Obstruction of Justice

Poetic Justice along Quay Sisowath with Theary Seng throwing darts at the "war criminals" (Photo: The Phnom Penh Post)

Op-Ed by Justin Sok

Ms. Theary Seng ... had invited the public to join her in playing the “Poetic Justice War Criminals Dart Games,” using dartboards depicting the photos of the former Khmer Rouge leaders. She has withdrawn her participation with the court process. Ms. Seng said, “Enough is enough! The court is a farce!” She no longer has faith in the KR tribunal. On the other side of the aisle, Michiel Pestman and Andrew Ianuzzi, co-defense counsels for former Khmer Rouge leader, Nuon Chea, has filed criminal complaints to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, requesting an immediate investigation into alleged interference by the Phnom Penh government officials, naming some of the high ranking officials as culprits.

In the late 1990‘s, the Phnom Penh government officials, consisting of the two Co-Prime Ministers, Hun Sen and Prince Rannaridh, were toying with the idea of bringing the remaining Khmer Rouge leaders to justice. They covertly sought assistance from the United Nations to set up a hybrid tribunal inside Cambodia to try the former Khmer Rouge leaders. However, Hun Sen never had any intention of putting these remaining Khmer Rouge leaders on trial. He was more aggressive in his drive for power and absolute control. Hun Sen has been internationally known as an iron-fist dictator, who would constantly, at any cost, devise schemes to stamp out his political opponents. With the subsequent political turmoil during the coup d’état in 1997, the plan for the tribunal was temporarily shelved.

The plan of establishing a tribunal to try the former Khmer Rouge leaders was brought back to the table in early 2000‘s. After six years of intense negotiations between the United Nations and the Phnom Penh government, the Khmer Rouge tribunal, legally known as the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), was created in 2006. The legally binding agreements, inter alia, was that the “trial would take place in Cambodia” and the most significant and controversial decision was that the “Phnom Penh government’s insistence of ownership of the trials.”

After a tribunal had become a legal reality, the politicians, legal experts, and the general public joined in a united chorus expressing their grave concerns. The public opined that the Khmer Rouge tribunals would inevitably getting “political interference” from the Phnom Penh government, and as the result, it would lead to an international boondoggle, and more regrettably, a “travesty of justice.” Initially, the United Nations had creditable reasons to believe that they were dealing with the elephant in the room, but without any reservation and without taking the public objections under advisement, the U.N. made a swift decision to place its own reputation, integrity and fiduciary duty, into the hands of the dogmatic and “Paleolithic” mentality of the Phnom Penh government.

All Khmer, One Khmer

Funeral for Duong Daravuth, a victim of the 30 March 1997 grenade attack

October 13, 2010
Op-Ed by Justin C. Sok

I want to take this opportunity to chime in and share my points of view on the issues of the political motivated “Grenade Attacks of 1997”. It was my speculation that the “Grenade Attacks of 1997,” had the objective of intimidation by the Phnom Penh government to discourage democratic process. It was clearly a message to the people of Cambodia and to any opposition political parties that the Phnom Penh government would not tolerate and will close off all avenues of freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. That was the beginning of the oppression by the Phnom Penh government.

It is so implausible that after 13 years, and despite the fact that the “graymail” had already been released to the public by an intelligence agency, that there are still a handful of hooligans including, The Phnom Penh Post, who have continued to target Mr. Sam Rainsy as the object of their ridicule and made demands this very public courtroom of opinion that Mr. Sam Rainsy would need to further explain to the public about the letter that he had written to PM Hun Sen on February of 2006. The judicial system and as well as the public courtroom of opinion in Cambodia has become a farce, and has in fact, turned a blind eye away from the seriousness of the political oppression and human rights suppression created by the Phnom Penh government and this impending widespread of danger to Cambodia and her innocent people is soon to be realized.

The fact that Mr. Sam Rainsy had written a letter to PM Hun Sen, to acknowledge how “regretful” he had felt for having had allegedly accused PM Hun Sen of having been involved with the “grenade attacks”, did not divert from the fact that the “grenade attacks” did happen, and the real culprits that had committed these heinous acts are still in the wider field of suspects. The intelligence agency that had initiated its investigation had difficulty in conducting their investigation because the lack of cooperation of the Phnom Penh government. Their investigations alleged that the Phnom Penh government may have had “advance knowledge” about the attacks. Now that the intelligence agency has declassified its reports, and you, as a citizen of Cambodia, instead of throwing another log on the fire, and sitting and staring at the flames, and/or dancing around the fire pit, are required to do your civic duty. Be the fact-finder! It is a sacred duty to help find justice for your people and your country.

Mr. Sam Rainsy has done everything humanly possible and has even put his life in harm’s way for the interests of the Khmer people and the nation. He has constantly been resolute in his fight for the rights of the Khmer people and he will continue to do so, using the palatable solution to reconcile these political conflicts, which includes the principle of non-violent protests against the Phnom Penh government.

Mr. Sam Rainsy knew that he walked in a political tightrope. He had painstaking detailed of his political maneuvers including political confrontation with PM Hun Sen with every ounce of his waning strength to regain his political status so that he could come back to Cambodia. Mr. Sam Rainsy knew that he had to come back to Cambodia not because Cambodia was his natural birth place and ancestral home, but because he has been a true Khmer leader. Mr. Sam Rainsy knew that, without him and his political party, Cambodia will be continued to blindly walk in the meandering footpaths that had barbed wire and land mines laid before her. If we were to turn the clock back 13 years ago, what would Cambodia and her people be like if there were no Mr. Sam Rainsy and his administration as a political bulwark against the Phnom Penh government? Would we learn anything about the tales of horrible mistreatment and inhumane abuse (K5, human rights violations, human trafficking, and poverty), corruption, illegal land grabbing, deforestation, under paid garment workers, under paid teachers, unauthorized Vietnamese companies who utilize hundreds of thousands of acres and acres of Khmer land for their own benefits, the influx of hundreds of thousand of illegal Vietnamese immigrants in Cambodia, raising their Vietnamese flag in the middle of Phnom Penh city, have their Vietnamese writings over Khmer banners, the Vietnamese community making demands to have their rights be protected, and the Vietnamese have been setting up their schools, radio and satellite stations in Cambodia? And would we, as we do now know, that the Hanoi government had secretly moved their border posts into the middle of our Khmer farmer land, Chantrea, Svay Rieng Province?

Cambodia has never had a true institution of justice. Mr. Sam Rainsy needs each and every one of you to be part of the democratic movement. While he is galvanizing his political support at the international level, he needs you to do your part by working from the grassroots level. Please help make the people of Cambodia aware of his true political agenda for Cambodia. Please help Mr. Sam Rainsy to build a true institution of justice in Cambodia. Together we can become one Khmer nation!

In Solidarity,

Justin C. Sok

Our Voices

Our Voices
Nation Religion King

Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Op-Ed by Justin Sok

The political shenanigans that were recently gestured by Prime Minister Hun Sen, has once again proved to be another minefield, which would inevitably lead Cambodia and her people into the labyrinth, a nation that has already had remnants of bones and skulls piled up by the millions and has millions of survivors who have sustained emotional and psychological scars from an unforgettable landscape of tragedy. Perhaps the political chess game that PM Hun Sen has recently orchestrated might be too difficult for the people of Cambodia to comprehend. But in the eyes of the developed world, it is nothing more than a political bouillabaisse.

While Cambodia and her people are in the middle of a sea of social and political perturb, PM Hun Sen appeared with an air of superiority and taciturn self-assurance, made another fatal political strategic error by appointing Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra, a Thai national fugitive, as his economic advisor. PM Hun Sen, not only has he conspired to aid someone who had eluded justice, an act constitutes grounds for “accessory after the fact”, but he also had sincerely welcomed Mr. Thaksin with open arms into Cambodia as a sanctuary to nurse his mentally and spiritually wounded from his down fall due to his corruption and ouster by the Royal Kingdom of Thailand Militia police in 2006.

