Another Khmer Hero has Emerged!

February 11, 2011
Op-Ed by Justin C. Sok

The “government by the people and for the people,” that is the maxim the developed countries have been living by. Because they uphold their people’s belief in, countries like the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Japan, France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, and United States, etc., have been crowned with success in many fundamental institutions: economic, political, judicial systems, education, health care system, and agricultural, etc.

In these democratic countries, the people elected their representatives and their governments appointed individuals whose knowledge and expertise in their specific fields such as cabinet members/advisors, and to assist the president or prime minister in strategizing and negotiating to help resolve specific social and political issues, at the local, national, as well as, at the international level. If their elected officials lack the confidence and the ability to effectively deliver solutions as required by their constituents on specific issues, the people have the right, as prescribed by law, to recall them out of office.

So what is the logic for this discussion? Such a beautiful and naturalistic country Cambodia is, unfortunately, it situated between the open jaws of a crocodile on the East and the Garuda’s vicious beak and crouching claws on the West. From the historical perspective, Cambodia had been relentlessly beset by her aggressive neighbors. The Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Kingdom of Thailand had never once had the intention of leaving her at peace. These countries have been lying-in-wait for the perfect storm to get their hands on Cambodia by controlling her internal political affairs. But one can raise a legitimate argument that, they are looking out for their own national interests. Their leaders carry out their duties that are in the best interests of their country and people.

The Kingdom of Thailand and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam are undermining the ASEAN’s confidence, and they had dishonored the 1991’s Paris Peace Agreement that was executed by the international community to restore peace and political and economic stability for Cambodia. Historically, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam had engulfed the Kingdom of Champa; and in 1949, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam arm-twisted the French to transfer the land of “Cochin China/Mekong Delta/Kampuchea Krom,” which was the southeastern part of Cambodia, and had renamed it to “South Vietnam,” under their control to the present. Until this day, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam has relentlessly and aggressively continued her westward expansion by politically negotiation with the government of Cambodia, PM Hun Sen, allowed hundred of thousands of Vietnamese citizens to live on Cambodian’s soil and to guaranty those illegal Vietnamese people the full rights and privileges as the citizens of Cambodia; and recently, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam had also encroached the border posts and moved them some kilometers inside Cambodia territory along the Eastern and Southeastern borders, in exchange for bilateral political cooperation including military and logistical support for Hun Sen to remain in power.

On the Western border, however, the Kingdom of Thailand had been acrimonious and antagonistic over the loss in their international court battle of her “stolen” property, Prasat Preah Vihear, from Cambodia, in 1962 to Cambodia. Since then, the Kingdom of Thailand had kept the flame aglow and has been continuing to instigate conflicted on Cambodia over the disputed areas near the Temple. Cambodia had to deal with these kinds of neighbors that have a mentality of “peeing on your leg and telling you it’s raining,” and they would dare you to prove that it’s not raining.

It has been so unfortunate that, Cambodia had also been continuing to have a tug-of-war within her own internal politics. Cambodia had tested many possible social, political, and economic systems of the 20th century - the Military-Monarchist, the Republic, the Maoist-communism, and the Autocratic. Under each regime, its leaders were comprised of an anomalous pool of incapable and incompetent men whose leadership lacks responsibility and accountability, and a sense of purpose and direction. It is so outrageous that each regime, its leaders seemed to share with the same congenital defected of the umbilical cord - power and greed, corruption, nepotism, abusive and destructive behaviors towards their own people, and have continuing to “aide and abet” the outsiders to exploit their own country, which has left the people to continue to scramble in their own invisible paths. The people of Cambodia had to endure the insufferable and had lost so many innocent lives by each regime. For generations, the people of Cambodia had been living like a worm in the chicken barn, ready to be manipulated by their leaders - lured them into the jungle to join the communists, rounded them up as in communes and put them into a labor force like worker bees, starved them to death, and then slaughtered them.

In the recent past, the government and his sycophants, “Oknhas,” incited the innocent people to work on the minefields as in the case of K5 plan; and at the present time, the relentless and continued forced eviction of thousands of innocent people from their homes and so that their land was used for their own private developments. The Cambodian people have also been used by their government as bait to reel in the international donors for more aid. It is so heartrending that whatever the donors give to the government, the hope is that a few crumbs will fall onto the ground for the underprivileged people below; but how long will the donors continue to do this? The on-going government-sponsored activities such as the country’s rich in natural resources - high quality sand has been pumping out from the basin of the Great Tonle Sap Lake for private enterprise, illegal logging of century old trees and destroying wild life habitats and killing near extinct animal species; and contracting out state’s land to foreigners, and for mines and minerals that contain high quality gems, gold, and oil off of Cambodian coast, have been privatized to the privileged few and foreigners for exploration and exploitation.

