Wednesday, March 06, 2013

Hun Sen’s regime: The best of the worst

Do not compare Cambodia to Israel, Germany, Japan or Korea.....

By Anonymous

In Israel, in Germany, in Japan or in Korea... there were no killings of people who happened to wear glasses or had some education during the war. But Cambodia under KR alone, we experienced this tragedy. Please do not lessen KR crime in destroying the country, especially the human resources! Cambodia's economic development is not just Hun Sen’s job alone! All Khmers in Cambodia and the Cambodian Diaspora are all responsible for the country’s progress. Besides, how much money Israel, Japan, South Korea or Taiwan got annually from the US after WWII and how much rich Jewish communities outside Israel contributed to their country intellectually and economically? Please do not think that Khmers are not good because we are not as brilliant as Jews, or Japanese or Americans or Germans? I should ask myself what I did or I did not do to help my country so far?
5 March 2013 1:22am
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Hun Sen’s regime: The second worst regime of the world

By Khmerization
I would like to thank 1:22am for engaging in a sensible debate regarding the merit, or the lack of it, of Mr. Hun Sen’s rule in comparison to other regimes around the world.
I would now like to respond to a few points raised by you.
Israel, Germany, Japan or Korea have excelled in all fields in less than 20 years after emerging from the destruction of wars not because there were no killings of their people, but because these countries have leaders who were smart and patriotic and who loved their countries to death. Can we say the same about the leaders of Cambodia today?
In fact, 6 million Jews were murdered by Hitler’s Nazi regime during World War II and Israel was created from scratch by the survivors of the holocaust. The rest of the survivors, who chose not to return to Israel, were scattered around the world.
In Germany, more than a million Germans were killed during the bombings and invasion of the Allied forces at the dying days of World War II. In Japan no less than 500,000 Japanese died during World War II and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
In Korea, no less than a million were killed or died during the Korean War that ended in 1953. In China, no less than 20 million Chinese were killed during the Chinese revolution and the fighting between Mao Zedong’s and Chiang Kai-shek’s forces that ended in 1949, and the destruction of infrastructure was immeasurable, yet China has emerged as a third super-power after America and the Soviet Union in less than 20 years. Now, China is the world’s second biggest economy and will overtake America as the number spot in less than 15 years time.
As far as the history goes, not much money was pumped into Japan or Israel, South Korea or Taiwan. In fact, because Japan and Germany were the losers of World War II, therefore there were demands for war reparations to the victors.
In Europe, there was the Marshall Plan, in which a substantial sum of money was pumped in, but at the end of the day it was the leaders of those countries who had made their countries prosperous and politically stable.
What about Cambodia? Cambodia was at the mercy of the international community in 1991 when the UN sent 20,000 troops and administrators and more than 2 billion dollars to help revive the peace process and, ultimately, the economy of Cambodia. After the UN left in 1993, around $1.5 billion dollars from the donor countries was pumped in every year to help revive the infrastructure, the economy, the democratic process, the judiciary and healthcare, but 20 years on Cambodia is still pretty poor and the population still suffered human rights abuses and the democratic process is going backward instead of going forward.
I do not believe that the reason Cambodia is a poor country today is because we Khmers are not “brilliant” as the Jews, the Japanese, the Germans or the Americans. On the contrary, we have Angkor Wat and the Khmer Empire to prove to the world that we are smart and brilliant. The fact that we are poor today is because we always have leaders who are not brilliant or who are selfish, and Mr. Hun Sen is one of many examples.
You have raised the point that the rich and educated Jews around the world have returned and helped revitalise Israel’s economy and its reconstruction. Can we say the same with the Cambodian Diaspora? The answer is no because Hun Sen did not welcome them.
There are estimated 1.7 million Cambodians living in the West and millions more are working in neighbouring and sympathetic countries. The Cambodians in the West have sent approximately $500 million dollars per year to help resuscitate the Cambodian economy. The Cambodian overseas workers would have sent millions also.
I am in total support of you when you said “Cambodia[‘s] economic development is not just Hun Sen’s job alone! All Khmers in Cambodia and the Cambodian Diaspora are all responsible for the country’s progress”. I would like Mr. Hun Sen to think the same as you and allowed all educated Khmers to contribute without fearing of retributions, harassment or imprisonment. But the fact is he wanted to hold leadership and political monopoly.
In fact, many educated Khmers, some even with Ph.Ds, have returned to help Cambodia, but they were either harassed, chased back to the West or were jailed because they have tried to right his wrongs. If only Hun Sen accepted them or allowed them to utilise their skills to their full potential without fears and intimidation like in their adopted countries, their contributions would have helped Cambodia significantly and made a huge difference to the Khmer society. Today, Cambodia is run by the remnants of the Khmer Rouge leaders who did not even finish primary school and some of them cannot even read or write. One wonders why Cambodia is not going forward.
It is regrettable that Mr. Hun Sen always likes to compare his regime to the Khmer Rouge regime, which was the worst regime in the world. In this sense, Mr. Hun Sen is trying to tell the world that his regime is the second worst regime in the world, that is to say it is the best of the worst.
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Pol Pot is not the only cause of Cambodia's economic woes
Anonymous said... 
Dear Brother or sister,

