Young Disregarded Where Politics Count: Advocate

About half of Cambodia’s population of 14 million is aged between 15 and 30. (Photo: AP)

Wednesday, 11 April 2012
Say Mony, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh

“They are just supporters, not decision-makers who can determine their own fates.”

Cambodia’s youth are often regarded as useful to politicians, but seldom are they given the chance to vie for elections such as those scheduled for this year and next.

This has made them “political slaves,” Yong Kim Eng, president of the People’s Center for Development and Peace, told “Hello VOA” on Monday. “They are just supporters, not decision-makers who can determine their own fates.”

About half of Cambodia’s population of 14 million is aged between 15 and 30. Politically, however, they are under-represented, he said. None of the 123 parliamentarians in the National Assembly is under the age of 40. Very few of the country’s 1,633 commune chiefs are that age.

Ohio University Prepares for Varied Khmer Forum

Im Sothearith, VOA Khmer
Washington, DC Tuesday, 26 April 2011

“The Khmer Studies Forum is very import because it allows the opportunity to study Cambodia specifically, to talk about Cambodian history, Cambodian culture..."

Ohio University holds its 3rd annual Khmer Studies Forum later this week, offering a rare opportunity for scholars of Khmer issues to share their work.

For two days starting from April 29, researchers, experts and enthusiasts will gather in Athens, Ohio, to share their thoughts and findings.

Christine Su, organizer of the forum, said the event combines academic and intellectual pursuit with community and cultural interests.

“The Khmer Studies Forum is very import because it allows the opportunity to study Cambodia specifically, to talk about Cambodian history, Cambodian culture, Cambodian contemporary issues, and also allows for our faculties and the community, who may not know very much about Cambodia, to learn from the students and from the presenters,” she said.

Su said the forum will cover a wide range of topics, including linguistics, ancient Khmer scripts, genocide survivors, film, media in Cambodia, border crossings, forced deportation, forced relocation, development and politics.

Big Government under Big Mouth

March 10, 2008
Opinion by Kok Sap
Originally posted on RepublicofCambodia Yahoo Group

Cambodia claims Buddhism its national religion. This religion strongly embraces self restraint in basic five precepts. In reality from Royal Palaces to the village chief stall, daily activity is nothing close to Buddhist. In pecking order, officials behave as they are above land creatures and impose fear on constituency.

It appears in every poor inhabitant seems full of fear to even look at the official face. The visible rise of classism, societal division, alcoholism, prostitution, gambling, shameless feudalism and bribery is sprung up all over the country. It is frightening to see systematic feudalism-ego eccentric and immoral conduct thriving in short span of time up to the sky limit.

In cities, the poor especially female learns how to entertain and drink alcohol in early teen in order to work in restaurants or night clubs. The future Cambodia mother and wife are strapped with government social mischief and development failure. In the same hand imagine, who are the patrons and operators of these sin filled establishments?

Meanwhile poor young male sees glamour of self cheating in society and in officials of in government to amassing wealth. The emergence of communist control and materialism drowned Buddhists to the bottom of Canal Vinh Te and Preah Vihear.The erosion in patriotism and self righteousness is incredible. People do not trust government. Worst most do not see hope in life.

Let's examine the big government leader behavior. He forgets Cambodia belong to citizens who sure can replace any government in either way. Never failed in each of public address, the big mouth fell in love in own speeches. He loves to berate opponents in vulgar tone, character defamation, and self perpetuation. He thought all made him look good worldly. Insult own people to impress foreign benefactors a la Sihanouk. The big mouth never encourages people in self determination and rights to stand up to hypocrisy. He sees people beneath him and family. This is surely a mental disease. It is an error in his Mekong prawn brain judgment.

No secret, such behavior reflects in the poor living along Cambodia borderlines. There are countless examples recurred in Eastern, S Eastern, S Western , North and Northwestern zone. The government armed forces dissipated in the wind when crisis arrived and let land owners stranded alone then pulled back while the neighboring countries sent in reinforcement of armed battalion. The government big mouth shut his hole and never bothered to climb on his helicopter or else to personally find facts. In all incidents, big mouth never dared to send armed forces to secure people safety and homes. No matter what the neighboring armed men can intrude and destroy citizens' properties as they please. Never once big mouth would raise his Iron Fist.

Fear of democratic process and accountability, the big government under big mouth increases tactics to put fear in own people hearts and belligerence toward the world handful sympathizers. Big mouth saw no fault in his big speeches and systematic corruption. All are well and good in his disturbed mind yet he is so fearful of his own shadow let alone to walk the street in day time. Big mouth never ceased to boast millions love him but completely forgets a handful of keys big government personality never believed a word he said. This is the problem, big mouth lies too much so he almost believes his own craps.

Since 1982, in spite of long historical feuds and misrepresentation injected by neighboring countries the big government never encouraged proper education in geography and history so people would know what to look for when dispute arose. All borderlines dispute remain myth and false rhetoric in big mouth arguments. Usually no matter what, government obliges people demands. But under big mouth government, it is the other way around. To date big government is good in increasing national debts and decreasing future human resources and morality. All voters, it's time to move on and vote own conscience for a change to restore country moral duty and Buddhism.