Moving Beyond the 1979 War

Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Op-Ed by Jayakhmer
On the web at http://www.modernprogressivekhmer.blogspot.com

For most of my adult life, I have tried to reconcile the conundrum of the so-called Cambodia's "liberation." The war of 1979 and its aftermath generate this lingering question whether the war was an invasion or liberation. Can we move beyond this debate? I think we can and we should.

It would be easy to decide if the warring parties were all foreign forces against Cambodian's. The complexity increases exponentially when Cambodians collaborated with the invasion forces. Battalions of the Khmer Resistance Force of the United Front for National Salvation of Kampuchea (UFNSK) fought side by side with the Vietnamese forces.

Was it an invasion or a liberation?

To Vietnam it was a conquest and an invasion. It was Vietnam's Machiavellian approach to settling disputes between its weaker neighbors. What were border skirmishes between the former allies during the Vietnam War against the U.S. became a full-blown war between Vietnam and the Democratic Kampuchea (DK) as the two nations deeply divided between the Soviet and the Chinese camp.

"In September [of 1978] Le Duan made the timing of the Vietnamese plan clear when he told the Soviet Ambassador to Vietnam that the Vietnamese Politburo had decided 'to solve fully this question [of Cambodia] by the beginning of 1979,'" according to Merle L. Pribbenow II, a former CIA agent and a Vietnam expert, who hailed the invasion as "one of the most seminal events of the last half century in South East Asia."

To the UFNSK, the war may have been a rescue mission or a liberation.

In my mind, the war would have been a liberation if it was conceived and planned by the leadership of UFNSK. The UFNSK was promulgated as a resistance force in Snoul, Kratie on December 2, 1978 by which time the Vietnamese generals had meticulously planned the war, and the preparations for war were already completed. While it is conceivable that the Vietnamese generals may have consulted with its Cambodian counterparts, the records, thus far, showed that the Vietnamese generals were the brains behind the invasion.

In " The Tale of the Five Generals," Pribbenow II described the war planning and execution in breath taking details. "The Vietnamese army spent all of 1978 drafting and training new recruits, calling up reservists, rebuilding under strength units, and converting military 'economic construction' groups back into regular combat units."

Diplomatically, Vietnam made an informed calculation. To avoid fighting two wars at the same time, knowing that China would send troops to defend Phnom Penh if victory cannot be achieved expeditiously, the Commander of the General Staff, General Le Trong Tan and Party Secretary Le Duan traveled to inform the Soviet Union of the war plan in the summer of 1978.

" The only way China could stop Vietnam would be to send large numbers of Chinese Troops to defend Cambodia" Duan told the Soviet ambassador.

The next month, according to Pribbenow II, when the Soviet diplomat expressed concern over the possibility that Chinese would block the invasion, Senior Vietnamese Party official already concluded that China would not have enough time to dispatch large military units to rescue Cambodia.

The war was scheduled to begin on January 1,1979. The KR made a preemptive move by attacking Vietnam on December 21 and 22 of 1978. The Vietnamese and UFNSK force responded and capture Phnom Penh on January 7, 1979.

The Khmer Rouge's systematic killing of its citizens made an invasion a welcome relief for many Cambodians.

On the one hand, the invasion stopped the killing. Without the invasion, the alternative could have been very gloom for many Cambodians. Clearly, the U.S. could not have rescued Cambodians from the KR – the Vietnam War was too fresh for the U.S to return to the region; the Soviet Union was already Vietnam's staunchest ally; and China supported the KR.

On the other hand, the invasion has been a constant source of criticism and mistrust for the current government many of whose members served in the UFNSK that became the government of Cambodia after the 1979 invasion.

In the coming weeks, the debates about the war will go on. As more and more information about the war is available, I encourage my fellow Cambodians to read, research for more information, and to come to your own conclusion.

