Stupid nouveau-riches' superstition?

A vendor sells boar tusks believed to bring goodluck and other items near Kolen Mountain in Siem Reap province. Photo by Seth Kimsoeurn

Boar-tusk trade thriving among political elite

Friday, 16 March 2012
Seth Kimsoeurn
The Phnom Penh Post

High-ranking government officials are paying thousands of dollars for wild boar tusks, and the demand is rising, tusk vendors say. The sacred tusks are believed to offer powerful protection from accidents and ill fortune.

Military leaders had been the major customers for the tusks, which were traditionally sought as lucky charms in battle, but now politicians are snapping them up.

Ly Srey Poch, who has been selling the tusks for 10 years at shop near Kolen Mountain in Siem Reap, says her clients came from Cambodia and some paid thousands of dollars for a single tusk. The tusks are also valued by Thais, she said.

“High-ranking government officials, rich people and business people are my main customers now,” she added.

Demonstrators Are Not Political Opposition: Analyst

Lao Monghay, an independent analyst, who is a regular guest on “Hello VOA.” (Photo: VOA Khmer)

Monday, 13 February 2012
Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer | Washington, DC

“They should look at the constitution in terms of the obligation of people.”

A leading political analyst says the ruling party has confused the rights of free speech and expression with political opposition, especially as people gather to protest policies or injustices.

“As long as people use the rights and freedoms stipulated in the constitution and other agreements of human rights in the world…there should be the application and use of those rights and freedoms,” said Lao Monghay, who is a regular guest on “Hello VOA.”

Government officials have begun to equate criticism with opposition, he said. “I think this is a stereotype that is wrong according to the meaning and practical application of many liberal and democratic countries.”

Pich Bridge deaths blamed on lack of offering to the spirit ceremony?

(All Photos posted on Tang Chhin Sothy's Facebook)

Offering to the spirit ceremony for Pich Bridge reopening on 08 December

07 Dec 2010
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Soch

The Phnom Penh city hall plans to prepare an offering to the spirit ceremony (Krong Pealy) for the reopening of Pich Bridge in the morning of 08 December 2010. The ceremony will be presided by Kep Chuktema, the city governor, and five Buddhist monks will be invited for the occasion. According to city officials, no offering to the spirit ceremony was ever observed before it was put to use, then the tragedy struck and led to many deaths. Due to this superstition, and under the government directive, the city authority has decided to organize this offering to the spirit ceremony in order to officially reopen the bridge on 08 Dec. Pich Bridge measures 101-meter long (~300 feet) by 8.17-meter wide (~27 feet) and it serves as an exit from Koh Pich, whereas Hang Bridge serves as the entrance to Koh Pich.

A study of contrast: How women greet the Viet Dung

Khmer Women are made to kneel in front of Viet Dung and his wife to offer greeting flowers

... whereas Vietnamese women only content to shake his hand

When will Hun Xen's Cambodia wake up?

But more importantly,

when will Cambodians wake up?

Sondhi, you are the barbarian of the century!: Xok An

Xok An (L) and Sondhi Limthongkul (R)

Sondhi Limthongkul, Thai PAD leader, is a barbarian: Xok An

Thursday, 02 September 2010
DAP NEWS / VIBOL

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister in charge of the council of ministers on Thursday said that Thai People’s alliance for Democracy (PAD) is a barbarian for this century.

Sondhi is creating the darkness for diplomatic ties between Cambodia and Thailand,” Dr. Sok An said in a extraordinary congress of scouts’ association at the council office.

Sondhi used cruel words in looking down on Cambodian leader “Samdech PM Hun Sen” and Sondhi created religious ceremony with crazy manner. This guy is not civilized person in the century.

Sondhi is destroying reputation of Thailand,” Dr. Sok An said, adding that our great students asked to create similar manner against Sondhi. “We do not do it. We are not barbarian like Sondhi,” he added.

The Thai government should advice Sondhi not to do so if Thai government wants to have good relationship.

Yesterday, PM Hun Sen said that one day Sondhi will kill himself from acts that he did.