The big problem of economy deadlock of Cambodia is due to the bad image of our Cambodian leaders and especially our routine corruption behaviors.

I used to think like some of you guys that Pol Pot regimes killed all or destroyed our Human Resources. It's true in some points. However, as a neutral person, I don't think that Pol Pot Regime is the only cause of our slow economy development.

Besides Pol Pot Regime, there are many things that block Cambodia to move forward:

1. Cambodia leader has or had a communist leader and his image was not good. Foreigners look down on Cambodians. It started from our leaders and down to the lower levels.

2. Cambodian economy have economic deadlock. We cannot export our products to the neighboring countries because those of the neighboring countries are the exporting countries. Our products cannot compete with the neighboring countries because most of the direct/indirect materials are imported from the neighboring countries. More importantly, the corruptions are still existing everywhere. We cannot reduce the gasoline price. Therefore, we need to sell at higher prices than the neighbors.

3. The Cambodian people are raised differently from people in the neighboring countries. Most Cambodian people studied Business, Management, Finance, Economy and Law. In the neighboring countries, people studied engineering, manufacturing, electronic, computer sciences, medicine, nursing and social development so on.

4. Most Cambodians in overseas who are highly educated have never wanted to return to Cambodia. They don't trust the stability of Cambodian economy and low-paid jobs.

5. Most graduate students who got scholarships to study overseas tried to look for Cambodian-Americans people to marry in order to stay there. Most people, who cannot find high-paid jobs in the US/AUS/Canada or people cannot find someone to marry, will return to Cambodia.

6. We chose the wrong superpower. China is the biggest exporting country in the world. China exported, not only industrial materials, but also agricultural materials. Therefore, China can only help to accept some of our exported products. However, if we chose the US or other developed countries whose strong economies were based on high technology and industry, the big industrial country, we will have more chances to export our product and attract billionaire investors to Cambodia.

Overall, to stabilize our country, both economically and politically, we should change the leader (we can choose another leader whose image are good in the public eyes from any current government or opposing parties). Especially, we should eliminate corruptions which are the roots of all the problems of Cambodian development.

Even though we probably cannot change our democratic/communist regime, I am happy to see P.M. Hun Sen resign and let one of his educated sons or others to be our leader. At least, we can reduce the bad image. Optimistically, we can reduce more corruptions.

5 March 2013 7:10 pm
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Cambodia is 20 years behind Vietnam and 35 years behind Thailand
Anonymous said... 

