Father François Ponchaud, catholic missionary in Phnom Penh (Photo: RFI)17 April 2010
By Jean-François Tain
Radio France Internationale
Translated from French by Komping Puoy
Jean-François Tain’s weekly guest this Saturday is Father François Ponchaud, a catholic missionary. Father Ponchaud was in Phnom Penh on 17 April 1975 and he personally witnessed the arrival of the KR to Phnom Penh 35 years ago.
Quote from Father Ponchaud: "Currently, Cambodia is developing very quickly, but the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer, there are land evictions and land confiscations from (the workers,) the farmers, there are land concessions given out to foreigners. The government must remember that the Khmer Rouge came about when the government of Samdech Sihanouk confiscated lands in Kampong Kol, Samlot [Battambang province], and the people revolted during that time. Then the Khmer Rouge took over the people’s demonstration to form its movement and started their first insurrection. Right now, the situation is the same, because the government confiscates lands belonging to farmers, demonstrations are starting to take shape, like the ones in Kampong Speu, in Oral Mountain, in Banteay Meanchey. Therefore, I am concerned about the future. I’m afraid that because of intense injustice, the people will start their insurrection and this will create havoc in Cambodia. Injustice breeds war. This is a normal outcome: it’s the law of politics."
16 comments:
The Illusion of Democracy ,because they are khmers Hahaha Ton Ton Ponchaud.
Le drame Cambodgien reste toujours sans explication,car les khmers ne savent toujours pas quelle en était exactement la cause.Ils ne peuvent pas distinguer entre les libérateurs et les agresseurs.
Today's Cambodian leaders should take note of forced land eviction.
This type of injustice is a breeding ground for wider discontent, and resentment among the people. If this problem continues, surely civil war may be on the horizon again.
I am heart broken for Cambodia and its people. Why are Khmers so short sighted about this serious problem?
They don't seem to get it when seed of uprising is semmering.
it's a fair warning based on experience noted in cambodia on how the KR came about. nevertheless, it's not too late to educate everyone, including gov't of cambodia to look into this land eviction things. and there ought to be a welfare system to help the poor, especially the handicapped, the most vulnerable people like children the elderly and those who can't work anymore due to whatever ailment they have, etc... it is gov't responsibility to take care of this kind of social issue. NGOs and educated individuals and experts all must demand gov't to reform in all fields. i mean, it is good to talk about it, but the real difference lies with being proactive, demanding real reforms or changes, helping to change way of thinking a bit, helping to educate everyone who otherewise seemed ignorant of what happened in history, the current events, etc, etc... even the people who are being evicted, etc, must be educated to understand that they must have land title before they can be compensated fairly because without proper documents, people can say whatever, but the law will only good for proper legal title to the land, etc...i mean, it is easier said than done, but if there is a law and people lack proper documents, etc, they cannot win with the law, i think. so, make sure everyone have proper document that show they have title to the land, etc... god bless.
Father Ponchaud was right.
To robbed a house when the owners not there is one thing, but to blindly robbed a house while the owner still occupy is equally the same as stripping away your will to survive.
An average thief is tolerable, but a thief of the nations is unacceptable! The above reference is refer to Govt landgrabbing.
When you lack of resource and don't have anything left to lived for, what do do? You will revolt against the Government. This is what happen when the country is run
by the very same individual with the same ideology.
Watch out! History known to repeat itself.
Victim of KR
i think one has to look at the big picture at large, i mean the whole cambodia, in general. is it only a handful of individuals that are doing it or is it the whole country or society ran amok? if it the former, it is probably changeable, however, in the latter, one has to accept it as reality and move on with life, really! plus, it is really fair to only scrutinize cambodia? how about other society or other country or nation out there, do they have the same problems or issues, if so, how did they do it? how did they overcome it? how did they solve it? how did they find the solution, etc, etc... one has to learn, observe, participate, to want to change, to look ahead for better way, and so forth. yes, there are more to cambodia than just a handful of greedy individuals, really! wake up already and smell the coffee for a change, please. who wants history to repeat itself? we all have to want to stop bad history from happening again. if we sit and watch it happening, then we too will be responsible and held accountable as well for allowing it to go on without some kind of intervention and so forth. it is about doing the right thing as they always say it in the western society. doing the good thing!
