Why supporting Tibetan struggle?

October 2, 2010
By MP Son Chhay

As a matter of principle, if we can not support Vietnam or Thailand's invasion of Cambodia, then how can we turn around and support or ignore China's invasion of Tibet? The reality is that to have any international credibility, Cambodia must not put itself into any position that will be viewed as supporting crimes against humanity – whether this be in Cambodia, in Burma or, in Tibet.

SRP MP Son Chhay

My recent trip to take part in Tibet's 50th Anniversary of its Parliament in Exile has been criticised as potentially damaging to Cambodia's national interest. Some going so far as to suggest that during this period when Cambodia is facing strong undue control from Vietnam which has unfortunately led to the fear that this will eventually lead to the swallowing of our motherland as a whole I, as a Cambodian politician should look up to China for protection.

I myself used to believe in this kind of propaganda but after many years of being involved in the affairs of human rights and the active promotion of democratic principles in our , as well as within the region and, having been involved in supporting our own struggle in the 1980s, against the invasion of Cambodia by the Vietnamese armed forces, further compounded by my own personal testimony of suffering under regimes which were influenced by the policies of communist doctrine either through the practice of Mao or Uncle Ho, I, now believe differently. All countries have their own agenda and China has not proven to be a reliable ally and certainly does not advocate human rights even in its own country.

In the past, the Khmer Rouge were ideologically very close with China. They did not work to unify our people and strengthen our country's institutions but instead isolated Cambodia from the world and created damaging relationships with our neighbouring countries. The Khmer Rouge were dependent solely on China, and were keen to show their full support to their Chinese 'masters' by putting into practice, the Mao's communist ideology which resulted in the genocide of millions of our people and set Cambodia back to year zero. It was this serious of events that eventually gave the Vietnamese the 'excuse' to invade Cambodia and, to this present time China has not protected us.

In fact, China's current objective is to search for resources to feed her booming economy. It is, in fact, Cambodia's raw materials, including timber, minerals and petroleum, that are the real reason for China's feigned interest with our weak and corrupt government. Our government has provided China with many generous concessions including a hundred thousand hectares of land, contracts on projects building hydro dams, roads, bridges to the point where are economy is debt ridden for unbelievable amounts of money which our people will have to pay for many generations to come.

It is important that all countries have a right to the principles of self determination. Our government has failed to provide Cambodia with policies that will protect Cambodia's interests for all generations and instead continues to compromise our country's wealth with questionable 'deals' with other countries, including China.

As a matter of principle, if we can not support Vietnam or Thailand's invasion of Cambodia, then how can we turn around and support or ignore China's invasion of Tibet? The reality is that to have any international credibility, Cambodia must not put itself into any position that will be viewed as supporting crimes against humanity – whether this be in Cambodia, in Burma or, in Tibet. Even as a small country, we can still defend ourselves as a proud independent nation and it is foolish to think that another external country especially one with a record such as China will 'protect' own interests better! But we must first nurture and protect our own people by working hard to promote a unified nation with good institutions that will serve our people through the implementation of democratic principles and a sound foreign policy that will be the envy of our neighbours!

Cops break up Beoung Kak demonstrators in front of Hun Xen's mansion

Report by Den Ayuthyea, Radio Free Asia
Video by Uon Chhin
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Additional Photos from Anti-Hun Xen Demonstration in New York

 (All Photos: Courtesy of Thavary - Thank you very much!)

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Cambodians will not be able to demonstrate against Hun Xen in Belgium, but … they will demonstrate with protesting Lao people anyway

Anti-Hun Xen demonstration in New York

03 October 2010
Sok Serey
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Komping Puoy
Click here to read the article in Khmer

Organizers for the demonstration to protest against PM Hun Xen in Brussels, Belgium, indicated their disappointment because the Belgian authority did not authorize them to demonstrate against Hun Xen and the Cambodian government delegation that will attend the ASEM meeting on 04-05 October.

One of the demonstration organizers indicated that the reason they were prevented from demonstrating was because their request to hold the demonstration was sent in too close to the meeting date, and a decision could not be delivered on such short notice.

The organizers prepared their request letter on 29 September, and sent it in on 30 September, whereas the ASEM meeting will take place on 04-05 October already.

65-year-old Cheat Chea, one of the 4 demonstration organizers in Brussels, told RFA over the phone that his group will nevertheless hold anti-Hun Xen banners along with Lao demonstrators who received the authorization to hold their demonstration on 04 October.

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Hun Xen departs for Belgium

02 October 2010
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Komping Puoy

PM Hun Xen left for Belgium on 01 October to attend the 8th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) which will be held between 04 and 05 October. On 29 October, Hun Xen declared in public that, in the name of an ASEAN facilitating country, he will give an opening speech, and on the concluding day of the meeting, he will also give a speech on the topic of “lasting development.” At the end of September and October, Hun Xen has a busy schedule involving international cooperations, such as the ASEAN-US meeting, the ASEM, and the upcoming ASEAN meeting in Hanoi.

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By 2025, Cambodia will have a population of 1.5 million elderly

(Photo: Phil Borges, CARE)

02 October 2010
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Komping Puoy

The director of the department of retirement pension of the ministry of Social Affairs indicated that, currently, Cambodia counts over 1 million people over the age of 60, and this number will increase to 1.5 million by 2025. Hol Phal, the director of retirement pension indicated that elderly people are defined by the UN as those who are over 60, and extremely old people are those who are over 80. The majority of elderly Cambodians live in the countryside where the living condition is tight and they lack understanding in hygiene and healthcare. In general, the elderly live with their daughters, or if they do not have daughters, they live with their sons or in the pagodas. In general, it is observed that elderly men have shorter life expectancy than elderly women.

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Ex-Khmer Rouge in former stronghold play the numbers game

Oct 3, 2010

Comrade Mey Mak

By Robert Carmichael
DPA

So there remains the possibility that 67-year-old Comrade Duch will be the only person held accountable for one of the 20th century's most destructive regimes.

Pailin, Cambodia - 'They do not have blood on their hands,' said Mey Mak, Pailin's bespectacled deputy governor, of the four former Khmer Rouge leaders indicted last month by the war crimes court.

'Khieu Samphan, for example, he was responsible for the economy. Ieng Sary just went in and out of the country, and Ieng Thirith was only in charge of the social affairs ministry.'

'So it seems to me that they are victims,' he said of the movement's former head of state, foreign minister and minister of social affairs respectively.

The fourth person indicted was Nuon Chea, known as Brother Number Two, and regarded as the movement's chief ideologue.

Mey Mak, who worked for a decade as secretary to the Khmer Rouge's late leader Pol Pot, was speaking at a public meeting in late September in the former Khmer Rouge stronghold of Pailin in western Cambodia.