Before the general election of July 2008, I had written my opinion to share with the public about PM Hun Sen that he and his administration were using the dispute over the Preah Vihea Temple with Thailand for his national political campaign platform to deviate public attention from focusing on the general election. I had also taken the liberty to make comments speculating on PM Hun Sen and Mr. Thaksin possibly had cross-fertilizing business dealing and were exploiting the natural resources of Cambodia. At about the same time, there was a group of journalists who had posted questions and demanded for Mr. Thaksin to shed light on these allegations. Mr. Thaksin had shamelessly denied that he had anything to do with the allegations. It is now crystal clear that PM Hun Sen and Mr. Thaksin have come to terms, which they had clandestinely corporate decision-making and are calculating the lion’s share of these interests. It is a “quid pro quo” so to speak.

In his recent political maneuver, it is speculative that PM Hun Sen not only he used the appointment of Mr. Thaksin for his political purpose and to reap his own economic fortune, but to also use this appointment to divert public attention over the monumental issues - the relentless human rights violations, illegal evictions, and the Khmer Rouge Tribunal. These are the internal social and political issues, which have already been brought to the attention of the international community including Washington, and these are the issues that PM Hun Sen has sought to make them disappear forever so that they would not come back to haunt him. The request made by the investigative judges to submit additional former Khmer Rouge leaders to bring them to trial has been making PM Hun Sen dragging on his heels, for instance. Prime Minister Hun Sen has again and again threatened to derail the trial.

Other pressing political issues are the continuing border encroachment by Vietnam and the illegal immigration of Vietnamese citizens that are continuing to influx into Cambodia. These are the national security issues that have been of the utmost political concern for each and every Cambodian living there and abroad. If these political issues are, in fact, threatening our national security, and PM Hun Sen has not been on top of these critical issues, then the Cambodian people have their constitutional rights to hold PM Hun Sen accountable.

I would personally like to take this opportunity to acknowledge with great gratitude that Mr. Sam Rainsy, President of Sam Rainsy Party, and his administration, and our Khmer people who are Cambodians of the same mind, have vehemently taken their stand and have spoken out to defend and protect our sovereignty and territorial integrity. Also, it is with great honor and deep gratitude to former King Norodom Sihanouk, despite spending time nursing his illnesses, that he has sent a letter to the Royal of Cambodia Government to request further investigation of these matters. Thank you.

Justin C. Sok
11/17/09

*I would also like to take this opportunity to say to each and every Khmer around the globe, “Hello & Chum Reap Sur!”

On Behalf of the Dead

KR leaders charged by the ECCC (Photo: Reuters)

Then-Prince Norodom Sihanouk and then-Princess Monique taking pictures with KR leaders in Cambodia on 10 April 1973

May 19, 2009
Op-Ed by Justin C. Sok

No one was eager to enter a debate and/or proceed with a lawsuit for war crimes and crimes against humanity with the living on behalf of the dead, not when the living still had power and were more than willing to use it. However, after incessant negotiations and diplomatic talks with the Royal Government of Cambodia, the United Nations, although they found deficiencies, had acquiesced to follow the Royal Government of Cambodia’s penal law, they reached an agreement.

For the general public, especially, Khmer people, we need to understand the purpose of the agreement of the Law on Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia.

Article I

“The purpose of the present Agreement is to regulate the cooperation between the United Nation and the Royal Government of Cambodia in bringing to trial senior leaders of Democratic Kampuchea and those who were most responsible for the crimes and serious violations of Cambodia penal law, international humanitarian law and custom, and international conventions recognized by Cambodia, that were committed during the period from 17 April 1975 to 6 January 1979. The Agreement provides, inter alia, the legal basis and the principles and modalities for such cooperation.”

Article I implies that there will neither be legal proceedings as to what had happened from the period before 17 April 1975, nor will there be any legal investigations about what had happened after the 6 January 1979. The ECCC, which recently began, issued judicial inquiries into the facts, as to whom among these “Suspects”: Noun Chea, Khieu Samphan, Ieng Thirith, Ieng Sary, and Duch (Kaing Guek Eav), was the “Angkar” or the “Higher Organizations”, and had made the “order” or was being “ordered” to kill innocent Khmer people. Irrefutably, this is clearly about “Khmer Rouge Killing Khmer.”

As set forth by the Law on ECCC, Chapter XI - Penalties

Article 38

“All penalties shall be limited to imprisonment.”

Article 39

“Those who have committed any crimes as provided in Articles 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, shall be sentenced to a prison term from five years to life imprisonment.”

In general consent, if these “Suspects” were to be convicted, the punishment of either “life imprisonment” or even death, would not be sufficient for the crimes they had committed. However, what the general public understands is that these “Suspects” are so instrumental to the Khmer nation. It is true that history is history. We can’t change the past. We should acknowledge and accept our past and teach our Khmer people and the generations to come about our country’s recent violent past. We can broaden of our thinking by learning from our past mistakes and draw our own logical conclusions, and hope that we would not choose that same path again. But what is so important about this tribunal is that, we would like these “Suspects” to tell us, and the world, as to whom, and perhaps, which countries had politically orchestrated the events that led 1.7 millions of our innocent Khmer people to the mass graves. The information these “Suspects” provide may be irrelevant or inadmissible to the current trial, but as a matter of records, it is very crucial information for Cambodia and for her generations to come. Mr. Khieu Samphan, the “water is now clear,” and under strict advisement of your defense counsels, you ought to consider for this opportunity to set the record straight, start talking!

In the Law on ECCC, Chapter VIII – Individual Responsibility

Article 29

“Any Suspect who planned, instigated, ordered, aided and abetted, or committed the crimes referred to in article 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 of this law shall be individually responsible for the crime.”

“The position or rank of any Suspect shall not relieve such person of criminal responsibility or mitigate punishment.”

“The fact that any of the acts referred to in Articles 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 of the this law were committed by a subordinate does not relieve the superior of personal criminal responsibility if the superior had effective command and control or authority and control over the subordinate, and the superior knew or had reason to know that the subordinate was about to commit such acts or had done so and the superior failed to take the necessary and reasonable measures to prevent such acts or to punish the perpetrators.”

“The fact that a Suspect acted pursuant to an order of the Government of Democratic Kampuchea or of a superior shall not relieve the Suspect of individual criminal responsibility.”

As a leader, His Majesty is held in the highest regard. The Khmer people had entrusted His Majesty to undertake His duties as expected of His Majesty and to adhere to ethical and moral principles, which include honesty and integrity as a leader to lead the nation. There is substantial evidence including documents and literature, which have overwhelmingly proven that His Majesty was either directly or indirectly “cooperating” (Sahakar) with the Communist Party of Democratic Kampuchea during the period between 17 of April 1975 and 6 of January 1979.

In the Law on ECCC, Chapter XII – Amnesty and Pardons

Article 40

The Royal Government of Cambodia shall not request an amnesty or pardon for any person who may be investigated for or convicted of crimes referred to in Articles 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 of this law. The scope of any amnesty or pardon that may have been granted prior to the enactment of this Law is a matter to be decided by the Extraordinary Chambers.

In the report on May 4, 2009, Sok Khemara, (VOA Khmer/KI-Media), one of the defense counsels stated, “Norodom Sihanouk could provide important historical information about the regime, having entered a coalition with the guerrillas until March 1976.”

Andrew Ianuzzi, another defense counsel has also stated, “We never asked them to be investigated. We simply asked for them to be called as witnesses, because we understand those individuals, mainly Hun Sen, Chea Sim, Heng Samrin and former King Sihanouk, were in Cambodia during the period of the Khmer Rouge regime. Testimony of Norodom Sihanouk could be especially important, because the former King had frequent interaction with top leaders of the regime.”

The public has sympathized with His Majesty regarding the loss of His family members and the political implications that His Majesty had to wade through. However, whatever the reasons were, it is still a matter of national interest, which every Khmer person has a right and reason to examine the facts of His Majesty’s involvement. The public strongly believes that His Majesty was and is still the center of an intricate political web, in which His Majesty is the One who is able to pull a small thread that would unravel the mystery and disclose the naked truth about the “Killing Fields”. Therefore, in the court of public opinion, the Khmer people would want His Majesty, to appeal to them, publicly, and perhaps, to offer an explanation to shed light as to what had caused the smoldering ashes of million of innocent Khmer people and the remains of the thousands of bones at the Tuol Sleng Museum.

