 |
| Cartoons by Sacrava (on the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com) |
Showing posts with label CPP's celebration of 07 January anniversary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CPP's celebration of 07 January anniversary. Show all posts
Friday, January 06, 2012
Sacrava's Political Cartoon: Pram Pi Makara (07 January)
Friday, January 08, 2010
Hochimonks celebrating communist Vietnam's invasion of Cambodia
First row: Hochimonk Tep Vong (L) and Hochimonk Non Nget (R)Cambodian Buddhist patriarchs sit during a ceremony, marking the downfall of Khmer Rouge in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Thursday, Jan. 7, 2010. A Cambodian official warned a U.N.-backed genocide tribunal on Thursday not to interfere in the country's internal affairs as the Southeast Asian nation marked the overthrow of the brutal Khmer Rouge regime 31 years ago. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
Eni Faleomavaega: Purposely ignorant or really simpleminded?
From left to right: US Congressmen Joseph Cao, Eni Faleomaveaga and Mike Honda. Mr. Eni Faleomavaega was the only US congressman who celebrated 07 January, the day of Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia, with the CPP. The other two congressmen decided to pay a visit to the Choeung Ek killing field memorial instead. Mr. Faleomavaega claimed that he was only paying attention to the toppling of the Khmer Rouge regime. Could it be possible that the congressman from American Samoa be really simpleminded or was he ignorant on purpose to the fact that he was actually sharing the podium with former KR commanders? (Photo: Sok Serey, RFA)One US Congressman joins the 07 January celebration
07 January 2009
By Sok Serey
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Komping Puoy
Click here to read the article in Khmer
One US congressman among three of them who concluded their short visit to Cambodia on 07 January, indicated that he decided to join the CPP’s commemoration of the 31st anniversary of the 07 January 1979 victory only to commemorate the toppling of the Khmer Rouge genocidal regime only (sic!).
The KR regime has been blamed by both the national and international community for the killing of almost 2 million Cambodians between 1975 and 1979 through torture, forced labor and starvation.
On Thursday, Congressman Eni Faleomavaega (D-American Samoa), one of the three congressmen who just concluded his visit to Cambodia, said at a press conference held at the Phnom Penh International airport that: “What I pay attention to on 07 January is the toppling of the Pol Pot regime, following the cruel killing and torture of almost 2 million people. This action should not take place again against innocent people.”
Ouch Borith, secretary of state of the Cambodian ministry of Foreign Affairs, who was also present during the press conference, said: “It was the 2nd birthday for all of us. All our people have clearly indicated that they join this celebration to welcome the toppling of the genocidal Pol Pot Khmer Rouge regime.”
The presence of the US congressman at the 31st anniversary of the 07 January victory of the CPP takes place also on a day that a number of people consider as a day of Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia.
US Congressmen Mike Honda and Joseph Cao did not join the CPP celebration and they went to pay a visit to the Cheoung Ek killing field memorial on Thursday instead.
SRP spokesman and MP Yim Sovann indicated in reaction that: “They commemorate past history, however, they should also review the current situation also.”
Yim Sovann said: “Human rights violation, curtailing the people’s freedom rights, killing of journalists, jailing of victimized farmers who lost their lands, these are experiences that we must remember. He [Eni Faleomavaega] should help provide advice so that the violations above would not take place anymore in the Cambodian society.”
The KR regime has been blamed by both the national and international community for the killing of almost 2 million Cambodians between 1975 and 1979 through torture, forced labor and starvation.
On Thursday, Congressman Eni Faleomavaega (D-American Samoa), one of the three congressmen who just concluded his visit to Cambodia, said at a press conference held at the Phnom Penh International airport that: “What I pay attention to on 07 January is the toppling of the Pol Pot regime, following the cruel killing and torture of almost 2 million people. This action should not take place again against innocent people.”
Ouch Borith, secretary of state of the Cambodian ministry of Foreign Affairs, who was also present during the press conference, said: “It was the 2nd birthday for all of us. All our people have clearly indicated that they join this celebration to welcome the toppling of the genocidal Pol Pot Khmer Rouge regime.”
The presence of the US congressman at the 31st anniversary of the 07 January victory of the CPP takes place also on a day that a number of people consider as a day of Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia.
US Congressmen Mike Honda and Joseph Cao did not join the CPP celebration and they went to pay a visit to the Cheoung Ek killing field memorial on Thursday instead.
SRP spokesman and MP Yim Sovann indicated in reaction that: “They commemorate past history, however, they should also review the current situation also.”
Yim Sovann said: “Human rights violation, curtailing the people’s freedom rights, killing of journalists, jailing of victimized farmers who lost their lands, these are experiences that we must remember. He [Eni Faleomavaega] should help provide advice so that the violations above would not take place anymore in the Cambodian society.”
The 31st anniversary of Cambodian division?
Anniversary Marks Division Among Cambodians
By Heng Reaksmey and Kong Sothanarith
Original report from Phnom Penh
07 January 2010
By Heng Reaksmey and Kong Sothanarith
Original report from Phnom Penh
07 January 2010
January 7 has become a contentious date in Cambodia. On the one hand, it marks the beginning of the end of the Khmer Rouge, who were ousted on the date in 1979 by Vietnamese forces and Cambodian defectors of the regime.
The ruling party marks the day as the beginning of victory over the regime and of peace that was formalized in accords in 1991. Opposition members and others say the day should be remembered as the beginning of a decade-long Vietnamese occupation, and not of liberation.
Cambodian People’s Party officials gathered at their headquarters Thursday morning to mark what they term “Victory Over Genocide Day.”
Chea Sim, who is the president of the CPP and of the Senate, told those assembled that the 31st anniversary marked a day that “saved our nation and people from the genocide disaster” of the Khmer Rouge.
Since the defeat of the Khmer Rogue, “our nation has ceased a time in history that is full of internal conflicts, wars, tragedy and the state of being underrated,” he said. “We have got out of this darkness, which actually gave us valuable lessons and experiences.”
The ruling party supports the Khmer Rouge tribunal, he said, “in trying crimes committed by senior leaders of the Democratic Kampuchea regime.” However, he said the party opposed “attempts for using [the court] for ill intention with impact on peace, national reconciliation and development, which have been our hard-won achievements.”
Thach Setha, a top official of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, said Jan. 7 simply “marks the invasion of Vietnamese troops.”
Historically, he said, the Khmer Rogue would not have succeeded without the Vietnamese communists, which initially supported the dissidents that would form the regime.
“If the Vietnamese communist party did not create the Cambodian communist party, there would not have been mass killing in Cambodia,” he said. “They played a double role. That means they killed and they saved after.”
The day that brought real development to Cambodia, he said, was Oct. 23, 1991, the date of the Paris Peace Accords.
Kek Galabru, president of the rights group Licadho, said Jan. 7, 1979, the liberation of Cambodia, was “a fact,” and the peace accords that came much later also brought development. “Leave it to the Cambodian people to judge the events,” she said.
