Aloha, As a resident of Hawaii, which Sophan Seng claims he represents, I wanted to share my observations, thoughts, and also questions about his motives. Unfortunately, I didn't like what I saw of him, and I only foresee further disruption.
Sophan Seng came to Hawaii to further his education back in 2006. The first time he set foot in Hawaii, I introduced him to some Cambodian community members since he was a Khmer new to the island. Some knew his background from the past and had their opinions (good but mostly bad), but I tried not to take people's word for it. As months progressed, however, I came to see that the warnings I had heard were true. First, he used the Buddhist religion to advance himself rather than becoming a monk selflessly in dedication to Buddha. How do I know this? While attending the University of Hawaii, he lived in a co-educational dormitory. One may think this is not a big deal nowadays, but should a monk put himself in the company and living quarters of females? Is this appropriate? He often flirted with young female members of our community and made inappropriate comments - causing some of our youth and their parents to become very upset! He was affiliated with a so-called ‘temple’ in Hawaii, and performed Buddhist ceremonies. That was reasonable because he was a monk, right? But in 2009, he visited Cambodia from Hawaii, ostensibly still a monk, but came back to the United States only a couple of months later with a wife! Prior to his trip back to Cambodia, he told members of the community in Hawaii that he was going there to represent and gain support for the temple and the Buddhist religion. The ‘temple committee’ gave him $400, and some individual people also gave him money, since he was a monk and/or student. Poor him, right? When he came back with a wife, people were shocked. Did he care? Apparently not. He did not attempt to explain himself nor apologize for using the monies to go back to Cambodia to get married. No, he used religion for personal gain. Sad but true. To people that do not know him, Sophan Seng represents himself as a ‘community facilitator.’ To be a facilitator, ideally one has to be neutral, or at least try to maintain neutrality. Instead, he openly expresses his opinion about Cambodian politics. In fact, even as a monk, whose studies are supposed to focus on learning and internalizing Buddhist principles and the path to peace, he chose to pursue a degree in *political science*. Most if not all of the articles he has written to the Phnom Penh Post (PPP) discuss politics. At the close of each of his articles, he signed "Sophan Seng, University Hawaii at Manoa, United States," or "Cambodian Students of Aloha" (the University's student organization). This might indicate that his opinions echo those of other Khmer at the University of Hawaii. They do not. Again, he is not representing the university, Khmer in Hawaii, or the United States of America. He used these closures to make himself look good with outside parties. Not all Khmer in Hawaii (or elsewhere in the United States) agree with him. In his previous correspondence, Sophan stated, “If you want to know me more, go to these links.” The links he provided, http://www2.hawaii.edu/~csaloha/officers.html and http://www2.hawaii.edu/~sophan/, are links that were self-created -- using the university- related resources (originally created for the use of the student group as a whole) for personal gain, again. Was the information he put on the site approved by the majority of the students in the organization? Has anyone else affiliated with the CSAloha used this site for personal boasting? No. Not even the founders, myself or Mr. Chanthoeun To, ever considered using this site to toot our own horns. The purpose of CSAloha, ‘…does not represent any political or religious ideologies both on/off campus.’ Yet he used the university-based name/group to send articles about politics to PPP and other media. Like Mr. Heng Sombat mentioned in his email, ‘He just wanted his name to be read in Phnom Penh Post.’ Most of the articles he wrote to the PPP from Hawaii attacked the current Cambodian government and sided with opposition political parties. Hmmm . . . Sophan, when you were in Cambodia, did you write any articles to the PPP? Or did you simply enjoy yourself there and then come back to the safety of the U.S. to criticize Cambodia? Why attack the government of your own country? Do you just use your country for personal gain as well? Samdech Hun Sen has been a Prime Minister for years. He lives in Cambodia most of his life, unlike Mr. Sam Rainsy. When problems arise in the country, Samdech Hun Sen is still there. How about Mr. Sam Rainsy? He leaves the country when problems come up. Then, his students and his followers pay the price since they can’t leave the country like him. Now, I am not affiliated with any political party in Cambodia. I am simply noting that you only support a given official or bureaucrat when it suits you. Perhaps