Wednesday, February 03, 2010

Sacrava's Political Cartoon: Learning Khmer

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)

44 comments:

Anonymous said...

vietnames = fugen youn
thai = siem
chinese = chen
Barang = french toast
Laosian = Leo

Anonymous said...

They are cruel who had killed 2 415 621 innocent people khmers.

Anonymous said...

The "Racist" raised by CPP is a naked excuse to crush watch parties. And the language of RACIST used against, esp VN deserves consideration of how Khmers feel toward ill-willed VN. KhOpen,

Anonymous said...

Yeah that is right, Sacrava! If I may I would like to add to your list:

Kleng = India

Jvea = Malay

Charm/Khmer Islam = Cham

more to come...

Anonymous said...

Over four hundred years of continuous acts of sabotage and sticking their hands into Khmer internal affair since the 1600s had made a name for the Youn or Viet as untrusted people in the mindset and views of Khmer people - to an extent where even at the mention of their nationality Youn or their nation "Yieknam" (as pronounced by Southern Vietnamese) to some Khmer is distasteful. All the pent up resentment about Vietnam stealing Khmer land, enslaving Khmer citizens, mistreating Khmer natives, and destroying Khmer "barbaric culture" i.e (Kampuchea Krom)- they all resurface with the Yieknam or Youn.


It is that historical context that makes Youn so hateful to some Khmer, not a made up meaning of the word, for all Khmer can agree there is no meaning for that word beside the English coin "Vietnamese".

The French would suffer the same fate of hatred if it stayed in Cambodia too long, but unlike the Vietnamese the French did not force the Khmer to become "civilized", Khmers saw for themselves for their own benefit to get French education and new modes of modern thinking. French did not impose its culture or language or religion on Khmer people. That is the difference.

Anyone country who acts as a coloniser is bound to receive bitter resentment and hateful feelings.

Most western don't make that connection because they say "but Cambodia is is not colonized by Vietnam! That is past!", in saying so they plainly ignore the cries of millions of Khmer Krom who is by definition suffering the yoke of colonisation from Vietnam right now.

The Khmer cannot get over this. The Khmer Krom can help to bridge the gap, but that is far from any time soon. How can Khmer Krom vouch for friendship and harmony with Vietnam when they are oppressed in their own native land?

So Vietnam needs to make concession and start changing its attitudes and views of indigenous rights of Khmer Krom and protection of those rights before Vietnamese and Cambodian can truly reconciliate - for as long as the Khmer Krom cries, the Cambodians resentment towards the Youn always gets replenish and reminded.

Anonymous said...

Over four hundred years of continuous acts of sabotage and sticking their hands into Khmer internal affair since the 1600s had made a name for the Youn or Viet as untrusted people in the mindset and views of Khmer people - to an extent where even at the mention of their nationality Youn or their nation "Yieknam" (as pronounced by Southern Vietnamese) to some Khmer is distasteful. All the pent up resentment about Vietnam stealing Khmer land, enslaving Khmer citizens, mistreating Khmer natives, and destroying Khmer "barbaric culture" i.e (Kampuchea Krom)- they all resurface with the Yieknam or Youn.


It is that historical context that makes Youn so hateful to some Khmer, not a made up meaning of the word, for all Khmer can agree there is no meaning for that word beside the English coin "Vietnamese".

The French would suffer the same fate of hatred if it stayed in Cambodia too long, but unlike the Vietnamese the French did not force the Khmer to become "civilized", Khmers saw for themselves for their own benefit to get French education and new modes of modern thinking. French did not impose its culture or language or religion on Khmer people. That is the difference.

Anyone country who acts as a coloniser is bound to receive bitter resentment and hateful feelings.

Most western don't make that connection because they say "but Cambodia is is not colonized by Vietnam! That is past!", in saying so they plainly ignore the cries of millions of Khmer Krom who is by definition suffering the yoke of colonisation from Vietnam right now.

The Khmer cannot get over this. The Khmer Krom can help to bridge the gap, but that is far from any time soon. How can Khmer Krom vouch for friendship and harmony with Vietnam when they are oppressed in their own native land?

So Vietnam needs to make concession and start changing its attitudes and views of indigenous rights of Khmer Krom and protection of those rights before Vietnamese and Cambodian can truly reconciliate - for as long as the Khmer Krom cries, the Cambodians resentment towards the Youn always gets replenish and reminded.

