All Khmer, One Khmer

Funeral for Duong Daravuth, a victim of the 30 March 1997 grenade attack

October 13, 2010
Op-Ed by Justin C. Sok

I want to take this opportunity to chime in and share my points of view on the issues of the political motivated “Grenade Attacks of 1997”. It was my speculation that the “Grenade Attacks of 1997,” had the objective of intimidation by the Phnom Penh government to discourage democratic process. It was clearly a message to the people of Cambodia and to any opposition political parties that the Phnom Penh government would not tolerate and will close off all avenues of freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. That was the beginning of the oppression by the Phnom Penh government.

It is so implausible that after 13 years, and despite the fact that the “graymail” had already been released to the public by an intelligence agency, that there are still a handful of hooligans including, The Phnom Penh Post, who have continued to target Mr. Sam Rainsy as the object of their ridicule and made demands this very public courtroom of opinion that Mr. Sam Rainsy would need to further explain to the public about the letter that he had written to PM Hun Sen on February of 2006. The judicial system and as well as the public courtroom of opinion in Cambodia has become a farce, and has in fact, turned a blind eye away from the seriousness of the political oppression and human rights suppression created by the Phnom Penh government and this impending widespread of danger to Cambodia and her innocent people is soon to be realized.

The fact that Mr. Sam Rainsy had written a letter to PM Hun Sen, to acknowledge how “regretful” he had felt for having had allegedly accused PM Hun Sen of having been involved with the “grenade attacks”, did not divert from the fact that the “grenade attacks” did happen, and the real culprits that had committed these heinous acts are still in the wider field of suspects. The intelligence agency that had initiated its investigation had difficulty in conducting their investigation because the lack of cooperation of the Phnom Penh government. Their investigations alleged that the Phnom Penh government may have had “advance knowledge” about the attacks. Now that the intelligence agency has declassified its reports, and you, as a citizen of Cambodia, instead of throwing another log on the fire, and sitting and staring at the flames, and/or dancing around the fire pit, are required to do your civic duty. Be the fact-finder! It is a sacred duty to help find justice for your people and your country.

Mr. Sam Rainsy has done everything humanly possible and has even put his life in harm’s way for the interests of the Khmer people and the nation. He has constantly been resolute in his fight for the rights of the Khmer people and he will continue to do so, using the palatable solution to reconcile these political conflicts, which includes the principle of non-violent protests against the Phnom Penh government.

Mr. Sam Rainsy knew that he walked in a political tightrope. He had painstaking detailed of his political maneuvers including political confrontation with PM Hun Sen with every ounce of his waning strength to regain his political status so that he could come back to Cambodia. Mr. Sam Rainsy knew that he had to come back to Cambodia not because Cambodia was his natural birth place and ancestral home, but because he has been a true Khmer leader. Mr. Sam Rainsy knew that, without him and his political party, Cambodia will be continued to blindly walk in the meandering footpaths that had barbed wire and land mines laid before her. If we were to turn the clock back 13 years ago, what would Cambodia and her people be like if there were no Mr. Sam Rainsy and his administration as a political bulwark against the Phnom Penh government? Would we learn anything about the tales of horrible mistreatment and inhumane abuse (K5, human rights violations, human trafficking, and poverty), corruption, illegal land grabbing, deforestation, under paid garment workers, under paid teachers, unauthorized Vietnamese companies who utilize hundreds of thousands of acres and acres of Khmer land for their own benefits, the influx of hundreds of thousand of illegal Vietnamese immigrants in Cambodia, raising their Vietnamese flag in the middle of Phnom Penh city, have their Vietnamese writings over Khmer banners, the Vietnamese community making demands to have their rights be protected, and the Vietnamese have been setting up their schools, radio and satellite stations in Cambodia? And would we, as we do now know, that the Hanoi government had secretly moved their border posts into the middle of our Khmer farmer land, Chantrea, Svay Rieng Province?

Cambodia has never had a true institution of justice. Mr. Sam Rainsy needs each and every one of you to be part of the democratic movement. While he is galvanizing his political support at the international level, he needs you to do your part by working from the grassroots level. Please help make the people of Cambodia aware of his true political agenda for Cambodia. Please help Mr. Sam Rainsy to build a true institution of justice in Cambodia. Together we can become one Khmer nation!

In Solidarity,

Justin C. Sok