The ruling party marks the day as the beginning of victory over the regime and of peace that was formalized in accords in 1991. Opposition members and others say the day should be remembered as the beginning of a decade-long Vietnamese occupation, and not of liberation.
Cambodian People’s Party officials gathered at their headquarters Thursday morning to mark what they term “Victory Over Genocide Day.”
Chea Sim, who is the president of the CPP and of the Senate, told those assembled that the 31st anniversary marked a day that “saved our nation and people from the genocide disaster” of the Khmer Rouge.
Since the defeat of the Khmer Rogue, “our nation has ceased a time in history that is full of internal conflicts, wars, tragedy and the state of being underrated,” he said. “We have got out of this darkness, which actually gave us valuable lessons and experiences.”
The ruling party supports the Khmer Rouge tribunal, he said, “in trying crimes committed by senior leaders of the Democratic Kampuchea regime.” However, he said the party opposed “attempts for using [the court] for ill intention with impact on peace, national reconciliation and development, which have been our hard-won achievements.”
Thach Setha, a top official of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, said Jan. 7 simply “marks the invasion of Vietnamese troops.”
Historically, he said, the Khmer Rogue would not have succeeded without the Vietnamese communists, which initially supported the dissidents that would form the regime.
“If the Vietnamese communist party did not create the Cambodian communist party, there would not have been mass killing in Cambodia,” he said. “They played a double role. That means they killed and they saved after.”
The day that brought real development to Cambodia, he said, was Oct. 23, 1991, the date of the Paris Peace Accords.
Kek Galabru, president of the rights group Licadho, said Jan. 7, 1979, the liberation of Cambodia, was “a fact,” and the peace accords that came much later also brought development. “Leave it to the Cambodian people to judge the events,” she said.
Thursday, January 07, 2010
The delusions of the January 7 debate
A propoganda poster from the Khmer Rouge era calling for solidarity between the citizens of Cambodia and Vietnam.Thursday, 07 January 2010
Sophan Seng
Letter to The Phnom Penh Post
Dear Editor,
Your article “PM blasts January 7 detractors” (January 5) didn’t demonstrate anything new for Cambodian politics. Leaders have always pronounced strong political rhetoric to create a clear dichotomy of pro- and anti-groups when this day has arrived. In reality, the government has consolidated full power to exercise over everything, including whether to celebrate this day or not celebrate. The current political environment in Cambodia has not given any clue of the possible threat to the stability of government at all. But why every year, when January 7 arrives, is there a flowering of incidents and controversial public speech in Cambodia?
The answers might be diverse. But I am impressed by the Khmer proverb which states: Veay tiek bong-erl trey, or, “to stir the water to see the fish clearly”. It has been 31 years since Vietnamese troops encroached on Cambodia’s borderlands, accompanied by Khmer Rouge defectors, to topple the Khmer Rouge regime of Pol Pot. The argument since has been endless. Vietnamese troops are presented in Cambodia as either liberators, or invaders, or both. In the past decades, the two debaters carried guns and ammunitions to fight against each other, at least between the Khmer nationalists based along the border and the Khmer troops based in Phnom Penh, and backed by a hundred thousand Vietnamese troops. But after the Paris Peace Accords of 1991 and the subsequent power consolidation of the Cambodian People’s Party, the debate remains only on lips and tongues.
Hence both guns fighting and lips quarreling have significantly divided Khmer society. It has shown division over unity, disadvantage rather than advantage, and myopia rather than long-sightedness. The more we hate the past atrocities of the Khmer Rouge, the more shameful we are as the same Khmer. The more we praise foreign intervention, the more we lose national identity to those foreigners. Thus, what inputs should we welcome and what outcome should we expect? Can Cambodian people come to a joint beneficial solution to this disgraceful quarrel?
Of course, from these 31 years, Cambodian people both old and young have focused on their living standards, schooling and future cultivation. The past has become a good lesson for them. The Khmer Rouge regime will never come back again for sure. The trial of the Khmer Rouge is going on to respectively bring national reconciliation and the healing of trauma. All Cambodian parties and individuals have to join this trial and be courageous to show up at the courtroom as the primary witnesses if you really need the genuine outcome of justice. Cambodian people have to look forward to determine the broader interests of the nation. They should not entrap themselves in a “quid pro quo” of this delusional date, January 7. Take Germany as an example: They have never taken as a big deal or celebrated the day the Allied Forces, led by the United States, liberated them from Hitler’s brutal Nazi regime. That tragic past and the liberation of the Allies has been buried deeply in Germany.
Sophan Seng
University of Hawaii at Manoa
United States
Your article “PM blasts January 7 detractors” (January 5) didn’t demonstrate anything new for Cambodian politics. Leaders have always pronounced strong political rhetoric to create a clear dichotomy of pro- and anti-groups when this day has arrived. In reality, the government has consolidated full power to exercise over everything, including whether to celebrate this day or not celebrate. The current political environment in Cambodia has not given any clue of the possible threat to the stability of government at all. But why every year, when January 7 arrives, is there a flowering of incidents and controversial public speech in Cambodia?
The answers might be diverse. But I am impressed by the Khmer proverb which states: Veay tiek bong-erl trey, or, “to stir the water to see the fish clearly”. It has been 31 years since Vietnamese troops encroached on Cambodia’s borderlands, accompanied by Khmer Rouge defectors, to topple the Khmer Rouge regime of Pol Pot. The argument since has been endless. Vietnamese troops are presented in Cambodia as either liberators, or invaders, or both. In the past decades, the two debaters carried guns and ammunitions to fight against each other, at least between the Khmer nationalists based along the border and the Khmer troops based in Phnom Penh, and backed by a hundred thousand Vietnamese troops. But after the Paris Peace Accords of 1991 and the subsequent power consolidation of the Cambodian People’s Party, the debate remains only on lips and tongues.
Hence both guns fighting and lips quarreling have significantly divided Khmer society. It has shown division over unity, disadvantage rather than advantage, and myopia rather than long-sightedness. The more we hate the past atrocities of the Khmer Rouge, the more shameful we are as the same Khmer. The more we praise foreign intervention, the more we lose national identity to those foreigners. Thus, what inputs should we welcome and what outcome should we expect? Can Cambodian people come to a joint beneficial solution to this disgraceful quarrel?
Of course, from these 31 years, Cambodian people both old and young have focused on their living standards, schooling and future cultivation. The past has become a good lesson for them. The Khmer Rouge regime will never come back again for sure. The trial of the Khmer Rouge is going on to respectively bring national reconciliation and the healing of trauma. All Cambodian parties and individuals have to join this trial and be courageous to show up at the courtroom as the primary witnesses if you really need the genuine outcome of justice. Cambodian people have to look forward to determine the broader interests of the nation. They should not entrap themselves in a “quid pro quo” of this delusional date, January 7. Take Germany as an example: They have never taken as a big deal or celebrated the day the Allied Forces, led by the United States, liberated them from Hitler’s brutal Nazi regime. That tragic past and the liberation of the Allies has been buried deeply in Germany.