it is easier to get an American scholarship if you are attacking a socialist country leader rather than supporting him? Sophan, why try to divide the country instead of uniting it? Are you using your Canadian and US bases to get asylum to live abroad permanently?? Your articles to the PPP do not help the current issues in Cambodia; instead, you are dividing the government and her people. Before you decide to sound off your opinion again, you should take a look at yourself in the mirror again and think about whether you are helping Cambodia with your words and actions, or, by pretending to be some sort of expert from the safety of your current North American address, making things worse for the people of our motherland. Savouth Chea Honolulu, Hawaii > -----Message d'origine----- > De : [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] De la part > de Heng Sombat > Envoyé : samedi 9 janvier 2010 21:08 > À : [email protected] > Objet : RE: My Letter to the Phnom Penh Post > > Sophan, > > The CSALOHA website is very outdated > (http://www2.hawaii.edu/~csaloha/officers.html). I do not think any of > the > information on the site are correct. You need to update it or take the site > down. False information via internet or posted on the internet is also a > crime. > > Per my information with the East West Center, you are no longer a student > there. Plus you have sent many articles about Cambodian-Canadian's > activities which only proof that you are currently residing in Canada. > > There is not much to read into your article. Your intention is not to help > Cambodia or her people. Question: Have you even hold a job that produced > normal income and paid income-tax since you live here, US or Canada? If > not, you have no idea what is democracy is. So please do not preach > democracy to others. From your resume, you have been a professional > student > and monk most of your adult life. > > Per my conversation with my friend Sok in Hawaii, your short term in Hawaii > during your monk hood was fulfill with sins. Let me relate (one issue) to > you and to our audience that wish to know more about you, since you wanted > others to know about you as well. Correct me if my information is > incorrect, but I have no doubt about what I am about to share. > > During your study at University of Hawaii you were living in a co-ed > University housing that was provided by East West Center (funded by > American > tax payers). This mean that you were sharing your domicile with young > college girls. This alone violated Buddhism practice already. Most of the > young girls in these days covered their body with less and less garments, > especially when they are in their domiciles. I will stop here on this issue > and let you and the audience of CAMDIS takes it from here. > > I have more to share, if you want me to go on! Trust me. > > Here is my suggestion. Stop attacking and putting down Cambodian people > and > her government via Phnom Penh Post. Posting article via Phnom Post will be > read by mostly foreigners, in Phnom Penh and aboard, your article will only > stack more mud on the Cambodian people. This government is not perfect. > If > you care, let's help Cambodian people by helping the government to improve > their mean and way of doing government businesses. Let's start with > solidarity first. Solidarity is the most effective way to consolidate > power > and fight the enemy of all kinds; foreign and domestic. Keep in mind > that > democracy does not happen overnight. It took US and Canada over 200 years > for their democracies and still not 100% perfect. Do not forget that your > well being here in US or Canada is the result of the current government > policy. > > Here I go again......You must learn how to give back, not just take. Or > giving back is not what you believe in? Stop taking from an little old > lady > like the one you did in Hawaii. She gave you so much of what she had; she > had to collect cans and saved portion of her SS incomes to contribute to > your Buddhism preach, because she trusted you as a true monk. > > I am going to stop here and hoping that you are able to start giving back > with your heart. > > > Heng Sombat > Irvine, Ca > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf > Of sophan > Sent: Friday, January 08, 2010 4:59 > To: Cambodia Discussion (CAMDISC) - www.cambodia.org > Subject: Re: My Letter to the Phnom Penh Post > > Hi Heng Sombat and Kangkaroo; > > Some info you claimed is correct, but major of them is wrong about me. > If you want to know me more, go to these links. > > http://www2.hawaii.edu/~csaloha/officers.html > or > http://www2.hawaii.edu/~sophan/ > > I am not affiliated with any political parties inside or outside of > Cambodia. I am currently a student of UH, and community facilitator. > My letter to the Phnom Penh Post has fairly articulated to bring benefits > to > all sides especially the collective interests of the nation. > > Please re-read my article again and again before