Cambodia not only continues to struggle for her own survival, but she has also been proudly embraced in her heart with many majestic historic monuments including the UNESCO’s listing of World Heritage site, Preah Vihear Temple, which has recently been sustained heavily damage from artillery shells committed by the bandits of the Kingdom of Thailand, and one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Angkor Wat Temple, was left in ruins from decades of war. Although Cambodia has opened up to the world-wide-web, but she has also become a cesspool, funneling in for all the bottom-feeding life forms, diseases such as HIV/AIDS, pedophiles and child molesters, drug and human trafficking, etc. There have been countless social and political issues that are continuing to accumulate and the government has either chosen to turn a blind eye or lacks the ability, knowledge, and skills on how to resolve these problems. Each issue seems to grow tentacles and wrap around other issues, and from the totality of it all, a sorrowful reality has emerged. As in the case of Mrs. Dol Chantha, etc. Mrs. Dol Chantha was right in her every own words, “. . . what is it that is called a “State?” Can Hun Sen run a state by himself without the people? I am just an ordinary citizen and I am dirt poor and illiterate, but I do understand that how a “State,” without the people, should not be called a “State.” Mrs. Dol Chantha is among thousands of innocent people of Cambodia, who screams and cries out of strength, not weakness, out of conviction, not insecurity. She has exercised her constitutional rights, and she is demanding the fulfillment of a purpose in life and liberty and service to mankind, that if Cambodia were to be a democratic country, there should be “the government by the people and for the people!”

In recent weeks, the world has come to witness the countries like Tunisia and Egypt, with their unrest, civil, political, and economic uprising, mobilized by the people against their governments. The people have decided that they had enough and they galvanized en masse and took their proactive democracy movement to the streets. Their determination, inspiration, and courageous acts show that they are patriotic and loyal to their countries and people, but they are no longer have faith in a handful of people whom had called themselves the “government” that had cemented onto power for so long - promoting nepotism, corruptions, increasing poverty, the gap is widen between the poor and the rich, rising of unemployment and joblessness, poor living conditions, under paid workers in a harsh conditions, forced child labor, oppression against women, and neglected the dilapidated of institutions such as health, education, religion, and businesses, etc. In his recent press conference, President Obama offered his manifesto in supporting for the people of Egypt and he stated, “The people of Egypt have rights that are universal. That includes the right to peaceful assembly and association, the right to free speech, and the ability to determine their own destiny. These are human rights. And the United States will stand up for them everywhere.” His statements have also echoed to countries around the globe including Cambodia.

As our world is revolving, with globalization and technology, these have become as our catalysts for social, cultural, political, and economic transformations. This transformation is an ever-increasing movement on 1) democracy, social justice, and human rights, 2) the ultimate people’s rights and aspirations, 3) the necessity of cooperation and collaboration, and 4) the important roles of the government in the society. The people of Cambodia are losing faith in their government’s rigid institutions and their corrupt practices, where they have been treated as numbers and where they have not been treated as human being and have been ignored; their rights have been trampled, and/or worse yet violently violated. The people of Cambodia have increasingly demanded to have their voices be heard and counted, into what they have believed, that should have a positive affect in their lives. They are demanding a better life for themselves and their children, systems and services that are more flexible, capacity, and opportunities, and with a government that is fair and just, and responsive and accountable, and respectful of the rights of the people.

The future of Cambodia will be determined by her people. The people of Cambodia will ultimately decide that they want their future that befits the heirs to a great and ancient civilization, the “Khmer Empire.” There was an old Khmer saying, “One chopstick can be easily broken, but a bundle of chopsticks cannot be broken,” and if the people of Cambodia willfully determine to transform their country into a true democratic state, where they can cherish their freedom and have their universal rights - the right to peaceful assembly and associate, the right to free speech and religion, they would need millions more of Mrs. Dol Chantha. And when that day is coming, no one knows, but only the people of Cambodia can make that decision. It will be a decision that would guaranty their freedom, peace, prosperity, and a brighter future for themselves and for their generations to come.

Thank you and best wishes to each and everyone of you.

Justin C. Sok