9:09,
I agree with you to a certain extent. During the Pol Pot regime, anyone and everyone lost their land title. You weren't allowed to keep any document. All documents were destroyed during the war.
When people started to return to their pre-existing home; the gov't divide their land and hand out equally to some unknown family who have no land to called their own. You now have a new neighbors that you've never seen before.
This is what happen to my land. Even all of my original neighbors verified that I was the land owner, but gov't don't want to hear it.
The reality is, if gov't can sell our land along the border, who dare to argue with them?
I see Civil War on the horizon.
Victim of KR
yes, it takes authority to do the right thing. now, not to mix much needed authority with those of totalitarian, fascism, dictatorial, tyranny, etc... authority in a good sense in the name of justice, doing the right thing, doing good, etc for the country and its people. also, authority needs to be balance, meaning don't take it to the extreme end or being too radical either, the right thing is the lawful way, that is. hey if there isn't law, then by all mean, create one! be helpful and help all in the name of making a real difference. please continue god's work help cambodia and khmer people to come to terms with reforms and so forth. cambodia needs help from the west to take it at the speed of lightyear, not the speed of broken record, please. god help us all. amen.
cambodia cries for help! phnom penh needs a magnificent cathedral to replace the one destroyed by the stupid KR. i love beautiful architecture, whether khmer's or european's, etc... please help to build another notre dame cathedral in phnom penh to make it a true cosmopolitan pearl of the orient again.
We, Cambodians are one of the most tolerable human being on the planet. But, some tolerance can come to an abrupt end.
The problem: the rich is getting too rich and abusive and the poor is getting poorer and abused.
The need to reform Cambodia:
1. Checks and balance
2. Gov't for the people
3. People power
Victim of KR
Thank you father Ponchaud for your reflecting comment on Cambodian social welfare, and the repeating phase that cambodia faces and the likelihood of devastating result if RGC does not take that seriously.
It is a positive comment,and it should not be taken as blame. In addition to that, father Ponchaud has been with helping in social welfare of cambodians for quite some time.
Kaun khmer
Shame on you UN,
Pease wake up,we are not blind,
The writing is on the wall for a Popular Peoples movement here in Cambodia. It is nothing new to this region, Suharto in Indonesia and Marcos in the Philippines. Its just a matter of time and what amazes me how all the NGO's are in denial about it.
You're right father Ponceau but new revolution will not be there because, without China and USA intervention, nothing would be happened and injustice will be there for ever..
if popular uprising occurs at all in camobdia in the future, i think it won't be like the KR as some people suggested. this time around, it maybe for changes or reforms, not some kind of revolutionary backward way of lawlessless and killing fields like during stupid KR and what led up to it. it is naive to say that it is the same; it's not and won't be. KR type of regime was history and i don't think anybody whether in cambodia or the world would want to see cambodia in that situation way, you know! if any popular uprising at all, it would probably for a good cause by an educated society, not an ignorant society like that led up to stupid KR, i think. there's too much stake to be lost, and people in modern day cambodia don't want to see KR way again, really! but it's good to be waried of an uprising, though! it's probably not the right time now to do it. nobody supports it! only a handful of extreme thinking people doesn't count! don't forget too that now there is australia in the scene, not just china and the USA. i don't think country in the region like australia and so forth would support that kind of backward thinking uprising, etc...
One evil spirit had occupied the Khmer house.It had been pushed out. the house was cleaned but kept unoccupied. When the evil spirits saw that, they bring more evil spirit to occupy the and the house became worse, a lot worse, because there are not only few, they are more than befor.
If good spirits do not go in and occupy the khmer house, it will be burned and there only ash remains.
People perish for lack of knowledge, the God knowledge.
Khmer nation will eradicated from the face of the earth if khmers do not ask God for help .
All should repent and invite God to come to dwell in each of our heart.
please all help to make a real difference, reform, that is, in our beloved cambodia. amen.
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