Anonymous said...

hey, youn is not special, get used to it, we called them "youn". who to say it is racist or derogatory or epithet or whatever! have they should come to this blog to get educated, really! when in doubt, ask educated khmer people, please! it's not going to change khmer people's mind, you know!

Anonymous said...

Whoever say "calling yuon is racist...those are dumpest ass persons in the world,just like those working in cee-pee-pee.

KhmerPP

Anonymous said...

Here are some samples of the word "Yuon" in Khmer phrases..Samlor Machu Yuon, Sampheung Yuon, Trapok Yuon, Srok Yuon, mam Yuon...etc.

Anonymous said...

CPP are "Kbal Yuon kluon Khmer"
Hun Sen = Hun Yuon
Chea Sim = Yuon Sim
Heng Samrin = Yuon Samrin

They are so scared of Yuon...that they say nothing about Yuon taking Khmer land...shame on them!

All 3 Khmer Kbal Yuon kluon Khmer should move to Hanoi!

Anonymous said...

Hi Sway Rieng jude
Which one is the racist word?
Khmer or Cambodian?
Khmer Republic

Anonymous said...

Yuons- name given to Vietnamese by Khmer people, which means “savages” The Black Book

Recent discussion of the word Yuon and its usage shows that many people are not willing to acknowledge the racist meaning of the above-mentioned. A word becomes a racist term not because of some dictionary stating so, it becomes racist when it’s used exclusively in racial overtones, in insulting and offensive ways. This is an exact context in which word Yuon is being used. No Khmer would say “My wife is Yuon“, maybe in joking nature and in carefully observed background. And no Yuon would wish to be branded Yuon. Isn’t it simpe? Yuon is used only with negative overtones and thus racist.

I bet if any of the defender of Yuon went and ask opinion of Yuon in Vietnamese community in Cambodia he would hear a 100% negative feedback. Yuon connected a way too much to Lon Nol and Pol Pot genocidal policies of recent past. It ceased to be a Chinese Yueh ’cause there is too much bloodied past smeared all neutral meanings. The word Yuon is a slang of nationalists of KI Media and Sam Rainsy’s party. Nothing stays behind it but stench of ethnic pogroms, segregation and racial discrimination.

Anonymous said...

oh, by the way, the youn animosity toward khmer since the dark ages are racist indeed toward khmer by labeling culture culture as "barbaric". it showed that youn has no respect or consideration for other culture difference from them. now that said, who is racist, huh! hey what goes around comes around, bad karma will follow youn forever until they suffer endlessly! god bless cambodia.

Anonymous said...

Who say a word youn is racist is the most racist himself/herself, because youn themselves have been calling Khmers "MIENG", call Chinese "Tao"or Ba-Tao it mean dicks or three boats, they call American "My'. So what damn Viet have to say for themselves?
Viet tell their children not to date Black or dark skin people, they look down on Black or dark skin people, because they think these people are dirty and DUMB.

Anonymous said...

12:40

It bothers me being a Khmer Vietnamese, that there are some people who presume to know my language and my life and how I use my language and then adds connotations for me and shove it down my throat and say this is how I meant when I speak it so.
==================================

When you speak for others you make a generalization, and that is also called an assumption, or making an ass of yourself. For example you say "No Khmer would say “My wife is Yuon“.

Yes, you are right in that sense, no Khmer would say "My wife is Youn" because no English person would understand what "Youn" means.

In but if you speak Khmer we say "Prapoun Kynom Youn" or "Prapoun Kynom Amerik" for American. But if we want to speak Khmerlish, to satisfy your curiosity, we do say "My wife is Youn".

to be continue..

Anonymous said...

continue...

When you say go ask a Viet, where do you mean? The Viet who read KI and the one complicit with Hun Xen in playing this word game?

Your statement shows your ignorance because you make an assumption that I know for sure is wrong- (this is not assumption as I can say based on my living experience as Vietnamse/Khmer). You probably never step foot in Cambodia and yet you say these things as you are certain.

I am a Khmer Krom (Viet/Khmer), I lived among Youn, and yes, in our daily life we do say "My husband/wife is Youn" if you want to translate it that way.

The only Youn who would be offended are the CPP Youn who helped propagate this false sense of racism for this word.

