Op-Ed by Leng Sovady
Unofficial translation from French
(L'article en français se trouve en fin du texte anglais)
This year, April 17 will mark the 35th anniversary of the most tragic event in Cambodia’s history during the Twentieth Century. In fact, on this date, the Khmer Rouge – who were supported by North Vietnam and Communist China – succeeded in capturing Phnom Penh and thus began Cambodia’s genocide (with 2 million victims).
How did it come to this point, when, at the beginning of 1970, these Khmer Rouge people were virtually wiped out? They were almost wiped out by the repression led against them by Norodom Sihanouk, then-Cambodia’s head of state, between 1967-69.
Unfortunately, then-Prince Norodom Sihanouk was going to revive them back in March 1970 because he was furious at having been removed from power (on March 18, 1970) and he wanted to get his revenge at any cost.
In fact, this desire for revenge was translated into a monstrous alliance made in Beijing between Sihanouk, Hanoi and the main Khmer Rouge leaders. Under this alliance, Sihanouk would vouch for his allies at the national and international levels. On the same stroke, he also justified the North Vietnamese’s aggression against Cambodia.
Thus, it appears that it was the mistake committed by one single individual that allowed the Cambodian genocide to take place. Now, this individual who was one of the responsible leaders of the genocide tragedy still remains unpunished. In fact, he is now living comfortably at the expense of his good Chinese friends without ever pronouncing a single word of remorse to his numerous victims, nor worrying about the divine justice that will, sooner or later, inflict on him the punishment he deserves.
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La date du 17 Avril marquera, cette année, le 35e anniversaire de l’évènement le plus tragique de l’Histoire du Cambodge au XXe Siècle. A cette date, en effet, les Khmers Rouges – soutenus par le Nord-Vietnam et la Chine communiste – réussirent à s’emparer de Phnom-Penh et ce fut le début du génocide (2 millions de victimes).
Comment avait-on pu en arriver là, alors qu’au début de l’année 1970 ces mêmes Khmers Rouges avaient pratiquement cessé d’exister ? Car ils avaient été presque anéantis par la répression exercée contre eux par Norodom Sihanouk, alors Chef de l’Etat, pendant les années 1967, 68 et 69.
Celui-ci, malheureusement, allait les ressusciter en Mars 1970, parce qu’il était furieux d’avoir été écarté du pouvoir (18 mars 1970) et qu’il voulait à tout prix se venger.
Dans les faits, ce désir de vengeance se traduisit par une monstrueuse alliance réalisée à Pékin entre Sihanouk, Hanoï et les principaux chefs des Khmers Rouges, Sihanouk leur apportant sa caution sur le plan national et international. Et en même temps il justifiait l’agression nord-vietnamienne contre le Cambodge.
Il apparaît ainsi que c’est par la faute d’un seul individu que le génocide cambodgien a pu avoir lieu. Et cet individu, responsable numéro un de la tragédie du génocide, est toujours impuni et vit agréablement aux frais de ses bons amis chinois. Sans une parole de remords envers ses si nombreuse victimes. Et sans penser qu’il existe aussi une Justice divine, et que celle-ci lui infligera, tôt ou tard, le châtiment qu’il mérite.
Leng Sovady
How did it come to this point, when, at the beginning of 1970, these Khmer Rouge people were virtually wiped out? They were almost wiped out by the repression led against them by Norodom Sihanouk, then-Cambodia’s head of state, between 1967-69.
Unfortunately, then-Prince Norodom Sihanouk was going to revive them back in March 1970 because he was furious at having been removed from power (on March 18, 1970) and he wanted to get his revenge at any cost.
In fact, this desire for revenge was translated into a monstrous alliance made in Beijing between Sihanouk, Hanoi and the main Khmer Rouge leaders. Under this alliance, Sihanouk would vouch for his allies at the national and international levels. On the same stroke, he also justified the North Vietnamese’s aggression against Cambodia.
