Poll by anonymous reader

---

feedback surveys

If you can, please explain why you pick you choice.

Thank you!

Will the CPP change to CVPP?

Dear Sir/Madam,

It is true that the CPP (Cambodian People Party) will change to CVPP (Cambodian-Vietnamese People Party) soon after winning 2013?

REGARDS,

Anonymous

Dear Anonymous,

Honestly speaking, we don't know. However, you are not the only one asking this question: A few years back, Cartoonist Sacrava was asking the same question when he published the following cartoon about the evolution of the CPP:

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

Sincerely,

KI-Media team

Open letter to KI-Media by Chhaya Khemarak

Request from a KI Media reader

Dear KI Media,

We should try the judges in the "Court of Public Opinion" (as Ms. Seng Theary likes to say). For example, publicly post the photo of the Municipal Court judge who issued the Sam Rainsy decision.

Ask the Cambodian people or the Cambodian press to send in all the photos of all the Cambodian judges. Every time, the judge or judges intentionally misrule, then post his or her or their photo(s). Let them not hide behind anonymity. Individual responsibility. Despite the repressive regime. That is what the Khmer Rouge Tribunal is telling us.

Since the "Court of Law" is not functioning, bring the issues to the Court of Public Opinion, of which KI Media is one great forum.

Sooner or later, he or she or they will know the power of the people, or at least of KI Media times Facebook times perpetuity. It's 2011, Baby!

They are enjoying their wealth and power. Let them also enjoy infamy - immediately transmitted worldwide, forever retrievable with a click of the finger. Let them not use the excuse of the Khmer Rouge and all other genocidal regimes "I didn't know" or "I had no choice". If this is "no choice", then why even bother convicting Duch and the other KR leaders who had more reasons to claim "pressure".

Ignorance or stupidity or character weakness is not an excuse -- morally or legally.

A KI Media reader

Seng Rathanin's letter on the Khmer language education in Surin

Click on the letter to zoom in

Clarification from Sourn Serey Ratha

Dear Readers,

On 13 September, KI-Media posted an anonymous letter sent by one of our readers who insisted on his free speech rights to have his letter posted. The letter was very critical of opposition leader Sam Rainsy and the SRP, in particular, in regards to the possible merger between the SRP and Mr. Kem Sokha's HRP. Nevertheless, as we have promised in the past, we would post our readers' opinion letters so long as they do not contain profanity. While the author's email sent to us appeared to include his first and last name, in order to protect his anonymity, we decided to include only his first name (Serey, a common Cambodian name), and the first letter of his alleged last name (R).

Upon reading the content of this letter, several readers have alleged in their comments that the author of the letter could have been Mr. Serey Ratha Sourn. To clarify this issue, we are posting below the reply sent by Mr. Serey Ratha Sourn to a reporter asking him about the content of that letter. As you can see below, Mr. Sourn clearly indicates that he is not the author of the letter signed by the anonymous reader Serey R.

We sincerely apologize to Mr. Sourn and to our readers for this confusion.

KI-Media team

Dear Sir:

Firstly, I am thank you very much of your email and question that brought me to do research about the article because I never knew that KI posted my article on September 13, and by the way on September 13 I had not written any article.

Do you talking about this article http://ki-media.blogspot.com/2010/09/open-letter-to-srp-op-ed-by-serey-r.html ?

I would like to let you know that this article is not my article.

The person who written this article is used initial of my first name and my middle name but not used my last name. I strongly react that the author of this article is a gosh writer and only KI who should find out the source of internet's ISP, where do send from?

P.S: I am Sourn Serey Ratha, a real person who used real name, real address and never use pen's name or fake name to write any article to confuse public. Please check my article that post in www.kunonline.org, www.fpmonline.net and all my interview that do analysis about Cambodia politics, broadcaste in www.thekhmerpost.com .

Again, I willing to answer your point of questions if you still want my point of view even that article is not my article.

So please confirm me if you still want me to answer your question.

Best Regards,

--
SOURN SEREY RATHA
Chief Mission of CACJE (www.cacje.net, www.ssrth.wordpress.com)
Board Director of Socio-Economic Development Center for South East Asia (www.sedcsea.org)
Political Analyzer (www.thekhmerpost.com, www.kunonline.org)

Open Letter to the SRP - Op-Ed by Serey R.