His Majesty can assemble an army of lawyers to represent You. His Majesty can use the nation’s constitution for Your defensive bulwark by asserting special privilege and immunity. His Majesty can look for divine intervention for moral, mental, and spiritual support and guidance. But the Khmer People would refuse to continue to live under a cloud of injustice. Their will, will always seek justice. Their healing would first begin with the truth and punishment for those responsible for their sufferings.

“Socrates’ argument that philosophers should become kings or philosophers: Only the wisest human beings should exercise political power.” If Socrates’ argument was true, the Khmer people have been very unfortunate.

http://ki-media.blogspot.com/2009/05/survivors-stories-by-justin-sok.html

Justin C. Sok
May 19, 2009

Survivors Stories by Justin Sok

Respect KI-Media Readers,

We are pleased to post below a collection of KR Survivors Stories by Justin Sok. However, due to the raw graphic description contained in the article, readers discretion is advised.

Thank you.
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Survivors Stories

Justin C. Sok
May 10, 2009

For those who had survived the “Killing Fields”, their daily life has been haunted by the memories of those events that they had thought to be long forgotten, and all of sudden these memories began to surface, and brought back those horrible memories. They have experienced intense psychological distress, recurrent and intrusive distressing recollections of the events, including images, ruminating thoughts, flashbacks, anxiousness and nervousness. They are easily startled, heart palpitations, feeling sudden hot and cold sensations in their bodies, and difficulty falling and staying asleep.

Their nights are like dancing ghosts in their dreams. Their daily thinking has been like seeing the snapshots of all the events that had happened in their lives, which has appeared before them like pictures in a slow-motion filmstrip. It was as if they were describing something they had seen in a movie, a movie in graphic color that left nothing to the imagination. They knew and remembered exactly what had happened to them, and who did these atrocities to them. The descriptions of the symptoms are the classic diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

The following are some of the stories shared by the Cambodian survivors:

Case Scenario #1

When the Communists took over the country, immediately, the Khmer Rouge comrades were prodding people at gunpoint to leave their homes. I got separated from my family. My sisters, brothers, and my parents were forced to live in another village. People were dying of starvation and illnesses. The people were taken away in groups to be killed. We barely had anything to eat. During that time I had my three year-old daughter and was six or seven months pregnant. I did not have any food to feed my baby, so I asked the head of the village to spare me a little brown sugar to feed my baby. He refused my pleas. The next day, my baby died in my arms. I buried my daughter in a haystack.

A couple months had passed, and although I was in full-term pregnancy, the KR comrades still forced me to work in the fields for long hours. I was so exhausted, hungry, and was so sick, that while I was walking on the dam that the people had built for an irrigation canal, I slipped and fell into the water. I experienced severe stomach pains afterward. The next day, I had a midwife checked me, and she told me that the baby had already died, stillborn.

Early 1979, my sister and I were reunited. My sister had recapitulated about the death of our parents to me. My sister had witnessed the Khmer Rouge comrades chaining our parents together, face-to-face. The KR comrades let our parents stand under the car tire, which they had hung on the tree branch from above. They lit a car tire on fire, and let the burning flame of rubber dripping down onto our parents until they died. Even though, I was not there to save my parents, but the way my sister had painted the picture for me, I could feel the excruciating pain of what our parents had to go through. I would never forget this until the day I die. It was horrible. I had never wanted to talk about it any more.

Case Scenario #2

Late one afternoon, after long hours in the fields, digging a ditch to make an irrigation canal, one of the Khmer Rouge comrades hit the gong. They led us off for a short break. There were many of us in the original group, but they had separated us into smaller groups of about 15 people each. While we were all sitting quietly in groups under the hot sun, there were four KR comrades walking up toward our group. One of the KR comrades called out a gentleman who was sitting three men away from me. He was a big man. His gait was wobbly and slow. His facial expression was flat. We did not know the reason why he was called out. Everyone was scared and dead silent. I did not think that there was anything bad was going to happen to him.

The KR comrades walked the man away from us, approximately 20 feet from where we were sitting. All of sudden, the KR comrades were beating up on this poor man. They beat the poor man with their AK-47 rifles until he died. Then, one of the KR comrades turned to us and said, “This is what you will get if anyone of you betrays our Angkar!”

During that late afternoon, the KR comrades herded us back to the village. Once I got to my home, and because I did not have anything to eat, and I was so tired and I tried to rest. All of sudden, I heard a familiar voice calling. The KR comrades were calling on one of the gentlemen from my group. So I forced myself to get up and slipped out of the house and hid behind a haystack near by. I saw the KR comrades chained the poor man and walked him away to the forest near by. The next day, before we started our usual labor, the KR comrades informed us that, they had killed this poor man.

One day I got a message from the people in the village, that my mother who was at that time living at another village, was very sick, and needs someone to take care of her. I had asked my village chief and foreman to release me to visit my mother but they had refused. I knew my mother was dying and I had to take a chance to go see her.

On the way back to my village, two KR comrades stopped me. They were questioning me. I lied to them and told them that I had lost my cows and I have been looking for them. But they did not care because I did not have a permission slip from my village chief. So, they chained me up and hung me in the tree and let the red ants gnawed me for two days and two nights. My life was spared by one of the older KR comrades. They released me and had warned me not to go awol.

Case Scenario #3

The place where I was living, more people were dying of starvation and illnesses then the KR comrades killed. The people were eating anything that they could find – bugs, ants, tadpoles, lizards, rats, leaves, roots, etc. We combed the jungle any time we got a chance looking for any kind of edible vegetation to eat. Some of the people got poisoned and died from eating those poisonous plants. At the village, I lived close to a family who had family members died one after another due to starvation and illnesses. One day, I detected a strange odor coming out from that family’s house. The next day, I found out from another neighbor that the older brother had killed his own younger sister who was very sick and bedridden, and fried the flesh and ate it. This was a horrible memory for me.

Case Scenario #4

Before the communist Khmer Rouge took power, we were living near the Cambodian-Thai border. When the communists took over the country, many people filed across the border. It was very dangerous to attempt to cross the border. But the people felt hopeless and they had no choice. Some people had stepped on landmines and/or shot and killed by the KR comrades.

It was too dangerous for us to make any attempt for an escape, so we had to wait until the situation had calmed down. Late one afternoon, when we were planting rice in the rice paddy, we took off. Our group got separated when we reached dense jungle. I was with a smaller group. The KR comrades chased and shot at us. I heard them called out to their KR comrades, “Shoot them! Shoot them!” During our escape, I was carrying my two-year-old son, strapping him to the Sarong behind my back. When we got to the safe area, we took a short break. I felt wet in all over my back. When I checked on my son, he was already dead. My son was hit by a bullet. At that time, I felt like I did not want to live anymore. I lost all my family members. I lost all my strength. I felt so sad to cry. The few people that were there with me tried to offer their condolences and encouragement. They helped me bury my son in the middle of nowhere in the deep jungle. Then, we sneaked across the border.

Case Scenario #5

During the KR Rouge regime, my family and I were living in one of the villages in Pursat Province. It was either late 1978 or in the early 1979, and I was about 13 years old. The KR comrades were with their guns pointing every direction, moving the people into the jungle and into different locations. At the same time, mass killings had already taken place. My father knew that we were not going to survive. So he had told us about an escape plan. One early morning, my parents, my three brothers and my youngest sister, and a family from our neighborhood made an attempt to escape. We were not far before the KR comrades captured us. Once the KR comrades had caught us, they paraded us into the thick and tall grass to be killed. We were walking in line. As I was walking behind them, I sensed something. And all of sudden, it was something snatched me off the line. Up until now, I still find it is very difficult to explain.