Youn means Youn, the Khmer resentment torwards Vietnamese will be there whether you change the Youn term to "Vietnamese", "Vietnamin" or "Kinglon" for all that matter. So the term Youn is not the issue, its the history behind the Youn people's treatment of Khmer that makes Khmer resent Youn (or let you be satisfied, we use "Vietnamese" so every person like yourself who can't speak Khmer can understand) people.

Don't even pretend to know and troll around being all technical and philosophical with your fancy idea of "it's all about connotation". Because you don't know any connotation obviously so by your example of "My wife is Youn",which just happens to be a very common phrase around the Vietamese-Khmer community who intermarriage. My own family for example.

.....

Anonymous said...

Right now every nation has its own language, until English becomes the only language in the world, don't force fed us into calling Youn "Vietnamese" or Barang "French" cause lord knows there is no "F" sound in Khmer language! At least if you don't agree with our language don't bullshit it with misinformation to discredit Khmer people.

I invite you to come to visit Kampuchea Krom. Don't visit Cambodia, now Cambodia we have people ignorant like yourself spreading such ignorance and politicizing the word to say it have "negative" connotation", but come and share our lives in South Vietnam, that's right in Vietnam!

live among the Khmer here who we live among Youn people, and you can decide for yourself. So before you can live and speak Khmer daily life, don't presume to know anything about Khmer language and any connotation.


The Khmer are not people without literacy and sophiscation, we do have adjectives and other parts of speech to compose our written language. To call someone barbaric and without human quality we say they are "Derechan", and such adjectives we are not short of, but "Youn" is not among one of them, for you will never hear us call anybody else "Youn" except "Vietnamese" and you will never find us call "Vietnamese" by any other name as "Youn" in Khmer because that is the proper noun, and the only noun for "Vietnamese".

It is unique, one-to-one, mapping only, exclusive. Had this been a word of marked racism, you can very well apply this term to an American or other people who we want to say "barbaric" and it you would get the "connotation" of racism. However, if you tried that adding that (go ahead and try it with a Khmer), no one would know what the hell you are taking about, because Youn have only one meaning, that is people of Yuan.



You can't say "Youn American", "You Youn!" "Younner" I mean I can't understand how anyone can combine the word Youn with anything else to make any sense if you are not refering specifically to Youn (aka English = "Vietnamese" ) people.

Honda Youn = Vietnamese Honda
Srok Youn = Vietnamse Country
Wat Youn = Vietnamese Temple
Phisa Youn = Vietnamese Language

These and many more one-to-one mapping of the language are common everyday word for Khmer.

Does it even make sense to call a Honda by racist connotation? A temple by racist connotation?

What do we have here, let see " a barbaric honda!" Stupid!

What about "Wat Youn", "A barbaric temple?" Also stupid!

like I said, one-to-one mapping of this term. Nothing else- simple as that, the English call us Cambodians, the Vietnamese call English "An" and American "My", and Khmer "Mien" those are not even at all closely sounding to the original name like Khmer have for Youn, or Viet people! But yet it is a legitimate name, is it not?

Anonymous said...

Thanks, Sacrava! But I thought the last one should be spelled "Laotian".

Anonymous said...

yuon= ah kantorp.
Thai= ah siem or ah chop( ah shovel).
chen= ah chek si chruok spey.
Liev= ah liev.

Unknown said...

calling Phnom Penh as nam yarng is racist

Anonymous said...

I should add for humor sake, let us for your argument, (ignorantly pressume that "Youn" mean savage or barbaric.)

Then "Wat Youn" as we Khmer Krom speak in Khmer language, or you in English as "Vietnamese Temple" would be an oxymoron as it would in your "connotation" translate to a barbaric temple! Imagine a holy buddhist temple that is barbaric!


We Khmer/Viet love to "Tov Psha Youn" or go to the Vietnamese market. Why would you say such a thing if it were bad? Oh I get it, the Khmer people are so dumb and inhumane without dignity they go on continuously calling everything barbaric, even things they like to do.

Like for example common example here "Somlar machu Youn", or as you would put it "Savage Soup" Yummy!

It suffice to say, those who pretend to speak Khmer, speak so from distance, and with the distance, without proper framework and context, have believe Khmer usage of the word Youn is racist.