The issue of avoiding the comparison between Cambodia to her neighbors was nothing new. Since 1945, Cambodia has been always 15 years behind Thailand in term of infrastructure development- 8 years behind South Vietnam in term of economic developments and 20 years in term of military might because the US poured billions of dollars to build the South Vietnamese National Army, the 4th strongest army in the world in 1968-1975 and peaked at 1971. Cambodia was equal to Laos in 1970, but now is 3 years behind Laos in term of Gross Domestic Capita Income.

Now Cambodia has been further 20 years behind Vietnam's economy and 35 years behind Thailand, not to mention military might.

Cambodia has been always behind regardless now or/and in the past...And never will catch up but can get a close gap.
6 March 2013 1:12 am 
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Hun Sen and Pol Pot are two of the same monsters
Anonymous said... 

Even Hun Sen compares his Cambodia with Pol Pot's  Cambodia, his is worse than Pol Pot'.
These two monsters was and is Khmers' killers more or less but Pol Pot had kept & protected Cambodia's territorial integrity and natural resources .
Khmers did not inherit debts from Pol Pot . Hun Sen has started from zero debts to $10 billion in debts, from big Cambodia to a smaller one . Only his family's and his cronies' wealthhave been progressed .

6 March 2013 10:35 am

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Genocide in Cambodia was unique in that it was selective killing of the handful of intellects that Cambodia had at that time. This iis a major reason why Cambodia is still struggling to stand back on her feet in terms of development.

Hun Sen alone cannot be resposible for all of Cambodia's slow development.

Anonymous said...

After WW II Germany along with other European nations, received billions of dollars in aids to economic rebuilding.

Japan, S. Korea, and Israel all received tremendous aids from the U.S. right after the WW II. Also, after WW II Japan was more developed than Cambodia today and their human resource index was higher than Cambodia today.

The U.S bombed Cambodia almost to oblivion but do way too little to rebuild.

No comparison! I think Hun Sen made a very valid point.

Anonymous said...

These countries you mentioned: Japan, Germany, and Korea, up to and after WW II were more developed than Cambodia ever was before the Khmer Rouge came to power.

The lost of lives in those countries from war was not confined to the educated like in the case of Cambodia.

The Khmer Rouge eradicated Cambodia' economy, and educational system among other things. Economically and educationally Cambodia was dead for almost a decade.

Germany, Japan, and Korea despite the war still had functioning economy. There people were still able to attend university.

KI - Media, your comparison is shortsighted.

This one Hun Sen is right!

Anonymous said...

1:40 PM

Short and not too bad answer to the post.

Cambodia have to live or can live without these progessive thinking or comparison.

Let these people dreams but no activity.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the civilised debate. You all have good and valid points, which in some way I am going to repeat in my argument below.

Despite having gone through wars and destructions, those countries -Korea, Japan, Germany - had built up strong national institutions at least two hundred years before the wars. These instituions remained intact enabling them to pick up fast economically after the wars. Israel was no different where its people from around the world were equippped with advanced scientific knowledge and capital to contribute to the building process of the country.

These countries we are comparing with had strong rule of law, unlike Cambodia which never had. Cambodian rulers regardless of political colors always monopolised power for themselves, excluding the masses from the decision process.

The way Mr Hun Sen has been doing is to drive Cambodia 50 years backward. If we want to see Cambodia advance, rule of law must be firmly installed and institutions must be strenghtened -independently and neutrally run for the benefits of all Khmer.

Inclusive governance must be embraced. Poor countries like Cambodia often fall into what Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson call "extractive" dictatorship, and it is this mentality of our rulers that has never seen Khmer sufferings cease.

A good read - Why Nations Fail - the origins of power, prosperity, and poverty, 2012.

Anonymous said...

2:26 PM,

I agree with your assessment. As for Hun Sen's approach to rebuilding, I think he is doing the best he knows how having been educated and influenced by the same system himself.

Cambodia has been cursed throughout her history by rulers whose means are ruthlessness, climaxing in the near self anihilation under the KR.

Anonymous said...

