the traditional language of khmer, to say the least, really!
isolation and ignorance are the real enemies of cambodia. that said, it is interesting really how this could lead up to more view points. it goes to show everyone needs a good education, especially about cambodia and khmer way. it's the truth. now, many people in the world know something true or real about cambodia and khmer? only education is the key to ridding of ignorance. now in the beginning, everyone on the planet were ignorant, but then they completed college, training, etc and become enlightened. this is the case with cambodia i see here. please get enlightened on cambodia for it is good for your mental health as well.
anyway, i think because cambodians or khmer people often referred "youn" as their historical enemies, of course, it is derogatory. get used to it! why viet/youn gov't ashamed of it? it has historical truth to it in khmer history, really! so, when they are ashamed or humiliated by it, it is usually a sign of the real truth that perhaps they tried hard to rid of or hide but not successful with khmer people! it's cambodia, please adapt, adopt and survive with it. it's the khmer thing, really! you can't claim to be a khmer expert if you fail to understand and accept and get used to it, really! get conditioned to it already. it's a fact of khmer life! thank you.
the reality is: khmer people don't really hate anyone, except youn because there are good reasons for that. please know khmer history to understand some of the reasons i mentioned, here,ok!
Lok 11:13PM
Mr. Sam Rainsy is misleading people about the meaning of democracy and using his opportunity under context of pluralism to inject and malign the term Youn? Or is he using the term Youn incorrectly?
I am not sure I understood you clearly.
Could you give specific examples where Mr. Sam Rainsy mislead "democractism" or use the term Youn to change the meaning?
What is your implied proper usage of the term Youn? Since you suggest that Dr. Robert to come view KI often for the "proper usage" ?
As I observed, KI-Media have not misused the term in any sense. KI have never written "Ah" "Kantorp" "Derechan", "Preibeisach" or any demeaning term in conjunction to the noun when they refer to "Vietnamese".
It is true that you see many angry readers here curses at the Youn people, but by the same token, if we go to other places that are angry at America and Americans, with their screams and ridiculous writing of "Death to America!" should we assume for intent and purpose that the term America is a racist term? Or can we say it is the context and the conjunction with other hateful terms that makes it hateful?
If we used the same standard they are used against Khmer language, then the term "America" should also be banned because it has incited so much anger in the world in light of 911.
This is what it comes down to when people attack Khmer usage of the term Youn, because Khmer(Cambodian) are angry at Youn(Vietnamese) nation, people assume its racist word when Khmer speak Khmer to talk politic.
Even when Khmer("Cambodian") do not speak politic to express frustration of Youn("Vietnamese") encroachment (which can't be deny, see Kampuchea Krom), the term Youn is still used in other way, like [Prapoun robos Kynom chun chiat Youn, Psha Youn, Mahob Youn & Rongjak Youn, Srok Youn] == ["My Vietnamese wife, Vietnamese Market, Vietnamese food and company, Vietnamese country"]
does those phrase sound racist at all?
I'm not afraid to admit that I do not like Vietnam, being a Cambodian-Vietnamese in Vietnam is hard life because of the policies to redistribute our wealth and land, but to say that I hate "Vietnamese" and that every-time I use the term "Youn" is to signify that hate "Vietnamese" is wrong.
It is wrong in general for western to tell Khmer to not say "Youn", "Chen", "Chapon", or "Barang" when even in their own language the names to these people do not agree with the language of the people they refer too. Specifically example above where they called Youn as "Vietnamese", Chen as "Chinese" and Chapon as "Japanese" or Barang as "French".
Why not call them by the "Kinh, Han, Nipon, or Francais" ?
11:33 PM
For argument sake, let take the statement as universal truth that "Khmer people hate Youn". And "Youn are traditional enemies of Khmer".
And therefore "Youn is deragory."
Let say that the French and British for play-sake, have not gotten over their differences. English consider French to be their traditional enemy, they hate French.
Therefore, of course, "French" is a derogatory term.
That too far from reality since it not true. You won't see it.
Let use Bin Laden and some Arab nations.
Some Arab nation consider American their eternal enemy. "American devils" they say. And for good reasons(their good reasons of course), they hate America.
Therefore, of course, "America" is a derogatory term. And the rest of the world who used this term, it should be banned too.
That is what you are arguing, because Khmer and Youn are considered as traditional enemies, Khmer cannot speak Khmer when refer to Youn, Conversely, Youn if they written us "Kho-me" should not refer to us as "Kho-me" either from now on.
i think mr. david roberts failed to understand khmer rich language and its usage when he said it means "savage", etc... 12:01am explained really well. please read it carefully as this person speak for all khmer people as well, really!
i think if people continue to accuse khmer language of derogatory etc, they will continue to hear more education from khmer people to no end, really! sooner or later, everybody will get it. they say practice makes perfect, you know!
