Sam Raingsy, the Unlikely Traitor: Op-Ed by Kok Sap

27/2/2010
By Kok Sap
Originally posted at http://khamerlogue.wordpress.com

The saying,”One sane among the crazier of thousands is the craziest,” so off it goes Cambodia. Citizen disrespects the Constitution is a breach, Government breaches the Constitution is a treason.

Again, government under Hun Sen agreed and allowed Yuon to disrespect Cambodia as a sovereign nation with appropriate map and documents posited with UN since its membership initiated. It is the government that commits treacherous act in neglecting its citizen concerns over matter that is important to their property and livelihood. Yet Hun Sen and government organ has the audacity to sue and arrest the victims and nationalists instead. Also government perpetuates its ineptitude and cowardness to lay blames upon citizen Sam Raingsy who had done quite contrary to the government that let Yuon violating own citizens rights. So it claims Sam Raingsy publicized fake maps and documents to discredit Yuon and government works. The charge is a pathetic excuse and nothing more but the protection of Yuon hypocrisy.

Is Sam Raingsy a traitor as he had acted against the foreign interest?

No, he is not a traitor. To defend the national territorial integrity is everyone business. That’s exactly what Mr. Sam Raingsy did. Now Hun Sen sues him in the unreliable and biased judiciary system which he controls who’s who on the bench. Hun Sen and government are cowardly toward foreign country but act tough on the law abiding citizens. How lame this could it be?

Who’s Sam Raingsy? What did he do?

Up to now Cambodians should know who Mr. Sam Raingsy really is. He’s married to Mrs.Thioulong Saumura, a daughter of Sihanouk’s general/politician and part time film co-star, Mr. Nhek Thioulong. He’s no stranger to Cambodia tumultuous politics through past decades. Correctly he is a staunch conservative and advocate for free progressive Cambodia with pluralist democracy under the inherent traditional monarchic system. He has been a key player in Sihanoukist party and resistance movement since 1982. He was also a member of the Supreme National Council prior to Yuon withdrawal. He has been a part of long and heated negotiation for peace and reconciliation agreement. He was dubbed as Mr. Clean in 1993 Sihanoukist dominated government. Because of his tenacious scrutiny over corruption and drug bust, in 1995 he was let go from Minister of Finance and political party spokesperson. In 1998 election, he was crucified by foreign press over his ultra conservative rhetoric campaign against Yuon migrants and settlements in Cambodia. He has been always targeted by Hun Sen’s political crucifixion. His thinking is aligned with his educational background in Western linear logics of low context culture inclined. This is something that I see Mr. Sam Raingsy needs to readjust his communication or rhetoric in Cambodia high context culture which is most indirect inclined. Those means in Cambodia society ’straight talk and say it as it is’ is totally unwelcome and might be offensive too sometimes. This is how he got himself in biased press roasting and put words in his mouth. That much I can say about him and his conviction and loyalty for Cambodia but never was he a traitor.

To stay in politics, he then formed his own political party presently known as Sam Raingsy. Naming a major political party after a private person namesake is unheard of but it is the only way to avoid court conspired manipulation over intellectual property ownership rights.In this alone it shows how unindependent the Cambodia court system and the judicial officers are. His party is the only opposing voice in the communist dominated National Assembly. At this time, the trump up charges are seriously infringed his political opportunity in 2013 election. Hun Sen is gearing up in wiping out all stronger oppositions from next election.

In personal, Mr. Sam Raingsy is a very smart and successful entrepreneur in France, well educated multi-linguist, emotionally charged and venomously articulate in persuing the goodness for Cambodia majority. In doing such, he was nearly killed for a couple of time when he led protests against Hun Sen, an elementary educated Communist and a Pol Pot follower, suppressive rule.

This man came from a long line of family history that had a lot to do with royal palace up and down as well as politics. His maternal grand father, Vaing Thioun was a French protégé and palace minister who wielded tremendous power over Phnom Penh palace during French colonial era.

His 3 uncles from his mother side: Thioun Mumm, Thioun Thieun, and Thioun Prasith were hard core communists educated in Paris and outspoken prominent intellectuals back in the early 50’s. During Democratic Republic Kampuchea era, they were the Kampuchea Communist Party heavy weights and proponents of anti Yuon dominance. All of his uncles were long-time intimate buddies of Brother #1, Pol Pot, who was one time a Yuon accomplice and chief engineer of killing fields from 1975 onward.

Other hand his paternal grand-father, Sam Nhean, was an important top echelon official in Sihanouk exclusive politico club. On top of that his father, Mr. Sam Sary, was a suave womanizer and savvy French educated lawyer whom Sihanouk confided most of state affairs with until 1957 when a fall out took place and led to his removal from ambassadorship due to domestic violence against his mistress in London, England. He was Sihanouk’s hero who helped seal 1954 Geneva Conference deals. Later he was disappeared and believed to have been eliminated by Yuon secret agents.

For Mr. Sam Raingsy, the whole Cambodia and some foreign donors know his political and personal endeavour but for sure he‘s no traitor.

In spite of personal flaws and politically missteps, he appears to be more sensible and worthy more than the 90 MP belong to the ruling party. He has more guts as a politician and a mortal man to stand against immorality and injustice. Undoubtedly he is the person whom Hun Sen loves to hate and see gone for good.

The spat over Yuon illegally planted markers on Khmer farmers land is something that the government must reflect on its own transparency and accountability. Instead of saying thank you for bringing the message into the open, Hun Sen shamelessly condemn the righteous and reward the egregious ones. The government persecutes him for breaking the news to the open. It’s the government pre-emptive strike to shield its leadership incompetence and unbecoming. Hun Sen and his government seem to lack of critical thinking and moral virtue.

This we can sum, Government is to work for Cambodia but if it benefits only a handful in the government then it is no longer government but merely an organized crime syndicate. Usually real people government always sees to people and defend their interest at all costs.People shall arrest Hun Sen and let the people court judge his crimes in abetting foreign nation to take Cambodia people land.

In this scenario, Hun Sen is the traitor because he is the head of the organized crime syndicate.