Sondhi Limthongkul was born 7 November 1947 and he is a Thai media mogul and leader of the right-wing People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) and later was elected for leader of the New Politics Party (NPP).

He has been starting his career as a journalist, he later founded Manager Daily newspaper as well as satellite broadcaster ASTV.

Originally a strong supporter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, he later became a leader of the anti-Thaksin movement. Under his leadership, the PAD was the major player in the 2005–2006 Thai political crises that led to the 2006 military coup that toppled the Thaksin government.

When Thaksin affiliated parties won the 2007 general election, Sondhi became the major player in the 2008–2009 Thai political crisis, leading the PAD in violent clashes with security forces and anti-PAD protestors as well as the seizure of Government House, Don Muang Airport, and Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Sondhi is a supporter of the Democrat Party and stopped the PAD's protests after Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva was appointed Prime Minister. Thai media said that Sondhi plans to become Prime Minister of Thailand and later he plans to be first president of Thailand.

Thai troops invaded Cambodia on July 15, 2008 at an area near Preah Vihear temple through secret map which drawn unilaterally. Thai invaded a week after Cambodia has listed successfully the temple as world heritage site. Cambodian needs international communities to help deal border issues.

Sacrava's Political Cartoon: The Rats-Unit

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)

A dimwitted CPP reply to a stupid Thai claim: Like boss, like slave?

CPP MP Cheam Yeap (Photo: RFA)

"The ungrateful, history-confused croc Sondhi Limthongkul should be skinned" reads this CPP poster

Cheam Yeap: Those who look down on Samdach Hun Xen will vanish to naught or die from lightning strike

Monday 30 August 2010
By Son Sopheak DAP news Translated from Khmer by Soch

KI-Media note: It always amazes us to see how the CPP and their representatives debase themselves to the same level as the stupid Thai thugs whom they abhor. Maybe, it is time for the CPP to look for more brash young representatives than these old goats who only learned through rote repetitions of the party line?

Phnom Penh – A high-ranking CPP official and Member of Parliament told a handful group of Siamese who are history-confused that, if they continue to look down on Samdach Akkak Moha Sena Batdey Dekcho Hun Xen, prime minister (PM) of Cambodia, they will vanish to naught and they will die of lightning strike. Cheam Yeap, the chairman of the National Assembly’s finance committee said that Hun Xen is a hero of Cambodia, therefore as a representative of the CPP, he [Cheam Yeap] rejects everything and considers the actions taken by the group of people who are history-confused above as being out of touch with humanity and that they foment aggression and hatred toward Cambodia. Cheam Yeap’s comments are in response to the repetitive campaigns led by the Thai yellow shirts who are history-confused and who are led by former [Thai] soldiers from [army] region no. 3 who are calling themselves Pisnulok-lovers (Phitsanulok-lovers), land-lovers, and who organized a devious ceremony to show their contempt on the Cambodian leader, claiming that the latter is ungrateful to King Noreso [Thai official name is Naresuan].

A report from the ASTV Manager Online indicated that on 29 August 2010, at Phitsanulok province, Thailand, a group of about 50 people – the majority of whom are youths wearing school uniforms – have organized a ceremony in front of King Naresuan’s statue whereby they pasted a picture of Hun Xen onto a banana tree trunk and they slashed the banana tree down while claiming that Hun Xen was ungrateful to King Naresuan.

Cheam Yeap said that all of this action was to inflame war [among the two countries] and that this war came from the group of black-clad [Thai] army and a small group of yellow shirts. Cheam Yeap said: “I cannot be civilized with these [pejorative] group, and Cambodia never have the intention of aggressing Siam, not even by one millimeter because we respect and preserve the territorial integrity decided based on the 1904 and 1907 [Franco-Siamese] conventions that were signed by the Siamese king with France, the protector of Cambodia.”

Cheam Yeap said that the aggressors of Cambodia are the thieves who sneaked and drew the map on their own volition in order to violate Cambodian lands, therefore, it will not be long before they will vanish to naught.

