+02.png)
By Congresswoman Niki Tsongas
Special to The Sun
The Lowell Sun
When President Obama landed in Cambodia early this week, he became the first sitting United States president to visit this country, which is still struggling to recover from a past marred by unspeakable brutality.
As a gesture of international collaboration, this landmark visit could benefit both nations. But as a human-rights mission, the president has an opportunity to thrust Cambodia's democratic shortcomings into the global arena, and call for increased individual freedoms in order to increase international relations.
The significance of the president's visit cannot be understated given the growing number of Cambodian-Americans, including the families of the nearly 20,000 Cambodians who immigrated to Greater Lowell in the 1980s. In the early 1980s, after the Cambodian genocide, the U.S. admitted 110,000 Cambodian refugees, increasing the Cambodian-American population to 150,000. The vast majority of these individuals came to the United States after losing family members, loved ones, homes, and property during the brutal reign of the Khmer Rouge.
Cambodia is still very much recovering from the horrific human rights violations and mass genocide that occurred during the 1970s.
I visited Cambodia eight months ago to better understand how the country's complicated and tragic history has shaped the Cambodian-American culture, and to explore ways to further strengthen ties between our two nations. I met with Cambodian political, business and nonprofit leaders to discuss how our nations can work together. My eyes were opened to the harsh realities that still exist in this country, but were tempered by a budding hope prevalent among many Cambodians that their nation has the potential to move in a positive direction.
The country has made strides in recent decades to heal and grow, but Cambodia continues to face many of the same pitfalls that have traditionally plagued emerging and transitioning nations: a developing economy, government corruption and the denial of basic human rights.
The policies of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has been in power for more than two decades, have allowed too few Cambodians to fully participate in their democracy. Political opponents are silenced with heavy-handed tactics and elections are marked by fraudulent activities.
If we are to build a lasting and productive relationship with Cambodia, we must see a meaningful shift toward universal human rights and a more transparent and accessible democratic process. The president's visit is a chance to encourage Cambodian officials to embrace individual rights and the right of Cambodians to peaceably assemble.
I applaud the president for utilizing this historic visit to open dialogue about the welfare and rights of the Cambodian people. Reports indicate that during tense discussions with Hun Sen, President Obama pressed the longtime Cambodian leader to release his tight grip on the nation's elections, a change that would boost their democratic process and pave the way for freer collaborations between our two countries. The president expressed the need for untainted elections, as well as the implementation of checks and balances, the release of political prisoners and an unwavering stance against human-rights abuses.
The relative youth of the Cambodian population -- nearly 70 percent of the Cambodian population is under the age of 30 while 50 percent is younger than 20 -- is driving the country's hope for a more progressive future.
As part of that future, ties between Cambodia and the United States should be made stronger, both economically and culturally.
The United States is already one of Cambodia's principal foreign investors, with trade between our two countries estimated at $2.4 billion.
Cambodia's cultural jewels attract hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, and several U.S.-based nonprofit groups are helping protect and promote the heritage sites, wildlife and natural resources unique to Cambodia.
As I said when I returned from my February trip, we have significant opportunities to grow our mutually beneficial partnership in the years ahead. This can only occur if Cambodia's leaders show genuine desire to move away from authoritarian rule and embrace a widespread, comprehensive democracy.
Along with Lowell's large Cambodian-American population, I will be paying close attention to the ripple effects of the president's trip to Southeast Asia. Given the growing number of Cambodian-Americans nationwide, we will not be alone.
9 comments:
Now, listen up your maggots! Why is it so difficult for you dumbfuck to forget the past; the past is the past. Yes, all of you need to learn how to forget the past, and try not to dig up the past and cause trouble for Cambodia and its people, and instead have all of you come together and unite with your savior. Yes, with your savior (my strong-man Samdach Hun Sen), he the one who saved your sorry asses from the holocaust. Without your savior, you wouldn't have the occasion to chitchat with anh.
