November 9: in case of Cambodia independence and its controversy

09 November 2007
OpEd by Khmer Young
http://cambodianbrightfuture.blogspot.com

Our independence day is abused by Vietnam because they tried defrocked monk Tim Sakhorn on this day. This is usual politics for Vietnam as they always do anything in public to insult the Cambodian people. The concept is simple: you have no independence and sovereignty because your people can be tried by my court like what you see in the case of Tim Sakhorn.

Venerable Monk Tim Sakhorn is Khmer, 100% Khmers. But for the friendship of Vietnam-Cambodia (legacy of Indochinese Federation from 1930), Hun Sen government defrocked Venerable Tim Sakhorn and sent him to be tried in an alien country.

In order to retain their friendship, Cambodian government can do everything towards their own Cambodian people, as in case of Venerable Tim Sakhorn, to favor their so-called relationship; and, especially, the CPP has been violating the Paris Peace Agreement and exploited Cambodian people through uncountable so-called bilateral corporations and agreements with their friendly partner (Vietnam).

We can notice that, since 1930, with the creation of Indochinese Federation, to the present, in 2007, their objectives and procedures are not different. Their objectives are "to preserve the special relationship between the Vietnamese people and the people of Laos and Cambodia; and to strengthen military solidarity, mutual trust, long term corporation and mutual assistance in all fields..." (Read "Vietnam Join the World" by James William Morley, Masashi Nishihara).

Under our present Sam Kok leaders: Chea Sim, Heng Samrin and Hun Sen; we are hopeless to expect their political will and effort to free Cambodia from Vietnam. But we still hope and believe that when these Sam Kok dare sacrifice their power and position, and, more importantly, when the CPP members who can see the danger of Vietnam-Cambodia relationship, dare wake up to reform CPP, at that time, we will see a glimpse of real independence in Cambodia.

According to Kong Hean's scenarios, it will not work with option 1 (because they are absolute lackey and frightened), option 2 (because our Somdech Ta's vision is to maintain royal throne first, the rests are vice versa), option 2 (Cambodian people are too exhausted and fearful), but option 3 might be possible that we must help supplement the seats for SRP.

And I have two effective scenarios: firstly, the movement must start from the internal CPP because I do believe there are many CPP members who are potentially able to revive independence for Cambodia from such a tricky relationship; and secondly do whatever it takes to uplift the SRP to become the ruling party or lead the country in 2008, so that, Cambodia will have its own fully independent decision-making without paying gratitute to anybody or being a lackey to anybody's help or long lasting friendship signing.

Note: when SRP comes to power, they must keep relationships with all neighboring countries and other international nations. But with Vietnam, SRP must not follow the nature of relation like present Cambodian government led by CPP.

KY

On Cambodia Independence

09 November 2007
OpEd by KONG Hean

For me, our poor motherland has lost its independence since the Socialist Republic of Vietnam waged its expansionist war against a sovereign Cambodia in December 1978. Therefore, we, Khmer people, had enjoyed our true indepenedence exactly 25 years before the infamous and illegal Vietnamese invasion. Cambodia has been a Vietnamese satellite state ever since. For how long? TWENTY EIGHT odd years.

Now comes the critical question. How to regain our independence?

There are, in fact, a few options:

1- Hun Sen government, in chorus with the National Assemby and the Senate, must declare void the supplemental treaty to the 4 treacherous treaties Heng Samrin and Hun Sen signed in 1979, 1982, 1983 and 1985 in violation of the spirit and the letter of the Paris Peace Agreements. This option triggers the question as to whether or not the CPP-controlled government and parliament would do it. To me, there is zero chance. So we go to the next option.

2- His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni can convene an international press conference (not a local one) and publicly declare void his royal signature and stamp sealed on the said supplemental treaty on November 30, 2005 by stating that he was ill-informed, hence making a huge mistake which was so detrimental to Cambodia and his subjects. Again, the question lies on whether or not our King would do it. Not a chance.

3- People Power like in Burma. It will certainly succeed. But the cost in human lives is certainly unimaginable. Are we prepared to risk our lives for the salvation of our country? We will certainly hear YES as an answer. How many precent of the whole Khmer population would say YES? It's at anyone's guess.

4- The SRP has actually 24 seats in the National Assembly. In our Constitution, an MP represents not only the people in his/her electorate. He/she represents the whole Khmer population. That article in the Constitution opens the opportunity to the 24 SRP MPs to officially write to the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to convene follow-up meetings to assess whether or not the Paris Peace Agreements are fully observed by all parties. US Ambassador to Cambodia, Mr. Joseph A. Mussomeli, has stated quite a few times that, I quote, " The Paris Peace Accord has no expiration date", unquote.

It appears now that the only hope left for the whole Khmer race to redeem its dignity and honour is in the hands of those 24 SRP MPs. Their true colours will be revealed right after this comment of mine.

Yours, KONG Hean