Thursday, December 12, 2013

Rainsy’s speech under fire


Luis Barretoa photo
Kevin Ponniah and Thik Kaliyann
The Phnom Penh Post, 12 December 2013

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy has landed in hot water with women’s rights activists after publicly questioning whether Prime Minister Hun Sen was being “weaker than a woman” by not calling for a new election like Thai leader Yingluck Shinawatra in the face of popular protests.

Speaking to a crowd of more than 15,000 Cambodia National Rescue Party supporters in Siem Reap on Tuesday, Rainsy called on the premier to follow Yingluck’s lead.

“I appeal to Prime Minister Hun Sen, and I ask one thing: Mr Hun Sen, don’t be weaker than a woman,” he said to cheers and laughter.

“He should look at our neighbouring country, there is a female prime minister in Thailand named Yingluck Shinawatra. Please be proud of [her]. People protested to demand that she resign from power and then she agreed to call a new election.”

Rainsy then asked the crowd: “Why is Hun Sen weaker than a woman?”

Following Rainsy’s lead, supporters began to chant “Hun Sen, step down, Hun Sen, step down. Don’t be weaker than a woman!”

Speaking to the Post yesterday, Rainsy said his comments were taken out of context.

“Hun Sen has more compelling reasons [than Yingluck] to step down, and he does not agree to step down. Therefore, he is much less courageous than a lady. So the merit of the lady is even higher because she is not compelled to step down legally and morally speaking,” he said.

“This is the comparison. Not a direct comparison between man and woman. It happens that the Thai prime minister is a lady so I refer to her as a lady.

“Of course, I am sorry for any misunderstanding but this kind of interpretation does not reflect my mind.”

Ros Sopheap, executive director of NGO Gender and Development Cambodia and deputy chair of the Committee to Promote Women in Politics, said she was “disappointed” by Rainsy’s words.

“I am really disappointed. He is the [opposition] leader. He shouldn’t say this, because there are men and there are women in this society. [Things you do] don’t mean you are weaker than a woman, because [that implies] that women are also weak,” she said.

Pok Nanda, executive director of Women for Prosperity, which trains women to stand for political office, called the comments a “political message”.

“We have strong women and we have weak women. He should not be comparing [in that way]. [But] maybe it’s just an expression,” she said.

“This gender comparison should not be addressed by anyone … when you compare men to women it reflects on you.”

CNRP public affairs head Mu Sochua, a well-known women’s rights advocate and former women’s affairs minister, said she did not believe Rainsy meant to imply that men were stronger than women.

“If I were not sure about how Mr Sam Rainsy feels about women, I would not be marching side-by-side with him,” she said.

Nonetheless, Sochua said that the comments by Rainsy were inappropriate.

“It is not appropriate to say at any time that a woman is weaker than a man.… I do not agree with what was said in Siem Reap as a woman. [Hun Sen and Yingluck] should not be compared in that way.”

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

sam rainsy implies that women is weaker than men. i told you, he's so outdated in his thinking. cambodia do not need leaders like that! of all the comparison in the world, he had to pick women vs men! how stupid!

Anonymous said...

imagine if he wins the election, people will criticize him a lot for his unethical, outdated leadership style! i bet he'll even use social discrimination, racism, etc. probably people will demand his resign, i.e., if he ever win the election. he's definitely not a leader who can unite cambodia from all walks of life. he seems prejudice with who he associates himself. good, ethical, professional leaders don't do that sort of thing!

Anonymous said...

10:54 AM and 11:00 AM must be representing Youns because they don't truly understand the context of his speech.

Anonymous said...

where did sam rainsy learn to be a leader? has no social skill, leadership skill and so unethical and unprofessional for leader!

Anonymous said...

Rainsy shouldn't say such thing,as a leader of opposition and standing for Democracy,he shouldn't say any of this comparisons.Any way,as a opposition leader he should know what's to say and what is not to say.Here what Rainsy shouldn't say; called Yieknamese "Yuon" because it may get him in hot water again like today.