Dear KI-Media

I thought you are not get my attachment. I converted it to PDF, so I hope you can see it. You can post it or not, it depend on your judgment but I am very appreciated very much for your concern on my opinion according to my Free speech too.

Sincerely
Serey R.

Please help us check the story, if you dare

Dear Readers,

In regards to the story on a murder of a Khmer Krom man by a Vietnamese mob, an anonymous reader wrote:

"There needs to be a full and proper inquiry into WHAT REALLY HAPPENED.

I do not believe the KI Media version of this story, until it is independently verified, as KI Media has its own political agenda here.

Would KI Media let truth get in the way of another opportunity to further its hateful and dangerous agenda?"

Our reply to this anonymous reader:

Dear Sir/Madam,

We, at KI-Media, are grateful to your suggestion of "full and proper inquiry" on this story.

As for the truthfulness of this story, as we indicated in the English translation of the Khmer article broadcasted by RFA, the source of the story is provided there. If you happen to read Khmer, we urge you to read the original article and NOT trust our translation. The source of information is there for your personal perusal and verification.

As for the "full and proper inquiry into WHAT REALLY HAPPENED", we urge you to write to Prime Minister Hun Xen of Cambodia, and the Hanoi regime to perform this "important" inquiry. Should you tell them that you read the "false" news on the biased KI-Media, we are certain that the leaders of the Phnom Penh and Hanoi regimes will do their utmost to look into this issue in order to refute the "biased" news published here.

In case you do not know where to send your inquiry request to, here are the relevant contact addresses:

• Prime Minister Hun Xen office: cabinet1b@camnet.com.kh
• Vietnamese embassy in Phnom Penh:

Consular Office, Embassy of Vietnam
No. 436 Monivong Blvd., Khan Chamcarmon, Phnom Penh
Tel. : (855) 23 726 274/ 726 284
Fax. : (855) 23 726 273

Mrs.Nguyen Thi Chiem
Tel: (855) 92 817 246

We would be more than pleased to publish your findings.

PS: Regarding the Vietnamese embassy in Phnom Penh, we urge you not to show up to the embassy in person, unless you don't mind being beaten up by the Xmer security force like what they did to Khmer Krom monks. A phone call may be more appropriate there.

Mother’s Words of Wisdom (Bandam M’day)

KI-Media Note: Thank you Davan for sharing with us your touching devotion to your dedicated Mother!

My late mother once said that half of her died when my father passed away during the KR in 1977, and that the sole reason her other half was still alive was because she could not imagine the environment and the state of moral in which her children grew up without a father and a mother.

The attached poem, which I wrote under her guidance a while ago, tells the emotional and physical struggles and hardships that she went through as she did her utmost to raise the children alone in our war-torn country and in Canada. It is also a vivid reminder to all, especially the younger generation, that for many Khmer women who lost their husbands during Pol Pot’s regime, the despair and destitution did not end with the fall of that regime, but continued to weight heavily on their daily lives many years after they had settled in the West. As a single parent, not only they had to cope with countless physical ordeals but more painfully they had to overcome all kinds of unjust prejudices against them from within their own communities.

To commemorate the first anniversary of her passing away, I would like to dedicate this poem to her and all other Khmer women who made lifetime sacrifices so that their children can have a bright and prosperous future.

May their soul be blessed and forever rest in peace.

Davan Long,
September 01, 2010
Montreal, Canada

Click on the poem in Khmer to zoom in

Heng Soy's reply to irate Reader

While posting a contrast of lifestyle in Cambodia, Heng Soy managed to irritate and rankle quite a few of KI-Media's Readers. One Reader posted:

KI[-Media],

You play a very dirty game, a great divider is KI[-Media].

Where are the thousand pictures of King Sihanouk and his wife feed their people? Where are the pictures of King Sihamoni built homes for his poor people?

Offering food and fake money to the spirits and through Monks are Asian cultures and Khmers are ones of the Asians.

Wonder, Heng Soy is one of Yuon Hanoi's spy, a great divider?

Here is Heng Soy's reply:

Respected Reader,

If I am a "Yuon Hanoi's spy" as you alleged, please just wait and see by the end of this month. If you happen to see a photo of Samdech Ta shaking my hand during his visit to Hanoi, then yes, I would be guilty as charged, but if you don't, what's next?

