New Year Wishes from the Khmer Mchas Srok Movement

NEW YEAR WISHES
YEAR OF THE RAT BUDDHIST ERA 2552

During this New Year occasion Khmer M'Chas Srok wishes upon the TEVODA Chhnam CHOUT (year of RAT), for her to bless all Khmer compatriots inside and outside Cambodia as follow:

May they will be able to defeat every adversary near and far who are disturbing our country, causes our people to suffer every day with social injustice, poverty, land grabbing; and abuses the people's rights over their freedom of expression, religious faith, freedom to live with their culture, tradition and ancestor's land as the result of the lost of partial of Cambodia mother land.

May the TEVODA Chhnam CHOUT brings Khmer people the awakening that helps them to see the real danger of being forlorn with the lost of the Khmer identity and being transformed to be the people of Indochina Federation.

May the TEVODA Chhnam CHOUT comes to guide Khmer people the way to a peaceful resolution in the up coming election in Cambodia, which means giving them freedom of expression with fairness truthfulness and.

May they will be able to choose any political party that has a will power to salvage Cambodia from falling into chasm of becoming to be part of Indochina Federation leaded by Vietnam.

May the TEVODA Chhnam CHOUT brings clear conscience and a NATIONAL SPIRIT OF UNION of being "the owner of the land", solidarity between Khmer and Khmer people in this most critical and life threatening to their nation. For them to be able to institute a sovereign peace that will free Khmer people from foreign occupation and allows them to eternally live in the sovereignty, independent, prosperity on their own ancestor's land according to their culture and tradition.

The Khmer M'Chas Srok also takes this opportunity to wish all Khmer people, men, women, young and adult, wherever they may live, whatever their political affiliation; to forgive and understand one an other and reaching out for each other hands to unite together and live as one family and to be blessed by the Buddha's five wishes: longevity, aspiration, happiness, good health and fraternity with eternal sovereignty, independent and prosperity.

Paris April 13, 2008

Khmer M'Chas Srok

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Wishes for the Year of the Rat 2552 From the Cambodia's Border Committee

WISHES FOR THE YEAR OF THE RAT 2552

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Beloved Compatriots,

In comparison of the previous years, the past Year of the Pig in Cambodia was one of serious power abuse and human rights violations, as well as the violations of our citizens’ rights, in addition to the violent repressions perpetrated by public and private powerful figures, especially in the provinces. The powerful rulers of Cambodia totally ignore the lamenting, and the distress and despair calls by their constituents broadcasted daily on radio stations and published on newspapers. The “Super Great and Very Powerful Commander-in-chief” (Aka Moha Senapadei Decho) Hun Sen turned out to be weak when it comes to putting an end to the anarchic deforestation, the land confiscations from farmers, the corruption of the civilian, legal and military administrations, as well as to all kinds of financial and economic speculations. On the other hand, the “Very Powerful” Prime Minister heroically fought against Mr. Yash Ghai, the UN Special Envoy on Human Rights in Cambodia, and he even refused the entry of the latter into the kingdom for denouncing the misery and the fear instilled on ordinary citizens and the despicable human rights situation in Cambodia. Mr. Hun Sen’s staunch lieutenants even planned on getting rid of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Phnom Penh as well. This is a clear warning against all citizens who still dream of freedom. For the past five years, everything was done to prevent any public political gathering and street demonstrations, soon all strikes will also be prevented … as the regime needs “order and stability for its development.”

Mr. Hun Sen now has a solid alibi: he has to protect the economic growth for “the development and the poverty reduction.” He negotiates all by himself and in dark “secrecy,” economic contracts without any public bidding, without publication, and without the agreement from the Parliament. He grants “concessions” – so as not to call them “sales” of national territories – that are outrageously larger than allowed by the law to foreigners who have the right to do whatever they want without any economic, social and human considerations, for the extraordinary durations of 50, 70 or even 99-year. In effect, since “the growth” started, sumptuous palaces and villas belonging to relatives and friends of Mr. Hun Sen’s family are sprouting like mushrooms in Phnom Penh and in large Cambodian cities. Furthermore, the prime minister said that he is “very proud” that his regime knows how to push up exponentially the price of lands in the capital and elsewhere. Undoubtedly, he is also “very proud” that he could churn out million of new slaves to serve the newly rich. These new slaves are Khmer people who barely survive with $0.50, $1 or barely $2 of earning per day and, for many years, have extreme difficulties to find jobs, to feed themselves, to obtain healthcare, to pay for their children tuitions, and the meager support they obtained came mainly from foreign charity. For the past few years, the billions of revenues from Pailin precious gems, from precious woods from Kampong Thom forests, from fish catch from the Tonle Sap, from Battambang rice, from Siem Reap tourism … in addition to the other billions in international aid, where did all these billions go that they could not reduce somewhat the misery of Khmer farmers and workers?

We have seen them all these boasted economic growth and development that are “paid for” mainly through the pillaging and sellout of national resources, through the deprivations forced upon the population, through the concessions-sales of lands and islands to foreign interests, and through the plundering of state wealth as well as the farmers’ properties. The “excellent” economic growth did not stop the worsening of the social situation (public healthcare, education, human trafficking, …), the continued rise of joblessness and the non-stop increase in the price of basic goods (rice, fish, vegetables, salt, etc…) created by a soaring inflation that comes hand in hand with the flare-up of land prices. However, to exculpate himself from the inflation and the economic crisis which he initiated, Mr. Hun Sen now puts the entire responsibility on “dishonest merchants,” and other ills, such as the international increase of oil price, the cost of transportation and raw materials, all of which are additional burdens borne by the poor and the hungry people.

The social situation in the New Year of the Rat could be untenable and become explosive. But, as usual, to protect his “development,” Mr. Hun Sen and his cronies have to resort to punctual demagogic measures and to usual lies, as well as intimidations and violent repressions against “economic saboteurs” already identified. Already, in order to “provide freedom, legitimacy and justice for the upcoming elections,” and the preservation of the CPP dictatorship, Mr. Hok Lundy, the national police commissioner, plans to deploy, under his commandment, “police officers, military police officers, the infantry, the air force and the navy of the entire country.” And if this is not enough, Mr. Tea Banh, the minister of Defense, will also make appeal to the Vietnamese troops of “volunteers” to the rescue. This is the logic “of stability and development in Cambodia, … which are inseparable from the tight cooperation with Vietnam,” as Mr. Sok An announced last December…

The impossible-to-reform government system thus set up will follow its course, “irreversibly.” The people must find their salvation on their own. The Cambodia’s Border Committee very sincerely and profoundly wishes that the Tevoda of the New Year of the Rat will show the divine path to all Khmer People so that they can benefit from the peace, prosperity and happiness which they had waited for so long until now.

Long Life the Khmer People!

Done in Paris, April 13, 2008

The Cambodia’s Border Committee in France and Worldwide,

Dy Kareth
Vice-President

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