Sophan Seng
University of Hawaii at Manoa
United States
Cracking down on Cambodians to serve Hanoi's interest: Hun Xen's true nature?
Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen at Phnom Penh international airport November 8, 2009. Cambodia marked the 31st anniversary of the fall of the murderous Khmer Rouge regime on Thursday in celebrations clouded by the threat of a crackdown on opponents of long-serving Prime Minister Hun Sen. (REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea/Files)Cambodia marks liberation under cloud of crackdown
Thu Jan 7, 2010
By Prak Chan Thul
PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Cambodia marked the 31st anniversary of the fall of the murderous Khmer Rouge regime on Thursday in celebrations clouded by the threat of a crackdown on opponents of long-serving Prime Minister Hun Sen.
Before the festivities, attended by thousands of people in the capital Phnom Penh, the premier vowed to arrest anyone seen handing out leaflets opposing his rule, the latest in what rights groups say is a growing campaign to silence dissent.
Hun Sen's warning to his critics, who say the government is abusing its power to crush all forms of political opposition, came five days after a court issued an arrest warrant for main opposition leader Sam Rainsy.
The crackdown coincides with trouble in one of Southeast Asia's most impoverished economies after an unprecedented boom which saw economic production expand 10 percent annually in the five years up to 2008. Since then, foreign investment has collapsed, tourist arrivals have plummeted and construction has stalled.
Data this week showed about 30,000 workers in the garment industry, a mainstay of the economy, lost their jobs last year as exports to the United States shrank.
Opposition lawmaker Mu Sochua, sued by Hun Sen in July after she accused him of defamation, on Thursday called on the public to resist what she said were intimidation tactics by authorities. "We must still continue to express opinions, not back down because of threats," she said. "We must give a clear message that we can't accept the closure of free expression."
ARREST THREAT
Hun Sen on Tuesday announced the threat to arrest anyone handing out leaflets that express opposition to him or his policies. He said he had seen some such leaflets that were printed in neighbouring Thailand for distribution in Cambodia.
"Leaflet distributors be careful, I will arrest," he said.
He also rejected claims he had been using the courts to intimidate his opponents and warned Rainsy to "be prepared" to go to prison, adding that his long-time political rival, who is now in exile in Europe, would not be pardoned.
The threat appeared effective. No opposition leaflets appeared during Thursday's celebrations marking an invasion by Vietnamese forces in 1979 that toppled the ultra-Maoist Khmer Rouge, blamed for the deaths of 1.7 million people.
The National Assembly, dominated by the ruling Cambodia People's Party, passed legislation last year outlawing protests of more than 200 people and tightening existing defamation laws in what opponents said were measures to prevent criticism and keep rival politicians in check.
Risk analysts say despite corruption and concerns over human rights and judicial interference, Cambodia's political and economic stability should remain intact in the foreseeable future, with little threat to the government's grip on power.
South Korea and China, the country's biggest sources of investment, signed agreements late last year to pour more money into Cambodia, which will open its first stock exchange later this year as part of a $2 billion project to build a new financial centre.
Rainsy, who heads a party named after him, is accused of causing criminal damage after uprooting several border demarcation posts to appease farmers.
(Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Jason Szep)
Before the festivities, attended by thousands of people in the capital Phnom Penh, the premier vowed to arrest anyone seen handing out leaflets opposing his rule, the latest in what rights groups say is a growing campaign to silence dissent.
Hun Sen's warning to his critics, who say the government is abusing its power to crush all forms of political opposition, came five days after a court issued an arrest warrant for main opposition leader Sam Rainsy.
The crackdown coincides with trouble in one of Southeast Asia's most impoverished economies after an unprecedented boom which saw economic production expand 10 percent annually in the five years up to 2008. Since then, foreign investment has collapsed, tourist arrivals have plummeted and construction has stalled.
Data this week showed about 30,000 workers in the garment industry, a mainstay of the economy, lost their jobs last year as exports to the United States shrank.
Opposition lawmaker Mu Sochua, sued by Hun Sen in July after she accused him of defamation, on Thursday called on the public to resist what she said were intimidation tactics by authorities. "We must still continue to express opinions, not back down because of threats," she said. "We must give a clear message that we can't accept the closure of free expression."
ARREST THREAT
Hun Sen on Tuesday announced the threat to arrest anyone handing out leaflets that express opposition to him or his policies. He said he had seen some such leaflets that were printed in neighbouring Thailand for distribution in Cambodia.
"Leaflet distributors be careful, I will arrest," he said.
He also rejected claims he had been using the courts to intimidate his opponents and warned Rainsy to "be prepared" to go to prison, adding that his long-time political rival, who is now in exile in Europe, would not be pardoned.
The threat appeared effective. No opposition leaflets appeared during Thursday's celebrations marking an invasion by Vietnamese forces in 1979 that toppled the ultra-Maoist Khmer Rouge, blamed for the deaths of 1.7 million people.
The National Assembly, dominated by the ruling Cambodia People's Party, passed legislation last year outlawing protests of more than 200 people and tightening existing defamation laws in what opponents said were measures to prevent criticism and keep rival politicians in check.
Risk analysts say despite corruption and concerns over human rights and judicial interference, Cambodia's political and economic stability should remain intact in the foreseeable future, with little threat to the government's grip on power.
South Korea and China, the country's biggest sources of investment, signed agreements late last year to pour more money into Cambodia, which will open its first stock exchange later this year as part of a $2 billion project to build a new financial centre.
Rainsy, who heads a party named after him, is accused of causing criminal damage after uprooting several border demarcation posts to appease farmers.
(Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Jason Szep)
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
07 January paroxysm
Hun Sen threatens to arrest those who distribute leaflets looking down on 07 JanuaryTuesday, January 05, 2009
DAP news
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Kandal – On 05 January 010, prime minister Hun Xen used stern warning and threatened to arrest all groups of people who plan to distribute leaflets that look down on 07 January, a date that the CPP government will commemorate in the upcoming 2 days.
During an inauguration for a second section of National Road No. 1, and the opening of the repair of the 3rd section of this same road in Kien Svay district, Kandal province, Hun Xen indicated that he already knows the identity of the groups that plan to distribute these leaflets looking down on 07 January already. He said that he will order for an immediate arrest if such action takes place, because looking down on 07 January is looking down on him personally and also looking down on the entire CPP.
Hun Xen said that these leaflets were printed in Thailand and sent to Cambodia for distribution.
It should be noted that, yesterday, Hun Xen criticized and called groups of people who do not recognize 07 January as being worst than beast. Hun Xen’s claim on Tuesady is taking place 2 days prior to the 31st anniversary of 07 January, the date Pol Pot’s regime was toppled (and Cambodia became a Vietnamese colony).