Because we only talk about Youn when we're really mad at them like Youn border encroachment, Youn mistreatment of Khmer people, Youn killing of Khmer worker etc. I mean all day all we do is complain about being Victimized by Youn, and that angriness people in ignorance come to associate with the word "Youn" instead of the actions behind which we are frustrated and fed up with to our resentment and thus equating Youn to something else completely foreign its meaning or connotation.

I am fed up with it. But on a curious note I wonder if Americano will be next racist word, since all president Chavez say about American imperialist are curses and speak badly of Americano, soon if the same system is used to judge the Khmer language, we can say Americano will mean something like "White Skin Devils" because of Chavez, despite the fact this is a common word for millions of hispanic around the world, even those who don't live with Chavez n Venezuela. Indeed wouldn't that be an injustice to Spanish speaking world if Chavez could change the meaning of Americano so the Mexicans couldn't even call us NOrte Americano anymore :( ? hmmm,
no racism towards mexicans intended, I just used one Spanish speaking people as example that is all.

Anonymous said...

and that angriness people in ignorance come to associate with the word "Youn" instead of the actions behind which we are frustrated and fed up with to our resentment and thus equating Youn to something else completely foreign its meaning or connotation.

I should clarify my english before another one gets misinterpreted. Such is the challenge of muticultural exchange!

I mean people outside of Khmer society only hear Cambodian people talk about Vietnamese taking advantage of them, so it's Vietnamese stealing land, Vietnamese this that... That people like 12:40 thought hmmm... Vietnamese must mean barbaric since these Cambodian people are always angry at them.

I think such people need to find out what is driving these Cambodian angry emotions before making assumptions that it had to do with "racist", for example, impunity of Vietnamese gangs and illegal immigrants, impunity of Vietnamese authority on killing Khmer people, impunity of Vietnamese border encroachment and of course mistreatment of Khmer people in Vietnam.

Instead of attacking a false mirage of a problem, they should get to real issue confrontating the Khmer and Youn society relationship. Maybe the challenge is to difficult so sheepisly it easier to call the whole deal as racism and put the blame on Khmer and have it over it.

But conflict resolution unfortunately doesn't go that way.

Anonymous said...

Bravo 2:14PM
Now that you've said it all I can't wait to see the response from the opposition who claims the word Youn is racist. I have seen a very good peace of thorough research by Lok Kenneth So and Dr Sophal Ear in addition with Sacrava cartoon, it's clearly explained about the term youn in great details. I reckon that we have to urge King Sihanouk and Mr Akashi to make join statement to admitt their bias comment during the UNTAC election in Cambodia in 1993, declaring that the word youn is not racist and they had misled the term to confuse the internal community at that time purely out of their IGNORANCE. I clearly recall that Sihanouk told Akashi the youn is a racist term referring to Vietnamese people and Akashi used his position of the head of UNTAC tried to stop the word being used. These two culprits ought to be responsible and publicly apologize for causing confusion with the word youn. I wonder if they are men enough to come forward to do so or acknowledge their grave mistake in adding more harm than help to Khmer people and Cambodia.

Anonymous said...

khmer losing lands to viet and all they worried about should we call viet or yuon?

Gepps said...

how about Yankee? is it racist?

Anonymous said...

As far as i'm concern it's Khmer vocabulary. Just like we call Barang for European. What racist? Just our word. Our very own word. So cut the crap! and Youn is Vietnam for Khmer's language.

Anonymous said...

Ah Yuon = Khmer
ai Yuon = Thai
buk Yuon = Laotian

Year of the Tiger 04/14/10.

Anonymous said...

The French motherfucker! so racis we calle Kampuchea! Why you motherfucker calle us Cambodia!

You mother fucker UN so racis too!

Anonymous said...

O come on, stop wasting time trying to explain away the word Youn. Khmer use this word Youn because we hate them, yes it is racist and to express our hatred and disgust about the Viet.

So Khmer,please stop wasting your time to explain away. We call them Youn with the intention to insult and degrade this savage, trickery people.

A Chuy said...

It seems that Sacrava does not know the word A Kantorb .

Anonymous said...

Don't be confuse moron.
YUON is people.
Vietnam is the country.
People who lived in Vietnam are called YUON or ah kantorp,ah srokey daung,ah samkorm banh rolork ,ah luoch dey khmer,ah cpp's boss,ah chap trey luok etc......

Anonymous said...

11:35 PM Good Job! You're Hire!

Anonymous said...