Thus, it appears that it was the mistake committed by one single individual that allowed the Cambodian genocide to take place. Now, this individual who was one of the responsible leaders of the genocide tragedy still remains unpunished. In fact, he is now living comfortably at the expense of his good Chinese friends without ever pronouncing a single word of remorse to his numerous victims, nor worrying about the divine justice that will, sooner or later, inflict on him the punishment he deserves.
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Par la faute d’un seul
(17 Avril 1975 – 17 Avril 2010 )
(17 Avril 1975 – 17 Avril 2010 )
La date du 17 Avril marquera, cette année, le 35e anniversaire de l’évènement le plus tragique de l’Histoire du Cambodge au XXe Siècle. A cette date, en effet, les Khmers Rouges – soutenus par le Nord-Vietnam et la Chine communiste – réussirent à s’emparer de Phnom-Penh et ce fut le début du génocide (2 millions de victimes).
Comment avait-on pu en arriver là, alors qu’au début de l’année 1970 ces mêmes Khmers Rouges avaient pratiquement cessé d’exister ? Car ils avaient été presque anéantis par la répression exercée contre eux par Norodom Sihanouk, alors Chef de l’Etat, pendant les années 1967, 68 et 69.
Celui-ci, malheureusement, allait les ressusciter en Mars 1970, parce qu’il était furieux d’avoir été écarté du pouvoir (18 mars 1970) et qu’il voulait à tout prix se venger.
Dans les faits, ce désir de vengeance se traduisit par une monstrueuse alliance réalisée à Pékin entre Sihanouk, Hanoï et les principaux chefs des Khmers Rouges, Sihanouk leur apportant sa caution sur le plan national et international. Et en même temps il justifiait l’agression nord-vietnamienne contre le Cambodge.
Il apparaît ainsi que c’est par la faute d’un seul individu que le génocide cambodgien a pu avoir lieu. Et cet individu, responsable numéro un de la tragédie du génocide, est toujours impuni et vit agréablement aux frais de ses bons amis chinois. Sans une parole de remords envers ses si nombreuse victimes. Et sans penser qu’il existe aussi une Justice divine, et que celle-ci lui infligera, tôt ou tard, le châtiment qu’il mérite.
Leng Sovady
12 comments:
Are you an offspring of Col.maj Leng Raoul???
Sihanouk is the Khmer People Murderer. It's no question.
This criminal never never show a sing of REMORSE at all.
The Cambodian tragedy was not caused by King Sihanouk. We should learn history
Mr Leng Sovady! You are absolutely right. Only half human specy who do not fully understand for this origin of Cambodian destruction. He may not be punished by human organisation but he will be punished by God for hurting his feeling and his ancestors. The longer he lives, he will face with embarrasement from all corners of human expression. I believe that at present he lives through pain and hurtfull for all his crimes against humanity and against his Nation.
Areak Prey
No sign of REMORSE from this Criminal Norodom Sihanouk against his own subjects and his own country of Cambodia.
His Destruction of Cambodia was paved the way for Vietnamisation now with over Five Millions Illegal Viet Immigrants inside Cambodia and got Xmer citizenship from CPP very easily.
No sign of REMORSE from this Criminal N.Sihanouk against his own subjects and against hie own country of Cambodia.
Sihanouk's destruction of Cambodia had paved the way for Vietnamisation of Cambodia with now over Five Millions Viet Illegal Immigrants are inside Cambodia, and got Xmer citizenship from CPP very easily.
Sihanouk never did admitted this, it probably never was his intention to wipe out the Khmer national but based on evidence through his many speeches and articles and of his own writing, he did in fact called for the revolutionary march to remove Lonol regime. While many claim he was never the cause of the destruction instead pointing fingers to the cold war, the Viet invasion, the imperialism of America etc.. it is undeniable Sihanouk was the one who precipitated the process and incite so much hatred to the Lonol regime and its supporters. Khmer has a habit of using 'chab Prey' juggle law and once incited escalate to an unthinkable outcome, that was the main reason the rest well you can say war was inevitable but at the end of the day if there was no Sihanouk at the time we would never have to gone through such destruction. His ego and face was the priority and treated above all else, as of the current his attitude did not change, survival of monarchy is of the utmost important.