During an inauguration for a second section of National Road No. 1, and the opening of the repair of the 3rd section of this same road in Kien Svay district, Kandal province, Hun Xen indicated that he already knows the identity of the groups that plan to distribute these leaflets looking down on 07 January already. He said that he will order for an immediate arrest if such action takes place, because looking down on 07 January is looking down on him personally and also looking down on the entire CPP.
Hun Xen said that these leaflets were printed in Thailand and sent to Cambodia for distribution.
It should be noted that, yesterday, Hun Xen criticized and called groups of people who do not recognize 07 January as being worst than beast. Hun Xen’s claim on Tuesady is taking place 2 days prior to the 31st anniversary of 07 January, the date Pol Pot’s regime was toppled (and Cambodia became a Vietnamese colony).
Friday, January 16, 2009
Cambodian politics slipping backwards
Friday, 16 January 2009
Written by Sophan Seng
Letter to The Phnom Penh Post
Written by Sophan Seng
Letter to The Phnom Penh Post
Dear Editor,
Contemporary Cambodian politics has showcased its backwards development while the world is swiftly moving forward. The current Cambodian government has firmly maintained its grip on power while the main opposition parties, such as Funcinpec, have gradually disappeared, and Sam Rainsy's party has slowly upgraded its strength to fully compete with the Cambodian People's Party.
The imbalance of power and the lack of strong opposition will leave a greater distance in power and lead to the destruction of Cambodian democracy.
Nevertheless, the incumbent political party has fearlessly turned Cambodia into any shape it desires - for instance, their strong desire to celebrate January 7 Victory over Genocide day, while ignoring October 23, 1991, the day on which the Paris Peace Agreements were signed.
Taking the historical record as evidence, the Paris Peace Agreement was the renaissance of Cambodian development in all fields such as politics and economics, as well as the social and legal status of Cambodia in the world arena. Many political parties agreed to end the war and to shoulder the responsibility of building Cambodia under the prospect of the rule of law.
A national constitution was born and foreign aid in-flows have been large and have not stopped flowing into Cambodia since then. The Paris Peace Agreement assures the sovereignty of Cambodia as a nation-state - as a modern nation-state that is fully operating in a democratic manner.
Cambodia's political development from an ancient empire to a current democratic nation-state has passed through significant political upheavals of anarchy, colonialism, communist destruction and foreign occupation.
After all of these changes, we see that the democratic nation-state created after the Paris Peace Agreement should help Cambodian politics to move forward.
However, the recent celebration of January 7 to denounce the Khmer Rouge and to pay gratitude to Vietnam for interfering in Cambodia's politics contradicts the strong position stipulated in the Cambodian constitution as well as the international recognition on October 23 to ensure Cambodia becomes a fully democratic nation-state.
This celebration is welcomed by the CPP's prominent leaders and their sympathisers, but it shows the backwardness of Cambodian politics.
Sophan Seng
PhD student in political science
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Contemporary Cambodian politics has showcased its backwards development while the world is swiftly moving forward. The current Cambodian government has firmly maintained its grip on power while the main opposition parties, such as Funcinpec, have gradually disappeared, and Sam Rainsy's party has slowly upgraded its strength to fully compete with the Cambodian People's Party.
The imbalance of power and the lack of strong opposition will leave a greater distance in power and lead to the destruction of Cambodian democracy.
Nevertheless, the incumbent political party has fearlessly turned Cambodia into any shape it desires - for instance, their strong desire to celebrate January 7 Victory over Genocide day, while ignoring October 23, 1991, the day on which the Paris Peace Agreements were signed.
Taking the historical record as evidence, the Paris Peace Agreement was the renaissance of Cambodian development in all fields such as politics and economics, as well as the social and legal status of Cambodia in the world arena. Many political parties agreed to end the war and to shoulder the responsibility of building Cambodia under the prospect of the rule of law.
A national constitution was born and foreign aid in-flows have been large and have not stopped flowing into Cambodia since then. The Paris Peace Agreement assures the sovereignty of Cambodia as a nation-state - as a modern nation-state that is fully operating in a democratic manner.
Cambodia's political development from an ancient empire to a current democratic nation-state has passed through significant political upheavals of anarchy, colonialism, communist destruction and foreign occupation.
After all of these changes, we see that the democratic nation-state created after the Paris Peace Agreement should help Cambodian politics to move forward.
However, the recent celebration of January 7 to denounce the Khmer Rouge and to pay gratitude to Vietnam for interfering in Cambodia's politics contradicts the strong position stipulated in the Cambodian constitution as well as the international recognition on October 23 to ensure Cambodia becomes a fully democratic nation-state.
This celebration is welcomed by the CPP's prominent leaders and their sympathisers, but it shows the backwardness of Cambodian politics.
Sophan Seng
PhD student in political science
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Hun Sen: Celebrating the 1991 Paris Peace Accords is meaningless
12 Jan 2009
KI-Media
On Saturday 10 January 2008, at a bridge inauguration in Pursat, Hun Sen announced that celebrating the anniversary of the 23 October 1991 Paris Peace Accords on Cambodia cannot be done as Cambodia has too many holidays already. While several opposition parties have requested the celebration of this event rather than the celebration of 07 January, Hun Sen was quoted by The Cambodia Daily as saying: “People want to celebrate 23 October, but I said that it is meaningless.” Claiming that Cambodia has too many holidays already (currently there are 25 national holydays in Cambodia), Hun Sen claimed that investors will not come to Cambodia if there are too many holidays. Hun Sen also indicated that when the opposition parties lead the government then they can do away with the 07 January celebration. Opposition leader Sam Rainsy said that Hun Sen refuses to mark the Paris Peace Accords anniversary because the CPP lost the 1993 national election which resulted from the Paris Peace Accords.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Sacrava's Political Cartoon: The 3 Monkeys of January 7th
Click on the cartoon to zoom inCartoon by Sacrava (on the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)
One arrested in Cambodian bomb plot
PHNOM PENH, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- One of the two suspects wanted in connection with Friday's foiled bomb plot in downtown Phnom Penh has been arrested, English-language daily newspaper the Phnom Penh Post on Thursday quoted a minister as saying.
The police detained the suspect following a detailed probe, said government spokesman and Information Minister Khieu Kanharith, while declining to give the identity and further information on basis of confidential consideration.
"We are collecting new information to arrest other suspects," he said.
The three explosive devices were found on Friday near the Ministry of National Defense and the TV3 headquarters, and later safely detonated without causing any damage and casualty.
According to the analysis of the bomb parts from the Cambodian Mine Action Center (CMAC), they were made from aerosol cans packed with TNT, would have been noisy, but not destructive and only of little danger to the public.
Right after the accident, Khieu Kanharith said that the suspects committed acts of terrorism, which had affected the social order and security.
