Radio Free Asia
By San Suwit
19th December, 2008
Translated from Khmer by Khmerization
The famed emeritus professor of Khmer literature, Prof. Keng Vannsak (pictured), has passed away on Thursday (18th December) in a hospital in Montmorency, about 13 kilometres north of Paris.
Prof. Keng Vannsak, the former professor of Lycee Sisowath who was the inventor of Khmer typewriter and was the author of many books on Khmer culture, literature, Khmer theatre, poetry and short stories since the 1940s, has passed away age 84 at a hospital in Montmorency at 12:12pm.
One of his close associates told Radio Free Asia that he had died of lung failures. He said: “Yesterday he went to the hospital because he got a temperature and felt shiver for the past 4 days. The doctors admitted him to an intensive care unit. And this morning I telephoned him but the doctors told me that he is in a coma and they asked if I am his relative and if I wanted to see him I must see him now before his passed away. At 12:20 (pm) they called me and told me that he had already passed away.”
His closest friend said that Prof. Keng Vannsak wished to have his ashes buried in the same stupa as his mother’s ashes in Cambodia. He said that Prof. Keng Vannsak has no relatives or children to continue is surname. Prof. Keng Vannsak is survived by his wife, Sivorn, who is now living in France.
By San Suwit
19th December, 2008
Translated from Khmer by Khmerization
The famed emeritus professor of Khmer literature, Prof. Keng Vannsak (pictured), has passed away on Thursday (18th December) in a hospital in Montmorency, about 13 kilometres north of Paris.
Prof. Keng Vannsak, the former professor of Lycee Sisowath who was the inventor of Khmer typewriter and was the author of many books on Khmer culture, literature, Khmer theatre, poetry and short stories since the 1940s, has passed away age 84 at a hospital in Montmorency at 12:12pm.
One of his close associates told Radio Free Asia that he had died of lung failures. He said: “Yesterday he went to the hospital because he got a temperature and felt shiver for the past 4 days. The doctors admitted him to an intensive care unit. And this morning I telephoned him but the doctors told me that he is in a coma and they asked if I am his relative and if I wanted to see him I must see him now before his passed away. At 12:20 (pm) they called me and told me that he had already passed away.”
His closest friend said that Prof. Keng Vannsak wished to have his ashes buried in the same stupa as his mother’s ashes in Cambodia. He said that Prof. Keng Vannsak has no relatives or children to continue is surname. Prof. Keng Vannsak is survived by his wife, Sivorn, who is now living in France.
51 comments:
May you rest in peace, Professor!
May Buddha bless you in Nirvana, professor.
At last, we got some good news of the day!
The keyboard layout for the Khmer typewriter that he invented was a very bad layout. Good try, but not so good.
And 8:36 AM what have you invented? Anything?
The Khmer nation has lost one of its greatest minds. It should award him, even posthumously,one of the highest honours it has, and the Royal University of Phnom Penh should create a chair named after him: Keng Vannsak Professor of Khmer Literature.
LAO Mong Hay, Hong Kong
No surprise, Dr Lao, anything crowned by the west is considered "greatest mind". You are sick, you know that?
To 8:36AM!
I don't suppose you could say such sentences. From what you say, i dare say that you are a badly educated or even the craziest man on earth.
Wish you disaster!
Thanks,
they that throw mud at others are the first to get their hands dirty. even with the anonymity of the internet.
i remember an idea that Keng Vannsak floated in the early 70's at the time when General Lon Nol wanted to foster Khmer nationalism, with all these theories about Khmer-Mon civisation. Keng Vannsak toyed with the idea the origin of the word "Kampuchea" is "Kampuch-chhea", or "Kampuch-neak-chhea", as opposed to "Kampuch-tear" (ie descendants of the righteous/fair/blessed as opposed to descendans of the lowly). This of course flies in the face of what some other historians have written (eg Adhemard Leclerc). On the other hand one of his poems that i enjoyed was a set of Kakkiti stanza that begins with "Proloeung meas euy..". i learned a few years later that this format is actually an echo of Preah Thommareachea's love poems. best wishes to his family.
