Khmer Krom are forbidden from holding a memorial in a public park: Khmer Krom oppression perpetuated by the puppet regime

Friday, May 8, 2009
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Sochetata

The Phnom Penh city authority refused to allow Khmer Krom associations to organize the 60th anniversary of France’s transfer of Kampuchea Krom to Vietnam. The memorial is planned to be held at the public park located in front of Wat Botum Pagoda at the beginning of June. According to The Cambodia Daily, Pa Socheatvong, the deputy governor of the city of Phnom Penh, said on Thursday that the Phnom Penh city authority will not allow Khmer Krom associations to hold this memorial at this location. Pa Socheatvong said that the loss of Kampuchea Krom is merely past history. On Thursday, Thach Setha, executive Director of the Khmer Kampuchea Krom Community, said that he is saddened to see the city hall refusing to allow the memorial to be held there this year, however, he said that he will negotiate with the city authority to use this location because even the king’s representative will participate in this ceremony as well. On 04 June 1949, the colonial French regime transferred Cambodia’s land of Cochinchina to the Vietnamese government.

The post of Phnom Penh governor will be given to Hun Neng or Pa Socheatvong

Khmer Nation newspaper
9th March, 2009
Reported in Khmer by Khmerization

There are many reports in the past that Prime Minister Hun Sen plans to remove Mr. Kep Chutema, the current governor, and replace him with someone else.

Sources from within Mr. Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) said Mr. Kep Chutema’s replacement could be Mr. Hun Sen’s older brother, Mr. Hun Neng, who is currently the governor of his home province of Kampong Cham, or someone else, presumably Mr. Pa Socheatvong, the current deputy governor. But the reports have been dismissed in the past by Mr. Hun Sen or his officials.

Sources from the CPP added that Mr. Kep Chutema (pictured) will be given a powerless role of president of Municipal Council. The sources also said that current governors of many cities and provinces will be reshuffled to the powerless posts of presidents Municipal or Provincial Councils.

The Khmer Nation newspaper reports that, according to the CPP sources, when he heard that he will be removed from the governorship of Phnom Penh, Mr. Kep Chutema was very unhappy because it means that he will be taken out from a plum post where he can earn a lot of extra money.

The same CPP sources said that Mr. Hun Neng, older brother of Prime Minister Hun Sen, has been eyeing the Phnom Penh governorship for a very long time. The same with Mr. Pa Socheatvong, the current deputy governor. And as a result both will have to fight for the position.

Rumours of the sacking Governor Kep Chutema and replacing him with Mr. Pa Socheatvong has caused a stir

Kampuchea Thmey Newspaper
15th November, 2008
Translated from Khmer by Khmerization

News of the sacking of Governor Kep Chutema (pictured) on the morning of 12th November, and that he was replaced by Deputy Governor Pa Socheatvong, has caused a stir. The source of the rumours has said that they hear this story from one of Prime Minister Hun Sen’s confidants.

Whether this information is credible or not, the government spokesman has denied that it is untrue.

Mr. Khieu Kanharith, spokesman for the government, told Kampuchea Thmey newspaper that Governor Kep Chutema has not been sacked and that he is still the governor of Phnom Penh City. Mr. Kanharith considers these information as baseless rumours concocted by someone who want to exploit them for their own gains.

Mr. Kep Chutema has told Kampuchea Thmey newspaper that he did not know anything about this because he is busy supervising the rubbish collections from all city parks to make the city clean after the Water Festival.

Mr. Kep Chutema said: “The reshuffle of the officials’ positions is the job of the government. I don’t know anything about it. But in my capacity as the governor of the city, I have the duties to organise a rubbish collection to make the city beautiful. I can’t leave the rubbish to litter the city for too long after the Water Festival had ended.”

Mr. Pa Socheatvong has denied to Kampuchea Thmey newspaper that he know nothing about this information and that he did not know where these rumours came from.

Mr. Pa Socheatvong said: “I am surprised about these rumours too. Why these sorts of information have been concocted without any basis. Now I am in the middle of the funeral of Gen. Hok Lundy in Svay Rieng. So I truly don’t know all of these rumours.”

Prime Minister Hun Sen used to warn anyone who spread rumours about the sacking and the appointment of government officials. He warned that these sorts of information are created with the intention to cause turmoil.

Prime Minister Hun Sen has warned that these sorts of information will cause the affected officials to lose confidence in the performances of their institutional duties.//

Pa Socheatvong to Vann Molyvann: Don't look down on the younger generation, we are not all ignorant ... we know how to fill our pocket better than you

Architect Vann Molyvann

City: Do not underestimate younger generations

Friday, January 04, 2008
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

The filling of Boeng Kak Lake for development turned into a heated debate between an old hand and one of the younger deputy city governors. The filling of the Boeng Kak Lake is strongly opposed by 81-year-old architect Vann Molyvann who is concerned that the filling of the lake could cause flooding in the city, especially in Tuol Kok district. In response to this concern, Pa Socheatvong, the deputy city governor, rejected the criticism leveled by Vann Molyvann, saying that the later should catch up with the times, that the ideas by older generation people are not always right, and that the younger generations are not all ignorant. Pa Socheatvong warned the old architect not to look down on the younger generations too much. Pa Socheatvong raised the issue of the benefits brought by the development of Boeng Kak Lake by saying that it will help the Boeng Kak Lake community since the residents will be provided housing on top of the filled lake.