I was hiding in the tall grass near by. The KR comrades were scrambling looking for me. I heard they said to each other, “We lost one of the boys.” After a few moments, the KR comrades gave up looking for me. They continued to parade my family and the rest of the members to a place not too far from where I was hiding. While I was hiding, I heard the sounds of their rifles and wooden sticks hitting my family members. I continued to hide in the grass until I was sure that those KR comrades were gone. I came out from the grass and walked quietly, straight to where they had killed my family members. There, I had witnessed everything. I still remember I was not shock or panic or anything like that. Both of my parents were stripped naked and were killed by wooden stick. My brothers and sister were all killed; their clothes were in tact. The other family – both husband and wife, and their three children were laid lifelessly next to one another. All of them had their arms tied to the backs.

As I was scrambling, leaping from one corpse to another looking and feeling for any sign of life, I noticed that the man was twitching. He was struggling for air – coughing and moaning. I rushed to talk to him. He was still alive. I helped untie his ropes. I carried him to hide in the different location. He got blood all over himself, and his blood was all over me. We hid in the jungle until the nightfall, and then we made our journey to escape. Before we reached to the outskirts of another village, we were chased by the Vietnamese and Khmer’s soldiers. They shot their guns upward. They thought we were the KR comrades. I had to run for my life, so I left him. Up until now, I don’t know whether he is dead or alive.

About a month had passed, I went back to the location where the KR comrades had killed my family. I still remembered everything – the dirt road, the tall grass, and the location. When I got there, I saw only the remnants of some bones. I realized I was the only one that had survived. I had to move on.

These are some of the stories that the Cambodian survivors have reflected upon their lives during the country’s recent violent past. Although Cambodian people had gone through the same “Killing Fields”, but each of them has a very unique and distinctive story to tell. Many of the Cambodian survivors spoke of this period with tears in their eyes. All most all of them broke in sobs, and some were unable to continue. There are hundreds of thousands of Cambodian victims who either would not want to share their stories because they are still afraid or because it would result in their having memories too painful to share. Their daily life is fragile, and their daily coping strategies with their chronic and ongoing psychiatric problems are so limited.

They say, “It is better late, then never.” Thirty years later, the trial to try senior leaders of the Khmer Rouge has begun. The general public, especially, the Cambodian survivors and their families, are pleading you, for your compassion and authority, to help them get “closure” by pushing the trial through so that justice can be served. We owe it to the survivors and their families. We owe it to the millions who died so they can rest in peace. We owe it to the world to hear the truth. And I owe it to my father, whom I have always admired in my heart, mind, and in my dream. Unfortunately, because of the wars, which led to the “Killing Fields,” we never had the time to share and doing normal things together as father and son always do.

Thank you.

Vindictive Behavior

Thursday, April 30, 2009
Op-Ed by Justin Sok

In HIS letter of April 19, 2009, the former King Norodom Sihanouk had offered to the general public his proposal. HE stated that the general public has continued to criticize HIM for spending more time living abroad than in HIS own homeland. Former King Norodom Sihanouk explained that HIS medical problems are HIS only legitimate reason for HIS continuing to stay abroad. Former King Norodom Sihanouk would return to Cambodia and live there, but not without challenging Khmer people living abroad to do the same. HE wrote in his letter, “. . . . . but I never ceased to serve my Homeland and the Khmer People. To conclude, allow me to ask these Khmer people from Canada, France, etc… why they are not returning to Cambodia to live there and to serve her, and serve her People[?]” (KI Media).

In retrospect, there were series of political event, which ended tragically.

1. March 1970, King Norodom Sihanouk appealed from Peking over the radio. "Brothers and sisters," he said, "go to the jungles and join the guerrillas." The scarves/handkerchiefs, with the local “Sankum Reastr Niyum” were distributed to the local “small” Khmer people. They were scrambling in the fields to get their hands on those scarves. The scarves were part of a political propaganda campaign and made the “small” Khmer people believe they were a special gift from their “God King”. Unfortunately, none of them had any knowledge that those scarves were later used to wrap their own corpses. At the same time, King Norodom Sihanouk appealed for the formation of the Khmer National United Front, to join with the Khmer Rouge to fight the Lon Nol government. What happened to them?
2. April 1975 – the Communist Party of Kampuchea herded hundreds of Lon Nol’s soldiers and they were taken in trucks to receive King Norodom Sihanouk in the jungle. What happened to them?
3. September 1975 – the Communist Party of Kampuchea invited Khmer intellectuals (nearly two thousand of them) that were living abroad to return to Cambodia to help rebuild the country. A co-worker of mine, who knew that her great aunt was still living in France before the collapse of Phnom Penh, but had lost contact with her since that time, went to Cambodia in the early 2000’s to search for her aunt. Tragically, she found her auntie’s picture hanging on the wall among thousands of other victims at the Tuol Sleng Museum. What happened to them?

In general consent, Khmer people, whether they are living abroad or inside Cambodia have gotten tired of the same old political shenanigans. They would want to see Khmer leaders come together and work on solutions for Cambodia’s problems and for her people. Historically, when it comes to working on to improve our country; Khmer leaders would often prefer to choose divisiveness over cooperation. They have, during the course of their “political” lives, made so much noise and filled the air with so much political rhetoric and authoritative banality that they have had no time to form an original thought, nor have they given themselves the opportunity to hear and learn anything from listening to anyone else. They would reject any idea and/or proposal, which did not come from their own party. “You lost the election; so you have no right to tell me what to do.”

As a practical matter, arguments are not the process by which we help each other. Cooperation is a tool with which we can achieve an end, satisfy a want, and fulfill a desire. Cooperation is the mechanism by which we reveal how we can help each other. It is the incomparable art by which we connect and interact successful with the other. Quite the opposite, Khmer leaders would love to strut about and say what each one has and how they could destroy the other. We continue to repeat with the same stupid mistakes that we have made since the 1600’s.

The ability to listen and to see must be more important than the ability to speak, else why would the “Higher Being” have given us two eyes and two ears and only one mouth? Khmer leaders had never taken any time to listen and value another’s point of view. It is always all about mine, not yours, which is more superior. Have you ever seen two dogs standing nose to nose, hair bristling on their backs, tails wagging in those short, stiff wags? Then someone pokes the larger of the dogs with a stick, and the larger dog attacks, not the person who poked him, but the smaller dog. Khmer leaders are like that. Both sides search for scapegoats. They each finger pointing at one another. They each continue to label and/or show each other negative in a bad light: Khmer Rouge; Khmer Viet Minh; Khmer Serei; Khmer Issarac; Khmer Lon Nol; Sihanoukist; Khmer Hun Sen; Khmer Sam Rainsy; and Khmer living abroad versus Khmer living inside Cambodia. When is this going to end?

It is with great honor to be invited by our former King Norodom Sihanouk to return to Cambodia and to serve her people. The bait is in the water, and the fish is watching and contemplating it to see whether it is a real bait or fake. But one may have to give it serious consideration, what would be the price for taking the bait? No, it is not about the position and/or rank. It is about the security and safety issues of those who would like to contribute to the cause of rebuilding Cambodia. It is not about greed, power, and control. It is not about being the puppet master. It is not about making people do what you want and seeing how many balls you can keep in the air at once. It is all about our beloved Cambodia and our beloved Khmer people.

We are still able to treat each other with a modest dose of civility. We ought to be able to disagree without being disagreeable. The judge cannot obtain justice without the skill of lawyers who present him with the facts; the parent cannot form the successful child without the love of the child; and the boss is powerless to achieve production without the respect and aid of his employees. Likewise, the leader cannot lead the country and her people to peace, freedom, and prosperity without the will of the people. Quality people – conservative, business oriented, temperate, highly moral, intelligent, and ambition – change the political landscape of the country – and if we can do that, then we can have our Constitution in place, protect the rights of our people, reform our education institutions, honor the scholars, keep our children in school, restrict the cultural garbage that exploit us by foreigners, which is consumed by our children, reform our judicial systems; improve our infrastructure; provide access and affordable health care services for women, children, and the poor; seal our borders, and protect the true Cambodian way of life. Remember, nothing worthwhile is without sacrifice. But we have to sacrifice together as one!

