Monday, September 24, 2007

The National Independence is the fundamental and Unique Goal of all Cambodians wherever they are


September 21, 2007
Op-Ed by Khemara Jati
Posted online
Montreal, Quebec


A french version of the Op-Ed is provided at the end of the English article

1. In Burma (Myanmar), the monks have the right to demonstrate freely by hundreds. Why not in Cambodia ? Which regime is it the most democratic? More Burma is independent and any foreigner dares to come plundering its resources. Burma depends on no foreign help. The territorial and maritime integrity of Burma is complete and no any power dares to dispute it.

In Cambodia, during colonial period, in the 1940s, in 1942, a scholar in Buddhist theology, Achar Hem Chiev puts into practice scrupulously Buddha's rules. He quickly becomes very popular even among prisoners. Achar Hem Chiev preaches the tolerance and the harmony between Cambodians even in yales. More or less consciously, he leads a policy of unity and nonviolence between Cambodians. Becoming very popular, Achar Hem Chiev is considered as dangerous element by the colonial regime. On July 19th, 1942, several Achars among the most erudite is arrested, defrocked and imprisoned. The next day, on July 20th several hundreds monks show up in front of the Resident Superior offices. In the evening, several other personalities are imprisoned among whom Pach Choeun and Boun Chan Mol. Many Achars and staffs of the newspaper Nokorvat (or Nagaravata, according to the ways of reading) among whom Achar Hem Chiev, Pach Choeun and Boun Chan Mol are sent to the penal colony of Poulo Condor of sinister reputation. Mol writes a famous book "Kouk Nyaubay" describing in detail all these events and the life in Poulo Condor. According to Mol, Achar Hem Chiev died of exhaustion for following strictly literally Buddha's rules, in particular to fast in the afternoon, in the evening and at night. Achar Hem Chiev never been in connection with the Vietnamese communists. Even though nothing can prevent Hanoi from using his name to try to show its respect for the Cambodian religion.

Also let us remind that the monk who had sacrificed himself by the fire during the American war in Vietnam, was a Cambodian monk of the Kampuchea Krom.

Nowadays, the erudite and popular monks are simply murdered as it is the case of the very popular and Respectable Sam Bounthoeun killed at point-blank range in front of Lanka pagoda on February 6th, 2003. The murderer was never worried.

Since 1979, in Cambodia, the leaders of bigwigs are politicians who ignore what is the Buddhism. Everybody knows it. The Vietnamese communists bury completely any Achar Hem Chiev's recollection. It will be the same of all those who, at present, agree to put themselves docilely in the orders of Hanoi.

Recently some monks of Kampuchea Krom come to demonstrate in Phnom Penh in spite of the threats. One of them, the Respectable Tim Sakhorn was arrested in Cambodia, defrocked by force and sent to a vietnamese prison. Is the current regime settled by Vietnam since 1979 independent ?

2. An elementary school to teach the children in Cambodian language has just opened its doors in the province of Surin. So our national language is gaining ground. In Kampuchea Krom our brothers also are fighting against the totalitarian regime of Hanoi to conquer the most elementary rights to be able to save their cultural and religious identity.

3. In Phnom Penh, a dictionary of the national language has just published and appeared in bookshops. The dictionary of Chuon Nath with many new words. The second edition is soon going to print out with other new words. So, with modest means, our fellow countrymen in Cambodia dash into the battle to protect and develop our culture and our language. Our ancestors know perfectly that "Aksar Rolouth, Cheat Roleay".

Khemara Jati
----
L'Indépendance Nationale est l'objectif fondamental de tous les Cambodgiens où qu'ils se trouvent

Khemara Jati
Montréal, Québec
21 septembre 2007


1. En Birmanie (Myanmar), les bonzes ont le droit de manifester librement par centaines, au Cambodge non ! Quel régime est-il le plus démocratique ? En plus la Birmanie est indépendante et aucun étranger n'ose venir piller ses ressources. La Birmanie ne dépendant d'aucune aide étrangère. L'intégrité territoriale et maritime de la Birmanie est totale et aucune puissance n'ose la contester.

Au Cambodge, durant la période coloniale, dans les années 1940, en 1942, un érudit, savant en théologie bouddhique, Achar Hem Chiev met scrupuleusement en pratique les préceptes de Bouddha. Il devient rapidement très populaire même parmi les prisonniers. Achar Hem Chiev prêche la tolérance et la concorde entre les Cambodgiens même dans les prisons. Plus ou moins consciemment, il mène une politique d'union et de non-violence entre les Cambodgiens. Devenant très populaire, Achar Hem Chiev est considéré comme dangereux par le pouvoir colonial. Le 19 juillet 1942, plusieurs Achars parmi les plus érudits sont appréhendés, défroqués et emprisonnés. Le lendemain, le 20 juillet plusieurs centaines de bonzes manifestent devant les bureaux du Résident Supérieur. Le soir, plusieurs autres personnalités sont emprisonnées dont Pach Choeun et Boun Chan Mol. Plusieurs Achars et personnalités du journal Nokorvat (ou Nagaravata, selon les manières de lire ce nom) dont en tête Achar Hem Chiev, Pach Choeun et Boun Chan Mol sont envoyés au bagne de Poulo Condor de sinistre réputation. Mol écrira un livre célèbre intitulé "Kouk Nyaubay" où sont relatés en détail tous ces événements et la vie à Poulo Condor. D'après Mol, Achar Hem Chiev moura d'épuisement pour avoir voulu suivre à la lettre les préceptes de Bouddha, en particulier vouloir jeûner l'après-midi, le soir et la nuit. Achar Hem Chiev n'est jamais entré en relation avec les communistes vietnamiens. Cela n'a pas empêché Hanoi d'utiliser son nom pour essayer de montrer son respect de la religion cambodgienne.