I have concluded that the war was an invasion, and that the Royal Government of Cambodia, while pursuing a peaceful and friendly relation with Vietnam, should be free to determine its own destiny. Cambodia does not owe Vietnam anything. Vietnam did what Vietnam had to do to deal with the DK government. Vietnam defeated the KR. It accomplished its mission.

Cambodia based on its current bilateral relationships with the rest of the world and especially with China and the U.S. seems to be free of its neighbor's influence. It is up to all of us to find a way to put our past behind us and to focus on the future.

The prime minister has stated that he will be serving as prime minister again after the 2013 election. The implication is Cambodian People's Party (CPP) will win again. The prime minister may be correct in his prediction if the opposition parties fail to unite and fail to inspire a simple majority of Cambodians to vote for change.

Based on past performances, it is highly likely that the opposition parties will fail again unless they are serious about winning by making drastic changes in the messages and leadership.

With all due respect to the prime minister, the picture does not look quite right when CPP can only come up the same candidate. And it is equally sad that the opposition parties keep sticking to the same strategy with the same leadership election after election.

The future depends on all Cambodians to work together to find a common ground that moves the country forward. Cambodia may be poor comparing to the rest of the world, but it has enough resources and talent to move Cambodia to be developed nation. Cambodia simply needs to provide equal opportunity for all to participate in the process.

While election is one of the vehicles to bring change, term limit can do wonder in spreading the responsibilities to those who are qualified to serve and to lead the nation.

Sam Rainsy: “I will hold power for one term only, if I cannot accomplish it, I will step down”

Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy said that, if he were to be elected as prime minister during the upcoming 2008 election, he would maintain this position for one term only, and if he cannot accomplish (his duty), he would step down immediately. The opposition-leaning Sralanh Khmer newspaper quoted Sam Rainsy who said on Tuesday through the voice of the “Candle Light” radio station: “If I cannot accomplish (my duty as PM), I will step down by myself, there is no need to wait for 20-30 years.” Sam Rainsy said that if he were to hold power, he would reorganize the national budget to make it decent, and he will create decent jobs for the population, as well as sufficient and decent salaries for them. Sam Rainsy added that he will raise and provide decent salaries to government workers, police officers, soldiers, and teachers, but he did not elaborate on the amount of salary increase. He only said that with the elimination of corruption, (the government) can find enough funds to increase the salaries of government workers. With the approaching election season, each political party is starting to broadcast its political messages to the public from now on.

The people spoke for democracy and against unlimited power

04 December 2007
Op-Ed by Vanak Thom
Blog By Khmer
http://www.blogbykhmer.blogspot.com/

Here in Srok Khmer among my fellow Cambodians I feel am one of the lucky fews who could read write both in Khmer and English fairly fluently. My ability to understand the English language has really opening up my way of thinking in understanding the changes around me and the rest of the world.

On the current world event I couldn't help comparing Mr. Hugo Chavez of Venezuela to my current prime minister Hun Sen.

Yesterday Venezuelan people has voted "NO" and rejected Mr Chavez to become a president for life or until he's 96 years old. I would like to respect Mr. Hugo Chavez accepting his defeat on the ballot he put for voters. He's sad for his current presidency term ends in 2012. He assured the public "Venezuelan democracy is maturing...from this moment on, let's be calm " . He doesn't want people to protest. He continued " There's no dictatorship here."

This make me think about our Prime Minister Hun Sen of whom his CPP has cling on to power since 1979. Twenty-eight years--it's just been too long. PM Hun Sen lately said "if the people continue to vote for 'aign', 'aign' will be prime minister for life" (1)-- the language PM Hun Sen chose to use here is like a leader of a gangster mafia talks. He's so arrogant in his speech. It's beyond the English translation "If the people continue to vote for me, I (aign) will be [their] prime minister for life !!". Nobody holding any public offices using derogatory word "aign" in any public speeches like PM Hun Sen at all. Khmer language newspaper here published that Vietnamese settlers always vote for his party. I know for sure giving a fair election at western standard, PM Hun Sen CPP has no chance of winning at all.