And voila, cheap shot from CPP's cronies 9:46 AM. Need we say more?
I agree with Dr Lao Mong Hay to have a faculty with his name as a memory for the respect to a person with lot of knowledge of Khmer literature. He was one of the Khmer asset in the 21 century. If Cambodian do not want to remember their own Professor, who else Cambodian want to remember? Ho Chiminh or Mao Ste Tung? Areak Prey
After dragging N. Sihanouk in the mud to his fill, “Professor” Keng Vansak starts his “destruction” work on the incomparable and immortal Glory of Preah Jayavarman VII (!!!)
By N. Sihanouk
Beijing, February 10, 2007
I thought that Mr. Keng Vansal was only 500% anti-Sihanouk and 100% 20th century anti-monarchy.
I did not know that he could have wanted to attack the Angkorian Monarchy which all Khmer generations (including the “Republicans” of the 20th and 21st centuries) are extremely proud of, and that for a good reason.
“Today,” it appears very clearly and incontestably that Mr. Keng Vansak is devoting himself to the “Sacred Mission: of destructing, demolishing, reducing to dust, the glorious Reputation of the entire Khmer monarchy, starting from the dawn of its (monarchy) birth.
This inveterate Republican, without any scruple, without any intellectual honesty, without moral, goes all the way to dirty the name and the reign of an Angkorian King whom the best Historians in the Word over and from all eras, recognize as one the greatest Kings, one the biggest Patriots, one of the bearers of human virtues in universal History.
It is to believe that Mr. Keng Vansak had an anti-Sihanouk “indigestion.”
In terms of gastronomy, one cannot satisfy oneself with the same dishes. The menus must be changed!
As far as I am concerned, I adore goose “foie gras”. But, I often leave “foie gras” to eat caviar, or bean and meat stew (“cassoulet”), or something else.
For “Professor” Keng Vansak, dirtying Sihanouk “in all type of fashions” is no longer “sufficient.” He must attack the “biggest piece”: H.M Preah Jayavarman VII !!!
According to this Mr. Keng Vansak, H.M Jayavarman VII had a lot of Cham blood in his veins.
And, last but not least, H.M. Jayavarman VII even ceded one portion of Kambuja to the Siamese (alias Thai!).
This very grotesque deformation of History by “Professor” Keng Vansak dishonors him, and proves that his objectivity is non existent and that his Patriotism is very limited.
(Signed) Norodom Sihanouk
To Dr. Lao Mong Hay:
I agree with you that KVS is a brilliant Khmer scholar in Khmer Literature...however he is a lousy historian in Khmer history. He turned our glory history into dust and baseless. He is not a reliable source of Khmer history.
KVS deserves posthumous merits in area of Khmer literature...
May you rest in peace.
12:04 pm, you are right. some of his assertions about Khmer history are questionable. However, in term of Khmer literature, he is second only to Samdech Chuon Nath. Dr. Lao has proposed a good idea. Some university faculties or literary awards should be named after him. The same can be said of Samdech Chuon Nath.
To 9:46am, what Dr. Lao said was the fact and what most people have said, therefore he is not a sick man, but you are.
to Anon 11:54AM - with all due respect, Keng Vannsak has always been his own man and a fair judge can certainly not be found among his jailers/political opponents etc.. Let the younger khmer generations judge his work. Why is Jaya VII above re-evaluation? Do we have evidence to indicate that his reign is benevolent? Preah Karuna's work will one day be re-evaluated dis-passionately. Let it be.
Burn in hell, Ah Arse Kisser (Keng Vannsak)!