Americans are racist when they call Mexicans "MEXICAN" ?
Yasushi Akashi, the head of UNTAC, this is guy is really stupid.
Why do foreign medias and foreign expert care too much about the word "Youn"? But, they are failing to care about Khmer lost land from Youn invader. Youn is taking Khmer land every day and no idiot those people are talking about this issue.
They must be fucking too many Youn girls in Hanoi lately and got drunk with those young pussies.
Mr. Rainsy and Khmer people have the right to use the word "Youn".
So stop talking about this issue. If we keep talking about Youn Hanoi encroaches Khmer land. That is the right issue.
Don't be shit to Khmer people. Just learn your own English and don't teach us with that word. We're Khmer know our language better than the foreigners. Because we live there, shit there, speak there for century.
amen!
Ho Chi Minh told HUN SEN, that HUN SEN can be king of Cambodia regardless.
yea everyone is stupid when they disagree with you. What a fucking bunch of hypocritical assholes you all are. Sam Rainsy got bitch-slapped by even the foreigners now. Sam Rainsy uses racist politics to gather support. He knows many idiot Khmers are sensitive to the youn taking over Khmer bullshit and he uses it to his advantage. Youn is the weak spot on many stupid khmers and it seems Sam Rainsy has been able to exploit that weakness of many Khmer. I bet I can gather shit load of support right now just by saying I'm fighting ah youn. Many dumb fucks would be delighted and throw their money at me without much consideration. That is your weakness. Learn about it so you wouldn't be exploited from it.
ឥឡូវនេះចង់បង្រៀនខ្មែរ កុំឲ្យនិយាយភាសារខ្មែរ កាន់តែជ្រុលទៅៗហើយ "យួន" "កន្ទប" "ស្រកី" តើយល់យ៉ាងណាដែរ អ្នកតំណាងប្រទេសខ្មែរ? បើគ្មានសមត្ថភាពទេ ទុកឲ្យគេធ្វើការម្តង
youn and youn puppets: listen well
the position will one day reverse itself
so what if I call you YOUN
.....The word of YOUN is not racist as Senator David Robert mentione above,its came from Khmer pronouciation "YOUNAN" as "YOUN"....!
How about Nigro, it use call black race, it is scientific name for black people, so why the black are offended when we call the Nigro!
The same thing with the word Youn.
ah kantop fucking ass 1:12 AM, khmer may be somewhat stupid, you can say it but Khmer still aware that yuon are their assassins and persecutors for centuries. Khmer don’t need sam Rainsy or anyone to tell them about yuon weird or brutalities against them, yuons did it themselves, and specially Khmers never need yuons or anyone to teach them what to think about yuons
NAG ah Youn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fuck all ah Youn they're the fuckin theft people. If I got a nuclear bomb I will droping on them so they could wiping out from this planet.
Hi guys/girls It's work well using term Youn as evident happen here unless we can change somlaw machou youn to solaw machou vietnam. you'll won't get the right samlaw hehe...keep use it more often. and cook often..I love it very very much yummy!
Democratic Kampuchea Pol Pot Khmer Rouge Regime
Members:
Pol Pot
Nuon Chea
Ieng Sary
Ta Mok
Khieu Samphan
Son Sen
Ieng Thearith
Kaing Kek Iev
Hun Sen
Chea Sim
Heng Samrin
Hor Namhong
Keat Chhon
Ouk Bunchhoeun
Sim Ka...
Committed:
Tortures
Brutality
Executions
Massacres
Mass Murder
Genocide
Atrocities
Crimes Against Humanity
Starvations
Slavery
Force Labour
Overwork to Death
Human Abuses
Persecution
Unlawful Detention
Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime
Members:
Hun Sen
Chea Sim
Heng Samrin
Hor Namhong
Keat Chhon
Ouk Bunchhoeun
Sim Ka...
Committed:
Attempted Murders
Attempted Murder on Chea Vichea
Attempted Assassinations
Attempted Assassination on Sam Rainsy
Assassinations
Assassinated Journalists
Assassinated Political Opponents
Assassinated Leaders of the Free Trade Union
Assassinated over 80 members of Sam Rainsy Party.
"But as of today, over eighty members of my party have been assassinated. Countless others have been injured, arrested, jailed, or forced to go into hiding or into exile."