No offense,

Heng Soy

I am flabbergasted and dumbfounded

Dear KI-Media Readers,

I am flabbergasted and dumbfounded to read the negative comments posted against Laura Mam. My heart sank even further when people try to delve into her personal life even though they do not even know anything about it. I just simply don’t understand!

As for me, I am very proud and grateful to see this young lady trying to bring back a glimpse of Khmer oldies songs. For sure, she does not speak with a clear Khmer accent, but the question is: can anybody point out any sons and daughters of Cambodian parents who are born and bred overseas who can speak clearly and fluently Khmer? Now, would we rather see this young lady turning away from her Khmer roots altogether or can we accept her as she is, i.e. trying very hard to show us what sons and daughters of Cambodian parents can achieve? Personally, I have no qualms in accepting her at face value, and, as I said earlier, I am very grateful and proud of her. Can you say the same?

For those who did not listen to her interview on NPR, I urge you to listen to what Laura said. She clearly indicated that the song “Sva Roam Monkiss” is not hers, but her rendition of a song that her aunt loves.

Please help encourage young and budding Khmer talents, they are our future.

My message to Laura: Go Khmer Girl! Proudly, show them all that you can do!

Sincerely,

Heng Soy

Hey KI-Media, what's going on?

Hey KI-Media,

Though Buddhism is the official religion of Cambodia, and has been for a long time, there is a big section of Cambodian population of other faiths, at home and oversea, that we rarely hear about on this blog. What's going on?

I don't know your blog is aimed toward reaching all cross-section of Cambodian of different faith or not. But if you are, perhaps you should includes, every now and then, articles about other faith as well. Though some of us embrace other faith, we are still Khmer and feel connected to fellow Khmer.

Just a thought, because I'm a regular reader of this blog, and outside of Buddhism, you guys seldom post news of other faith.
---------

Dear Readers,

You are correct in your observation. It is true that the majority of our religious postings are aimed towards Buddhism rather than other faiths, such as Christianity or Islam. The explanation to this is relatively simple: because we rely on our Readers to send us information to post, when it comes to religious events, our Buddhist readers tend to send more information for us to post. That being said, from time to time, there are some rare news articles about Catholic and/or other Christian denomination activities. As for Islam, we rarely read much news about this faith even though Cambodia counts a large number of Khmer-Islams.

Nevertheless, we would be delighted to hear and to post information from our brothers and sisters of all faiths. We encourage all our Readers to send us photos and information on religious events in your respective communities so that we may share them on KI-Media. Please send your information to us at: kiletters@gmail.com

With our deepest respect,

KI-Media team

KI-Media on Apple's Ipad

Dear KI-Media,

While checking out the new Ipad in an Apple store in the US, I was browsing the KI-Media website. As you can see in the attached photo, the device appears to be displaying KI-Media flawlessly.

Thought you'd be interested to know,

Khmer in New York

Heng Soy's personal reply to an irate reader

While posting an article about Chumteav Dr. Bun Rany Hun Xen being bestowed another honorary doctorate degree from the Sylla U., one irate reader posted:

"Very nice manipulative pictorial juxtaposition, KI! Kudos! It's funny how people like you expect things in Cambodia to be perfect. Look at America, richest nation, but still has million of people living under the poverty line. There is more to be done for Cambodia but if you decide to be a dumb fudge and expect things to be 100 percent right you are definitely a lunatic, especially considering the nothing you've done and any solution to the problem.

Pointing out a problem doesn't make you a hero. Solving it does. So, are you gonna keep being a all-talk that bitches about the problem or are you gonna do something to help solve the problem?"

The following is Heng Soy's personal reply to this burning matter:

Dear Sir/Madam,

It was a delight for me to read your comment. However, with all due respect, if posting juxtaposed photos is considered “very manipulative”, then what do you qualify someone who is putting words in my mouth? Political distortion? False accusation? Deliberate manipulation? To my knowledge, nobody in their right mind could expect a country to be perfect, and as you rightly pointed so, there are indeed people living below the poverty line in the US of A. But, the question is: how many of these poor American citizens are being savagely evicted out of their lands/houses as in the case of Cambodian citizens?