Was he right to defend the Monarchy? I would say Yes but was his approach right? From history to current, I’d say it could be better handled if he casted aside his own ego and personal pride and be with his people and leed them to defend the monarchy rather than engineering his politic for the survival of the monarchy at the expense of the destruction of Khmer and his nation.
He negotiated Khmer independent at the expense of Khmer Krom and portion of Khmer in Thailand, was it a win yes but depends at what is the end result you look at, people say if it wasn’t him Khmer nation would not have existed by now, that is a load of rubbish, drumming up a scenario just to fit the audiences and not based on fact!
He intended to gain Khmer Krom back by becoming a double agent himself, on the one hand declared to the world of Cambodian neutrality and on the other hand allowed the Veit Cong to station in the Khmer territory fighting against the American. When the Viet did a back flipped he got even more pissed of so the KR became the enemy of the Veit.
Sihanouk got con once too many times, the Veit, the KR, the Chinese and Hun Sen but he continues his crusade as the champion of the looser.
He loves democracy but he loves China even more! He even has a palace there as a communist hater.
He loves Khmer people but he loves his Royal more, so to keep it alive he acted against he own moral conscience.
He Knew Hun Sen is a hard cruel man to deal with so Hun Sen became his God son?
He knew that the boarder agreement violated the Khmer sovereignty and territories and that agreement Khmer is a clear looser yet he supported the agreement by giving his royal stamp of approval.
The Royal need to come out of the closet and act decisively based on the national interest and that interest alone if they are to retain their beloved monarchy, not simply jumping in bed with any dictator for the sake of survival, this truly belittling the spirit of the Khmer Ankor and nothing more than a hooker on the street who would jump in bed with any head of the pim. Khmer are awaiting to support the Royal but they must be strong and do not let dictator like the KR, the CPP the dictate them.
The most unfortunate thing in live is to continue to live and act against your will.
11:53 well written words. I agree as to this king is unpredictable, has a multi-personality and in the end he ruined it all. It is very sad that we allowed an uneducated like him to run the country and at the same time I think the France knew that Sihanouk can not operate and that he can be fooled easily. So, that is why they dominate him as king at the age of 18. Unfortunately, he was being hypo, he did not know the in deep of the outsiders' influences. He was being exposed the abnormality way of life, that revolved with parties and girls nothing more or less. If you look at his history, he played in many roles and you don't what one is real.
correction: which one is real?
That's not an error, that's a CRIME, against Khmers, commited by Pol Pot, Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary and Khiev Samphan..
This article has proved that Sihanouk has nothing to do with the killing.
If you don't understand, go to school and learn criminal law.
if you have cable tv, there's a program called "seconds to disaster" or "air emergency", etc... well, the program stated that in order for a disaster to occur, there are many significant events that lead up to it. so, the case of the KR tragedy and brutality and so forth, one has to piece all the little puzzles together as in the events that led up to such culmination of disaster in a nation of cambodia. one cannot discard any events that led up to it, you know! cambodia needs to call up assistance from the world, especially america to help to piece together all events that led up to this man-made disaster like the KR killing fields, etc... it takes a good, thorough investigation, detective works, etc by experts or scientists from the western countries like the USA, EU countries like britian, france, italy, etc... to help cambodia find peace and justice. yes, cambodia needs their help as they are lightyears ahead of cambodia in many ways, you know! please help cambodia to find peace and justice; i can speak for the millions of victims of the KR rule that have no chance to call for help when their lives were taken away from this earth inhumanly, worst than animals', criminals', etc... please help cambodia with your expertise and god's way of compassion, sympathy, the goodness of ethical conducts, etc..., all in the name of humanity. cambodia and khmer people call for help from america, the EU and other superpower nations out there for justice and peace for the victims of the KR who had no chance to do this. i would like to speak for them. may they all rest in peace, after this. may god help make cambodia a true peaceful and paradise on earth in the future for all to enjoy. cambodia will belong to all the world, the good world, that is. amen.
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