Sam Rainsy LIC 31 October 2009 - Cairo, Egypt
Executions
Executed over 100 members of FUNCINPEC Party
Murders
Murdered 3 Leaders of the Free Trade Union
Murdered Chea Vichea
Murdered Ros Sovannareth
Murdered Hy Vuthy
Murdered Journalists
Murdered Khim Sambo
Murdered Khim Sambo's son
Murdered members of Sam Rainsy Party.
Murdered activists of Sam Rainsy Party
Murdered Innocent Men
Murdered Innocent Women
Murdered Innocent Children
Killed Innocent Khmer Peoples.
Extrajudicial Execution
Grenade Attack
Terrorism
Drive by Shooting
Brutalities
Police Brutality Against Monks
Police Brutality Against Evictees
Tortures
Intimidations
Death Threats
Threatening
Human Abductions
Human Abuses
Human Rights Abuses
Human Trafficking
Drugs Trafficking
Under Age Child Sex
Corruptions
Bribery
Embezzlement
Treason
Border Encroachment, allow Vietnam to encroaching into Cambodia.
Signed away our territories to Vietnam; Koh Tral, almost half of our ocean territory oil field and others.
Illegal Arrest
Illegal Mass Evictions
Illegal Land Grabbing
Illegal Firearms
Illegal Logging
Illegal Deforestation
Illegally use of remote detonation on Sokha Helicopter, while Hok Lundy and other military officials were on board.
Illegally Sold State Properties
Illegally Removed Parliamentary Immunity of Parliament Members
Plunder National Resources
Acid Attacks
Turn Cambodia into a Lawless Country.
Oppression
Injustice
Steal Votes
Bring Foreigners from Veitnam to vote in Cambodia for Cambodian People's Party.
Use Dead people's names to vote for Cambodian People's Party.
Disqualified potential Sam Rainsy Party's voters.
Abuse the Court as a tools for CPP to send political opponents and journalists to jail.
Abuse of Power
Abuse the Laws
Abuse the National Election Committee
Abuse the National Assembly
Violate the Laws
Violate the Constitution
Violate the Paris Accords
Impunity
Persecution
Unlawful Detention
Death in custody.
Under the Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime, no criminals that has been committed crimes against journalists, political opponents, leaders of the Free Trade Union, innocent men, women and children have ever been brought to justice.
For crying out loud...Jesus Christ!
Mr. Yasushi Akashi should stick to sushi and David Roberts, meat and potatoes don't even try to tell Khmers how to eat prahok...
Enough is enough...Mr. Bora Touch's comment deserved the honor to kick Mr. Akashi and Mr. Roberts in the butts...
Dear Lok Bora Touch,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts regarding this topic.
Please keeping on sharing all what you know about Cambodia to share Khmer new generation to learn of who we are.
Best Regards.
again, isolation and ignorance are the real enemies of cambodia and khmer people. wake up already, ok!
Mr, David Roberts and Yasushi Akashi, Could not comprehend a word Youn and let the Viet Namese to manipulated them to believed a word Youn is racist it just wrong!
They must understand that Youn are the most evil cruelty on earth. They had killed millions of people in SE ASIA.Killed off Chams from their country, killing People in Lao, Khmer Kroms. Youn have robbed, killed and calling their victims are racist.
Just to live and dies and yet These Youn Race have to robbed and killed for a living.Hell is waiting for them.
Yes I like the responding comments by Mr. Bora. I think it is much better if you write to the editor of the Washington Times to respond to Robert's letter(September 13, 2002.
khmer people don't need Rob, shortcut of Robber or Robert, to tell us what to say and what not to say.
Khmer need to be strong yourself so that other lob lob chon cheat talk shit to us.
ithecommentator
Mr Bora Touch fails to remember a crucial part in his comment. Ex King Norodom Sihanouk was the prime culprit in this misleading cultural/linguistic of the word Youn.
In 1993 during UNTAC mission to lead the first democratic election in Cambodia, he had played a big part of his best art of manipulation to convince the so called experts on the issue and managed to curb the wide spread usage of the word officially.
The experts would not have much success to halt the term Youn to be utilized officially, had the ex King not exploited his status and back ground as being Khmer to support the wrong context. This is an other consequence that Khmer have to bear from Sihanouk's irresponsible judgment.
Mr. Phnom Penh Post Editor, Michael Hays, should issue a front page apology to the Khmer people! If not, go home! We certainly do NOT need your 'foreign expertise' on the term 'Yuon' and tell khmer how to speak their own language.
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