I thank you for pointing out that I should do something to help solve the problem in Cambodia. I would gladly do so, but would Mr. Hun Xen and his government freely allow me to do so? If you don’t believe me, just look at the case of Mr. Sam Rainsy: for pointing a problem of potential encroachment by Vietnam on Cambodian territories, he was accused of being a traitor instead. Where else in the world have you seen such travesty of justice? Shouldn’t the government check it out, or, at least, bring in independent experts to verify the case? In fact, the government could not even reveal where the exact location of our border is. To cite another case, when Cambodian troops stationed along the Thai border complained about food shortage, and when opposition MPs attempted to help solve the problem by bringing in foods to the soldiers, do you remember what they were told by the CPP-obeying army commanders: these MPs are not allowed to enter the area because they are opposition MPs.

Furthermore, to refresh your memory, Mr. Hun Xen himself indicated that he will continue to occupy power in Cambodia for so many years to come, and even hopefully until he reaches the ripe age of 90-year-old. Now, do you still think there is still room left for me to provide my humble help?

If solving problems make someone a hero, I was wondering what had our heroic government officials solved so far to earn their honorific title of “Samdachs”? Why is corruption still rampant? Why does deforestation still persist? Why forced evictions/land-grabbing still remain? Why don’t we know where our borders are? Why couldn’t the Cambodian people freely express their opinion? Why is poverty still persistent? Oh, I forgot: we just get out of destruction ... never mind the fact that this destruction took place some 30 years ago and that billions of dollars in foreign aid were poured into Cambodia since then.

Last but not least, in my humble opinion, before I can provide my help, shouldn't I be able to speak out what my help solution would consist of? So, in your opinion, is it still too much for me to ask to express my opinion freely first?

Nevertheless, what really puzzle "people like me" the most is the fact that "people like you" tell "people like me" to help "people like you", but for "people like me" to even start helping "people like you", we need to know what your problems are. Now, since "people like you" never want to tell what your problems are, somebody else has to point out your problems, don't you agree? ... Wait didn't you say I am part of those who point out the problems? Now, what do you want me to do first? Pointing out your problems first or helping you solve your problems first, or both?

Yours sincerely,
Heng Soy

You really lost it KI[-Media]! You really lost it!

The following is a comment left by a reader by the name of Phannara regarding the CTK article on King Sihamoni:

This is very ignorant article ever! I found it very disrespect! Where is your ethic KI? Now you have really show that you are just another side taking, political manipulating blog. "KI-Media loves to hear from you, and we're giving you a bullhorn. We just ask that you keep things civil. Please leave out personal attacks, do not use profanity, ethnic or racial slurs, or take shots at anyone's sexual orientation or religion. We thank you for your cooperation!" But all i seen is one side attacked and exploitation. As i remembered you wrote an article to acknowledged the readers not to personally attacked Ms. Sotheary, which i supported that, however, it is clearly showed on your website that from day to day you just keep on ravaging your political opponent like a mad dog. And now this time the King? What did he ever do his role in politic? By far to me and some other people he is a very good king, he never involved in politic! All he did is helping his people. You really lost it KI! You really lost it!

-----
A footnote from Heng Soy:

Dear Lok Phannara,

Thank you for letting your voice be heard, although I am somewhat baffled by your irritation against the article, which by the way, was very well written by the Czech news agency CTK.

Nonetheless, I can sense your irritation about my curiosity on protocol: with all due respect to the king, when someone earns an honorary doctorate, is it OK to call that person Dr.? In the case of the king, what is the royal protocol to address the king: is it Dr. King or King Dr.? Could you please help illuminate my curious mind on this issue?

As for the title "dancing king", if you were to read the article, it was attributed to the king by the eminent AMU Professor Bozena Brodska, most likely by affection than by disrespect. While I understand that, in the Cambodian psyche, any ordinary Cambodian citizens who are involved in singing, dancing, etc... are usually looked down upon by society in general, therefore, when a king is professionally involved in such activity, referring to him by his profession is considered a disrespect? Then, shall we all write to our respectful king to repudiate his past?

In my humble opinion, professional and amateur-alike dancing and singing are honorable professions as anything else, in the case of Khmer dancers and singers, they even help perpetuate our tradition and culture. Therefore, I think that we should look past beyond our rigid mindset and be more open-minded rather than sticking to an untouchable protocol reserved exclusively for certain class of people like kings, queens, leaders separated from the remainder of the populace. After all, aren't we all human beings with flesh and blood?

Just my humble personal opinion only!