Recently, a small group of history-confused yellow shirts who support the current Bangkok regime have taken crazy actions to look down of the Cambodian PM in order to foolishly demand the Preah Vihear temple and the land surrounding it which truly belong to Cambodia.

In response to these crazy actions of the yellow shirts, 82 Cambodian civil society organizations and unions came out to reject them and consider them as the lowest possible acts.

The [Cambodian] statement above recalled about history prior to the Lovek-era in 1594 (16th century) when Siam was at war with Burma. At that time, Siam king Naresuan asked King Sattha of Cambodia for help. King Sattha sent his younger brother, the Obarach Preah Srey Soryopor, to lead Khmer troops to help Siam fight the war with Burma. The Thai king was tricky and he wanted to put himself up, so when he caught Burmese prisoners, he ordered them to be beheaded and used their blood to wash his feet, however, at that time Preah Srey Soryopor said that he is Khmer and he helped Siam, therefore he cannot stay under the Siamese king’s order.

From then on, the Siamese kings resorted to treacheries to aggress Cambodia and they even invaded Lovek fortress and occupied Surin province which used to belong to Cambodia. The [Cambodian] civil society organizations statement considers that the actions taken by Sondhi Limthongkul and the yellow shirts in the past as being inhumane and savage, their words are those of thieves without proper ancestral lineage, and they are faithless atheists who do not know merit or evil and who looked down on a hero that the entire Khmer people revere, i.e. Samdach Dekcho Hun Xen.

A small group of sources indicated that if the history-confused yellow shirts, as well as Sonshi Limthongkul, continue with such action by looking down and undervaluing the PM of Cambodia, they will receive their proper retribution one day, and proof to the fact was that on 17 April 2009, Sondhi Limthongkul was shot several times, he was seriously injured and almost died, therefore if Sondhi Limthongkul continues his crazy action, his life will vanish one day soon.

Sacrava's Political Cartoon: My Beloved Samdach Akkek Decho Hun Xen

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)

Cambodia's Red Klansman?

(Photo: Pring Samrang)

The Cambodia Daily reported in its 18 June’s edition that the statue (photo above) found shrouded under a red material cover in front of the Anticorruption Institution could be a 5-meter-high statue of Hun Xen which Om Yentieng claimed to have built on his own volition. However, The Cambodia Daily reported that Om Yentieng denied having knowledge of the statue, although he issued a public apology to Hun Xen for building one.

Hun Sen Statue Removed After Dust-Up

Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh Friday, 18 June 2010

“I would like make a public apology and would like Samdech Prime Minister Hun Sen to pardon me favorably.”

A senior government adviser removed a statue of Prime Minister Hun Sen from the Anti-Corruption Institute Friday following strong criticism by the premier’s cabinet chief.

The cabinet chief, Ho Sithy, told VOA Khmer Friday the statue ran counter to Cambodian culture, where general practice is to honor the dead, not the living, with statuary.

The adviser, Om Yentieng, who is also head of the nascent Anti-Corruption Unit, said in a statement Friday he had the statue erected “without prior permission and by my own decision.”

“I completely removed a statue of the prime minister, Hun Sen, from display at the Anti-Corruption Institute,” Om Yentieng said. “I would like make a public apology and would like Samdech Prime Minister Hun Sen to pardon me favorably.”

Meach Pon, an adviser for Khmer traditions at the Buddhism Institute said that typically statues are erected for Cambodian heroes, like Lady Penh, the woman of legend from whom the capital draws its name, and others.

Ho Sithy said Friday he wanted “all state institutions and the public to stop displaying or selling statues of top Cambodian leaders from now on.”

Cabinet calls to ban statues of politicians

A statue of Saddam Hussein built during his dictatorship was toppled after his downfall

Friday, 18 June 2010
Khouth Sophakchakrya
The Phnom Penh Post

PRIME Minister Hun Sen’s cabinet has called for a ban on statues depicting living political leaders, after it was discovered this week that a statue erected inside the Anticorruption Institution was a likeness of the premier.

In a statement issued Thursday, Ho Sothy, director of the cabinet, called on government departments and members of the public to refrain from making statues of leaders who are still alive, saying such works are not compatible with Cambodian culture.