The police detained the suspect following a detailed probe, said government spokesman and Information Minister Khieu Kanharith, while declining to give the identity and further information on basis of confidential consideration.
"We are collecting new information to arrest other suspects," he said.
The three explosive devices were found on Friday near the Ministry of National Defense and the TV3 headquarters, and later safely detonated without causing any damage and casualty.
According to the analysis of the bomb parts from the Cambodian Mine Action Center (CMAC), they were made from aerosol cans packed with TNT, would have been noisy, but not destructive and only of little danger to the public.
Right after the accident, Khieu Kanharith said that the suspects committed acts of terrorism, which had affected the social order and security.
"Jan. 7 marked an anniversary for an invasion by foreign troops. The true day of liberation came on Oct. 23, 1991": SRP MP Yim Sovann
Tens of Thousands Mark ‘Liberation’ Day
By Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
07 January 2009
By Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
07 January 2009
Around 40,000 Cambodians, many wearing white shirts emblazoned with the logo “7 January,” filled Phnom Penh’s Olympic Stadium to capacity Wednesday morning, celebrating the 30thanniversary of the overthrow of the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot.
Authorities from the provinces and the capital drove around the inside of the stadium’s football pitch, in a parade of floats encircling a formation of the armed forces, as supporters marched alongside and observers waved the flags of Cambodia and the ruling Cambodian People’s Party.
“The day of victory, Jan. 7, saved our country and our citizens on time,” Chea Sim, president of the CPP and the Senate, flanked by Prime Minister Hun Sen and National Assembly President Heng Samrin, announced to the crowd.
“We are thankful to the volunteer Vietnamese troops who died for the liberation of the Cambodian people from genocide,” Chea Sim said.
Cambodian forces, created from a resistance movement in Kratie province and supported by Vietnamese soldiers, took full control of Phnom Penh on Jan. 7, 1979, following a month of fighting the Khmer Rouge, ousting the regime of three years and eight months.
Wednesday’s celebration comes as a tribunal prepares to try five members of the Khmer Rouge, including Kaing Kek Iev, the chief of Tuol Sleng prison, whose trial is expected to begin early this year.
Chea Sim did not mention the tribunal or the jailed Khmer Rouge leaders in his remarks, in the only CPP speech of the day.
The “liberation” of Phnom Penh led to a decade of Vietnamese occupation and more years of civil war, as the Khmer Rouge retreated to jungle sanctuaries on the Thai border and fought Cambodian and Vietnamese soldiers.
The anniversary has become a contentious marker of Cambodian history. Hun Sen said in a speech Tuesday Jan. 7 represented the “truth of history” and lambasted critics of the anniversary.
Yim Sovann, a lawmaker for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, said Jan. 7 marked an anniversary for an invasion by foreign troops. The true day of liberation came on Oct. 23, 1991, he said, the day the Paris Peace Accords were signed.
Authorities from the provinces and the capital drove around the inside of the stadium’s football pitch, in a parade of floats encircling a formation of the armed forces, as supporters marched alongside and observers waved the flags of Cambodia and the ruling Cambodian People’s Party.
“The day of victory, Jan. 7, saved our country and our citizens on time,” Chea Sim, president of the CPP and the Senate, flanked by Prime Minister Hun Sen and National Assembly President Heng Samrin, announced to the crowd.
“We are thankful to the volunteer Vietnamese troops who died for the liberation of the Cambodian people from genocide,” Chea Sim said.
Cambodian forces, created from a resistance movement in Kratie province and supported by Vietnamese soldiers, took full control of Phnom Penh on Jan. 7, 1979, following a month of fighting the Khmer Rouge, ousting the regime of three years and eight months.
Wednesday’s celebration comes as a tribunal prepares to try five members of the Khmer Rouge, including Kaing Kek Iev, the chief of Tuol Sleng prison, whose trial is expected to begin early this year.
Chea Sim did not mention the tribunal or the jailed Khmer Rouge leaders in his remarks, in the only CPP speech of the day.
The “liberation” of Phnom Penh led to a decade of Vietnamese occupation and more years of civil war, as the Khmer Rouge retreated to jungle sanctuaries on the Thai border and fought Cambodian and Vietnamese soldiers.
The anniversary has become a contentious marker of Cambodian history. Hun Sen said in a speech Tuesday Jan. 7 represented the “truth of history” and lambasted critics of the anniversary.
Yim Sovann, a lawmaker for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, said Jan. 7 marked an anniversary for an invasion by foreign troops. The true day of liberation came on Oct. 23, 1991, he said, the day the Paris Peace Accords were signed.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
"The CPP sees the invasion as a liberation, but I want the European Community to realize that 7 January 1979 was a Vietnamese invasion": Kem Sokha
Cambodia marks 30th anniversary of ousting of Khmer Rouge
Wed, 07 Jan 2009
DPA
Wed, 07 Jan 2009
DPA
Phnom Penh - Cambodia on Wednesday marked 30 years since the downfall of the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime with a carefully choreographed stadium ceremony organized and dominated by the country's powerful ruling party. A crowd of more than 40,000 at Phnom Penh's Olympic Stadium cheered throughout the ceremony, which marked the 30th anniversary of the day Vietnamese-led forces invaded Cambodia and ended the Khmer Rouge's bloody four-year reign.
The president of the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP), Chea Sim, said during his speech the invasion "saved the nation, fatherland and people from the harsh regime of genocide."
"It is based on this victory that the Cambodian territory continues to exist and to last while the Cambodian people have survived and made progress up to the present as well for the future," he said.
The speech was followed by traditional Cambodian dancing and a parade featuring elaborate floats, school children, farmers and military marching bands.
Chey Som Bok, a farmer who lived under the Khmer Rouge and marched in the parade, described the anniversary as a great day for Cambodia.
"I remember what it was like living under the Khmer Rouge regime," he said. "They forced us all to work in the fields very hard and eat no food for days. That's why it makes me so happy to be here today."
King Norodom Sihamoni did not attend the event and none of the opposition political parties - some of which view January 7, 1979 as the beginning of Vietnam's 10-year occupation - participated in the proceedings.
Human Rights Party president Kem Sokha said he was "not interested" in the ceremony because the CPP did not want to fully represent what occurred after the 1979 invasion.
"The CPP sees the invasion as a liberation, but I want the European Community to realize that 7 January 1979 was a Vietnamese invasion. What happened today was purely political," he said
The CPP's insignia was prominent throughout the ceremony, appearing alongside the Cambodian flag on banners, on flags carried by marchers and even on balloons released by children at the ceremony's conclusion.
Up to two million people died through execution, starvation and exhaustion during the Khmer Rouge's rule between 1975 and 1979, as the ultra-communist group sought to transform Cambodian society into an agrarian socialist utopia.
Five former Khmer Rouge are currently facing trial for crimes against humanity before a UN-backed tribunal, but Chea Sim made no mention of the tribunal during his speech.