Who are khmer rouges?
Khmer were created by vietnam
to kill khmers and take control over Cambodia.This what the wrold should know who are the khmer rouges?Khmer rouge leaders are just the instruments that vietnam
used to hide its heinous murder
of khmer people.Then after the killing is enough to take control
over cambodia ,vietnam start a
a new trick to cheat the world:
invading Cambodia to rescue
cambodian victims of the khmer rouge regime.But this is what vietnam did as pretext to take
contorl Cambodia by installing
cpp(the puppet) to power.vietnam
is behind this puppet.

Anonymous said...

6:17pm

I agree with you 100% ...Blesses are you who have eyes to see and ears to hear..the truth will always be the truth...they can run but the can't hide. In the end, justice have to done on earth and in heaven. VC are the khmers killers of all time. They promised kingta and the pot pot the world but in the end, they betrayed them all by telling them to kill one another for the benefit of VC easy to invade known 'killing two birds with one stone'...but finally, the world now knows who really is behind such atrocity....VC mfk!!!! The Chinese will get you all soon and I can't wait to see this happen....

Anonymous said...

គួរមានយោបល់បន្តិច ៖
ចិត្ត្គំនិតរបស់ខ្មែរមិនទាន់ប្ដូរនៅឡើយទេ ទាំងអ្នក
ធំទាំងប្រជារាស្ត្រទួទៅ ជាពិសេសអ្នកដឹកនាំមិន
ទទួលខុសត្រូវលើជាតិសាសន៍ខ្លួនឯង ពេលបានធំ
ភ្លេចកំណើត ដូចមេអំបៅភ្លេចកំណើតពីដង្កូវ ។
ប្រពៃណីនៃការដឹកនាំតាមតែគន្លងចាស់ មិនប្ដូរ
ហើយមិនព្រមទទួលយកនូវការពិតសម្រាប់ជាតិ
អ្នកកាន់អំណាចមិនយល់ពីរបៀបដឹកនាំ មិនព្រម
ស្ដាប់យោបល់អ្នកឲ្យយោបល់ ។ មិនខ្វះទេអ្នក
ចេះនៅសល់គគោក តែអ្នកដឹកនាំច្រើនតែយក
គំនិតអញនិយម គ្រួសារនិយម បក្សពួកនិយម
ច្រើនមានគំនិតថា អញជាអ្នកឈ្នះ កម្ពុជាជា
របស់អញ អញមិនត្រូវការនរណាទាំងអស់ ។
សព្វថ្ងៃមានខ្មែរជាច្រើនមករស់នៅបរទេស បាន
ឃើញស្គាល់វឌ្ឍនភាពរបស់ប្រទេសមហាអំណាច
ខ្មែរដែលចូលទៅលេងស្រុកម្ដងៗ គេចាត់ទុកជា
អាណិកជនឬគេចាត់ទុកជាសាច់ជ្រូកបីជាន់ គេ
មិនសូវយកយោបល់ទេ ទៅជាចាំស្ដាប់គេវិញ
ពួកអស់នោះភាគច្រើនមានអំនួតបន្តិច ពួកមេភូមិ
ជាដើម មិនដូចស្រុកយួន អ្នកភូមិគេស្ដាប់យោ
បល់គ្នាគេដែលទៅពីបរទេសថាជាអ្នកផ្ដល់គ្រប់
ការអភិវឌ្ឍន៍ ។

Anonymous said...

យួនបង្កើត ក្រុមខ្មែរវៀតមិញ (CPP)!

យួនក៏បង្កើត ក្រុមខ្មែរវៀតមិញ (CPP)ថ្មី គឺ :
-អាស្វា សម រង្សី
-អាស្វា កឹម សុខា,និង
-មីស្វា មួ សុខហួ សំរាប់សង្រ្គោះអាយួនដែរ!
_________________________________


បើខ្មែរចង់សើច...សូមកុំទៅបោះឆ្នោតជាមួយអាស្វាយួន!
________________________________
បើខ្មែរចង់យំ អស់ផ្ទះ-អស់ដី-អស់ប្រទេស........បោះឆ្នោតទៀតទៅ!