Yours truly,

Heng Soy

2000 Years Ago, Not 2 Centuries said Kenneth So

http://ki-media.blogspot.com/2010/03/kenneth-so-rectifies.html#links

Article by Madhusree Chatterjee Concerning Indian Relationship with Ho Chi Minh City
madhu.c@ians.in

Dear Mr. Madhustree Chatterjee,

I would like to make a correction on my article “Article by Mudhusree Chatterjee Concerning Indian Relationship with Ho Chi Minh City”. I erroneously stated that “Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam did not exist in the southern part of Southeast Asia two centuries ago”. I should have said “Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam did not exist in the southern part of Southeast Asia two thousand (2000) years ago”. I apologize for the mistake.

Thank You,

Kenneth

KI-Media is going to hell for desecrating Buddhist figures?

Following our posting of an article criticizing Hochimonk Long Kim Leang, one irate devout Buddhist reader wrote: "KI is going to hell for desecrating Buddhist figures. You use fear to create division within the solidarity of Khmer Buddhism. When you take side in liking one monk over the other, you are biased and no longer a real believer in Buddhism. Go to hell, ah pret living abroad too long and forget the way of Buddhist life. I doubt many of you fudges even go to the pagoda."

We have to admit though, that not being a "real believer in Buddhism" (or any religion for that matter), we are not quite sure whether wishing someone to be sent to hell qualifies one to be a true religious believer or not.

Nevertheless, just like that, Satan showed up on KI-Media's computer screen and said:

... and thus, KI-Media was dragged away from his computer screen - which, by the way, depends highly on the free wi-fi at the Ministry of Information in Phnom Penh for its smooth operation - and banished to hell. Upon arriving in the new world, KI-Media and all the other sinners were told:

... since then, KI-Media was silenced forever after, but what happens to our irate devout Buddhist reader?

Stay tune, we will report about him/her next week after we are able to connect to the free wi-fi from Nirvana. The signal is somewhat weak, but we think we may be able to work something out soon!

Ciao!

For KI-Media, I am Heng Soy, reporting from the toasty hell in the middle of the winter blizzard.

A reader e-mailing the PP Post

Flag this message
The wordWednesday, February 3, 2010 5:11 PM
From: "At Keo" Add sender to Contacts
To: ross.dunkley@phnompenhpost.com, michel.dauguet@phnompenhpost.com, sarean.mean@phnompenhpost.com, chanreaksmey.toun@phnompenhpost.com, sd_meixner@yahoo.com, Philip.bader@phnompenhpost.com, kimsong.kay@phnompenhpost.com, pheaktra.neth@phnompenhpost.com, laura.snook@phnompenhpost.com... more

Hello all of You Ladies and Gentlemen @phnompenhpost.com,

Be advised that the word "YUON" in cambodian to mean "Vietnamese" (no more no less) has been using by the Cambodian people for centuries and by no means is racist in any shape or form.

If all of you smart arse people @phnompenhpost.com don't know what it means, all you have to do is ask.

I implore all of you bright arse people @phnompenhpost.com understanding to quit making a fool out of yourselves from now on when it comes to the word "YUON".
Thank you all so kindly for listening.

Sincerely yours,
At Keo

Fulfilling a reader's wish ... courtesy of Heng Soy

Anonymous reader posted: "Eh Heng Xoy, your father Heng Xamrin wants to kick your ass."

Ready to kick Heng Soy's derriere?

Click on "Click to Read More" to fulfill you dream.
A word of caution: what follows may not be suitable for children without close supervision of an adult!

Warning: Please kick with moderation as it could lead to screen damage at best, and personal injuries at worst.

Yours truly,

Heng Soy

“The land of the free and home of the brave … neutral politicians and virgin prostitutes?”: My open letter to Mr. Sam Meas

Sam Meas (Photo: http://www.sammeasforcongress.com)

Opinion by P. from Long Beach

Long Beach, Monday, January 18, 2010

Dear Mr. Sam Meas,

I was somewhat taken aback by the letter you sent to Mr. Baphuon (see below) regarding your attendance of the 07 January party hosted by the CPP in Lowell on January 10, 2010, which was posted on the public bulletin board Camdisc. Lest you misunderstand what I am about to say below, I would like to preempt beforehand that I am very proud to see you presenting your candidacy to the US Congress. In my humble opinion, this void has been left vacant for far too long and I am very elated to read about your candidacy in the news, irrespective of your political affiliation with any major US parties.

