Tuesday, January 04, 2011

I DISSENT !

By Khmer Democrat, Phnom Penh
Expanding our Mind Series

The submission of Ms. Theary C. Seng to KI-Media,
Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. in Cambodia has inspired me to devote this month of January to the life and works of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a prophet not only for the Americans but for us Cambodians and the rest of the world. He reminded us that the best, most appropriate time TO DISSENT against injustice is always NOW. Here's a little background to one of the best rhetoric of 20th century.



The Letter from Birmingham Jail or Letter from Birmingham City Jail, also known as The Negro Is Your Brother, is an open letter written on April 16, 1963, by Martin Luther King, Jr., an American civil rights leader. King wrote the letter from the city jail in Birmingham, Alabama, where he was confined after being arrested for his part in the Birmingham campaign, a planned non-violent protest conducted by the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights and King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference against racial segregation by Birmingham's city government and downtown retailers.

King's letter is a response to a statement made by eight white Alabama clergymen on April 12, 1963, titled "A Call For Unity". The clergymen agreed that social injustices existed but argued that the battle against racial segregation should be fought solely in the courts, not in the streets. King responded that without nonviolent forceful direct actions such as his, true civil rights could never be achieved. As he put it, "This 'Wait' has almost always meant 'Never.'" He asserted that not only was civil disobedience justified in the face of unjust laws, but that "one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws."

Extensive excerpts from the letter were published, without King's consent, on May 19, 1963 in the New York Post Sunday Magazine. [1] The letter was first published as "Letter from Birmingham Jail" in the June, 1963 issue of Liberation[2] the June 12, 1963, edition of The Christian Century,[3] and in the June 24, 1963, issue of The New Leader. It was reprinted shortly thereafter in The Atlantic Monthly. King included the full text in his 1964 book Why We Can't Wait.

The letter includes the famous statement "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere," as well as the words attributed to William Ewart Gladstone quoted by King: "[J]ustice too long delayed is justice denied."

Source: Wikipedia


13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is Kos Trol belong to Khmer?

Why do Mr. Hun Xen and his CPP give to vietnam? Can Cambodian get back Kos Trol? If so , How?

Why doesn't Mr. Hun Xen talk about Kos Trol on TV or Radio or include Kos Trol in education program?

Why king dosen't talk about Kos Trol?

Can KI, Sam Rainsy and patriot cambodian get back Kos Trol?

Rattana Keo,

Anonymous said...

We wanted to have your own idea and your experiences, not just the copies from others.

Anonymous said...

Dr King, 50 years and your dream comes true.
Dr Seng, in 20 years and your dream would also come true.

Anonymous said...

Wish Mr.Martin shine his spirit in Mr. Sam Rainsy mind so he can regain back his credit. Mr. Rainsy should assign his job to other person while he can't do much to assure the trust from Khmer people in the country NOW.When thing getting better he can come back and start to get involve again after he recovery all energy back. You got to be smart to be a Good poitician.

Anonymous said...

I think Sam Rainsy is the best and only hope for Cambodia; he has many people who are are his generals and supporting staff, but he is the best leader to lead. Let's pressure to get him back into the country, SAFELY.

ជនពាល said...

ម្នាល !8:40 PM

ចំពោះកោះត្រល់ ​គឺគ្មានខ្មែរយើងណាម្នាក់បាន
ប្រគាល់កោះនេះអោយទៅយួនទេ ។ រឿងនេះ គេគួរ តែដាក់បន្ទោសទៅលើរដ្ឋាភិបាលបារាំងសេស ឯណោះ ជាពិសេសនៅពេលដែល
កម្ពុជាបានទទួលឯករាជពីបារាំងវិញ ។ តែបើយើងវិភាគ អោយមែនទេនទៅ
ផែនទីប្រទេសកម្ពុជាយើងដេលវត្តមាន ដូចបច្ចុប្បន្ននេះ គឺរាប់ថាសំណាង ហើយ ! តែអស់លោក មានបានគិតទេ ​ថា តើ បើគ្មានបារាំងមកគ្រប់គ្រងខ្មែរយើង នាអំឡុងសតវត្ស១៨ ១៩ នោះ​ តើ កម្ពុជាយើងអាចមានវត្តមាន ដូចសព្វថ្ងៃដែរឬទេ?
សរុបមក មានដីប៉ុណ្ណាយកប៉ុណ្ណឹងទៅ សំខាន់បំផុត​
គឺរាស្រ្តត្រូវមានស៊ីមានចុកគ្រប់គ្រាន់ ៕

Anonymous said...

Bring on your original idea - if I want to take civic 101 I can do that on my own.

Anonymous said...

I'm lost on this! I cant relate this crap to Khmer.

Anonymous said...

Bunch of these Khmer Hyena(s) in here have a dream that one day they will save Cambodia. It's a joke they sit behind a computer screen and dream of the 'I have a Dream' speech by Dr. King.

Anonymous said...

A buddhism non violence pratices by Mahatma Gandhi to libereate India from British, 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement. He pioneered satyagraha. This is defined as resistance to tyranny through mass civil disobedience, a philosophy firmly founded upon ahimsa, or total nonviolence. This concept helped India to gain independence, and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. Gandhi is often referred to as Mahatma Gandhi an honorific first applied to him.
Soon after Dr. King's dream applied the same principle that white and black can live together to abolish slavery.
His holiness Dalai Lama one day may be accomplish freedom, Liberty for Tibean.
Ang San Suui Kyi of Burmanese will bring hope of true domocratic in her country through civil disobedience.
Cambodian Dissent leaders must save Cambodia from Vietnamization.

Anonymous said...

Dr King you dream of have black president, now you have it. But your hope has gone down the drain, your black president are so dump compare to white president and he is unable manage US economy and for his foregn policy did not know where USA should stand and keep borrow money from China to support your USA life style.

Anonymous said...

8:38 AM, What do you know about the US politic Asshole? you probably unemployed and mad at the world?

Anonymous said...

You are right 8:34AM Black president is bring America down hill. He can't deliver what he promise about Health care system and Medicare system. US economic is down hill now but he is very good in promotion Muslim religin. He can't even help Cambodia fro Hun Sen communist party system.