International human rights groups have criticized the Cambodian government for delays in bringing the leaders to trial and early this week the US-based Human Rights Watch accused Prime Minister Hun Sen of deliberately obstructing the tribunal process and thwarting efforts to have more former Khmer Rouge leaders arrested.
"No serious observer believes there is any threat to Cambodia's stability if additional cases are filed against alleged Khmer Rouge killers," Human Rights Watch Asia director Brad Adams said in a statement.
"On the 30th anniversary of the Khmer Rouge's fall from power, the Cambodian government is playing games. This is a transparently political attempt to stop the court from doing its work," Adams said.
A number of CPP leaders are former Khmer Rouge members who defected before joining the Vietnamese-led invasion.
The president of the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP), Chea Sim, said during his speech the invasion "saved the nation, fatherland and people from the harsh regime of genocide."
"It is based on this victory that the Cambodian territory continues to exist and to last while the Cambodian people have survived and made progress up to the present as well for the future," he said.
The speech was followed by traditional Cambodian dancing and a parade featuring elaborate floats, school children, farmers and military marching bands.
Chey Som Bok, a farmer who lived under the Khmer Rouge and marched in the parade, described the anniversary as a great day for Cambodia.
"I remember what it was like living under the Khmer Rouge regime," he said. "They forced us all to work in the fields very hard and eat no food for days. That's why it makes me so happy to be here today."
King Norodom Sihamoni did not attend the event and none of the opposition political parties - some of which view January 7, 1979 as the beginning of Vietnam's 10-year occupation - participated in the proceedings.
Human Rights Party president Kem Sokha said he was "not interested" in the ceremony because the CPP did not want to fully represent what occurred after the 1979 invasion.
"The CPP sees the invasion as a liberation, but I want the European Community to realize that 7 January 1979 was a Vietnamese invasion. What happened today was purely political," he said
The CPP's insignia was prominent throughout the ceremony, appearing alongside the Cambodian flag on banners, on flags carried by marchers and even on balloons released by children at the ceremony's conclusion.
Up to two million people died through execution, starvation and exhaustion during the Khmer Rouge's rule between 1975 and 1979, as the ultra-communist group sought to transform Cambodian society into an agrarian socialist utopia.
Five former Khmer Rouge are currently facing trial for crimes against humanity before a UN-backed tribunal, but Chea Sim made no mention of the tribunal during his speech.
International human rights groups have criticized the Cambodian government for delays in bringing the leaders to trial and early this week the US-based Human Rights Watch accused Prime Minister Hun Sen of deliberately obstructing the tribunal process and thwarting efforts to have more former Khmer Rouge leaders arrested.
"No serious observer believes there is any threat to Cambodia's stability if additional cases are filed against alleged Khmer Rouge killers," Human Rights Watch Asia director Brad Adams said in a statement.
"On the 30th anniversary of the Khmer Rouge's fall from power, the Cambodian government is playing games. This is a transparently political attempt to stop the court from doing its work," Adams said.
A number of CPP leaders are former Khmer Rouge members who defected before joining the Vietnamese-led invasion.
The January 7 celebrations in context
Wednesday, 07 January 2009
Letter to The Phnom Penh Post
By Sophan Seng
Dear Editor,
Letter to The Phnom Penh Post
By Sophan Seng
Dear Editor,
It is a great privilege for me to write something about how the day of January 7 simply reflects the thought of a Cambodian. Of course, January 7 is still an ongoing controversial day. Some people see it as the day of foreign occupation over Cambodian sovereignty, but others see this day as their second life when Vietnamese troops toppled the Khmer Rouge regime.
However, to celebrate this day is not significantly representing Cambodians as the whole nation. It is only celebrated by the Cambodian People's Party, which has been in power since the day of January 7, 1979.
In the past, the celebration of January 7 was likely to honour the victory over the Khmer Rouge regime and aimed to condemn, to ban the Khmer Rouge and make it impossible for them to control the country again, and, legally, to sentence them to death in absentia.
But in this year, the theme of the celebration after its 30 years in power, according to the news, is that the CPP will focus on increasing the awareness of sovereignty protection, economic development and leading Cambodia to enjoy a further level of advancement.
Hence, the January 7 day has significantly belonged to the CPP. It has not been generally accepted by the Cambodian people. Whatever theme each celebration expects to achieve, those themes still belong to the CPP, and it is truly reminding Cambodian people of the brutality, the foreign invasion and the nonstop division among Cambodian nationals.
I understand that the CPP holds this day as very important for their internal bond and achievement of pride, particularly the victory during each national election. This day might not work any longer to recall the brutality of the Khmer Rouge because by doing so, it might not be smart to pursue national unity, long-sighted leadership, national reconciliation and an advance of Cambodia to further achievement in the age of globalisation.
Sophan Seng
PhD student in political science
University of Hawaii at Manoa
However, to celebrate this day is not significantly representing Cambodians as the whole nation. It is only celebrated by the Cambodian People's Party, which has been in power since the day of January 7, 1979.
In the past, the celebration of January 7 was likely to honour the victory over the Khmer Rouge regime and aimed to condemn, to ban the Khmer Rouge and make it impossible for them to control the country again, and, legally, to sentence them to death in absentia.
But in this year, the theme of the celebration after its 30 years in power, according to the news, is that the CPP will focus on increasing the awareness of sovereignty protection, economic development and leading Cambodia to enjoy a further level of advancement.
Hence, the January 7 day has significantly belonged to the CPP. It has not been generally accepted by the Cambodian people. Whatever theme each celebration expects to achieve, those themes still belong to the CPP, and it is truly reminding Cambodian people of the brutality, the foreign invasion and the nonstop division among Cambodian nationals.
I understand that the CPP holds this day as very important for their internal bond and achievement of pride, particularly the victory during each national election. This day might not work any longer to recall the brutality of the Khmer Rouge because by doing so, it might not be smart to pursue national unity, long-sighted leadership, national reconciliation and an advance of Cambodia to further achievement in the age of globalisation.
Sophan Seng
PhD student in political science
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Cambodians mark 30 years since fall of Pol Pot
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
By Ek Madra
By Ek Madra
PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Thousands of Cambodian survivors of the Khmer Rouge "Killing Fields" marked 30 years on Wednesday since the fall of Pol Pot's ultra-Maoist regime, blamed for the deaths of 1.7 million people.
Up to 80,000 people packed into the capital's Olympic stadium for a rally organized by the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP), descendant of the puppet government installed by Hanoi after its troops ousted Beijing-backed Pol Pot on January 7, 1979.
"We have always remembered those who sacrificed their lives to save us from genocide," aging CPP President and former guerrilla Chea Sim told the cheering crowd.
Despite international and domestic repugnance at the Khmer Rouge and their disastrous attempt to create an agrarian utopia, a significant minority of Cambodians mourn January 7 as the start of a 10-year occupation by their hated Vietnamese neighbors.
