Wednesday, December 21, 2011

From Cambodia, Condolences for a Dear Friend

This 1975 photo shows Norodom Sihanouk, Cambodia’s head of state in exile, meeting with then-North Korean President Kim Il Sung. Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

December 20, 2011
By Jacob M. Schlesinger
The Wall Street Journal

As Cambodia manages to transition from its communist past to a more capitalist future, the government here was one of the few to issue heartfelt condolences on the passing of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.

Cambodian information minister Khieu Kanharith called the death “a great loss,” the Phnom Penh Post reported in its Tuesday editions. A separate government spokesman was quoted saying “the friendship and bilateral cooperation between North Korea and Cambodia will never die.”

As the report noted, the ties had less to do with ideology, or even the regional realpolitik, than with the eclectic past of Cambodia’s own longtime great leader, King Father Norodom Sihanouk.

Mr. Sihanouk met Kim Il Sung at the Bandung Conference, an anti-colonialist, non-aligned movement banquet in Jakarta hosted by then-Indonesia leader Sukarno in 1965. Mr. Sihanouk wrote musical scores in 1970 celebrating “friendship and fraternity” between the two countries, the Post reported. And Mr. Sihanouk stayed in a 60-room palace outside Pyongyang during his period of exile; even after his return to power, he regularly vacationed there.


But Cambodia is now aggressively seeking ties with, and investment from, the Western societies North Korea reviles. A large Nokia smartphone billboard hangs over the Phnom Penh intersection of Kim Il Sung and Russian Federation boulevards.

Cambodia is particularly welcoming to Pyongyang’s regional archenemies, South Korea and Japan. Samsung smart TV billboards hang over many main roads, which are clogged with Honda scooters and Toyota cars — including more than a few Land Cruisers.

The Cambodia Daily reported Monday that Minebea Co. Ltd., the large Japanese manufacturer, opened a new, expanded 28,000-square-meter factory over the weekend here. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen personally attended, declaring “I am like a midwife giving birth to this factory, and I will never let the child die.”

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ah Sdach Kbot Cheat. Because of you Khmer Roleuy.
Ngorp Oy Chhap chhap Touv Ah Sdach Changrai.
When you go to hell, don't forget to take your son named Ah Chker Chkuot Kwack with you too.

Anonymous said...

អាសីហនុ! អាមេចោរក្បត់ជាតិ! ងាប់ទៅ! កុំរស់
នៅ​នាំឲ្យទាស់មុខ ទាស់ភ្នែក!។
អាហ៊ុន សែន ល្អតែមាត់ តែចិត្តខ្មៅថ្លើមខ្មៅ!
អាសត្រូវនឹងរាស្ត្រខ្មែរ។
ងាប់ទៅ! ងាប់ដូចអាសាដាំ អាហ្កាដាហ្វី និង
អាគិម ចុង អ៊ិល ទៅ។អាថ្លើមពាសមេឃ
ស្រុកខ្មែរ។
អាសីហនុ អាហ៊ុន សែន អាឆ្កែយួន។

Anonymous said...

Seihanuk always affiliates himself with communist countries and he brought communism to Cambodia and killed 1.7 million people. He cannot get away from justice and must stand trial along with other prominent Khmer Rouge leaders.

Anonymous said...

IF SIHANOUK WAS NOT BORN TO BE CAMBODIAN, CAMBODIA CAN BE A REAL REPUBLIC OF WONDER.

HE BECAME THE MONSTER OF DISASTER AFTER HE TOOK KIM IL JUNG, MAO STE TOUNG, AND HO CHI MINH AS HISN IDOLS.

LET'S REMOVE THE KIMG FROM CAMBODIAN SOIL, SHUT DOWN THE ROYAL PALACE, AND DECLARE THE SECOND REPUBLIC OF CAMBODIA.

Anonymous said...

12:32 AM. You are the dumbest below all. I bet you never read or even understand the real issue.

8:01 AM. So where else, should he do after the US refused to help him to stop Yuon at South and Siem from invading Cambodia? After that, the US sent the assassins to hunt him down. So isn't "the enemy (NK) of my enemy(US) is my friend?"

I don't think he run away from justice, he'd like too, but Yuon/CPP wouldn't let him testify.

Anonymous said...

12:24 PM
Yeahh everything is "If" and "If this or If that."

Cambodia without "Sihanouk" will suffer the same or worse. Because Yuon determined to take Cambodia.

Don't worry about Palace Royal. It's aboout to be emptied after Yuon sacked so many times.

Anonymous said...

Ah Sihanouk,
Ah sdach choy mray!
Ah sdach thork teap!
Ah sdach kbot cheat!
Ah sdach chom kout!
Ah sdach lob lob!
Ah sdach ploy boy!
Ah sdach gnorb krom kuntuy kben!
Ah sdach pear lear!
Ah sdach tonnaha krass!
Ah sdach samram!
Ah sdach leamork!
Slab tov ah sdach choy mray, khmer people don't want to see your face.

Anonymous said...

អាស៊ីហនុនេះ គឺជាឃាដករបំផ្លាញខ្មែរ

លាក់មុខ ដ៏សាហាវបំផុត


អាសីហនុ គឺជានិមិត្តរូប នៃក៏បំផ្លាញជាតិខ្មែរ

Anonymous said...

All Khmer people knew that ah SIHANOUK and Monarchy are traitors and killed and destroyed Cambodia.
In 1960, ah Sihanouk let Vietcong use Khmer soil along Khmer-Vietnam
border, called HO CHI MINH TRAIL to
fight South Vietnam.
In 1970, ah Sihanouk called Vietcong
to kill and invade Cambodia.
And up to now, ah Sihanouk is still
selling and killing Khmer people
just for monarchy and power.
Khmer in Cambodia and abroad should
protest against him and ah Hun Sen
during this NEW YEAR.

