By Khmer Democrat, Phnom Penh
Several initial thoughts regarding language passed through my mind in reading Sam Rainsy’s 2006 letter to Hun Sen in Khmer and its English translation:
1. A study in contrasts in language between the democracy leader and the prime minister and his foul-mouthed minions. Here, the language is of a statesman who knows the rhythm and meaning of the words he uses—strong, succinct, purposeful. They provide a stark contrast, one, to the sugary, long-stringing-extraneous-meaningless honorifics, lack of substance expressions of the sycophants surrounding the prime minister; and two, to the wild jungle expression of the prime minister himself, earthy language normally heard among drunken dim-wits of dim-lit karaoke bars in the hell-hole of traffickers’ dens.
E.g. “Samdech” – one word, strong, succinct, an honorific agreeable to Hun Sen as the whole tone and purpose of the letter is to be agreeable.
Vs. “Dearest Gloriest Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Excellency Dr. Dr Prime Minister” continuing with meaningless flowery, sugary blah, blah, blah…3 pages later, then one line of the real content.
2. Nuanced, deft used of language: here, it’s best exemplified by the purposeful use of “regret”. Regret is an emotion within the control of the user. An apology carries a significantly greater weight in handing over the control to the recipient, with the possibility of punishment.
3. Employing reasons and exploring (exploiting?) an opportunity: Here, Sam Rainsy employs lofty (and believable) national interest reasons, i.e., reconciliation, development, Khmer unity, over petty self-interests; a difficult balance to strike between ego and humility of regret, but achieved here without weakness. This letter reflects a man who is a very shrewd, highly intelligent statesman fully aware of the challenges surrounding the opposition and who is flexible to exploit the context without compromising his larger principles or national interests. He distinguishes between what are essentials and non-essentials, and knows there’s a time for everything.
4. Keeping the Issues Alive: 13 years later, the victims and events of the 1997 Grenade Massacre are being remembered, with a larger audience, thanks to the efforts of Sam Rainsy; whereas Funcinpec has even forgotten their own people in the 1997 coup d’etat, Sam Rainsy is helping them to honor, remember and demand justice for these atrocious crimes. Not bad, I say, for only having the POWER OF HIS MIND vs. the unlimited resources (money, army, state institutions, fear) of the CPP, for Sam Rainsy believes in the people of Cambodia that they too believe in justice and he will give expression to these sentiments for them, even as they are trying to find and strengthen their voices.
1. A study in contrasts in language between the democracy leader and the prime minister and his foul-mouthed minions. Here, the language is of a statesman who knows the rhythm and meaning of the words he uses—strong, succinct, purposeful. They provide a stark contrast, one, to the sugary, long-stringing-extraneous-meaningless honorifics, lack of substance expressions of the sycophants surrounding the prime minister; and two, to the wild jungle expression of the prime minister himself, earthy language normally heard among drunken dim-wits of dim-lit karaoke bars in the hell-hole of traffickers’ dens.
E.g. “Samdech” – one word, strong, succinct, an honorific agreeable to Hun Sen as the whole tone and purpose of the letter is to be agreeable.
Vs. “Dearest Gloriest Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Excellency Dr. Dr Prime Minister” continuing with meaningless flowery, sugary blah, blah, blah…3 pages later, then one line of the real content.
2. Nuanced, deft used of language: here, it’s best exemplified by the purposeful use of “regret”. Regret is an emotion within the control of the user. An apology carries a significantly greater weight in handing over the control to the recipient, with the possibility of punishment.
3. Employing reasons and exploring (exploiting?) an opportunity: Here, Sam Rainsy employs lofty (and believable) national interest reasons, i.e., reconciliation, development, Khmer unity, over petty self-interests; a difficult balance to strike between ego and humility of regret, but achieved here without weakness. This letter reflects a man who is a very shrewd, highly intelligent statesman fully aware of the challenges surrounding the opposition and who is flexible to exploit the context without compromising his larger principles or national interests. He distinguishes between what are essentials and non-essentials, and knows there’s a time for everything.
4. Keeping the Issues Alive: 13 years later, the victims and events of the 1997 Grenade Massacre are being remembered, with a larger audience, thanks to the efforts of Sam Rainsy; whereas Funcinpec has even forgotten their own people in the 1997 coup d’etat, Sam Rainsy is helping them to honor, remember and demand justice for these atrocious crimes. Not bad, I say, for only having the POWER OF HIS MIND vs. the unlimited resources (money, army, state institutions, fear) of the CPP, for Sam Rainsy believes in the people of Cambodia that they too believe in justice and he will give expression to these sentiments for them, even as they are trying to find and strengthen their voices.
9 comments:
I like this post. Thank you for the explanation, KI media.