Prime Minister Hun Sen built countless schools and named bridges, canals, recreation parks after him. PM Minister maybe good for Cambodia but I still certainly wouldn't want him to be my prime minister for life.

I am optimist my Cambodia will one day come out of this infancy stage of democracy. And I truly hope my PM Hun Sen could learn something from this current world event.

Let me end by stating a quote from American politician, Nicholas Burns commented to the Venezuela voters: "In a country that wants to be a democracy, the people spoke, and the people spoke for democracy and against unlimited power."

From me (2)
Vanak,
Phnom Penh

-----
The following text is in Khmer Unicode:

(1) បើប្រជារាស្ត្របោះឆ្នោតអោយអញ អញនឹងធ្វើ នាយករដ្ធមន្ត្រីអស់មួយជីវិត
(2) ពីខ្ញុំ

The Law of Empowerment

“Only Secured Leader Gives Power to Others” - John C. Maxwell

01 December 2007
Op-Ed by Pang Sokheoun
http://sokheounpang.wordpress.com/

Politically, empowerment is the political will to empower other to decide, to act, to replace, to take a role and to lead for the sake of the nation. It plays a very important role in the society as the agent of change most positively towards national progress and democracy. It is really a self-confident and visionable decision for the leader to undertake the law of empowerment because it reflects his self-strength, self-reliance, choice, dignity, values, independence, decision making, freedom, self-discovery, responsibility, sacrifice, and security.

Empowerment can be implemented only with the leader who feels secured for his personal dignity and life as stated by John C. Maxwell that, “Only secured leader gives power to others.” It means that only the leader who is responsible, conscious, dignified, independent, self-respect, democratic, and the true nationalist that recognizes the value of empowerment. He visions that the empowerment will not threat his life or even it threats his life but not his dignity (self-value). Yet empowerment will never happen to a leader who is egotist, dictator, traitor, criminal and lack of self-value. Therefore, it is not surprise at all to hear that Hun Sen often makes self-declaration that he wants to be the PM of Cambodia for life which can be explained as follows:

1. Egotist

An egotistical leader sees himself as the motivation to maintain and enhance favorable views of self to the point of being self-destructive. He is closely related to narcissism. He is also coupled with delusions of one’s own importance, at the denial of others. This clearly explains the way Hun Sen is. The case is justified by his declaration in 2005 during a public speech made in Siem Reap province which he declared that only him who could lead Cambodia. Without him Cambodia would not be developed or be stabilized. No one could replace him in the premiership position in Cambodia. It seems that he is immortal and the symbol of Cambodian climax competence. However, he changed this claim later on by declaring that he would continue to be PM until he turned 90 at a ceremony to inaugurate a new building of the rice research institute in the suburbs of Phnom Penh in January 2007 and once again recently this week he clearly stated that he would stand as the PM candidate until he died as response to PM’s term limit proposed by the opposition. The last two declarations anyway sound better because he seems to accept the law of the empowerment just by realizing that he is going to die some days.

2. Dictatorship

A dictatorship leader assumes sole power over his state. He holds or abuses an extraordinary amount of personal power, especially the power to make laws without effective restraint by a legislative assembly. Dictatorship is often characterized by some of these traits: suspension of election and of civil liberties; proclamation of a state of emergency; rule by degree; repression of political opponent without abiding by rule of laws procedures; single-party-state, cult of personality, etc. These traits do reflect the reality of PM Hun Sen’s politics. He democratically has risen to power constitutionally wrong, for instances, he rose to power by threatening to wage war after he lost the national election in 1993. In 1997, he strengthened his power grip by coup toppling his opponent Prince Norodom Ranarith. In 1998, he won the election by fraud and blood. And in 2003, he won by fraud again and could manage himself to be PM for the third term by amending the constitution allowing the packet vote. Besides this under his rule, the political opponent or rights group are visibly suppressed, many have been threatened, arrested, and killed motivated by the culture of impunity. He also has plotted to abolish all his political opponents particularly, Lok Ta Sen San’s Party, Funcinpec and Sam Rainsy Party. Besides abusing power; violating the constitution; and political violence, his regime is seen as one of the most corrupt regimes in the world reportedly it costs Cambodia from $US 300-500 millions per year to corruption ranking as 161st among 180 countries by Transparency International, 2007. He has built thausands of schools under his name for political self-promotion showing the cult of personality through state money and corruption. He always undemocratically won the elections by means of threat, violence, killings, assassination, and fraud helping by corrupt money, military machine, illegal Vietnams and National Election Committee (NEC) controlled by his party.

