Thai spread rumours that Khmer mercenaries among the red shirts

A Thai shows Khmer Sak (Khmer Tattoo) on his back during Thai Tattoo Festival

By Sokhoeun Pang
Originally posted at The Son of The Khmer Empire

The Irish Time published an article on Siamese recent bloodhed titled :Mop-up operation in Bangkok under way, which described the situation in Bangkok during the past, present, the damage, the rebuilding Siamese society, etc., and especially about the RED shirts violence which has again something related to Khmer. Read the article below.

Rumours swirl in the capital. Many say the Black Shirt hardcore rioters were made up of Khmer mercenaries from Cambodia. I witnessed one fighter with elaborate Khmer style tattoos on his neck and arms, but these are also popular in Thailand.

With this rummour Khmerization has reasonably reacted that:

Many red shirt protesters were mainly made up of ethnic Khmers and Laotians living in the northeastern provinces of Thailand who are Thai citizens. We need to remember also that the Thai media owned by the Red Shirt Movement also accused the Abhisit government of dressing up Khmer prisoners in military uniform and sent them to crackdown on the red shirt recently. How true are these rumours? Nobody knows.

Then followed by some anynomous commentators in Khmerization:

Anonymous said...

This is a ridiculous accusation. Such rumor are a bunch made up lies trying to point fingers at Cambodia for Thailand’s own embarrassing uncontrollable political bloodshed. Keep your own fight and your own problems in your own country. Keep your fights to yourself. Don’t try to incite and inflame Cambodia into involving in your bullshit chaotic political madness.

Anonymous said…

It is ridiculous that Khmers have become convenient scapegoats for all the Thai political problems. Khmers have gone through enough suffering and bloodshed so they would be scared to get into such dangerous game. If they found some Khmer-speaking protesters among the red shirts, they must be ethnic Khmers living in Thailand called Khmer Surin. These claims are total lies to try to sow hatred among the Thais against Cambodia and the Khmers people. The yellow shirts who brought Abhisit into powers have caused border conflict with Cambodia when they stir up trouble along the border that saw Thai troops occupying a strip of lands in Preah Vihear temple in 2008 that caused armed clashes and tensions until today. Stop blaming Khmers for all your problems. Enough is enough!

NOTE: If such a rumour is true then I can say that most Thais are born to be arrogant , insincere, and the enemy of the Khmers. They should understand that not only the million Khmer ethnics who live in Thailand are fond of Khmer Sak/Chak Sak/Khmer Yant/Sak Yant (Khmer tattoo), but even the pure Thais, they do love it for they believe Khmer tattoo is not only just an art like any other tattoo in the world, but it has the magical power for protection, luck and success. For example Khmer geometric tattoos, meant to protect the wearer, originally as protection during war/fighting times. Visibly, Khmer tattoo is popular throughtout Thailand and even foriegners. You can see such Khmer tattoo everywhere like on the human body, in the shops, in the houses, in the taxi, in the bus, in the train in Thailand and even with Thai overseas. Please see some of the beautiful Khmer tattoos in Thailand are being used by boxer, taxi drivers, and businessmen: here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here.

I believe the rumour is true and circulated intentionally and politically in order to:

• tell the world that Thai people are nice people, gentle people, peace-loving people, and non-violent people.
• make the Khmer as scapegoat to appease Thai anger against each other and turn the revenge/hatred towards Khmers and esp. the bloody Thai elite and royal family will not be held responsible for the bloodshed.
• to save the good face of Thailand because Thai people are known for face-saving people and coward to accept their own shame as a real human being. Generally, when it comes to a good thing Thais like to say it is Thai and yet when it comes to a bad thing the Thais like to say it is Khmer. For instance, please observe the tattoos in the links provided above if the Thais say a word that these tattoos are Khmer tattoos and those who have those tattoos claim that they are Khmers. They proudly say those are Thai tattoos and they are Thais to show the world. But when it comes to a bad thing happened in the last week the Thais jump up and twisted that those who were violent were Khmers because they had Khmer tattoos.

It also seems that the Thai ultra-nationalism propaganda since 1850s to treat Khmer as “Khmamen padong” - the jungle and uncivilized people, still lives on today, or it reflectively seems that Thai people are still ignorant despite technology, communication, knowledge in the world are widely developed and accessible.

Lastly, I’d like to advise Thais people that they should be brave enough to recognize their bad deed and nature just like other human being, because no one is perfect even our worshiping Buddha. My last word:

If You Thai people don’t know how to pay back your gratitude towards Khmer who once sheltered you and enlightened you architecture, art, dance, writing, and political organization, please stop painting us bad or making us your scapegoat through your arrogant attitude, hatred, ignorance, brutality, shame, irresponsibility, cowardice, jealousy, and inhuman manner.