Vannsak, je vais cracher sur ton tombeau !. I was also a Lycee Sisowath Math Elem of 1960. Vannsak was remembered as a Cambodian professor associated with the Khmer Democratic Parti. He was anti royalist and symphatized with the Vietnamese occupation of Cambodia until 1954 Geniva peace conference. He was a friend of Noun Suon the former CPP leader in 1954. Vannasak alledged that our independence was as a result of the Vietnamese victory over the French in Dien Bien Phu in 1954. He thinks Ho Chi Minh was the real liberator of Indocina from the French. We got our indenpence (through Sihanouk crusade) in 1953 and 1 year before Dien Bien Phu. Vannsak wanted to be a Cambodian leader in the fight for independence. Too bad, he associated himself with the Vietnamse in the 1950's. For me, he was a traitor to his own people.
Keng Vannsak is a Khmer literature reformist. The grammar and the new spellings that have adopted in school teachings and seen spread across the pages Khmer newspapers and magazines today are the results of his reforms. The words like sralanh ស្រឡាញ់(love) is now written as ស្រលាញ់, not as like the old way by using "lo", not "lor" like the original spelling. the word chamloey ចមើ្លយ(answer), written as ចំលើយ, again using "lo", not "lor", like the original spelling.
Where in the world are 1:17, 8:36 and 9:46 including Ah Ta Sihanouk come from? What the hell are they doing here? This KI media space should not be used for these animals suckers that has 0% of human heart and 100% Ah Youn brain. The person alredy died. let him be. Remember it will be your turn next. Your name is registered by a god of the underworld. When it's your turn, you will be punished by the bad karma you commit here. I pray for you all that I hope it's not true.
Whenn camrade Hok Lundy was died ia N sihanouk sad but when Dr.Kenf Vansak died is this yourn Sihanouk very happy. So we see that Sihanouk gave his gift yust to someone who killed khmer people but not for whom who worked for khmer nation, is right????????
As usual, Sihanouk assumed that he knows every thing better than everyone. So, he doesn't like educated people, especially those who can find reasons to argue against him. Not only Keng Vannsak, but Chhun Mom, a Khmer famous Chemist (?) was not allowed to work properly just because he was afraid of the popularity of Chhun Mom (I've read a peach of dirty paper when I was child). And now, Van Mony Van (?) has the same fate. He was removed!?
Lao Mong Hay,
My condolences to the family of Prof. Keng Vannsak. The Khmer people have lost a great mind.
As for you, Lao Mong Hay, I have written many comments challenging your defense of Western sex predators in Cambodia, including your dismissal of UNTAC's role in the spread of AIDS in Cambodia, which killed hundreds of thousands of our people. You have chosen to ignore my rebuttals and continue your arrogant pontification on what ought to be done in Cambodia. Do you not know that most Cambodians are poor and starving, who have been the victims of the war games played by your white masters? Why do you continue to defend these mass murderers of Cambodians and call yourself Khmer? You don't even live in Cambodia. You don't know anything about us, so don't act like you do!
Keng Vansak was named by Samdech Chuon Nath as "Me Kromei assor sass", so who is more honorable?
Well 10:52 PM,
I have a couple of questions for you - are there any white folks occupying, taking Khmer's land away from those "poor and starving" Cambodians now?
Do you even know how many Viet bitches prostitutes there had been in Cambodia under the nose of UNTAC during that time?
Guess what, I am not Dr. Lao Mong Hay - just passing by.
ល្អ លោក 10:52 PM,
ខ្ញុំមានសំនួរមួយពីរសួរលោកឯង៖
តើមានជនស្បែកសឯណាដែលបានមកយកដីឬក៏តាំងទីលំនៅជាអចិន្ត្រៃយ៏នៅលើដីខ្មែរទេ អាលោកចុយម្រ៉ាយ? តើអាលោកចុយម្រ៉ាយ
ឯងដឹងថាមាន ពួកមេសំផឹង យួនកន្តបប៉ុន្មាន
ពាន់នាក់ទេដែលមករស់នៅលើដីខ្មែរនៅពេលដែល UNTAC ប្រតិបត្តិការនៅស្រុកខ្មែរ???