3. Traitorship

A leader who violates his allegiance and betrays his country; one guilty of treason; one who, in breach of trust, delivers his country to an enemy, or yields up any fort or place entrusted to his defense, or surrenders an army or body of troops to the enemy, unless when vanquished; also, one who takes arms and levies war against his country; or one who aids an enemy in conquering his country. This case can be clearly seen in Hun Sen’s leadership such as he signed the 1980s illegal treaties and the illegal supplemental treaty on 15 October 2005.The treaties are against the spirit of the 1991 Paris Peace Accord and the Cambodian constitution 1993. These treaties do undermine Cambodian independence because Cambodia are subjected to the following conditions:

• The Cambodian-Vietnam existing border line which Vietnam itself officially recognized in 1964 is not recognized any more and therefore it is subjected to re-demarcation.
• The 15% policy of illegal Vietnamese immigrant among the Cambodian in the rural area and the 25% policy of the illegal Vietnamese immigrant among Cambodian in the cities and the Capital City to resettle in Cambodia.
• The K5 policy which was known as the indirect killing field under the Vietnamese installed regime. There estimated 50000 people died during this operation according to Medecins sans Frontieres’ report in 1998, and thousands were alive disable.
• The historical sea area which constitutes 10000 km² and it is now completely controlled by Vietnam.
• So Hun Sen personally realizes that he absolutely betrays the nation. He really knows what is going on in our beloved country under his leadership. And he does know what is the result for him will be if he is out of power through this traitorship.

4. Criminal

Any leader who has involved in or committed any crime in personal affair or in his struggle to power or under his administration is guilty of crime. Besides the corruption and deforestation (the Global Witness report 2007 in the Family Tree), Hun Sen is considered as having involved in many other crimes. He is known as the former deputy commander of one of the three regiments in region 21 of the Democratic Kampuchea’s army based in Memot. We can think that if he was not a good, committed and trusted Khmer Rouge, he would not be promoted to that rank. And these Khmer Rouge leaders did involve in killing their own people. In the resolution 533 of Mr. Rohrabacher, claims, on the 10 October 1998 at the US House of Representatives that, “According to a new report from the relief group, Medecins sans Frontieres, Hun Sen was responsible for the deaths of 200,000 Cambodians as leader of Cambodia’s Vietnamese communist puppet regime from 1984 to 1989.” This is included the K5 policy. Moreover, in his way to regain absolute power in Cambodia after the lost of 1993 national election, Hun Sen carried out the 1997 coup, which hundreds people were killed, wounded and detained. In addition to those killed and wounded in the fighting, there were more than 40 people might have been extrajudicially executed according to Amnesty International’s report on 23 October 1997. In the 1997 grenade attack, there were between 16 to 20 people killed and 150 injured according to FBI report published on 24 November 1998. It was also Hun Sen who is accused of holding responsible for the killings. Among the criminals revealed, one is his personal bodyguard whose name is Chay Vee. Hun Sen is also responsible for the estimated one hundred killed, hundreds injured and disappeared of students, monks, and peasants during the mass demonstration against the result of the fraud and unfiar1998 national election which demonstrators were brutally cracked down by his anti-demonstration polices and bodyguards. In his personal affair, Hun Sen is also thought to be responsible for the death of our beloved star, Piseth Pilika. He made her his mistress and then she was assassinated in the day light. What is the motive behind the killing if not this love affair?