ស្នាដៃគណបក្សប្រឆាំងមានសមត្ថភាព១00% នឹង អភិវឌ្ឍន៍អានិគមយួនតាំងពីគ្មានយួន រហូតយួនជាង៨លាននាក់ ក្នុងស្រុកខ្មែរ។

Anonymous said...

Hun Sen argument that Cambodia's history is unique is just an excuse for his Hanoi's slave government in order to maintain his legitimacy holding on to power. What he is implying is that no one can do a better job then he does. Hun Sen priority is not the well being of the Cambodian people, but his own. In order for him to stay in power, Hun Sen have to please his master who installed him to be in power purposely to steal khmer's land. To those blind eyes around the world as well as most idiots in this forum thinking that Hun Sen care about Khmer well being is absurd. Contrary, he just wants to continue staying in power as long as he can knowingly that he has to give up Khmer's land to his master. Throughout history, Youn have been using so many schemes and tricks to steal Khmer's land. With Hun Sen in power as their pupet, Youn no longer need to carry machine guns and tanks to steal our land that they been eyeing for a very long time. It won't be long that Khmer will be the minority of our own land. As far as the international eyes concern, Democracy is the rules of law; therefore if the majority vote Cambodia as parts of West Vietnam then so be it.

To believe in "Vietnamization" is not being a racist or an extremist for that matter. We Khmer just wants to be left alone and free from a parasite neighboring country like Youn. The simple solution is to get rid of Hun Sen once and for all by an mean necessary, because with him continuing to stay in power more damage will be done.

Anonymous said...

I agree 100% with Dechor Hun Sen in reguard to the uniqness of Cambodia. Unlike Japan, Israel...Germany; Cambodia is different in its sufferings. First and formost, we have had leaders Like Sihanouk, Pol Pot, Hun sen who were willing to sell their soul, destroy their own people in exchange for perosnal power and greed.
Second, Cambodia is treat as a personal property not a common property for Cambodian. Natural resources and fertile farm lands belong to a small group of people to extract benefits not for common growth and properity for the people and the nation. Eventually, once the source of profits exhausted, the entire country will buckle under it own weight.
Third, no country will have fundamentals growth with heavy burden on its shoulder, every Cambodian child born in this instance already sign a loan of $1500.00 on the newly proposed Chinese Railway from Kampong Thom to kampong Som, just to transport iron ore to Chinese Companies. And for the Cambodian people? Dechor said they can work on the railroads or rubber plantation to pay off those debts.
So, yes, Decho is correct, Cambodia is not da same same as they other coutries, it belong to his clan, thank to the Vietnamese expansionism.

Anonymous said...

Ladies and Gentlmen,

We are wasting our time debating something
that is secondary to Cambodia problems.

Even if Hun Sen is successful in making progress in different sectors, including raising the standard of living of the people, or building more and better infrastructure, still Cambodia is heading toward a deadly cliff.
Please remember,if not stopped in time " We are Making Improvements on the Landlord's Property ". And sadly enough, that landlord is Yuon !!!

Anonymous said...

Hun Sen/CPP [and through this the Cambodian people] may be the tenant, but by this tool and tenancy the voice of the Land Lord [Hanoi] is heard and communicated daily to the long suffering Khmer people and the outside world.

Any claim of so-called improvement in any field are meant as favourable PR exercise for the Landlord that helps perpetuate and validate that tenant-landlord relationship and arrangement. This is why it is necessary and timely to refute such claims of "progress" or improvements made by this regime.

That's what some of us are trying to do on Cambodia's behalf.



Anonymous said...

7:52 PM

While maintaining my position, I understand and accept your explanation.
More importantly, you responded in a civil manner, and we all appreciate it.
Thank you