To the Khmer leaders, when you get to the end of the your road, you have to look at the community woodpile and decide if you added to it while you were here or whether you just took from it. No, it is not about stripping the flesh off the bones, like our recent Khmer history has taught us, “Bones piled up at the Tuol Sleng Museum.” It is about the accomplishments, achievements, and the legacy that you would leave behind for future generations. In fact, it is about adding to the woodpile. Indeed, it is always an honor thing to serve your country.

*I would like to take this opportunity to say to each and every Khmer people living abroad and inside Cambodia, “Hello!” and “Sur Sdey!”

Justin C. Sok
April 29, 2009

One Nation, Underprivileged

May 18, 2008
Opinion by Justin C. Sok

“We were left with the remnants of war: unexploded bombs, exploded bomb shells, and mines; the craters dotted the landscape, which filled with rusty and earthen colored water during the rainy season. The blood of our innocent Cambodian people stains the ditches, canals, and the tree trunks of Cheung Ek. The blood stains on the floors and walls and the mountain of bones and skulls of our innocent Cambodian people at Toul Sleng Centers. Thousands of our Cambodian people have been physically crippled, and equally important, thousands more have experienced clinically significant psychological and somatic symptoms. These are our national nightmares. Indeed, it is a symbol of the sacrifices and suffering of all our people in our Khmer history. They have taught us an important lesson in our times, which is that we must no longer tolerate such ‘vindictiveness for personal gain’. At the end, hatred cannot destroy such beauty.”

It has always been a peaceful place with beautiful scenery. Into the faint mists of morning, wisps of fog still hang in the air, the wet, dewy grass, the sound of the rosters, the birds chirping, and the dogs barking, which signify as a morning alarm clock for the villagers. The rising sun sparks amid the trees. The villagers are getting ready to challenge their long and hard work in the fields under the steamy and hot sun. Cultivating the ground, plowing the fields, fishing, chopping and collecting firewoods, fetching the water, planting seeds, harvesting and picking crops, herding the cattle, and driving the ox cart to transport their fruits and vegetables to the market, is the typical day for the villagers.

In April, the weather has always been humid, sultry, and hot. The scent of earth on the warm breeze, the simplicity of the landscape, which stretches for as far as the eye can see. The fruit trees in the orchard, the line of palm trees in the rice fields’ dikes and the fluttering of the coconut leaves in the trees. I catch occasional glimpses of cattle grazing in the fields, while the water buffalos are enjoying taking their bath in the mud in the irrigation canals. I see the rolling forested hills and the hazy mass of the green ridge mountains. The water lilies, in variety of colors, are floating lazily atop the glasslike surface of the lakes. The female villagers are wearing sarongs along with long sleeves shirts, and wrap their heads and faces with kroma, with hats made of thatch or palm leaves to protect their beautiful skins from getting too dark, sitting in the boats (Touk Dor) in the calm water picking up watercress and pulling lotus roots so that they can take them home to prepare evening meal for the family. The village men were grabbing their fishing poles, and reeling in their catch, then casting the line back into the calm waters of the big lake. Some were in the water using the nets to catch the fish. The pelicans were studying the shallow water intently for signs of a meal. The farmers are driving the ox carts with their wheels squeaking that give an irritation sound, which leaving behind clouds of smoldering brown dust in the hot and dry ruts in the dirt road. Some are ridding on the back of the cows watching over and rounding up a herd of cattle. Would you please pull over, I need to use the bush!

A sunset casts the village in gold. A spume of clouds spread across the sky, orange in the evening night. I watch the dawn glow faint over the shimmering trees and distant mountains. I watch until the sunset and the sky bleeds out a rich, wine red behind them. During the night, the ground releases the scent of damp earth and growing grass. The characteristic scent of the air blending with the slight of sweet smell of variety of flowers: Pka Trobaek Prey, Nakry, Rum Chek, Rum Chong, Champi and Champa, Rumdoul, Malis Rout and Malis Lea, Kdang Ngea, Krovann, and Kolab, and honey suckle on the breeze. I can see the vastness of the starry skies, peaceful waters, weeping trees, pelicans, owls, and the chorus of crickets, frogs, and toads, chicks chirping, and ducklings quacking, serenade my feeling of tranquility of the dark. Looking at the stars in their vastness, I can imagine, the possibilities looming in the vast unforeseeable future. The sense that darkness was a gift, a curtain behind, which indicates that anything could be out there, behind the darkness, in the future; anything could happen. But the stars were luminous and distinct, and I felt a sudden eerie slippage, as though the true map of the universe were emotional, time and space folded upon themselves to bring distant points together through the power of a common feeling. Ouch! Op! I had just committed sin. I squashed mosquito!

In 1960’s, the US government had described Cambodia as a country populated by a superstitious, ‘docile and passive people’, whose world was restricted to village, temple and forest and who, ‘could not be counted on to act in any positive way for the benefit of US aims and policies. President Richard Nixon and his top foreign policy advisor, Henry Kissinger, had disdained on Cambodians, “They simply didn’t exist.” What’s a travesty to the human kind! I was born into this world by my parents during, which the Nixon Administration decided to unleash the bombing of Cambodia. My life began in a world of war. Oh! Preah Euy!

The angry outburst from the sky, the shattered trees in the forest, the B-52 were hovering and hidden above the clouds; the T-28s with napalm were roaring and diving by; the twisting and funneling dark clouds of smoldering smoke and hundreds of thousands cluster bombs had been released from the planes. When a bomblet detonates, some 200,000 steel fragments would be propelled, at ballistic speed; some were designed to air burst, some were ground burst, some were delayed action. The bombs rained down on the landscape creating a deadly killing spree zone. Some bomblets contained metal barbed darts that would pin people to the ground. The napalm would scorch the ground, and the fire would suck the air out from people’s lungs. The B-52 could drop 25,000 of these bomblets on a single bombing run. The size of the bomb craters would dot the landscape. At the same time, the AC-47 gunship circled above that fired 6,000 rounds per minute. It would saturate the landscape and surrounding area. The villagers run for cover anywhere they could. They had little protection against such an enormous attack, whose payloads destroyed everything.

The operation was given a codenamed, “Operation Menu,” Breakfast, Snack, Lunch, Dinner, Dessert, and Super. But I learned that the innocent Cambodian people including my parents and relatives had given a different codenamed. They called it, “Hell on earth.” The world, I once had born into, that was so naturalistic and beautiful had suddenly turned completely into the dark abyss.

My mother had once told me that while she was pregnant with me, she had spent more time in the trenches than she had stayed outside in the daylight. We had to stay in metre-deep slit trenches piled with logs and earth. If we needed to come out to get water, firewood, or food, we had to take our chances. But most of the time, we had to stay in the trenches to avoid from getting killed by artillery and its deadly shrapnel. We were blessed with second chance. Despite the incessantly aerial bombardments, we had survived. Some of our relatives and most people in the villages including their families were not lucky. Some got burned to death. Some got buried alive in their trenches.

My mother hardly knew where my father was during the day. At night, he crawled his way back into the trench to bring us some food to eat and left us in minutes. A few minutes could save his life. According to my mother, my father could not stay with us because there were army recruiters of the Khmer Royal army, Khmer Rouge, and Viet Cong Armies. It was too dangerous to stay in our village. So early in 1973(?), my parents decided to move the family across the country to live in Pai Lin, Northwest of Battambang Province.

On March 23, 1970, King Norodom Sihanouk addressed to his little and/or ordinary people on Radio in Beijing, “Brothers and sisters, Koun Chao, go to the jungle and join the guerrillas.” The Black-clad-Order groups or the Khmer Rouge took the opportunity to politicize the message as their propaganda to delude and exploit on the innocent and vulnerable Cambodian people. The Khmer Rouge had, in fact, won over the heart of the people. They marched from the north, south, east, and the west regions toward the Capital. The Khmer Rouge was like a school of hungry piranha. They raided the villages, towns, and cities and torn down and destroyed social and infrastructures and killing almost every life in their paths. Within months of their control, the Khmer Rouge implemented and instituted their radical political campaign and turned Cambodia back into their once an agricultural state, “force a social, cultural, and economic revolution, without any Western technology or aid, that would create a racially pure Khmer society that was self-sufficient and socially and economically egalitarian”.