5. Self-value

It refers to a leader who has pride in oneself and self-respect viewing oneself as a competent, worthy and dignified person. With this, we can see that Hun Sen characteristically has no such a value. His self-value is seen as negative way because he gains it from threat, killing, power, money, and being a puppet to other nation. He never gains it through the merit of competence, meritocracy, independence, and true nationalism. According to law, he must be brought to trial but it is just impossible now. However, if he loses the power, he absolutely will lose every thing. That’s why he wants to be in power as long as possible.

Criminally, we cannot expect Hun Sen to have the will to comply with the law of empowerment since he never feels secured. It is the power which is seen as the only means of his survival that can secure his life, dignity, family, and cronies. He even sacrifices our beloved nation’s territorial integrity and independence to Vietnam for his survival. It seems that he exclusively uses our motherland as goods without due respect in exchange to protect his crimes. It seems that he has pawned our beloved country and people to Vietnam for his personal protection. Every time he hears people talk about the government changes or the PM candidate changes, he always unreasonably expresses anger and threat of war without his responsibility. And we are sure that he will try his best to protect his power no matter what expense will cost life or nation. But are we hopeless for the change? The answer is “NO.” Justice will always prevail and the law of empowerment is universally undeniable.

Pang Sokhoeun

A rude PM: "Anh tell you know, if the people keep on voting for me, Anh will remain (PM) for life"

Hun Sen the prime minister for life?

27 November 2007
By Keo Nimol Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

Prime minister Hun Sen said on 27 November that if the Cambodian people still keep on voting for him, he will continue to cling on to power for life.

During a speech given at a distribution of certificates for students at the National Education Institute, Hun Sen said that some politicians are trying to prevent him (to remain in power: “I was talking about my age being this and that, then they turned around and said that Mr. Hun Sen, you shouldn’t set the age as the rule to retire. I say that if I remain (in power) for 10 more years, I will only reach the 60s, that’s not old. I tell you back: ‘Anh’ (rude form of I, used to look down on someone else) tell you know, if the people keep on voting for me, ‘Anh’ will remain (PM) for life.”

Hun Sen also criticized a number of politicians but he did not name anyone in particular, he said that those who have dual citizenship still want to present their candidacy to the premiership.

Hun Sen added: “Especially, those with dual citizenship, they will leave, we cannot sentence them. As soon as they are sentenced, they leave immediately, those with dual citizenship should end it, they are not brave, if they come to do politics in Cambodia, they should renounce their other citizenship, but they won’t, what can I do to them?”

Hun Sen also warned that if his party loses the election, he will not build schools anymore: “There is no interruption (in school building) when I am prime minister, but if I am no longer prime minister, I will not build anymore (schools), I am sorry, who you vote for, you should ask that person.”

Kem Sokha, President of the HRP which has a party policy of limiting the term of the prime minister in office, said: “Normally, if there is no term limit for the country leader, we will be faced with dictatorship, corruption, because those leaders can do whatever they want, nobody can limit their power. For example, if there is a two term limit, when a leader is in power, he wouldn’t dare doing anything wrong, because if he does something wrong, at the end of his mandate, when he no longer has power, he will be afraid to be prosecuted.”

Regarding the dual citizenship, Muth Chantha, NRP spokesman, said: “I say that this is not the right time to raise this issue, it’s an old story. The second government of Cambodia is in power for three terms already, and during these 3 mandates, there are people who have dual citizenship who were in top position and in the government also, but there were never any discussions on this issue, this is one point. On the second point, the Cambodian Constitution, which the supreme law of the land, does not forbid anyone who holds dual citizenship from participating or holding position in the government either.”