Anonymous said...

Ah Sihanouk chkeah Hanois Stupid king dog walks with two feet, comes back from China to sale Khmer land again with Ah gnorb chor Hun sen?
I have no respect for this KING. I never forgive and never forget that he has been killed millions of Khmers life including my family.

This KING should be in HELL now, it's about time.

Khmer: Phnom Penh

Anonymous said...

Ah Sihanouk, Ah playboy Kanteur Kdor Kley !!
Srok Khmer Roleuy Doy Sar Ah Lob Sihanouk.
Ah Sihanouk is Ah kbot cheat period.

Anonymous said...

យើងត្រូវតែនាំគ្នាជេរ អាស្តេចសីហនុ ថា៖

"អាឆ្កែកញ្ជះចិនប៉េកាំង និង យួនហាណូយ"

យើងត្រូវតែនាំគ្នាជេរ អាក្បត់ជាតិហ៊ុន សែន ថា៖

"ពួកអាឆ្កែកញ្ជះ យួនហាណូយ"

ជេរហើយជេរទៀត ដើម្បីអោយជាតិ និងអន្តរជាតិ
ដឹងឮ ពីអំពើក្បត់ជាតិនឹងអំពើអាក្រក់របស់ពួកវា
ទូទាំងពិភពលោក។

Anonymous said...

The author of The Killing Fields is Sihanouk. He created Khmer Rouge and Viet Allows country to stay in Khmer. Why Khmer do asked him?

Anonymous said...

យើងចង់ឃើញមុខពួកវា ពេលដែលប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ
ខ្មែរផ្ដន្ទាទោស បណ្តើរធ្វើបាបតាមផ្លូវ ដើម្បីបង្ហាញ
ដល់ពិភពលោកថា ពួកអាផ្ដាច់ការហ្នឹងត្រូវស្លាប់
យ៉ាងវេទនាដូច ខ្មោចកាដាហ៊្វី និងសាដាំ
ហ៊ុស្សេន ។

Anonymous said...

បងប្អូន ប្រុសស្រីជាទីស្រឡាញ់ ,

កូនយួន ៧៩ធំអស់ហើយ ! ឃើញមុខពួកវាទេ???

បក្ខពួក គណៈបក្សប្រជាជន ជាក្រុមភាវកម្ម ដែលមានទាហាន យួនយៀកកុង ជាងមួយរយពាន់(១០០.០០០)នាក់បង្កប់នៅពីក្រោយខ្នង រាយគ្រប់ក្រសួងរដ្ឋបាល សំរាប់ ប្ដឹងតវ៉ា ចោទប្រកាន់ ពីបទឧក្រិដ្ឋនានា, ដាក់ថ្នាំបំពុល, គ្រោះថ្នាក់ចរាចរ,
ឬ បាញ់សម្លាប់បំបិទមាត់ខ្មែរអ្នកស្នេហាជាតិ, ខ្មែរអ្នក
ជាតិនិយមនានា ឬ ចាប់ដាក់គុក បំបាក់ស្មារតី់ ឱ្យខ្លាចបាក់ស្បាត លែងហ៊ាន ប្រយុទ្ធ ប្រឆាំងដើម្បីសេរីភាព បូរណភាពទឹកដី !

គណបក្សប្រជាជនកម្ពុជា គឺជា : បក្សកុម្មុយនិស្តក្រុមហាណូយ ជាបិសាចប្រែរូប ជញ្ជក់ឈាមខ្មែរ បំផ្លិចបំផ្លាញពូជសាសន៍ខ្មែរ ឱ្យរលាយ រលត់ដូចប្រទេសចំប៉ា!

បើខ្មែរមិននាំគ្នារើបំរះទេ ខ្មែររងចាំតែថ្ងៃងាប់ប៉ុណ្ណោះ….!។

Anonymous said...

Ah Sihanouk betrays Cambodian nation all the way.
He is simply ah sdach kbot cheat!

Anonymous said...

Today They called the NETWORK, those who hate him, because they're not Communist.

Anonymous said...

Here a few stupid Khmers who insult King Sihanouk, be sure you know, you and your family members and your ancestors're all parts of the problems. King Sihanouk was not all to blame, but yours as well.

6:15 PM. You are liar. You are Yuon pretending to be Khmer. It was your Yuon who created Khmer Rouge since Phan Boi Chau-Ho Chi Minh-Pham Van Dong until today.

7:11 PM. You are liar. Many Khmers followed Yuon spies like Son Ngoc Minh, Heng Sieu and Tou Samouth were not issued by Sihanouk to follow Yuon. When he realized Yuon lik eTou Samouth were the problems he killed Tou Samouth. Almost the whole country especially at country sides your Yuon were roaming all all over the place causing confusion among real Khmers.

Sihanouk changed the strategy because he saw most of his people around 5 millions followed Yuon. When he called people to join the marquis because he knew the Communist were powerful than the US. If some of Khmers followed him they would be survived at least for the moment.

They did not listen to Sihanouk called and they mocked at Lon Nol for calling them to get our because Communists are T'Mils and are merciless.

If you think Soviet + China + Yuon + Cuba cannot defeat the US then why Kissinger called Chou En Lai to take South Vietnam is the right to do?

I come to thing that some stupid people who cursed King Sihanouk are real Yuon.

Anonymous said...

I have never read so much rubbish in this so-called "freedom of expression website" it is worse than the language of a brothel in Pattaya or Phnom Penh. No wonder Pol Pot wanted to get rid of you all.