My uncles, aunts, cousins, and distant relatives from both sides of my parents, and including my maternal grandparents who were left behind in Chantrea/Kroal Ko, Svay Rieng province, were forced to relocate to Pursat province. I have come to learn that very few of them had survived. Most of them had died of starvation, illness, or were executed. My maternal grandparents were old, and I heard that no one took care of them. So they died of starvation and a lack of a medical care. The Khmer Rouge was deep-seated, indoctrinated with pure communist ideology; however, they had veered to genocidal in their policies. “Moha Aus-cha, Moha Lout Ploss. Tver Srè Mouy Hectare Aoy Ban Bey Tons.” After 3 years 8 months and 20 days, nearly 2 million of our innocent Khmer people had perished. This was the greatest mass murder in our Khmer history.

The scent of dead flesh laced the air and soon was detected by the so-called “brotherly loved, Vietnam.” The Hanoi of Vietnam had been waited for this important opportunity since the Vinh Te Canal/Kompup Te Ong massacre in 1814. So in December 1978, the Hanoi government appealed to other Asian countries and used the term “genocide” as their political excuse to gain their support to come and “save” the innocent and vulnerable Cambodian people from the Khmer Rouge’s grip. In January of 1979, Vietnam invaded Cambodia. So they came with their well-trained armies including their civilians loaded in the army trucks. Once the coast was clear and their camps were secured, they unloaded their civilians to settle in the new place that they had just taken. The Hanoi government tried to work out their political negotiations with their newly installed puppet government, hoping that the puppet government would allow for their civilians to settle in Cambodia. In the 80’s, they worked the innocent Khmer people in the K5, looted the belongings of Cambodian and transported them to Vietnam, moved the border posts into Cambodia and mark the new border as their own, built their forts; performed courtships and give birth to babies; trained their offspring in their native Vietnamese customs; scoured the fields looking for natural resources; combed deep into the woods; dove in the deep waters; established their rights in the heart of Phnom Penn, welcomed their Vietnamese leaders, and congratulated one another for their great achievement in taking Cambodia as part of Indochina plans.

“Amoeba-like, communist Vietnam is slowly neo-colonizing Laos and Cambodia by the traditional Vietnamese expansionism termed Don Dien, first by occupying territory with troops, then having their families come in to settle the new territory, then putting the troops into civilian clothes to become "ready reservists" and replacing them with new troops for further expansion.” - Mike Benge

Everyday the news about our homeland has continued to depict the perpetual state of upheaval, oppression, exploitation, and the ultimate cycle of violence. It is highly questionable if any politician and/or international community can guarantee peace and safety. To the average Cambodian, there are still constantly concerned about their safety and their family well-being. They are continuing to burrow their way through the drudgery of life. The people feel like a worm in a yard, which may be eaten any time by any predator. The people who speak are at risk that is soaked in fear. It is difficult to experience freedom when people are threatened and getting intimidated daily by those in power.

Currently, Cambodia is the sole breadbasket to the privileged few; especially, those who are currently the high-ranking government officials. In the circle of the current government, there is covert of political, judicial, and legislative manipulation, where the unwritten rules of those in power are commonly applied, where loyalties shift overnight and a friend can become an enemy by noon. There are deals that constitute and support the on-going corruption. They know how to work together like a spider lacing up its prey with its intricate web. Everybody’s back is scratched. One does not need a hyperactive imagination to paint a considerable number of scenarios to grasp what has been going on in the current Cambodian government. It is a fact!

It is so ironic that after more than 30 years, no one is brave enough to come forward to substantiate the claims of being responsible for having created the atrocity of the “Killing Fields”. Some leaders are continuing to act like the boxers answering the bell for the ninth round; tired, bloody, beaten, with both eyes swollen shut but determined to continue to pummel each other. Some leaders are acting like cattle that lie in the shade and endlessly chew the same cud over and over. While others are so barbaric, they address the ordinary citizens as “animals” and “wild beast.” Still others are irresponsible, ignorant, and are moral cowards. They see themselves as the images of a dragon-like creature that dwell on mountaintops and sleep coiled in the clouds, their spines untroubled by any lack of lumbar support. They can float free like a bird, without ties or allegiances or responsibility, and are unable to take on any important role to cement positive relationships in our society. Instead of spending time trying to educate the younger Khmer generations about the historical facts and what needs to be done to prevent a grave injustice and atrocity from happening again to our nation, they are continuing to enjoy sending out their political rhetoric of hate messages to other Khmer individuals and groups.

“Koun Khmeng Chea . . . . The children are born without sin. They don’t know the difference between right and wrong. The parents, not the child, likewise, the leaders, not the ordinary citizens, are responsible. That kind of leadership is a danger to the human race. They’re destroyers of visions. Visions, especially a child’s vision, has the power to change the world, to pull up these blinders and throw open the door to the wonderful world of possibilities that life offers each of us. So as the parents and leaders, we should embrace and shower our children with love. We should teach them about our past and help them to navigate through the world we shared, because they are the greatest assets for our nation . . . . . Tum Paing Snorng Russey.”

Normally, we associate truth with knowledge, with seeing things fully and clearly, but it is more accurate to say that access to the truth always depends on a very precise mixture of knowledge, skills, and experiences. This is, perhaps, nicely captured by our Khmer national monument of Bayon, a four-faced statue, which each face represents certain characteristics and qualities of a true leader. True leaders depend as much on their ability to see and heed the commonsense voice of the people from all walks of life. True leaders should develop the next generation with talent. True leaders would leave optimistic blueprints for future generations to build upon. True leaders would attend the sick, to irrigate a pasture, to climb a mountain, to write a poem, to sing the songs of people, to lie by a stream and dream, to know the joy of love, and share the pain of loss. The true leader’s greatest responsibility and accountability is to protect the weakest members of our society. This true leader is, in fact, Mr. Sam Rainsy, whom I have admired for his intellect, ability, and dedication that he has been given to our people and our country. We’re all should ask ourselves, “How long will we continue to hide the flame of hope, but let it burn brightly to lead our people to a bright future?” How long will we continue to hold our hands over a candle flame to prevent from being put out by the relentless blows of windstorm? It is time for every Khmer to join the railroad into the service to fight a war that was long overdue unjust. Let’s the illumination of our candle flame shows the past in a new light, “Give the power back to our Khmer people!”

Cambodian votes for Mr. Sam Rainsy for the next Prime Minister!

Thank you and May Lord Buddha Bless Us, Bless Cambodia!

P.S.: I would like to take this opportunity to offer my full support for Mr. Rong Chhun and Mr. Chea Mony and their associates for their strong stance for democracy. I would also like to express my sincere appreciation to the KI-Media, Khmerization, NeoKhmer, Angkor Borei News, AmeKhmer, and all the Khmer news media and networks around the globe for their dedication in sharing sensitive information about our people and our homeland. You are the best! Keep up your excellent work! Sharing Knowledge is Power!

Reflection on President Sam Rainsy’s Speech

May 3, 2008
Opinion by Justin C. Sok

“In a democracy the poor will have more power than the rich, because there are more of them, and the will of the majority is supreme.” - Aristotle

I wanted to take this important opportunity to share with everyone about the important information that I have learned from President Sam Rainsy’s speech at the banquet on the 27 of April, at the New Paradise Restaurant in Long Beach, California.

It was a very pleasant and a friendly atmosphere. Despite the short notice, there were still approximately two hundred people at the reception. I was glad to see some of our old friends and got acquainted with new ones. It was an honor for me, for the first time, to have met with President Sam Rainsy in person. We had exchanged greetings with Chum Reap Sur and shook hands.

President Sam Rainsy had spoken at length about the current political and social ills in Cambodia, which he whole heartily believes that if we, the citizens at all levels, through our collective insensitivity and inaction, we allow the status quo to either continue or become even worse. Consequently, our people and our homeland would face greater challenges in the near future.