“Making or carving the statues of the living people, especially the government leadership, is against the national culture and custom,” the statement said.

Om Yentieng, a senior adviser to Hun Sen and chairman of the Anticorruption Unit, said he had commissioned the 3-metre-high statue.

“I certainly made a statue of the prime minister without asking his permission, but I did so in good will,” he said.

He added that he planned to write a public letter apologising to Hun Sen, and that he will have the statue removed if he is ordered to do so.

“I will write the official letter of apology to him in public this evening,” he said Thursday afternoon.

Khim Sarith, secretary of state at the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, said statues of living people were in conflict with Buddhist tradition, and could also have negative consequences for those who erected them.

“It is not good. Our people have a belief that anyone who does that will meet their misery,” he said.

Sam Rainsy Party spokesman Yim Sovann said Om Yentieng’s decision to erect the statue had been a mistake, but pointed to political – rather than religious – reasons.

“If he put the statue in front of the anticorruption body when there is still a lot of corruption in the government, it would represent the corruption of the government, so I welcome this decision by the prime minister to remove the statue,” he said.

Miech Ponn, an adviser to the Mores and Customs Commission at Cambodia’s Buddhist Institute, said it was not unheard of for statues of living leaders to be erected.

“However, I do not know whether it is correct for people to make these statues from stone, metal, wood or clay for exhibition, because there aren’t any documents related to this issue,” he said.

Cambodia's anticorruption chief apologizes for Hun Sen statue plan

Om Yentieng (Photo: Free Press Magazine Online)

PHNOM PENH, Jun. 18, 2010 (Kyodo News International) -- The chief of Cambodia's anticorruption commission has apologized for planning to unveil a massive statue of Prime Minister Hun Sen at his commission's headquarters, a letter seen Friday showed.

Om Yin Tieng, one of Hun Sen's personal advisors as well as anticorruption chief, sought ''forgiveness'' in the letter dated Thursday for having a 5-meter statue of the prime minister made and planning to install it at the anticorruption headquarters.

Hun Sen has reportedly banned making statues of himself and other living Cambodians and installing them on public property because it ''goes against Cambodian culture'' and, according to some, because it is attracting strong public criticism of those being ''honored'' for thinking far too highly of themselves.

Om Yin Tieng said in the letter he had planned the statue to honor Hun Sen on his own.

But some Cambodians argue Hun Sen, who has been premier since 1985, was the real power behind the plan.

Advisor to Cambodia's PM apologizes for making statue

Mea Culpa: Om Yentieng (Photo: John Vink/Magnum)

June 18, 2010
Xinhua

An advisor to Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen has apologized for making a statue without permission.

In a letter made available to the media on Friday, Om Yintieng, advisor to Prime Minister Hun Sen said he had made a statue of the Prime Minister in a way to express his respect and gratitude, but without knowledge or consent from him.

He thus made a public apology and asked for forgiveness from the premier.

Om Yintien made the apology soon after the Cabinet of Prime Minister Hun Sen issued a statement on Thursday saying a number of places have been displayed with statues of the country's leaders or certain artists make sculpture or reproduction in objects of the leaders for decoration at homes or as souvenirs.

The statement said the gesture has affected the country's tradition and culture which does not allow any statue or sculpture of the leaders be displayed while they are still alive.

In the letter of apology, Om Yintieng did not mention the details of Hun Sen's statue that he had built and where exactly it will be displayed, but local media has reported Friday saying the premier's statue was designed for display inside the premise of government's anti-corruption unit, where is chaired by Om Yintieng.

The statue which was seen Thursday by reporters under the wraps was already removed from the site on Friday.

Hun Xen afraid of meeting the same fate as Pol Pot and Saddam Hussein?

Dictator Pol Pot used slave prisoners to build his statue (L) during his tenure
A statue of Saddam Hussein built during his dictatorship was toppled after his downfall

Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Office of Prime Minister Hun Xen

Communiqué

The office of the prime minister of Cambodia is informing to all state institutions and the public in the country that, in the past, a number of place put on display the statue of our country’s leaders, and there were artists who sculpt or reproduce the statue of the [country’s] leaders as indicated above in order to sell for house decoration or for souvenir objects.