CPP: blah, blah @#$%^&*(!+%^&$, blah, blah, the PAST, blah $%^&&%##@#)*&, Hate Day, *&%$()*&^%^, Vietnam our liberator%^*()), blah, blah...
SRP: Justice. Peace. Present. Future. Power to the People. Cambodia. Dignity.
In Cambodia now there are a lot of flattering words that Amei Athorng used for their bosses (tropong chaovay). Some tittles were very long words that created by sihanouk and krom ah tropong
If Hun Sen was not the organizer of hand grenade in 1997, why Phnom Penh court do not investigate the crime?
ឆ្នាំនេះជាឆ្នាំខាល ដូច្នេះ ពីឥឡូវនេះទៅលោកសមរង្ស៊ី ត្រូវតម
សិន ព្រោះថាយីអ៊ុនដាក់ណាស់ ! ធ្វើអីក៏ខុស ធ្វើតិចខុសតិច ធ្វើច្រើនខុសច្រើន ។ តាមជើងលេខ
ឆ្នាំនេះបើលោកសមរង្ស៊ីចង់សុខ គឺឈប់ធ្វើសកម្មភាពប្រឆាំងលោកហ៊ុនសែនជាបន្ទាន់ ។
ចាំរឿងនេះស្ងប់បន្តិច លួចទូរស័ព្ទទៅលោកហ៊ុនសែនផ្ទាល់ទៅ ដោយនិយាយដាក់ខ្លួនបន្តិច
ហើយនិយាយលើកលោកហ៊ុនសែនបន្តិច និយាយបញ្ជោលោកហ៊ុនសែនបន្តិច ពោលគឺប្រើវិធី
ចិត្តសាស្រ្ត ។ បើលោកសមរង្ស៊ីបានធ្វើដូច្នេះ គឺយីអ៊ុនលោក នឹងមានភាពប្រសើជាមិនខាន។
ខ្ញុំធ្លាប់ប្រាប់លោកសមរង្ស៊ីច្រើនដងមកហើយ លោកហ៊ុនសែនជាមនុស្សមានយីអុនខ្ពស់ណាស់
គ្មាននរណាម្នាក់អាចយកឈ្នះលោកបានឡើយ ។លោកហ៊ុនសែនមើលមួយភ្លែតដូចជាមនុស្ស
កាចរឹងរូស តែមែនទេនទៅ គាត់ជាមនុស្សចិត្តទាន់ម្នាក់។ លោកហ៊ុនសែនអាចបត់បែនតាម
សភាពការណ៍ ។ បើគេធ្វើល្អដាក់គាត់ ៗ នឹងធ្វើល្អទ្វេដងទៅគេវិញ តែបើគេធ្វើអាក្រក់ដាក់គាត់
គាត់នឹងធ្វើអាក្រក់ទ្វេដងសងទៅគេវិញ ៕
អ្វីដែលគួរអោយសំណើចជាងនេះទៅទៀតនោះ
គឺ ពួកគាំទ្រលោកលោកសមរង្ស៊ីនៅទីនេះ ៖ ពួកគេបានឃើញការសុំទោសរបស់លោកសមរង្ស៊ីពិតជាក់ស្ដែងហើយ បែរជាម្នាក់ ខំសរសេរបកស្រាយ
ទៅជាអាហ្ចែស៎ អាហ្ចស៎ អ៊ីណា អ៊ីណោះ ឆ្កុយទៅវិញ ។ ខ្ញុំសូមប្រាប់លោក គីមេឌៀឯងទៅ
សំបុត្ររបស់លោកសមរង្ស៊ីមួយនេះ ទោះបីជាអោយក្មេងគ្វាលគោអាន ក៏ពួកយល់មួយរំពេច ៖គឺ
ជាសំបុត្រសុំទោស មិនអាចប្រកែកបានឡើយ ។
i don't believe hun sen wants to kill SR. Hun sen is a perpetrator and he must pay for his crime.
he is the Khmer leader and he is a killer? WOW! how is that happens?
Unbelievable!!
The tyrant Hun Sen almost succeeded in 1997! if the bodyguard didn't use his own body as a human shield, Sam Rainsy would not be alive today.
we need to put an end to this bloody history and choose a leader we can be proud and not be asheme in the world.
Khmer Democrat,
Get a life and stop twisting thing around.
It does not matter whether SR used the word "regret" or "apology", the result still the same - HE ADMITTED he was wrong in accusing HS behind the grenade attack. Why now he brings up the accusation again? By doing, he contradicts himself. When I saw a copy of the letter posted on the KI a few days, I can't not believe no one SRP supporter tells SR that any lawyer that reads his letter would say he's confuses or just a plain old trouble maker!
In life, positive change is the proof of intelligence let alone for political leaders.
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