រង់ចាំចំលើយពីអាលោកចុយម្រ៉ាយឯងជានិច្ច៕
កុំយល់ច្រលំថាអញជា Dr. Lao Mong Hay អោយសោះណ៎ាអាឆ្កួតខ្ញុំកញ្ជះយួន!
អក
Ah jkout motherfucker (1:55,) stop playing dumb. You Nazi master had swallowed Cambodia for about 100 years and clean up most of the wealth from it. The only reason they left is because there is nothing left worthwhile for them here. Get the picture?
Yeah we got the picture of your Fawking Viet bitch prostitute mother still being fawked by the French, the American et al, yeah...that's what we got! get it 2:17AM?
If there is nothing left why the Viets are taking over Cambodia now, you mule 2:17AM? To finish Khmer off, you ass hole?
You idiot (2:37), without the Viet everyone in Cambodia will become extincted long ago.
Sihanouk has entered into the mud by Himself and have even brought a whole Nation of Cambodia into the Mud too. He should feel shame for all his own stupidity rather blaming other people for his own blind eyses. He should make apology to the Nation before his death for his stupidity.
He has been fouled by Vietcong then by Pol Pot and is now by Hun Sen. He is too scared with academic people. Only animal like him who are still glorifying his half death brain. Areak Prey
Well, the freaking Viet planned and interfered with Khmer's affairs for centuries...Had they ever stopped??? And now this mule 4:36 AM thinks (if he had a single brain cell to even think that is) that the freaking Viet saved Khmer....Read my lips you mule..you freaking Viet ain't saved nobody but kill. The freaking Viet killed the Americans when the Americans were there to help and to this day, the freaking Viet still kills Khmer openly and/or otherwise through that HUN SEN slave of yours. Don't you mule ever dream that I, for once, will ever be persuaded to see the freaking Viet other than being the Killer whether it be with or without the collaboration of those stupid Khmer leaders such as ah freaking Sihanouk.... Got that you mule 4:36AM? Take my words and tell it to you Viet Bitch prostitute mother, okay?
1:52pm, you seem to be very bitter with Dr.Lao. did you ever have any personal problems with him? I think Dr. Lao is a very respectable man, but from what I've read in your comment you are not.
go for ever...what u have done for khmer....
4:36Am, I think you make a big mistake by thinking that Vietnam rescued Khmers. Have you ever thought that bad deeds will breed its evil results? It was Pol Pot and his cliques' own bad acts that punished themselves. In Spring 1978 Pol Pot, thinking one Khmer Rouge soldier could kill 40 Yuons, sent his troops to massacre hundreds of Yuons at Ha Tien. That made Yuons planned a revenge, but before their invasion of Cambodia, the smart Yuons'leaders recruited some dumb recently escaped Khmer Rouge like Hun Sen, Heng Samrin, Pen Sovann, Say Phouthang, Chea Sim, and many more to be the figurehead of (they called it) the Rescuing Movement. They used these dumb Khmers as their instrument to fool the world from accusing Vietnam of invasion of Cambodia. There no need for you to thank the invaders if you are one of the decent Khmer.
In appreciation of all comments above, I'd like to quote the following remark by an English philosopher, Alfred North Whitehead, a remark which Pol Pot proved very correct - at least in Cambodia:
"In the conditions of modern life the rule is absolute, the race which does not value trained intelligence is doomed."
LAO Mong Hay, Hong Hong
All in all Cambodia was probably much better under French. Who cares when we can have Paris in Phnom Pehn? It just seems so much better than under all Mr. Sneaha Cheats whatever and whatever. 2 millions dead and gone and still miserable. Extremely sick and tire of the ding dong dang.
Oh plzzz..., Dr Lao, enough with the western stupid quote.
To 8:41,
I posted this comment because I have the capacity to judge quality.
I respect Mr. Keng Vannsak as an inventor.