Phenom penh post journalist that wrote this article were "Biased" My question to Mr Kevin and Kalyan of Phenom penh post is;whats a bout Hun sen swearing at anyone in his way calling them all kinds of names imaginable,did you write pneumonia the POST? The famous one was;"closed the doors beats the dogs" Who were the dogs? Were all opposition Khmers or foreigners whose opposed his dictatorship and human rights abused,were Dogs? How come your P.P.POST didn't scrutiny him (Hun sen) why? Hun sen,committed worse crimes and abusing free speech more than anyone in the world as a leader.Please don't be so biased,you're journalism,should know your code of ethic and fairness.Hun sen is/was [kom sac gnee =forward] only strong among the weaks,cowardly among the brave!...Rainsy,please think before you talk next time,because you're not ah kwak Hun sen, only Hun sen can gets away from his own stupidity.Rainsy,you can't gets away from anything you says or do....So,please becareful next time.

Kdamjor

Anonymous said...

អា សម រង្ស៊ី មួយនេះវាជា Khmer Vietminh and now he is the porn minister of ស្វាwat phnom
and homocrazy party.

ចុយោ! នាយកទឹកត្រី ស៊ី-សំរាម
នៃ អាណាចាក់ក្តិត FACEបុក.

Bravo! Porn Minister Eat Pussy of FACE-FUCK SEX country.

MU XXXOCHUA

Anonymous said...

don't even start the argument, sam rainsy should know better not to use this kind of gender comparison. hey, people aren't stupid, they can see and read and hear what he said! what kind of leader is that, comparing genders like that!

Anonymous said...

in khmer we say 'cho'. sam rainsy is cho, getting caught at the moment of excitement and forgot to be a professional leader!

Anonymous said...

keep in mind, if you want to be a leader of cambodia, people will keep their eyes on you all the time. so watch your behavior and use language for leaders! people expected their leaders to stands out among the rest. if not, why even bother to want to be khmer leader? step down or resign already!

Anonymous said...

What Rainsy means from my understanding is Yingluck she is a women but she had a strong mind and heart so she decide to have an election sooner by not turning her country upside down and respects her people. Her decision is very strong in the right way for Thai. Hun Sen is a strong man in a wrong direction by turning down his people and country because he is a strong listener and a strong follower of his boss yourn.

Anonymous said...



Hun Sen needs to go to Bangkok for a sex change operation in a hospital, so that she (Hun Sen) would be as brave as Yingluck.


Anonymous said...


you know! really! ok!

And Hun Sen is your professional leader? really!












Anonymous said...

all i can say is if we don't have a country to call Kampuchea then we don't have a khmer man or a khmer woman to compare. the POST is quickly to point out thing that make the opposition looks really bad.

Anonymous said...

how about when hun sen called mu sochua cherng klaing ? worse than rainsy's statement. remember ?

Anonymous said...

sam rainsy is not using his god given brain. we know he tries to get even with hun sen, the real khmer hero. sam rainsy is acting stupid this way. sooner or later, he will lose his credibility and khmer people will stop looking up to him because can lose interest. they get bored, too(i'm yawning)!

Anonymous said...

If khmer people want to live in peace eternelity After this evenement khmer must to clean all the youns in cambodia.

Anonymous said...

If khmer people want to live in peace eternelity After this evenement khmer must to clean all the youns in cambodia.

Anonymous said...

LOTS OF IDIOTS IN HERE. WOMAN IS WEAKER THAN MAN. THERE I SAID IT. MR RAINSY UNDER FIRE BULLSHIT IS NOT GOING TO FLY. IDIOTS PEOPLE IN THIS BLOG CAN'T WAIT FOR RAINSY TO MAKE MISTAKE SO THEY COULD HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY.

IF ALL THE IDIOTS IN HERE THINKS WOMAN IS STRONGER THAN MAN, LET A WOMAN STAND IN FRONT OF ME. WE WILL PLAY A PUNCHING GAME. WE DO A ONE PUNCH EACH. LET SEE WHO IS GOING TO GET KNOCK OUT FIRST. I CAN ASSURE YOU IT NOT GOING TO BE ME.