Political opponents of Prime Minister Hun Sen, a one-eyed former Khmer Rouge commander who has been in charge for the last 23 years, frequently label him a Vietnamese stooge, a charge he rebutted in typically blunt style this week.
"Whoever is against the day of victory is either Pol Pot or an animal," he told a crowd on Tuesday at the inauguration of a bridge south of Phnom Penh, a derelict ghost town in 1979 after four years under the Khmer Rouge.
Communist Vietnam also marked the anniversary, with official papers running a series of articles portraying the invasion as a mercy mission and the 10-year occupation as necessary to prevent a resurgence of the Khmer Rouge.
"Wherever our army went, it was welcomed by cheering and helpful Cambodian people," the Tin Tuc daily said.
With Cold War 'domino theory' occupying the minds of Western policy-makers, many in Washington took a very different view at the time, fearing Vietnam's march on Phnom Penh was a precursor to a wider assault on U.S. ally Thailand.
GUERRILLAS ON TRIAL
After fleeing into the jungle along the Thai border, the remnants of Pol Pot's black-shirted guerrilla army resisted the Vietnamese and Hun Sen until their final surrender in 1998, the same year the movement's 'Brother Number One' died.
Pol Pot's top surviving henchmen, all of them aging and infirm, are only now being brought to justice, although ordinary Cambodians are growing increasingly frustrated at the interminable delays to a joint Cambodian-United Nations tribunal.
"The spirits of my relatives will not be calm without prosecuting those killers," said Thay Srey Khon, who lost eight relatives under the regime.
The court admitted this week that Cambodia's prosecutor was blocking a bid by her international counterpart to go after more than the five top cadres now in custody on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Human rights groups said the admission confirmed long-held suspicions Hun Sen was manipulating the court to ensure it did not dig too deep, for fear it unearthed dark secrets about some of the senior Khmer Rouge figures inside his administration.
The government has denied any such attempt.
Those in custody are 'Brother Number Two' Nuon Chea, former President Khieu Samphan, former Foreign Minister Ieng Sary, his wife, Ieng Thirith, and Duch, head of Phnom Penh's Tuol Sleng, or the "S-21" interrogation and torture center.
They all face life in jail if convicted.
(Editing by Ed Cropley and Dean Yates)
Up to 80,000 people packed into the capital's Olympic stadium for a rally organized by the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP), descendant of the puppet government installed by Hanoi after its troops ousted Beijing-backed Pol Pot on January 7, 1979.
"We have always remembered those who sacrificed their lives to save us from genocide," aging CPP President and former guerrilla Chea Sim told the cheering crowd.
Despite international and domestic repugnance at the Khmer Rouge and their disastrous attempt to create an agrarian utopia, a significant minority of Cambodians mourn January 7 as the start of a 10-year occupation by their hated Vietnamese neighbors.
Political opponents of Prime Minister Hun Sen, a one-eyed former Khmer Rouge commander who has been in charge for the last 23 years, frequently label him a Vietnamese stooge, a charge he rebutted in typically blunt style this week.
"Whoever is against the day of victory is either Pol Pot or an animal," he told a crowd on Tuesday at the inauguration of a bridge south of Phnom Penh, a derelict ghost town in 1979 after four years under the Khmer Rouge.
Communist Vietnam also marked the anniversary, with official papers running a series of articles portraying the invasion as a mercy mission and the 10-year occupation as necessary to prevent a resurgence of the Khmer Rouge.
"Wherever our army went, it was welcomed by cheering and helpful Cambodian people," the Tin Tuc daily said.
With Cold War 'domino theory' occupying the minds of Western policy-makers, many in Washington took a very different view at the time, fearing Vietnam's march on Phnom Penh was a precursor to a wider assault on U.S. ally Thailand.
GUERRILLAS ON TRIAL
After fleeing into the jungle along the Thai border, the remnants of Pol Pot's black-shirted guerrilla army resisted the Vietnamese and Hun Sen until their final surrender in 1998, the same year the movement's 'Brother Number One' died.
Pol Pot's top surviving henchmen, all of them aging and infirm, are only now being brought to justice, although ordinary Cambodians are growing increasingly frustrated at the interminable delays to a joint Cambodian-United Nations tribunal.
"The spirits of my relatives will not be calm without prosecuting those killers," said Thay Srey Khon, who lost eight relatives under the regime.
The court admitted this week that Cambodia's prosecutor was blocking a bid by her international counterpart to go after more than the five top cadres now in custody on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Human rights groups said the admission confirmed long-held suspicions Hun Sen was manipulating the court to ensure it did not dig too deep, for fear it unearthed dark secrets about some of the senior Khmer Rouge figures inside his administration.
The government has denied any such attempt.
Those in custody are 'Brother Number Two' Nuon Chea, former President Khieu Samphan, former Foreign Minister Ieng Sary, his wife, Ieng Thirith, and Duch, head of Phnom Penh's Tuol Sleng, or the "S-21" interrogation and torture center.
They all face life in jail if convicted.
(Editing by Ed Cropley and Dean Yates)
Cambodia marks Khmer Rouge fall
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
By SOPHENG CHEANG
By SOPHENG CHEANG
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Thousands of Cambodians celebrated Wednesday the fall of the murderous Khmer Rouge regime 30 years ago as a UN-backed tribunal prepared to finally try some of its key leaders for crimes against humanity.
More than 40,000 people packed Phnom Penh's Olympic Stadium for speeches and a parade to mark the day Vietnamese forces entered the capital to oust the ultra-communists from power.
Despite the deaths of 1.7 million or more Cambodians during the Khmer Rouge's 1975-79 rule, none of the surviving leaders have yet faced justice.
One of the accused — Kaing Guek Eav, better known as Duch, who headed the Khmer Rouge's largest torture center — is expected to take the stand in March, said co-prosecutor Robert Petit, adding that the trial is expected to take three to four months.
But the other four, all of them aging and ailing, probably won't be tried until 2010 or later.
Tribunal spokeswoman Helen Jarvis said Tuesday that they would hold a procedural meeting next week.
Although this year's celebration — dubbed "Victory over Genocide" — was the largest ever, keynote speaker and Senate President Chea Sim made no mention of the tribunal.
The Cambodian government, whose top leaders served in the Khmer Rouge ranks before defecting, has been accused of foot-dragging on the trial.
"After 30 years, no one has been tried, convicted or sentenced for the crimes of one of the bloodiest regimes of the 20th century," the New York-based Human Rights Watch said in a release Monday.
"This is no accident. For more than a decade, China and the United States blocked efforts at accountability, and for the past decade (Prime Minister) Hun Sen has done his best to thwart justice," it said.
China was a key supporter of the Khmer Rouge and then the United States backed a post-1979 insurgency, which included Khmer Rouge guerrillas who fought the Vietnamese-installed government in Phnom Penh.
The Khmer Rouge finally fell apart in 1998 after the death of its leader Pol Pot.