you assume to reply this > or > that. > > PS: I am an individual of UH's student. I am not representing all students > in this University including Cambodian students studying there, like many > other writers who revealed their places such as Phnom Penh, California or > others, surely not represent everyone there. > > Regards, > > S. > > On Jan 7, 10:33 pm, Heng Sombat <[email protected]> wrote: > > Hello Kararoo, > > > > Your points are very straight and very much appreciated. The author > > of this letter to Phnom Penh Post has no practical logic or merit > > behind his article. He just wanted his name to be read in Phnom Penh > Post. > > > > Sam Rainsy's actions in the last 15 years are very questionable. I > > have the opportunity to meet Rainsy when he was the Minister of > > Finance and after he got kicked out of the government. He knows how > > to use less fortunate people for his personal gain. Just like Koy > > Pech in > the 1971, Lon Nol Era. > > Students died from his actions. > > > > Now let's look at this author character and purpose of his writing > > this article, so we could analyst his intention. I started out by > > contacting my fellow friend (let's call him Sok) at Hawaii University > > at Manoa Campus to verify who is this Sophan Seng really is. > > > > Here is what I found out. > > > > 1. Sophan was a student at UH and had moved back to Canada since 2009. > > 2. He was a monk from Cambodia via Canada before moved to Hawaii. On > > top of it, he did served his monk hood properly. > > > > In the body of his article he expressed the wrong doing of the HS > > government, but fail to understand the responsibility of the Rainsy as > MP. > > MP is just a law maker not a law enforcer. What authority does MP has > > to act as POLICE. Rainsy's action only create division among our > > people, but fail to promote solidarity. His actions only make us > > Khmer > weak. > > > > If you talk about corruption, let's us ash how Rainsy live with his MP > > salary. Someone is paying for his living cost plus traveling in and > > out of Cambodia whenever he wishes to travel. > > > > I suggest that Sophon think twice before he writes again about the HS > > government. HS is not perfect, but the best government we had in the > > last 100 years. We all able to get higher education and freedom to > > express our opinion more than previous governments. Freedom of speech > > has come a long way. But please keep freedom of speech within > limitation. > > > > Let's look at our previous government: Sihanouk's government fail....... > > Lon Nol's government fail...... Pol Pot's government fail to year > > ZERO. I guess Sophan wants to live year Zero again. > > > > One more note for Sophon, if you are not with UH or speaking on > > behalf of UH, please do not sign on behalf of UH, because your article > > to Phnom Penh Post created concern for UH Cambodian Students in > > Hawaii. Not all students in UH approved your statement. > > > > Heng Sombat > > Irvine, Ca > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On > > Behalf > > > > Of sopha > > Sent: Thursday, January 07, 2010 5:56 AM > > To: Cambodia Discussion (CAMDISC) -www.cambodia.org > > Subject: Re: My Letter to the Phnom Penh Post > > > > On Jan 7, 2:28 am, kangaroo <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Reading your article “Three more sought in removal of post at Svay > > > > Rieng border” (January 4) broke my heart. > > > > > > The villagers should be congratulated and taken care of by the > > > > government for their courage in publicly claiming their ownership > > > > of the rice paddies and denouncing the violation of their > > > > territory by Vietnamese authorities who have mismanaged the > > > > process of demarcating the border. Instead, as unbelievable as it > > > > may sound, these five farmers face a terrifying fate and the loss > > > > of their status > > as “good” citizens. > > > > > Look at their acts. They have done something on their own hands > > > along with Sam Rainsy. Did they do the right thing? > > > Look at it yourself. A small group of people disagree with border > > > demarkation along with their leader, Sam Rainsy. They acted > > > illegally whether you like it or not. They did a wrong thing. > > > Actually, they did it to demonstarte their disagreement with the > government. > > > Be serious about it. Doing a wrong thing to correct a wrong thing > > > would never work. Sam Rainsy and that small group of people did just > > > that. Now they are facing their consequences. > > > Oh ask those people this. They did it along with Sam Rainsy in that > > > village. Now, they all are in trouble including Sam Rainsy. WHERE IS > > > SAM RAINSY TODAY? > > > How about those people in the group? Where are they today? > > > > It is good to hear from you. Why all Cambodian people have trouble? > > > > > > There have been different interpretations of this story within the > > > > media, but at the end of the day, no one can deny the truth: > > > > Cambodian people living along the borders with Thailand, Laos and > > > > Vietnam no longer dare voice their concerns about neighbouring > > > > countries encroaching on their territory and stealing their land > > > > for > > fear of reprisals. > > > > > No one can say that Cambodian neighbors have not moved into > > > Cambodian territory. However, there is an agreement between > > > Cambodian government and Vietnamese government on this demarkation. > > > We will never find the demarkation to please everyone. So what is > > > the best result. The two countries have to work it out. Until then > > > the > people will struggle. > > > > I think Cambodia has had agreement with all neighbors including Preah > > Vihear. > > > > > > On one hand, the government may have good reason to accuse > > > > opposition leader Sam Rainsy of acting as a provocateur in > > > > bringing news of Vietnam’s mismanagement of border posts to the > > > > public. But on the other hand, the government is following a > > > > course of action that could rob Cambodia of its strength as a > > > > nation and destroy the > > immunity of every parliamentarian. > > > > > My friend, > > > Sam Rainsy lead that small group of people to rise against the > > > decision of his own government. What do you think that the > > > government would do? Let us say that Sam Rainsy is the prime > > > minister of Cambodia today. What would he do if Hun Sen did like that? > > > Is prime minister Sam Rainsy going to ignore the illegal act against > > > his government? > > > > Good point but what kind of decision? Any participation from the pp > > and NGOs? > > > > > > At the grassroots level, Cambodian people living along the border > > > > will no longer dare to stand up and protest against the theft of > > > > their land by neighbouring countries. At the national level, > > > > parliamentarians – both government and opposition – will lose > > > > confidence in their abilities to serve the genuine interests of > > > > the > > people. > > > > > They cannot stand up for their right. The government cannot please > > > all of those people at once. Nor the government can find a solution > > > to make them happy on both side. There is no way. The agreement > > > between Vietnam and Cambodia is set a fire storm. Some are happy and > > > some are not. The government has no position to win on this > > > position. That's honest. Don't tell me that prime minister Sam > > > Rainsy would do any better. This situation has no winning in sight. > > > > That might be called agreement of self-suicide or dividing Khmers. Why > > Khmers are dividing? > > > > > > The government must evaluate the situation fairly if it is to > > > > effecctively represent the nation’s interests. I would like to > > > > appeal to the government to restore the prowess of elected > > > > parliamentarians and allow them to fulfil their duties, which are > > > > more important than those of the lower court of Svay Rieng. I > > > > would also like to appeal to the government to drop all charges > > > > against the five farmers – Prak Chea, Neang Phally, Prak Koeun, > > > > Meas Srey and > > Prom Chea – and release them without condition. > > > > > Sam Rainsy is dead. He acted on his own hands against his own > > > government in his own country. He created that opportunity for those > > > who hate him to be able to destroy him. He miscalculated his act. > > > Actually, he is a stupid leader to act like that. > > > > > > Sophan Seng > > > > University of Hawaii > > > > > And what does it make you to be since you have studied in the > > > University of Hawaii? > > > Are you smarter than others? > > > Are you always right since you are a student of an American > > > university? > > > By the way, are you living in Cambodia as a real Cambodian? > > > > Where are you living? What is your real name? I am feeling intimidated > > by your message and sharp argument. If you are really loving Khmer > > nation, let show our real intention to the issue on how to solve the > > problem. We can walk together to help Cambodia. Let I know you > > personally or in this forum, so we can pursue our collective goal. No > > Khmers are marginalized, we all are Khmers. > > > > S. > > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Cambodia Discussion (CAMDISC) - www.cambodia.org" group. > This is an unmoderated forum. Please refrain from using foul language. > Thank you for your understanding. Peace among us and in Cambodia. > > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected] > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/camdisc > Learn more - http://www.cambodia.org >
-- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Cambodia Discussion (CAMDISC) - www.cambodia.org" group. This is an unmoderated forum. Please refrain from using foul language. Thank you for your understanding. Peace among us and in Cambodia. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/camdisc Learn more - http://www.cambodia.org