That being said, I have nothing much to say about you attending or not attending the 07 January party, in spite of the fact that I have always marked this event as being another decade of Khmer slavery to Big Brother Vietnam, nor do I have any comment on whether you feel happy or sad about this event for this is our personal choice and our personal life experience prevails here.

On the other hand, I was quite amused to read your statement: “My position as well as statement must remain neutral on all matters of homeland politic. I need the votes from all Khmers regardless of their political affiliation. I need to appeal to every Khmer to unite as one singular voice.”. It just occurs to me that you are after all a political candidate, are you not? If indeed you are, politicking is the realm of politicians, is it not? If all the above is true, why should a politician display his dirty laundry in public? That’s what puzzle me and tickle me to the extreme. It is, as if an adventurer walking into a red lantern district, when suddenly, out of nowhere, a rather aged prostitute would pop up in front of him and tell him that he should spend some time with her because she is still a virgin. I don’t believe that there is anything wrong with the lady advertising herself as such because she needs to make a living, but should the adventurer fall for it, then I would highly question his judgment, wouldn’t you? From this hypothetical case, shall we make a parallel to your statement? Are we suppose to believe that your supporters to be so naïve? I do not think so, but, I could be wrong here as well.

As I learn about the US history and live my American life, I was/am really amazed to see how free spirited the Americans are: starting from their revolution against the British, the Boston tea party to Abraham Lincoln abolishing slavery, to John F. Kennedy telling the Soviet Union: “Ich bin ein Berliner”, to Martin Luther King delivering his “I have a dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial, to Ronald Reagan telling Gorbachev at the Berlin Wall: “Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”, to Obama stating in his inauguration speech: “To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history, but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.” The US is a great nation because its people are willing to stand up for the cause they believe and they are willing to speak up their mind openly. Should Ronald Reagan cower in front of the Soviet Union, the latter would have never collapsed, and consequently, Vietnam would have never pulled out of Cambodia in the 90s.

I will be the first to admit that the US is far from being perfect, I still have dark memories from the day when the US decided to drop Cambodia and leave our fate in the hands of the Khmer Rouge. I still shiver when I see the George W. Bush administration cozying up to Mr. Hun Sen’s regime, in the name of fighting terrorism. I still shake my head when, in the name of influence peddling against with China, the Obama administration would waver on the statement he delivered at his inauguration about those “who cling to power” in Cambodia more specifically. But, in general, in my mind, the US was and still remains the flag bearer for and the champion of democracy in the world, and this is what I like most about this country.

From my limited observations of political life in the US, even US Congressmen and Congresswomen, US Senators, politicians from all creeds are willing to stand up and champion causes that promote democracy worldwide. The recent bi-partisan hearing held by the US Congress Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission on “human rights and the rule of law in Cambodia” is a vibrant example of such deed. To my knowledge, and I may be wrong here, the US Congress was the only institution in the world to hold such hearing while others, such as French President Nicolas Sarcozy, were busy cozying up to Cambodia’s ruler – a former Khmer Rouge commander none the least – by inviting him and his wife to stand on their national podium to celebrate their national holiday, all for the sake of oil and financial interest.

Therefore, Mr. Meas, I would entreat you to please uphold your righteousness. You have chosen the path of a politician and, through this very choice, you have charted your own path by choosing a political affiliation, and you can no longer please everybody at all time. Per your statement, you have admitted that you have already stepped on several toes, but, to me, that is normal, that is the way of life of a politician. However, your wavering on “on all matters of homeland politic” in Cambodia is a disservice to all your Cambodian-American supporters. Simply put, you just cannot have a cake and eat it too! Otherwise, I would have to ask myself whether the US has turned into “the land of the free and home of the brave … neutral politicians and virgin prostitutes”.

Furthermore, as an elected US Congressman, you will be called to make hard decision on US international policy, will you be able tell your constituents: "My position as well as statement must remain neutral on all matters of your country's politic simply because I need your vote and I know for sure that some of you support or reject this US policy that could affect your country"? That is the question only you can answer, and answer quickly you must!

I sincerely hope that you would not view my opinion as a personal attack on you, because I do really admire you, even if I do not know personally, and I would really like to see a righteous and strong-minded character Cambodian-American politician to represent us, as well as other US citizens, in Washington.

I wish you success in your pursuit of your dream to Congress. I would sincerely hope to be able to shake your hand in front of the Congress building one day.