I'm relatively elated and ecstatic to have seen all of you killed each other over little thing, because you dumbfuck are NOTHING but another dumb and ignorant savage. In other words, you people are equivalent to "Panong" (Phnong). Is this how you sign up more opposition and other rivals for your cause.
In addition, it is critically imperative to remember to re-apply for your public assistance (food stamps and SSI)before the end of the month, because I don't want your children crying and cursing you because you don't have food on the table . Also, most importantly, whatever you do, don't forget your child-support payments, because I despise deadbeats. Sorry kids, I feel your PAIN.
Before I disappear from your ugly faces, I want to remind you that as the general election looms,I want ALL OF YOU vote for your savior (Samdach Decho). Remember he's the ONLY ONE who can save Cambodia from the suffering.
I recall three decades ago, Phnom Penh, the Cambodia's capital, as I marched into the city, it was punctuated by the emptiness of buildings and houses and filled with broken roads and bridges, and now the city has morphed into a proud, beautiful and vibrant city. I'm certain that you can guess who transformed this ghost city into a beautifully developed city.
As a democratic country, we not only an ASEAN member, but the chair of ASEAN. Because of this remarkable achievement, we have received numerous praises around the world, even the leader of the free world (Barak Obama) and other leaders. Yes, you dumbfuck should be proud with all these achievements. Remember it is okay to be critical, but it is not okay to be cynical, particular with my government and country. Again, I welcome criticism, but not cynicism. hahahah Pi Anh.
Hey Vietnamese dog eater a.k.a Pi Anh @3:27 PM:
You need to listen your own stinky fart. Your wasteful space of comment is nonsense and the same old fart for your communist CPP dogs to read.
LOL!!!!!!!
Hun Sen a jungle man, eduate by the vietcong.
Obama is a harvard graduate, president of the USA.
kill the first fucker and leave it to the past and crawl back to your mother vagina and come out from hun sen penis hole. Phnom Penh is an ugly and stinky city but maybe you got used to the ugly that you haven seen beauty. Phnom Penh city is like bun rany face but I guess you wouldn't say that in front of your superior. What achievement???? you paid fees and join membership you fucking prick. You wanna know achievement? look at the great monuments around the country you piece of shit anh. A government is a body that work for the people for common goals you dump fuck not buying a new Lexus and fuck your sister. Let me know when you going to eat shit after hun sen died!!! what you claim is to be true...
Human Rights, freedom of speech, law and order are a few pre-requisies for development to fully happen. What we see now it is a zero-sum game developments in Cambodia, where you see gaining in one area and losing in other; some times to the point that it is not worth it for that development. In such a case of massive concession of arable land to private companies that illegal in the first place. Second, the eviction of the poor without proper study and compensation. Third, secret deals to log the nation on protected forest land and many many more... Sadly, we see a lot of zero sum game development happening right now in the unfortunate Cambodia. The rich is getting richer while the poor has nothing to eat or live. This means poor are the ones who are sacrificed the most for the rich or development to happen. This imbalanced policy of prime minister Hun Sen must stop. Otherwise, it will bound to crash one day where people will uprise against the gov't; thus, loss to the nation time, prestige, embarrassment and more... In some cases it even put our nation backward down the track for years before we right ourself again. Burma is one example. All we see is poor and suffering.
3:27
I would like to see you understand a little more about the past or it will repeat itself. You think you are all that but I disagree. If you are, your writing would have been more in line with a person of intellectual. I also know that there are campaigns among Cambodian forums to disarray Cambodians from further their discussions/debates; that is why we have such people like you.
Problems on Human Rights, Democracy and Free Election in CAMBODIA.