I spent 5 years from 1985-90 creating a new Khmer keyboard layout for the computer. It is fast and reliable. Commonly used Khmer letters are placed for the stronger fingers and typed in alternating left-right quadrants for speed.
In 1868, Christopher Latham Sholes invented the "qwerty" keyboard. The keyboard was badly designed with the common letter "A" placed at the pinky finger instead of the stronger finger like the index finger and so on. There were many attempts to redesign the keyboard by others but the "qwerty" was already widely used and hard to change.
As an example, invented products have wide range of qualities comparing a Hyundai made by Korea vs. a Toyota by Japan. Of course Toyota is known for its enduring quality.
Secondly, I strongly opposed Mr. Keng Vannsak's theory about Cambodian history...however, I appreciate his intellectual analogy.
From Chinese chronicles, King Jayavarman VII was a great king. He was of Khmer origin, not Cham. He visited Java, Indonesia sometime during his reign and brought back to Cambodia such words like "Kampong"--a water front village and "Barbar"--rice soup. Keng Vannsak claimed that King Jayavarman ceded portion of Khmer land--Sukhothai to the Siamese around 1220. Based on our history, Sukhotai was part of the Khmer empire until 1238, when two Thai chieftains, Pho Khun Pha Muang and Pho Khun Bang Klang Hao, declared their independence and established a Thai-ruled kingdom. Pho Khun Bang Klang Hao later became the first king of Sukhotai, calling himself Pho Khun Si Indrathit (or Intradit). This event traditionally marks the founding of the modern Thai nation, although other less well-known Thai kingdoms, such as Lanna, Phayao and Chiang Saen, were established around the same time. Our king never ceded land to Siam. We lost it through war.
King Jayavarman(1125 - 1215) built many grand monuments such as Ta Prohm, Preah Khan, Bayon and Neak Pean. He led many series of attacks against the Chams in 1177 and again in 1178. This proved that he was definitely not of Cham blood as mentioned by Keng Vannsak.
According to KVS, The disfigure of Jayavarman statues throughout Cambodia during ancient times was committed by Khmers. This was because the Khmer people resented the King's forced labor imposed upon them. KVS also said that Jayavarman statues in Laos were mostly in good conditions no missing arms. This theory, I adamantly disagree, our chroncles mentioned that the Siamese's attack on Angkor in 1431 damaged King Jayavarman's statues throughout Cambodia.
I respect KVS as a scholar of Khmer literature and he should be posthumously honored. As for as his theory on Khmer history, I believe he is out of line from the truth. We Khmers should be proud of our heritage, history and culture. Nowhere in Southeast Asia as famous as our great Khmer Empire.
To 1:55AM (aka Lao Mong Hay),
I see that you're resorting to puerile name-calling when you're not posting as "Dr. Lao Mong Hay". This is very telling of your true character, or lack thereof.
While your white masters may not be occupying my beloved homeland, Cambodia, they did leave in a rubble of destruction after bombing us into oblivion. There is nothing left in my homeland for them to take. My homeland has become a dump site for their criminals and pedophiles. Old white men come to preach about human rights and democracy while helping themselves to young Khmer virgins and even little kids.
Who has more influence on Khmers, the Yuons or the Westerners? Have you noticed that all the signs on building in Cambodia are all in English? I haven't seen any signs in Vietnamese or Thai. Our people have been turned into slaves for Westerners. People like you are worshiping white people's shit without even realizing it.
As for the Yuon prostitutes during UNTAC, do you think they would be here if UNTAC didn't enter Cambodia? UNTAC did nothing to bring peace to Cambodia. They did bring AIDS that has killed hundreds of thousands of Khmers and will be killing hundreds of thousands more.
You cannot condone the mass murder of your own people (courtesy of your masters, the Americans) and claim to love your country. It just shows that you're self-serving just like those whom you accuse of destroying Cambodia.
Ah Scam Rainxy will be next!
