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| Prime Minister Hun Sen (L) and Phnom Penh Governor Kep Chuktema (3rd R) take part in an inauguration ceremony for a new flyover in the capital in 2011. Photograph: Heng Chivoan/Phnom Penh Post |
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| The real source of funding for development in Cambodia: China |
‘Empty hands’ rebuilt the nation
Tuesday, 30 October 2012
Chhay Channyda
The Phnom Penh Post
Prime Minister Hun Sen seemingly came to the rescue of Phnom Penh governor Kep Chuktema yesterday, reiterating a controversial assertion of Chuktema’s that the late King-Father’s legacy had been all but destroyed by the tumult of the Khmer Rouge.
Without naming Chuktema directly, the premier endorsed the governor’s assertion that all of former King Norodom Sihanouk’s physical legacy, in the form of roads, bridges and economic development, were irreparably destroyed under the Khmer Rouge – an opinion that has drawn fire ever since it was broadcast in a televised interview on October 16.
In a speech at a graduation ceremony in the Phnom Penh yesterday, Hun Sen said that after the Democratic Kampuchea regime, the current government was left to start the rebuilding process with “empty hands”.
“Most of the achievements in the Sangkum Reastre Niyum era were destroyed – like the paper factory in Chhloung district was damaged, and some bridges were also destroyed, including Chrouy Changvar Bridge, but it was rebuilt for use in 1993 or 1994,” Hun Sen said, noting that even the buildings that were still standing were no longer salvageable.
In his remarks, Hun Sen added that had it not been for the Khmer Rouge, Cambodia would be a much more developed country by now, pointing to his regime’s decades of work rebuilding the country.
The remarks were almost identical to those made nearly two weeks ago by Chuktema.
“The works that [Sihanouk] tried to build were completely destroyed by Pol Pot – like Phnom Penh, which became a ghost city, and we rebuilt it,” Chuktema said. “Everything that the king built was ruined by the Pol Pot regime, but since 1979, we have tried to build it up to this day.”
Commentators immediately took to social media to slam the governor’s remarks, accusing him of slandering the late King Father’s achievements in the interest of aggrandizing those of his own Cambodian People’s Party.
On the page of a popular Facebook community called “I Love Cambodia”, a photo illustration was posted of the late king surrounded by, among other things, Olympic Stadium and the Royal University of Phnom Penh.
The image was followed by an outpouring of support for Sihanouk, and at least one admonishment to Chuktema to “open your eye[s]”.
Under a video of Chuktema’s interview, posted on YouTube under the name “Kep Chutema’s [sic] Blunder”, comments were uniformly negative, with many laced with profanity.
Independent political analyst Lao Mong Hay yesterday also took issue with the government’s claim that they had rebuilt the country from scratch, saying that many of Sihanouk’s public works still remained.
However, he added, every current leader blames the last one for not doing enough.
“Even the King Father’s regime blamed French colonial regime for having left nothing for Cambodia, or very little,” he said. “The Lol Nol regime blamed [Sihanouk’s regime] for doing nothing, and the latest government claimed it started with ‘empty hands’.”
10 comments:
Those CPP low class leaders coming from the jungles or remote area of Cambodia never finished high school. Some of them were brought Communist Vietcong Camp as teenagers to be brainwashed by warmonger Ho Chi Minh to fight against French and their own Khmer soldiers and people. Those Khmer Rouges (Khmer Vietminh) were very dump and stupid, not knowing how to lead the country of Cambodia, but they were/have been dictated by their evil Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi Leaders and Communist Vietnamese advisers to mislead Cambodia and Cambodian people who were left alive from Killing Fields.
Millions of Khmer people were put to death by the secret and dirty plans coming from the hidden Vietnamese faces in Khmer Rouges Uniforms. Pol Pot was toppled by the secret Vietnamese cadres and Pol Pot barely got outside to see what had been going on in the countryside. It sounded very strange and skeptical in or during the Killing Fields. Pol Pot and his inner circles of Khmer Rouges were not killers because they are nationalists and were against the Vietnamese encroaches to Cambodian land and Vietnamese demanded Pol Pot to sign the memorandum or peace deal to give some land and islands to Communist Vietcong. However, Pol Pot refused until Pol Pol. Pol Pot is very well educated because he was the student in Paris, France. Pol Pot is better than Hun Sen and other CPP comrades who have never finished high school, but Vietnamese leaders in Hanoi cheated and made them as Hanoi graduate diplomas or PhD without studying at all.
It is unbelievable to see the stupid leaders of communist CPP system that was installed by the Communist Vietnamese leaders in Hanoi. Hanoi leaders have sent the secret advisers and supervisors to sit next with Hun Sen (the illegally Vietnamese installed Prime Minister that was not recognized by people, UN, USA, EU and International Communities.
Cambodia is still a beggar country because of these uneducated CPP Khmer Rouges (Khmer Vietminh), Yuon/Vietnamese Rouges from Ho Chi Minh who operated CPP until today to mislead and destruct Cambodia country until Cambodia is very slow to grow. After more three decades, Cambodia is still very poor and still relies on the international aids. More than three decades of AIDS and International donors have been split, about 2/3 of International Aids and Donors were secretly given to Vietnamese leaders in Hanoi, some of aids and donors were secretly given to the hands of CPP crooks and Hun Sen himself, and the remain of little left to the poor and innocent Khmer people. Vietnamese leaders in Hanoi have played the big roles to control Hun Sen (Vietnamese puppet) and CPP clans (Khmer Vietminh and Vietnamese clans or advisers).