With my humble respect and utmost admiration,

P. from Long Beach
-------
The following is the content of Mr. Sam Meas’ email for Mr. Baphuon:

From: sam@sammeasforcongress.com
To: baphuon@aol.com
Sent: Mon, Jan 18, 2010 7:27 am
Subject: Sam's statement

Lok Pou:

I did attended the party hosted by CPP in Lowell on January 10, 2010. I did consult with Ratha regarding the invitation to this party. We agreed that I should attend the party for the following reasons:

1) There will be a lot of potential Khmer people attending the party - potential voters for me - a good place to advise my message and candidacy.

2) I am running for US Congress with potentially two other candidates for the Republican nomination. I need all the Asian votes from all over South Asia (Khmer, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand) all American votes. My position as well as statement must remain neutral on all matters of homeland politic. I need the votes from all Khmers regardless of their political affiliation. I need to appeal to every Khmer to unite as one singular voice.

3) As a guest and a candidate, I must not speak ill of anyone

4) I must not take a position to support or against any party or anyone

There, I was interviewed by the so called Khmer World News and Soy Sopeak group. I was asked about my feeling regarding January 7. I told them that was happy I escaped death on that day. But in no under certain term, stated or implied, I support the CPP party. But the reporter twisted my word while reporting the event and my interview to insinuate that I support the CPP party and the policy of Mr. Hun Sen. This is False!

There is a group in MA has been pressuring me to publicly denounce Hen Sen and the CPP and to declare my affiliation with one political group in Cambodia for their own political gain. This group is shorted sighted in their political outlook. They are malicious in their attack on my candidacy. They are jealous of my candidacy. They even advised me against me running for US Congress. They are all Democrats and long time supporters of my political opponent. Since my announcement, they have not raised a single penny for my campaign. Never once come to any of my meeting or register one single new voter for me ( a few came to my fundraising event in August). Instead they organize campaign events for the Democrats and for my opponent as recently as this past Saturday.

This past Saturday event that they organized was not well-publicized to the public. Only few people know about it. On the contrary, over this past weekend, Ratha, Vannak, Somoel and I registered ONE HUNDRED new Khmer voters.

They are afraid of my political success as it will marginalize them and their material benefit as a result of their alignment with the Democratic party. They anointed themselves as the Khmer community leaders but have not done much to advance the interest of Khmers in Lowell. Under their so called leadership, instead of progressing, Khmer community in Lowell is regressing. This past Nov 2009 city council election in Lowell, of the 19 candidates not one was Khmer. Their focus and priority are in the wrong place!

Now they are spreading vicious rumors and falsehood about me. They are tearing me down because I refused to be politically & philosophically aligned with them. I remained independent in my philosophy and vision for our community. I was born as Kuon Khmer. And I will die as Kuon Khmer. It is psychologically and emotionally excruciatingly painful to see my people and my Srok Khmer are so destitute and so fractured in every way. We Khmers deserve better!

One of the reasons that I decided to run for office is the election of Joseph Cao, a Vietnamese American in Louisiana, to Congress in 2008. I told myself I MUST stand up to defend the Khmer people interest, honor and dignity in America. We Khmers are just equal a citizen as any ethnic group. I believe that in order for me to help Srok Khmer, I must help build a strong foundation of Khmer community in America. With my name, Sam Meas, on ballot box of a major political party in the US, We Khmers Win regardless of the election result.

But I want to win and I can win in 2010! The political momentum and the timing is right for my candidacy in 2010! We Khmer, together, will make history!

As you are aware, I am represent roughly around 650,000 people, a typical size of a Congressional District, with diverse ethnic backgrounds and interest. I am running to represent them, Americans. I will continue to be friendly to everyone and anyone from all walk of life. I will continue to reach out, appeal attend any meeting, when invited, of any group with any political so that I can get message out..that's including reporters from Cambodia, Vietnam or Lao. But I will not make specific statement or comment about any political issue, for or against, a political party. But I will continue to speak out against oppression and for justice and human rights.

I thank you for your support and ask you to dispel any rumor about me. Let's focus on getting me elected so that we can advance our Khmer interest here in the USA.

Strength in Unity~

Sam Meas
Republican Candidate for US Congress
Massachusetts Fifth Congressional District
Committee To Elect Sam Meas
P.O. Box 1323
Haverhill, MA 01831
(978) 482-0752
www.sammeasforcongress.com