President Sam Rainsy spoke eloquently with compassion and empathy about the struggles our people go through every day. For so many years, our people have endured so much suffering, which obviously stemmed from the inequality, injustice, and poverty caused by the Hun Sen Regime. President Sam Rainsy appeared enthusiastic, energetic, determined, and decisive about his strategic plans. He professed with confident on how he and his administration, should he win the national election in July, would plan to go about to resolve the political and social issues for our people and our homeland.

President Sam Rainsy expressed his heart felt concern with all of his supporters about the societal problems that include political oppression (death threats and threats to sue in the court of law), unemployment, poverty, land grabbing, eviction, and daily harassment by those corrupted officials of the Hun Sen Regime. He also emphasized on the important political issues that is include: economy (i.e. inflation), border issues, environmental concerns, and the continuing of influx of illegal immigrants, which is threatening our national security. President Sam Rainsy appealed to his countrymen, with all his heart for their full-fledged support to help elect him to become the next Prime Minister. He vehemently vowed to keep his promises. He plans to bring solutions to the Cambodian people when he takes office after July.

President Sam Rainsy had specifically pointed out that corruption is at the core of Cambodia current predicament; this has hampered the country from moving forward. His top priority is to eliminate corruption. He had wished to eradicate corruption since he had stepped up into political arena in the early 1990’s. Corruption is a cancer, which is imbedded deep down in our society among the rich and powerful. “Ah Tom Si Tom, Ah Touch Si Touch,” he stated. The corruption among the high-ranking officials and the privileged has continued to cause the country to deteriorate both politically and economically, and thus, indeed, has threatened our survival as a nation. My general intellects about President Sam Rainsy’s speech of an on-going corruption within the Hun Sen Regime has led me to believe that Mr. Hun Sen has completely failed to acknowledge these problems and/or Mr. Hun Sen is incompetent or is too ignorant to care to rectify these problems.

President Sam Rainsy has pointed out how the ways that Pol Pot and Ieng Sary’s Clique have killed millions of our people as compared to the ways our people are being killed now under the Hun Sen Regime. Under the Pol Pot and Ieng Sary’s Clique, our people were systematically killed. The people were executed right on the spot. The people were killed in mass and dumped into the ditches. The people were starved to death. People died due to a lack of medical treatment. The people were forced to work 20 hours or more, a day, with a little food to eat. The Pol Pot and Ieng Sary’s Clique constantly watched our people and guarded Cambodia under the iron curtain - no information about what had been going on in the country got out to the outside world. Within 3 years 8 months and 20 days, the Pol Pot and Ieng Sary’s Clique killed more than 2 million of our people.

On the other hand, the Hun Sen Regime is used a different strategic plan to kill our people. First is the land. Currently, land is a hot commodity and it is at a “high peak” in value. Mr. Hun Sen allowed his high-ranking officials to either force our people to sell their land at a lower price or their land would be confiscated and they would not be compensated. Mr. Hun Sen allowed the foreign companies to buy off thousands and thousands of acres of land, rubber plantations, and hired people to work at low wages. The high-ranking officials put our national monument “Angkor Wat Temple” for lease and pocketed the money. Our own people are being evicted; their homes have been bulldozed and burned down. They were chased and prodded from their land and villages. As a result, our people are ended up in the streets begging for food for their survival. Some of our people have no choice but to choose dumpsites as their living squatters.

Second, illegal immigrants have swarmed into our Tonle Sap. They trashed, polluted the lake, and they have used hand grenades and electric shock to kill our fish. They have depleted and driven extinction to some of our fish species and destroyed of their habitats.

Third, is the forestry. Mr. Hun Sen had allowed the foreign logging companies to cut down of our precious trees and shipping them abroad and his high-ranking officials pocketed the money. Mr. Hun Sen has allowed the foreigners to slowly nibble away our vital natural resources (land, forest, and water) until they are depleted. Land, forest, and water are the heart and soul of our Khmer survival as a nation, and if allow this to continue, eventually, it would eradicate the whole Khmer nation.

In my political opinion, it would be foolish if President Sam Rainsy used his political platform to run for political office as a roadblock for other political parties. He has chosen to run for political office because he believes he has the knowledge, skills, ability, and political experience (national and international) to bring democracy to our people and our homeland. He wants a free and democratic Cambodia. He wants to plant the seeds our democracy in Cambodia and to help grow respect for human rights and dignity, so that each and every Cambodian citizen in this generations and the next, would have the opportunity to freely exercise their basic fundamental rights without fear of being persecuted. This has always been the top priority of his and it is of monumental importance for all of us. He believes the people have trusted in him, and in return, he wants to invest more in our people, in their economy, and in their future. He fights for Factory/Garment Workers to raise their wages. He makes sure that proper working conditions are met including adequate salary, benefits, and sick and vacation times. President Sam Rainsy advocates for our teachers. He demands raising their salaries, and provide continuing education and trainings for our teachers. President Sam Rainsy would ensure that every Cambodian child will receive an excellent education. Those that have graduated from college and universities would be sure to land a decent job. “No one is born a good citizen; no nation is born a democracy. Rather, both are processes that continue to evolve over a lifetime. Young people must be included from birth. A society that cuts off from its youth severs its lifeline.” Kofi Annan. More over, President Sam Rainsy fights for women rights. He advocates for equal opportunity for women in political office and corporations in Cambodia. Equally important, we are the agricultural nation; therefore, farmers are our backbones for our country. President Sam Rainsy would ensure that our farmers have adequate support and have all the resources including irrigation systems and equipments to work on their farmland and growing crops.

President Sam Rainsy has strong public policies on corruption, terrorism, human and drug trafficking, environmental concerns, illegal immigrants, and border issues. More importantly, President Sam Rainsy’s utmost goal, upon becoming Prime Minister, is to unify all Cambodian compatriots by embracing all of our Khmer people, living inside Cambodia and overseas to join forces in rebuilding our country.

The responsibility for alleviating the plight of our people and our homeland falls upon all members of our society. As individuals, all citizens have a duty to assist our homeland through acts of charity and personal commitment. We also carry the moral responsibility to assist and empower the people by working collectively through and with the government to establish just and effective public policies. But one crucial societal aspect remains to be clarified publicly by the Hun Sen Regime. If all members of our society are ready to lend a hand and take charge in sharing responsibility with the government so the whole nation can benefit and move forward, what has stopped the people from doing it? To answer the question, let’s we all closely examine the recent political message made by Mr. Hun Sen for the purpose of his political campaign. “If the people voted for the ruling party, CPP, there will be no war. The people don’t need to run for the trenches.” The statement is clearly point out that, in fact, Mr. Hun Sen is the main roadblock for our people and our country to move forward. Surprisingly, this is not an unusual message coming out from Mr. Hun Sen’s mouth. As a matter fact, this is an excellent example on how he and his regime have been able to continue to stay in power by using forces against his political opponents.

A new political message is therefore called for. It must begin with the age-old assumption that we are only as strong as our weakest link. It asseverates that the judgment of our society will depend not on how it treats its most powerful, privileged, and wealthy, but rather on how its treat its most vulnerable. It will invoke a spirit of cooperation, rather than one of greed. And it will place the concern and needs of every Khmer, rather than those of corrupted groups, at the top of the government. If we can begin to move the country toward such a political message, I envision a dramatic positive change of our Khmer nation.

Coming this July, I plead with all my heart to all of our Khmer people living in all 22 provinces to carefully consider about making a final decision before you casting your vote. Your vote should match with the most qualify candidate, whom you think will be the next Prime Minister that can lead our people and our country to a brighter future. I totally understand the struggles your family and you are going through each day. But it is the important moment that each and every one of you must make a wise decision. It is not about a bag of salt and/or a bag of sugar, one Sarong and/or one Kroma, one cow here and one chicken there, in exchange for your vote. It is about your vote, and your vote is your voice. Your voice is for you and your children’s future. And your future will be depending on the liberty and freedom that you will have.