ALL THE IDIOTS IN HERE KNOWS WHAT HE MEANT WHEN HE COMPARED HUN SEN TO A WOMAN. THIS UNDER FIRE SHIT WILL NOT GO ANYWHERE. SOON ALL THE IDIOTS GO BACK TO SLEEP. THE NEXT DAY THEY WILL FIND SOME OTHER REASON TO HATE. AND WE ALL KNOW HALF OF THE IDIOTS IN HERE ARE NOT EVEN KHMER.

Anonymous said...

Yingluck is tough mind lady who stand up what is right for the country. Not wimpy like hun sen can not step down after loosing the vote. He is no where can compare to yingluck. He is a weak thinker when it come to pride and dignity. He has none.

Anonymous said...

Oh my god, why is the Phnom Penh Post being despicable again and it looks like its agenda is always against Mr. Sam Rainsy. If anyone needs to brush up their reading or listening skills again, then give me your attention and I will guide you through the process. The specific topic here is the Thai Prime Minister Yingluck. Naturally she is a female by gender. So it is clear that the word "woman" a singular noun refers to only Prime Minister Yingluck. In addition, if anyone cares to hear what Mr. Sam Rainsy's words, he was in fact admire the strength of Yingluck instead. The critics should be proud that Mr. Sam Rainsy extol the woman in his speech. Remember, Mr. Sam Rainsy only has daughters. And his wife is also a woman of high caliber. In fact his wife took pride in being a higher wage earner than Mr. Sam Rainsy when they were in France itself.

Anonymous said...

អាអ្នក​ឆ្កួតនិង​អាសម រង្សី តែងតែពោលដូចឆ្កែ​ស៊ីអាចម៍ជាពិសេសអាសម រង្សីខ្លួនវាតែម្តងថា៖

*អាហ៊ុន សែនវាថោកជាងលោកស្រី យិនឡាក់
តែភ្លេចថា អាឆ្កែឡេមឡឹមសម រង្ស៊ី អានេះ ក្បត់ជាតិជាងអាហ៊ុន សែន
១លា​នដងទៅទៀត !

*អាសម រង្សីមួយហ្នឹង កំសាកញ៉ីផុតលេខ គឺអន់ហើយថោកជាងអាចម៍លោកស្រី ទេព វន្នី
១លា​នដង !

Anonymous said...


It is the bravery that we are talking about, and there is nothing else, no matter how people want to twist it.
Fact is fact. Politically, Hun Sen is coward but Yingluck is brave and she is happened to be a woman.
If everybody understands this much we would not have arguments.

Anonymous said...

Phenom penh Post took the speech out of context;biased journalisms Kevin and Kalyann should be sending to re-education camp!... Further more,they should re-evaluate their PROFESSIONALISM as a real journalists in the real world not just for little Scamofia.They won't qualify to be journalism at professional's level,because they were " biased" They have no code of ethic as the real journalism.

Mr Rainsy, you can't compare the Jungle's monkey and house's cat!
***
Hun sen,
Was born dirts-broke thatwise he jointed K.R and became gook of the jungle.E
ducation;Hun sen has barely complete 5th grade at Pagoda on the mercy of monk and poor Khmer to feed him.

Yingluck,
born with silverpoon in her mouth,education at the finest civilized school that money can buy,grew up worried freed,with loved and cared with nurtured from her parents. She was elected legitimately to the office of PM by fairness and just,loves her country as her life.

Kmenhwatt

Anonymous said...

ល្បិចកលសិល្ប:យួន

*សិល្ប:CPP= មានក្រុម​​អា koy, ah krem.
*សិល្ប:CNRP= មានក្រុមខ្មែរ ​​អាធម៌អហិង្សា
(តែយួនវាហិង្សាលើខ្មែរ បានតាមចិត្ត...ម៉ាសេរី)
---------------------------
ល្បិចកលទេវតាស្រីយួន

*ទេវតាយួនCPP= ទេវតាស្រីយួនកន្ធែកជើងចំហរ
*ទេវតាយួនCNRP= ទេវតាស្រីយួនមួ សុខហួ

Anonymous said...

WARNING: THE PHNOM PENH POST IS SLEEPING WITH CPP.

All of their articles hardly have anything positive about CNRP. DO NOT SUPPORT THIS CPP ASS KISSER NEWSPAPER.