Chea Sim said that the legacy of the Khmer Rouge era has yet to be erased in Cambodia, where peace, nonviolence and a sense of self-confidence were still needed. He also noted that 30 percent of the people were still living below the poverty line.
"I am happy to join in the ceremony today because on Jan. 7 my second life began," said a 59-year-old farmer, Im Oun. She said her father and sister both died of starvation during the Khmer Rouge period, when the country was turned into a vast slave labor camp.
"I want to see Khmer Rouge leaders prosecuted as soon as possible because they are getting old now," she said.
More than 40,000 people packed Phnom Penh's Olympic Stadium for speeches and a parade to mark the day Vietnamese forces entered the capital to oust the ultra-communists from power.
Despite the deaths of 1.7 million or more Cambodians during the Khmer Rouge's 1975-79 rule, none of the surviving leaders have yet faced justice.
One of the accused — Kaing Guek Eav, better known as Duch, who headed the Khmer Rouge's largest torture center — is expected to take the stand in March, said co-prosecutor Robert Petit, adding that the trial is expected to take three to four months.
But the other four, all of them aging and ailing, probably won't be tried until 2010 or later.
Tribunal spokeswoman Helen Jarvis said Tuesday that they would hold a procedural meeting next week.
Although this year's celebration — dubbed "Victory over Genocide" — was the largest ever, keynote speaker and Senate President Chea Sim made no mention of the tribunal.
The Cambodian government, whose top leaders served in the Khmer Rouge ranks before defecting, has been accused of foot-dragging on the trial.
"After 30 years, no one has been tried, convicted or sentenced for the crimes of one of the bloodiest regimes of the 20th century," the New York-based Human Rights Watch said in a release Monday.
"This is no accident. For more than a decade, China and the United States blocked efforts at accountability, and for the past decade (Prime Minister) Hun Sen has done his best to thwart justice," it said.
China was a key supporter of the Khmer Rouge and then the United States backed a post-1979 insurgency, which included Khmer Rouge guerrillas who fought the Vietnamese-installed government in Phnom Penh.
The Khmer Rouge finally fell apart in 1998 after the death of its leader Pol Pot.
Chea Sim said that the legacy of the Khmer Rouge era has yet to be erased in Cambodia, where peace, nonviolence and a sense of self-confidence were still needed. He also noted that 30 percent of the people were still living below the poverty line.
"I am happy to join in the ceremony today because on Jan. 7 my second life began," said a 59-year-old farmer, Im Oun. She said her father and sister both died of starvation during the Khmer Rouge period, when the country was turned into a vast slave labor camp.
"I want to see Khmer Rouge leaders prosecuted as soon as possible because they are getting old now," she said.
CPP's celebration of Vietnamese invasion and occupation of Cambodia
A young Cambodian wearing a traditional 'Krama' headscarf looks on during ceremonies at Olympic Stadium Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, celebrating the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime 30 years ago. As schedule, the first trial of the Khmer Rouge leaders will take place sometime in the first quarter of this year. (AP Photo/David Longstreath)
Young Cambodian women dressed as traditional dancers known as 'Apsara's' wait to perform during ceremonies at Olympic Stadium Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, celebrating the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime 30 years ago. As schedule, the first trial of the Khmer Rouge leaders will take place sometime in the first quarter of this year. (AP Photo/David Longstreath)
Thousands of Cambodians look on during ceremonies at Olympic Stadium Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, celebrating the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime 30 years ago. As scheduled, the first trial of the Khmer Rouge leaders will take place sometime in the first quarter of this year. (AP Photo/David Longstreath)The puppet regime prepares to celebrate their master's invasion of Cambodia?
CPP Prepares for Contentious Anniversary
By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
06 January 2009
By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
06 January 2009
The Cambodian People’s Party will commemorate the 30thanniversary of the fall of the Khmer Rouge at a ceremony at Olympic Stadium Thursday, under criticism from Human Rights Watch and Cambodian political parties that justice remains elusive for Khmer Rouge leaders and a culture of impunity remains.
Government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said more than 10,000 people are expected to participate in the ceremony, which commemorates the day when forces of Vietnamese-backed groups ousted the Khmer Rouge from Phnom Penh.
Starting Wednesday morning, senior officials, guests and observers will gather at Olympic Stadium for speeches by key leaders and a procession inside the stadium of CPP officials and other supporters from Phnom Penh and the provinces.
The day is a “second birthday” for Cambodians, “so the people never forget, and they remember who liberated them from the Khmer Rouge,” he said.
The Khmer Rouge held power in Phnom Penh from April 17, 1975, until Jan. 7, 1979, during which time nearly 2 million people died under the regime.
The Jan. 7 celebration is always greeted with mixed feelings in Cambodia, however, because it also marked the beginning of a decade-long occupation by the Vietnamese, who left in 1989.
Human Rights Watch said in a statement Wednesday that 30 years after the Khmer Rouge fell, “Cambodia’s culture of impunity remains as strong as ever.”
The group’s Asia director, Brad Adams, said in a statement that more leaders of the regime should be brought to justice, following a statement by the Khmer Rouge tribunal’s Cambodian prosecutors that no more leaders should be charged.
Tribunal co-prosecutor Chea Leang wrote in a statement no further indictments should be pursued because of “Cambodia’s past instability and the continued need for national reconciliation,” among other reasons.
“No serious observer believes there is any threat to Cambodia’s stability if additional cases are filed against alleged Khmer Rouge killers,” Adams said.
Government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said more than 10,000 people are expected to participate in the ceremony, which commemorates the day when forces of Vietnamese-backed groups ousted the Khmer Rouge from Phnom Penh.
Starting Wednesday morning, senior officials, guests and observers will gather at Olympic Stadium for speeches by key leaders and a procession inside the stadium of CPP officials and other supporters from Phnom Penh and the provinces.
The day is a “second birthday” for Cambodians, “so the people never forget, and they remember who liberated them from the Khmer Rouge,” he said.
The Khmer Rouge held power in Phnom Penh from April 17, 1975, until Jan. 7, 1979, during which time nearly 2 million people died under the regime.
The Jan. 7 celebration is always greeted with mixed feelings in Cambodia, however, because it also marked the beginning of a decade-long occupation by the Vietnamese, who left in 1989.
Human Rights Watch said in a statement Wednesday that 30 years after the Khmer Rouge fell, “Cambodia’s culture of impunity remains as strong as ever.”
The group’s Asia director, Brad Adams, said in a statement that more leaders of the regime should be brought to justice, following a statement by the Khmer Rouge tribunal’s Cambodian prosecutors that no more leaders should be charged.
Tribunal co-prosecutor Chea Leang wrote in a statement no further indictments should be pursued because of “Cambodia’s past instability and the continued need for national reconciliation,” among other reasons.
“No serious observer believes there is any threat to Cambodia’s stability if additional cases are filed against alleged Khmer Rouge killers,” Adams said.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