I just Googled and 95% of Khmer men are idiots. They sit in front of their computers writing stupid comments while the Viets and Siems plunder and rape their country. Even the name of their website KI stands for (K)hmer (I)diot. No wonder why the Viets and Siems are laughing so hard about their Khmer slaves.

Anonymous said...

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.

Anonymous said...

Funny how troll pretend to b Khmer so they can agree with the antikhmer language group and attempt to give credibility to that camp. B/c so many poor countries and extremist hate Americans and "America" we should probably ban this word as well so many people hate it now it no longer have it's original meaning sigh* poor America :( on account of Chavez and Bin Laden followers we definitely should ban this word!

Anonymous said...

I recommend that all of the Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime leaders and members go back to school.

It seem like the Khmer Rouge Regime doesn't know the term (Youn) Khmer peoples use to call Vietnamese peoples.

This is what happen when you get PhD without going to school.

Anonymous said...

2:04 AM found that 95% of cambodian men are idiot,that should included his father because other 5% are in jail.

Anonymous said...

Idiot 2:04 AM is welcomed in KI.

Anonymous said...

LOL!!!! It is funny and ridiculous at the same time; almost like the white Americans saying to the Mexican--Hey! Don't call us Gringos, that is racist. Now, put it into context: America is much better off than it's neighbor, as does Vietnam, comparatively speaking as to Cambodia. If I remember it correctly, the word Youn is referred to the northern Vietnamese, while the southern part always referred to by the Khmer as Khmer Kampuchea Khrom, but never Youn. I guess, one way to have all the Khmers not to remember the Khmers is by refer to them as Vietnamese. Than the Khmers in Khmer Kampuchea Khrom can be treated as an indigenous people or tribal--therefore their rights to self governance can be voided and the Cambodian's territorials claim also become undefined. As far as I am concern about the mistreatment by the Khmer Rouge, the Chinese in my village received worst.

Khmer Young said...

Finally, Vietnamese has had victory over creating conflict among Khmers to divide and they can conquer without sweating...

Nothing wrong with the word Yuon...but ulta-nationalism will damage ourselves...be careful then

KY

Anonymous said...

give me a break, learn khmer please!

Anonymous said...

Yeah why Cambodia? I hate that name with a passion. Why not our correct name Kampuchea?

Anonymous said...

Thank you for all who wrote to my response. I'm a Khmer socialist, or rather should I use word
Indochinese socialist. Inclusion of Yuon in Somlor Mchuu and Psar Yuon doesn't change the
racist overtones. As Heder indicated Yuon initially was the only word used to indicated Vietnamese
by with Lon Nol and Pol Pot it became racist. Some vestiges of here and there do not affect the 90 percent negativity adressed to Vietnamese.

Go out on the streets of Phnom Penh and ask whether Yuon is
an insult or just a random term, the majority will say that it's an offensive term and they do not
wish to listen it to their ears. I never lived in Kampuchea Krom and I don't know about it much, maybe the word Yuon is less agressive, but I know of Phnom Penh and there's no way you can convince me that Yuon is not an insult to the Vietnamese in Phnom Penh

As for "Vietnamese ecrouchments" should I mention, not adressing you, but other people. Get the
fucking life, those poor Vietnamese residents living in Cambodia without documents, unwelcomed
as well in their own country i.e. Vietnam are not your enemies. They are the people trying survive, they don't have much connection, or hardly any connection to their motherland. Their are thrown out
basically and many betrayed, by Americans. Vestiges of Thieu's regime.

Sam Rainsy, instead of putting an attention to the poverty created by his corrupted father, in whose
culture it was to beat the servant, tries to provoke a conflict, like it gonna resolve the problems. Get
the fucking life, is the border post going to decide something? French tried very hard to sow the seeds of hate between the Vietnamese and Khmers. No doubt they succeeded. Just read the police reports from Phnom Penh post, what the border post is the cause of all this?

Yuon is a convinient way not to say the truth to yourself but blame on foreigners. That's the obvious truth that everybody wants to hide. In fact Vietnamese not guilty of anything, they hardly committed
that many crimes towards Khmers as Khmers committed towards them.

http://khmersocialist.wordpress.com/

Anonymous said...

i don't need scholar to tell me what the word youn mean, by looking at the map of youn country i can understand what "youn" mean. the thief of southeast asia. they do anything to take thing from others and claim as theirs.