Since Cambodia's forests, natural resources, lands, islands were lost to thieves of Vietnam and other illegal business activities from corrupted countries to do businesses to gain profits, Hun Sen is very rich right now including his CPP crooks and clans.
There are many Khmer farmers losing their lands, journalists being killed, environmentalists being killed, activists being killed, victims of land grabbers and more because of corrupted CPP officials and Hun Sen who pleased and gave everything from Cambodia and International Aids/Donors to Hanoi leaders. CPP clans and Hun Sen have been pleasing their Vietnamese masters in Hanoi. They (CPP and Hun Sen) do not care about Cambodian nation and people.
The argument above was quite true. That is the new strategy for annex Khmer land in the 21th century.
Achievement by the CPP needs to be put in perspective and with a question back to Mr. Kep Chuktema and PM Hun Sen as to how much it has cost Cambodia in term of the loss of her natural resources, forest, environment, land, islands, and the dignity of poor Cambodians who have to go abroad to find jobs not to mention the dangerous illegal immigration of Vietnamese into Cambodia.
With so much destruction of the country's natural resources sold out to foreigners and so much foreign aids flowing in from different countries and in different forms, even A Chey's government can perform better!
I guess only idiots would try to compare any government to that of the KR.
Note: A Chey is known in many Cambodian folklores to be not that smart and bright!
Pissed Off
Soon china gonna say cambodia belong to them because Hun Sen keep taking money.
Khmer gonna be slave to vietnam and china.
1:57am, you seem to absolve the barbarity of Pol Pot's policy during his genocidal regime and put the blame squarely on the Vietnamese.
Neither Sihanouk nor his comrades accept any responsibility for their crimes against Khmers until this day eventhough millions perished under their watch. For Sihanouk's apologists, it was Lon Nol's faults and Pol Pot's it was the Vietname/Khmer clique.
First it was Sihanouk who was under house arrest during Pol Pot regime. Now, you said that Pol Pot himself barely travel outside Phnom-Penh during those atrocity. Was he also under city arrest?
How do you know that they're not the killers?
Do you rellay want us to believe that Pol Pot and his cadres are innocent of this unforgettable crimes?
6:06 AM.
Are you another Youn CPP dog, still blaming the Chinese and Pol Pot for the genocide?
Now you Youn CPP dog blame Lon Nol and Sihanouk?
Why dont you Youn CPP dog go back to Youn and return all our land back to the Khmer people.
9:09am, calm down and reread again, please...
6:06 AM,
I think you're obsolutely right about this damn King never admitted his faults, except to blame on the curses.
One thing I admire Pol Pot, at least he kept Cambodia land the same from 1975 till 1979, under his watch, unlike got damn King and CPP group never give a shit about Cambodia.
And the most disastrous leader in Cambodia history goes to Sihanouk. Why? Because we should have Kampuchea Krom if this damn King have joined the American to fight the Vietcong, instead of joining Ho Chi Minh, asshole policy.
Now not only we can't have Kampuchea Krom but Cambodia might be another 2nd Kampuchea Krom in the next Century or so.. Thx. to Ah Hun Shit, WIN WIN policy(SIC)
6:06 AM, you are still not understanding. You are focusing on the division. You better think again about you said. Damn!!! What direction do you want to have Khmer people to be united? You need to think about. You sound like you are lacking of thinking. Learn how not to fight.
Pol Pot was toppled by the secret hidden Yuon/Vietnamese agents. Khmer Rouges were busy fighting in the Southern Vietcong to get the Khmer Krom back. Pol Pot was betrayed by his Vietcong because he was pushed to sign the deal to give land and island to Vietnam and then he refused. Sihanouk was not in Cambodia, but he was in China. He was very smart to escape. He was almost killed by the secret Vietnamese agents inside Cambodia.
What the heck you are fight for? You did not understand that Vietnamese secret agents had spied everywhere and telecommunication and communication were disconnected. Why you blamed Sihanouk so much, why you blame Lon Nol? The original troublemaker was Son Ngoc Thanh (initial) who was against Sam Sary, Ransy's father and he caused the flood of illegal Vietnamese folks into Cambodia. Long story.... Do you know who he was?
12:05am, Sihanouk, as a head of state, did allowed the NV to use Khmer's territory during the Vietnamames war, didn't he not?
So why can't we blame him? if he so concerns about protecting Cambodia from the Vietnamese then why help them?
If you want to rehabilitate Pol Pot as a Khmer's hero and not criminal, then by all means show us your secret documents that would absolve their crimes. Otherwise, it's just an attempt to get Pol Pot and his murdeous regime off the hook by blaming someone else.
Khmer nationalists like Lon Nol fought valiantly against the Vietnamese but were labeled traitors by your truly, Sihanouk who solicited their help in killing Khmers so that his throne can be restored.
Happy now?
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