Rappelons aussi que le bonze qui s'était immolé par le feu durant la guerre américaine au Vietnam, était un bonze Cambodgien du Kampuchea Krom.

De nos jours, les bonzes érudits et populaires sont simplement assassinés comme c'est le cas du très populaire Vénérable Sam Bounthoeun tué à bout portant devant la pagode Lanka le 6 février 2003. L'assassin n'a jamais été inquiété.

Depuis 1979, au Cambodge, les chefs de bonzes sont des hommes politiques qui ignorent ce que c'est le bouddhisme. Tout le monde le sait. Les communistes vietnamiens enterrent complètement tout souvenir d'Achar Hem Chiev. Il en sera de même de tous ceux qui, actuellement, acceptent de se mettre docilement aux ordres de Hanoi.

Récemment, malgré les menaces, quelques bonzes du Kampuchea Krom manifestaient à Phnom Penh. L'un d'entre eux, le Vénérable Tim Sakhorn a été appréhendé au Cambodge, défroqué de force et envoyé dans une prison vietnamienne. Le pouvoir actuel installé par le Vietnam depuis 1979 est-il indépendant ?

2. Une école primaire pour enseigner aux enfants en langue cambodgienne vient d'ouvrir ses portes dans la province de Surin. Ainsi notre langue nationale est en train de gagner du terrain. Au Kampuchea Krom nos frères sont aussi en train de se battre contre le pouvoir totalitaire de Hanoi pour conquérir les droits les plus élémentaires pour pouvoir garder leur identité culturelle et religieuse.

3. A Phnom Penh, vient de paraître dans les librairies un dictionnaire de la langue nationale. Le dictionnaire de Chuon Nath avec beaucoup de mots nouveaux. Une deuxième édition va bientôt sortir avec d'autres mots nouveaux. Ainsi, avec des moyens modestes, nos compatriotes au Cambodge se lancent dans la bataille pour préserver et développer notre culture et notre langue. Nos ancêtres savent parfaitement que "Aksar Rolouth, Cheat Roleay".

Khemara Jati

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

This Viet Buddhist Monk protested against Madame Dragon Ngo Dinh Nhu who punished her people from not converting to Catholic like her and her husband. She got threw out from Catholic Church for her role as a dictator. Madame Nhu's parents were murdered by her own brother in the US just for money. She and her brother were deadly crazy.

Anonymous said...

Got some crazy stories among their vietnamese blood.

Anonymous said...

8;01am. It was in TIME Magazine.
This showed the Viet Monk dared to sacrifice his life for a good cause not about the race that is why the author of the article attached this picture with. You have some intelligence then don't make a fool remark.

Anonymous said...

I wish oneday, Cambodian monks can bravely stand up to defend our national integrity.

All cambodian know that Cambodia is not an independent country now. So, we need our monks to stand up and remove the current puppet regime from Vietnam.

Anonymous said...

No need for a wish, 9:44AM. Some Cambodian monks and laymen have already sacrificed themselves for the cause of their nation by dousing and setting themselves on fire in public. The latest case was one who set himself on fire with a protest note near Hun Sen's residence in Phnom Penh.

The difference between our brave souls and the Viet monks is that they are more well-organised. They knew in advance that their Buddhist monk was going to set himself on fire, so they made the necessary arrangements (such as photographers and spreading rumours) to ensure the maximum exposure. For us, it almost happened by chance and the Cambodian or Viet authority quickly erased the evidence and came up with their own version of the event.

Of course, the Yuons are well-known to be very good at playing dirty tricks on us. But, it does not mean we should not learn something from their dirty tricks. The world makes judgment based what they can see, not from what they cannot see or feel. Maximum impact is what we aim for, but not the kind of impact stupidly effected by the KR regime.

Anonymous said...

All I can say from the picture is one less mouth to feed for Vietnam!

Go ahead fake khmer monk, burn. That way, we'll all have more food to eat!

Anonymous said...

I just don't understand about Cambodian Buddhist Philosophy! If Cambodian Buddhist Philosophy make Cambodian people so stern and discipline in doing the right thing and why the fuck these Cambodian Buddhist people need communism to make them feel good? Isn't Buddhism is a form of Communism?

Maybe Cambodian people never pratice a true form of Buddhism and that explain why Cambodia continue to face hardship and suffering! I never thought in my life time that Buddhism can coexist with Communism but it did!

For me to see the Vietcong government use Cambodian Buddhisim such AH TEP VONG and AH NOUGN GHET the head monk to defrock Monk Tim Sakhorn in Cambodia and put him in the Vietcong jail is the highest violation of human right and Cambodian Buddhists condoned it?

AH HUN SEN dare to desecrate Cambodian Buddhism and he will pay with his life!

Anonymous said...

1:12, how many times do I have to tell you that there is no democracy in God's world (or heaven). There will not be any protest, election, change, ..., or stupid independent justice system, get it? God is a dictator, period. Do what he said and laid out or died in hell. You got that?

Anonymous said...

To 6:20AM!

You fool! God is the creator of everything and it is God right to anything as God please!

Anonymous said...

Well, God didn't built my house for me. I built with my own two hands and a bunch of friends.

Anonymous said...

Yea so! God don't have time to build your stupid house because God build the Universe! All the material in the Universe is more than enough to build your stupid house and how about build a rocket ship and fly it the moon!