3:34PM
I can sense your stupid extreme mentality like your father, your mother and your shrimp brain leader like Hun Sen.
Why we have to divide or separate the West and East, Khmers oversea and Khmers inside Cambodia? It is necessary for you to repeat this discriminative rhetoric again and again? Or it is just your task to serve Yuon Hanoi?
For the young Khmer generation, the best way is to blend all good ingredients together to pursue sustainable development in Cambodia and to free this country from all those imperialistic and expansionism countries.
Vietnam expansionist has never given their ambition to dominate Cambodia...do you know this Idiot?
Hey "Dumb ass" 3:34 PM. I even wrote my initial there in Khmer. If you are so dumb not to be able to figure out who's who, do not go around carelessly making assumption and blindly pointing finger at people. Is that clear enough for you now, you clumsy klutz??? It's bad enough that your master, the infamous Viet slave known as HUN SEN can't see well with his one eye, but you I mean you, you're not even khmer because you cannot read what I wrote there in khmer...Again read on below:
ខ្ញុំសង្ឃឹមថា អាចុយម្រ៉ាយ ៣៣៤ ឯង យល់ថា គេចង់និយាយថាម៉េចហើយ ហើយឈប់ធ្វើខ្ញុំកញ្ជះ យួន ដឹងខ្លួនបែរមកធ្វើការបំរើជាតិខ្មែរ៕
My apology to Dr. Lao Mong Hay on behalf of this clumsy klutz for him (3:34 PM) being such a dumb ass
Have a pleasant one!
អក
7:57PM - I know you're an alter-ego of "Dr. Lao Mong Hay" from your blind submission to your white masters. It's no use for you to continue masquerading and deny your true identity.
Yes, I can read Khmer. But unlike the Khmer servants of the Westerners, I will not stoop so low as to call you "Ah joi m'rai".
I studied in Hanoi for 8 years and have earned my Ph.D. there. Unlike the Western-educated Ph.D. at least I don't resort to thinly-veiled disguises and classless name-calling.
And yes, I am a supporter of Samdech Hun Sen but not a Yuon slave as you called me.
8:54PM
Your attitude of looking down the West and praising the East is very fit to your political identity of supporting Hun Sen. With this premise, it is correctly that you are supporting all Hun Sen's strategies including shrimp brain political leadership and puppetic behavior to Hanoi.
Thank you very much, Ream Chhbong. History will not forget you.
Rest in peace and please help direct our people to love and protect Khmers.
Follow the link above to listen to Ken Vannsak's interviews about the difference between Yuon and Vietnam.
Well 8:54 PM,
A doctorate like you that shows no sign of intelligence?
I rest my case. Have a nice life!
អក
8:54PM/អក/Lao Mong Hay-
I don't know where you received your Ph.D., but one of prerequisite this highest scholastic milestone is the ability to corroborate your assertions with facts, logic and reasoning.
Your "Ph.D." is not a license to make one-way proclamations with the expectation that others will follow sheepishly. Rather, it's an indication of your supposed preparedness to answer charges leveled against your scholastic conclusions.
I'm sorry to inform you that you have failed miserably in this department, my friend.
By the way, I will put my Hanoi Ph.D. up against any Western-educated Ph.D. America, France, UK, it doesn't matter...bring it on, bitches!
4.36am.If I were you, I would say the same b/c you're from that viet dicks yourself. you're mother don'
t even remember whose conception was you???????
Don't worry about AIDS; the Hanoi PhD will find the best doctors in the world to cure it easily. Just keep fking and fking and fking.
. . . and if you cannot find one, take Vang SreyNo; she's very best at sucking!
I don't like those who strongly criticize our Hun Sen. Hun Sen is our people's choice and he will always be the greatest one. He's not stupid like our kings or Lonnol or Pol Pot. You guys live the the States and gradually became American. Why you always imaging silly things? Why you always afraid of the Vietnamese? Grow up, young men!
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