It is noted that, currently, Cambodia is under preparation for a general election which will take place in 2008.

Sam Rainsy Praises Tony Blair's Decision To Step Down, Hints Hun Sen Should Copy

15 May 07
By Hang Oddam
Moneakseka Khmer
Translated from Khmer and posted online

While Hun Sen, a man with an insatiable taste for power, remained completely mute concerning British Prime Minister Tony Blair's declaration that he would resign from power on 27 June 2007, Cambodia's opposition leader Sam Rainsy said that the British prime minister's decision could be a way for him to copy in giving up power.

At the same time, Sam Rainsy clearly underscored, "We must not cling to power for life. Just a period of more than 10 years is already too long."

This very popular opposition party leader further said, "Tony Blair has been an outstanding prime minister of the United Kingdom. He said that his 10 years in power is more than enough. In particular, this period is enough for him and also for the country."

It should be recalled that on 10 May British PM Tony Blair declared that he would step down from the prime ministerial post on 27 June 2007, which will be a little more than 10 years after he acceded to power in what was thunderously acclaimed as a new beginning for the UK. However, his policy was somehow stained by the decision to join the war in Iraq.

Nevertheless, Cambodia's opposition party leader Sam Rainsy still considered the period of more than 10 years of Tony Blair's term in office a testimony to his great leadership. And the resignation declaration made by Tony Blair could also become a path for him to give up power as well, because no one should cling to power all his life.

Sam Rainsy went on to say that at the same time, in Malaysia, a country close to Cambodia, we know that Mahathir resigned from his premiership 4-5 years ago after he ruled as prime minister for 22 years. Believing that 22 years in office was far too long, Mahathir agreed to step down in order to open the way for a new leader to replace him.

Sam Rainsy Party President Sam Rainsy underscored, "Any man who knows by himself is a man who truly respects the will of the people."

Concerning PM Tony Blair's decision, it is observed that Cambodian People's Party [CPP] MP Cheam Yiep arrogantly said that the resignation from power is a final decision to end an impasse in the crisis of a country. But Cheam Yiep forgot that his boss Hun Sen is facing the problem of holding on to an age-old prime minister's post.

In reality, PM Hun Sen has been clinging to power most resolutely because even inside the CPP there is a written resolution that makes Hun Sen the only one fit for the post of prime minister, which is tantamount to say that no one but Hun Sen can be prime minister.

Hun Sen used to make it public that even if he went out of the country for a foreign visit he still had special communications tools that would allow him to see what happened in Cambodia at all time. If anyone had the bad idea of staging a coup d'etat, like the one that toppled the Thai prime minister, he should consider himself very unlucky, he said.

Hun Sen's warning in this manner could lead to speculation that the interior of the CPP was wracked with explosive problems, especially the power grab by the Hun Sen faction itself, which had greatly angered the Chea Sim group and other members of the party old guard.

It was said that this internal conflict in the CPP was on the verge of erupting on many occasions; but thanks to the intervention of the Vietnamese leaders, including the police, military, and top government officials, the critical situation in this party has been contained to these days.

However, analysts at various coffee shops said that Hun Sen's mysterious momentary disappearance from public view was quite puzzling at the time when the Vietnamese leaders took turns coming to Cambodia.

When Hun Sen reappeared in public, he made a very strange remark by complaining that the premiership made him a very pitiable man because he could not visit modern shopping malls or go to coffee or noodle shops like other people, and if he wanted to go there, it would be big news.

Further still, Hun Sen said that he might live for another 30 years but he could not say that he would be prime minister throughout these other 30 years.

In these new remarks concerning his prime ministerial post, it seems that Hun Sen wanted to say he was not sure this post would remain his in 2008.

Sam Rainsy clearly maintained that no one should cling to power for life, pointing out that 10 years may already be too long. If a person has a clear conscience and resigns from power by himself, he can be considered a man who respects the will of the people, the masters of the power.