I am very confident with President Sam Rainsy. He is genuine and a man of moral integrity. He is a charismatic leader. President Sam Rainsy is the right man, for the right time, and for the right reasons for our people and our homeland. Please vote for President Sam Rainsy for the next Prime Minister!

Thank you for reading.

Som Preah Chea Mchas Chouy Bom Pleu Plov Aoy Koun Khmer Yoeung Krup Knea Ning Brotest Cheat Yoeung Tov Rok Ana Kut Dor Roung Roeung!

Together, We Can!

TOGETHER, WE CAN!

April 02, 2008
Op-Ed by Justin Sok

I just wanted to capture a precious moment of everyone’s attention. Since I was among the individuals living in the community and had also raised issue relating to the upcoming annual Cambodian New Year Cultural parade, I wanted to express my thoughts with every one on the issue in the hopes of bringing this matter to a close. It is by no means my intention to reiterate and/or harangue about the issues as a personal memoir. However, I feel that it is important to share the issue out in the open so that the public would have an opportunity to witness how the issue was raised and how it would eventually affect the outcome of our annual Cambodian New Year Cultural parade.

They say, “Every barrel always has a few rotten apples.” It would not be a controversial issue if this were about a few rotten apples. But the issue raised was clearly about a few community organization leaders who, without having consult with their associates and without giving the public an opportunity to share their opinions on the issue, were quick to execute their plans in which they had hoped that their status would shine. Among the goals and objectives they have proposed to add on to the original ones were to “invite a dignitary from Cambodia” to participate in the annual Cambodian New Year Cultural parade, which will be held on Sunday, April 6, 2008. However, since the issue of the “invitation” appeared to be somewhat sleight-of-hand and surreptitiously undertaken by the few so-called community organization leaders, it would defeat the whole purpose of our solidarity and damn our democratic principles. The issue of “inviting” a high-ranking Phnom Penh government official was clearly the focal point of our argument, and if the proposed issue were allowed to stand, it would surely prove foreseeable future detrimental.

Despite the relentless pursuit for dialogue made by concerned individuals and groups of Cambodian and Cambodian-American people from our community, to clarify the invitation issue, it is encouraging to hear from Mr. Peter Long, Cam-CC. Mr. Long issued a public statement, which he had claimed to have “misunderstanding” among the few so-called community organization leaders. The Cam-CC had been informed that “Deputy Prime Minister Sok An will not attend the annual Cambodian New Year Cultural parade,” he added. Although the public statement was not scrupulously stated, nor was intended as “public apology” for having caused such an upheaval in the community, it has significantly calmed our Cambodian and Cambodian-American people in the community. I had hoped that the recent controversial issue could always be rectified. I would personally like to commend Mr. Long for his fervently taking the actions to reassure the public with the limited information he had to offer. I am quite confident that Mr. Long’s gestures were meant to reach out and try to cement the relationship among the Cambodian and Cambodian-American people in our community and as well as the Cambodian people overseas.

The law required that business corporations and organizations should always have stipulated their internal policies and procedures on how to appropriately conduct their business with the public. For instance, one of the rules would be a disciplinary action, which it adhered to would specifically state the procedures and rules on how to handle the member/employee(s) who has violated that rules. Frankly, I would like to make a fair generalize statement that the public would like to leave this action in the hands of the community organization leaders and their members to decide what would be appropriate action to take for the few individuals who were identified within the organizations that had made this monumental and inexcusable mistake.

On the other hand, I would hope that the community leaders and the organizations would process this and take the issue raised by our Cambodian and Cambodian-American people in the community as an educational learning opportunity. I wish that the community organizations, the Cambodian and Cambodian-American people in the community, and as well as, the Cambodian people overseas would come to the conclusion that “it is always best to make room for improvements.”

While we are trying to put this matter in the rear mirror, let’s hope that in the future the organizations and community leaders would pay more heed to the community, focus more on responsibility, accountability, and be more transparency about the hair-splitting public matters, which would help prevent from causing friction and misunderstanding among the people in our community. The public has given a voice and that voice has indeed needed to be honored.

The importance of civility, reminding us of the difficulty of the tasks, and saying that we ought not to be surprised that we were struggling and that these struggles reflected our seriousness, and that nothing less than an open and honest discussion of issues was suitable to the tasks we faced. It has been historically proven that when people pull together and roll up their sleeves to work together on a particular issue, they can achieve anything. Together, I believe we can!

I wanted to take this window of opportunity to thank all the Cambodian community organizations, leaders, and their members for their commitment, diligent, and meticulous work for the New Year Celebration. Through their work, I am confident that the New Year Celebration will be a success. I would also like to offer my sincerely acknowledgement and thank the individual concerned citizens (you know who you are), the associations, and the concerned citizens as a whole for being the eyes and ears of the community. Lastly, I would also like to extend my deep appreciation and gratitude to the Cambodian and Cambodian-American people living in our community, and as well as, the Cambodian people overseas for their courage in standing up for what they believe is just, and for added their voices of encouragement and support.

For this New Year Celebration, wherever you are, I wish each and every one of you a shower of good health, happiness, prosperity, and a Happy New Year! May this New Year and the years a head of you be much brighter than you could possibly guess! Happy New Year!

Thank you.

Justin C. Sok
April 02, 2008

“Quid pro quo”

March 6, 2008
Opinion by Justin C. Sok

All it takes is a few snowflakes to start the avalanche. It was crystal clear that they were the ones, with their lapse of judgment, which caused all the commotion in the Cambodian and Cambodian-American community and Cambodian people abroad for the past months.

Someone had asked me, “Was I surprised about the whole issue?” At first I thought it was so odd to hear such a ridiculous rumor. But once I learned about whom these people were, I was not surprised at all. It’s so pathetic and disgraceful for the Cambodian people, the City of Long Beach, and the Cambodian people around the globe. It is quite clear to the public that, in fact, they have had their own hidden agenda. As a matter of fact, they are the political buffoons with their thick-faced, who would love to ingratiate and grovel at someone’s feet for better shade. These are the kind of people, which can be called the “Basking in reflected glory” – by associating with other high-ranking people, they hope that some of their glory will rub off on them, too.

I was present at the City Council meeting to offer my support for our Cambodian and Cambodian-American community. I would like to briefly give a scenario for the public to see what went on in the City Council Chamber. It was the last item on the City Council Agenda: Public – Immediately Prior to Adjournment. After the speeches presented about the “invitation issue” by an agglomerate of intellectual Cambodian-Americans, Mr. Mayor Bob Foster threw in the towel to signify that he and the rest of his City Council members have heard enough about the issue. Ironically, the atmosphere in the Council Chamber was even more appalling when Mr. Mayor Bob Foster yielded motions to get responses from the City Council members if any of them and/or any city staff had heard or were involved with the “invitation issue” claimed to be made by the Cam-CC representatives. Every City Council member had no firsthand knowledge apropos of the “invitation issue”. Mr. Mayor Bob Foster then offered his support for our voices and yielded the motion to further investigate the “invitation issue” to be made by the designated city staff and to be the mediators for the purpose of bringing together the two groups to clear the air at the special meeting, which will be on this Friday, March 7, 2008.

I learned that if you were to make such grave accusations, you would be better damn certain. Let’s put it on the record, the Cambodian and Cambodian-American people were cleared certain that the accusations they had made were true. The facts are objectively real, while the truth must conform to the facts. So if you can’t find the facts, you can never prove the truth. Guess what? The people found the facts, and they had proved the truth. Therefore, to the so-called Cambodian Community Congress delegates, just when you think you got the world by the neck, you find out the world has got you by the head and tail. Just remember, the best place to put up a show of a pile of dirt SANds is at somewhere else and not on Anaheim street corridor.

My hat is off to the group of our Cambodian and Cambodian American people who had the courage to stand up before Mr. Mayor Bob Foster and the City Council members to contest for our good cause. You are the backbone and the bulwark of law and order to fight against the injustice made upon the weak. Our objective about the whole issue was not to show the world about the “Us against them” or vice versa. But it was clearly about the benefits for the majority, and that’s how democratic principle works.

Thank you and have a wonderful day.

Justin C. Sok
March 6, 2008
California