Such action violates our country’s tradition which prohibits the making of statue or the sculpting of people who are still alive.

As indicated above, the office of the prime minister of Cambodia called on all state institutions and the public to stop putting on display or on sale these statues and they should end the sculpting or the reproduction of statues of high-ranking leaders of our country from now on.

The office of Hun Xen hopes that we will receive good and efficient cooperation on this issue.

Phnom Penh 17 June 2010

Ho Sithik
Chief of Cabinet

So are you Black, Gray or White on the CPP blacklist?

Cambodia's ruling party to record political bent of all voters

May 19, 2010
DPA

Phnom Penh - Cambodia's ruling party has set up local committees nationwide to work out the political preferences of each citizen ahead of national elections in 2013, national media reported Wednesday.

A document seen by the Cambodia Daily newspaper said people would be classified as white, gray or black, depending on their affinity to the Cambodian People's Party (CPP), with the party's strongest supporters categorized as white.

The object is to work out what motivates people who fall into the gray or black categories, then 'transform the black and gray to become white,' the document said.

It said another purpose is to prioritize help for ruling party supporters while CPP officials claimed information gathered on political affiliations would be used solely for internal purposes.

Observers and the opposition, however, expressed concern.

Koul Panha, the head of the independent election-monitoring body COMFREL, described the move as 'unprecedented.'

'It's something new this time - it's a big project,' he said, adding he was concerned the CPP plan might compel some people to take part in ruling party activities against their will.

The main opposition Sam Rainsy Party said it was concerned that information gathered could be used to target its supporters.

Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith said the CPP leadership told party officials to collate data to determine the party's strength.

'We don't blacklist people,' Khieu Kanharith said.

A CPP deputy governor of Phnom Penh said people classed as 'black,' who had either left the party or did not support it should not be worried.

'When we highlight people as black, we don't regard them as enemies,' Pa Socheatvong said. 'The CPP and the opposition parties are not enemies.'

The CPP won more than two-thirds of parliamentary seats at the 2008 general election, which allows it to pass legislation without support from other parties.

Hun Sen: Spirits helped him escape a rocket ... Could it be that of Uncle Ho?

Hun Sen: Spirits helped him escape a rocket

Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

On 24 December, prime minister Hun Sen said that the spirit of the Vihear Suor pagoda helped him escape a rocket attack in 1998 in Siem Reap province. Hun Sen declared that he escaped the rocket attack because of the (protection) from the spirit of the Vihear Suor pagoda, and spirits inhabiting other places, such as the black Buddha spirit in Siem reap province who protected him. Hun Sen added that one day prior to his murder attempt, he went to seek fortune at the black Buddha pagoda in Siem Reap province. The fortune he picked foretold about a man who was buried alive, but he did not die, and he became the prime minister until today. Hun Sen said: “If, me, Hun Sen and my wife have happiness, then all of us, Cambodians, will all have happiness.” The Vihear Suor spirit who protected Hun Sen resides in the Preah Vihear Suor pagoda, located in Ksach Kandal district, Kandal province. However, Eng Chhay Eang, SRP Secretary-general, said that the rocket missed its target because it was a drama engineered by government officials to serve as a political theater in 1998.

7 the lucky number for the National Assembly?

Friday, June 22, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

A CPP MP said that the number 7 is a lucky number that is why the National Assembly (NA) decided to inaugurate its new office building on 07 July 2007 (07/07/07). CPP MP Chiem Yeap, whose son-in-law Ly Chhuong was the contractor of the new NA building, said that the selected date is a good date because it can be easily remembered. The number 7 carries a significant historical importance for the ruling CPP party: every year the CPP celebrates its victory over the Khmer Rouge (mainly with the backing of the colonialist Vietnamese army) on 07 January. Chiem Yeap said that King Sihamoni will preside over the inauguration of the new NA building which will take place at 07:00 AM on 07/07/07 and the ceremony will be participated by 7,777 guests.