Following the signing of Paris Peace Agreement in 1991 by Cambodia and 18 other nations, including the USA, the first ever United Nations organized general election took place in Cambodia in 1993. Under the supervision of UNTAC (United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia), NEC was independent and neutral in 1993 and served the national interests of Cambodia by (a) assisting eligible-Cambodian voters to register, (b) making sure that they were able to vote freely, and (c) ensuring that none were disenfranchised, while at the same time, no one other than eligible Cambodians could have the right to vote. In all aspects, NEC treated all political parties on equal footing. For about two decades, since the CPP became the ruling party, NEC is no longer the same. With its chair, deputy chair and members proposed by the Minister of Interior (a CPP member) and selected by the National Assembly (with CPP in the majority), NEC becomes an instrument used by CPP to maintain and reinforce its powers and dictatorship. Furthermore, the CPP uses the powers of the judiciary, also under its firm control, to silence the opposition parties; especially so when the opposition protest against difficulties created by the CPP authorities to prevent the genuine eligible Cambodian voters from obtaining formal registration, while diligently granting formal registration to the illegal Vietnamese immigrants. Most of these irregularities and abuses of powers are documented by the Committee for Free and Fair Election in Cambodia (COMFREL) in its 2011 Report on Democracy, Election and Reform in Cambodia, and by observers of the latest commune election on June 3, 2012.
To be continued on next post.
Problems on Human Rights, Democracy and Free Election in CAMBODIA - Continue.
With such flawed election authorities managing the “so called” democratic electoral process, intimidation, coercion, cheating, discrimination, registration and voter listing irregularities, vote buying, balloting and vote counting/manipulation and result reporting by ruling local authorities under a marching order from the top echelon of the CPP are the many faces of the election abuses in Cambodia. Additionally, there is a troubling influx of millions of illegal Vietnamese immigrants who have been facilitated to be “eligible voters” by the ruling authorities and are not Cambodian citizens. They are believed to vote in favor of the ruling party thus these Vietnamese help determine¬¬¬ the fate of Cambodia. This cruel fact is a very serious and dangerous threat to the sovereignty of Cambodia and its very survival and existence in the world. It is a new form of colonization of Cambodia by its powerful neighbor Vietnam.
The Cambodian government has not made available to the public the result of the recent census, because the abnormally high rate in the population growth since 1979 cannot be explained with normal growth or legal immigration patterns comparable to neighboring countries.
International election observation is a very essential electoral component at this stage of the democratic process in Cambodia. Unfortunately, only a small number of international election observers are provided as compared to the number of the voting stations scattered throughout Cambodia.
Election campaign and media access are very imbalanced. Operating in a repressive environment, nearly all radio and TV stations in Cambodia are under pressure to present programs in favor of the ruling party, leaving other political parties disproportionately disadvantageous. Cambodian voters in larger rural areas are not well educated and/or informed of campaign platforms of political parties opposing the CPP; needless to say, they are misguided and/or intimidated by the ruling party’s local agents to vote for their party in power.
Additionally, in several instances, the ruling party illegally uses state properties (e.g., military and government vehicles) and many state workers help in the CPP’s campaign. In the past few elections, Prime Minister Hun Sen has shown that he has known the election results by the end of the Election Day. This simple fact fueled suspicions that the election, were actually fixed. As the world and powerful and free-democratic countries turn their eyes away, ordinary Cambodian people are left and forced to suffer human rights abuses and fundamental freedom violations endlessly and hopelessly in the hands of their unchecked repressive government.
Another electoral flaw is the fact that there is no credible redress procedure to handle and resolve any complaints and/or protests against the election campaign irregularities and/or election results. It is widely known that the inept Cambodian court system is crippled by notorious corruption as well as pervasive repression by the executive branch of the CPP; therefore, it is hopeless for any reasonable and acceptable redress.
In short, without a good functional democratic mechanism in place, the situation of human rights abuses and fundamental freedoms in Cambodia will deteriorate even further and may slip into a dangerous stage of even more bloodshed.
To 3:27 PM,You are too stupid to distinguish the difference between " Savior " and " Traitor ".
Your Decho Hun Sen is just a working tool of Hanoi. Your ass and your families ass have been on a 99 year lease to Yuon.
Just like a tenant making improvements on the landlords property, your " Savior "
has been busy making improvements for his Yuon Masters, and enriches his pocket at the same time.
If not stopped in time, stupid YOU would be better take up Vietnamese 101 right now.
Post a Comment