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From: Gaffar Peang-Meth <[email protected]>
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Subject: CAMBODIA: Mam Sonando & Sam Rainsy: "Everything will be all right in
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AHRC-ETC-007-2013
February 01, 2013
An article by Dr. Gaffar Peang-Meth published bythe Asian Human Rights
Commission
CAMBODIA: Mam Sonando& Sam Rainsy: "Everything will be all right in theend"
Cambodia is holding a second week-long period of nationalmourning for the late
King Father Norodom Sihanouk, fromFriday, February 1 to Thursday, February 7.
No"joyful" entertainments will be permitted, flagswill fly at half-mast, the
Cambodian people are to wearblack ribbons on their shirts, and civil servants
willreceive two holidays, on February 1 and 4.
The King Father's body will be moved from the Royal Palaceto an adjacent
crematorium at the Meru field on the firstday of the mourning period. The body
will remain at Meru forthree days. The cremation will occur on February 4.
Eleventhousand security forces are deployed in Phnom Penh. Morethan a million
people are expected to join the royalprocession and cremation. The King has
requested that hisashes be put in an urn and placed in a stupa in the
RoyalPalace.
On this occasion, I humbly bow from across the seas to joinin the national
mourning for the last Khmer god-king. Mayhis soul rest in eternal peace.
Royal pardons
In Cambodia, royal pardons and prison sentence reductionsare granted on three
occasions each year: Khmer New Year (inApril), the Buddhist Visak Bochea Day
(Buddha Day, in May),and the Water Festival (Bon Om Touk, when excess waters
ofthe Tonle Sap flow back into the Mekong, usually inNovember).
While still living, the late King Father had wished for"national reconciliation
and national harmony." Inthat spirit, Cambodia's Justice Minister Ang Vong
Vathanaannounced that current King Sihamoni will sign the releaseand sentence
reductions for about 500 prisoners on February4 to mark the King Father's
cremation, an exceptional"special" event.
Last November at the ASEAN summit in Phnom Penh, Thai PrimeMinster Yingluck
Shinawatra asked Prime Minister Hun Sen toconsider pardoning two imprisoned
Thais, RatreePipattanapaiboon and Veera Somkwamkid. Subsequently Hun Sentold
the Justice Ministry to grant a royal pardon to Ratreeand to consider reducing
Veera's prison term.
Absent are two Khmer names. One is 71-year-old Mam Sonando,director of
Cambodia's independent Beehive Radio station,which broadcast criticisms of
human rights abuses for years.Sanando is now serving a 20-year-jail-term
for"secessionism."
Amnesty International named Sonando a "prisoner ofconscience." Independent
observers see Sonando'sactions as having nothing to do with insurrection
but"everything to do with the suppression of dissent overan ongoing series of
land grabs, illegal logging and forcedevictions," to quote the New York Times.
The other name missing from the pardon list is Sam Rainsy,the new head of the
opposition coalition National RescueParty (NRP). Rainsy currently is in
self-imposed exile inParis to avoid a 12-year prison term on criminal
chargeswhich Rainsy and independent observers consider to be"politically
motivated." Numerous internationaland domestic rights groups – including US
PresidentBarack Obama – have appealed for Sonando's release andfor Rainsy to be
permitted to return to Cambodia.
A "win-win"?
Cambodia's second period of national mourning presents HunSen with an
opportunity to add Sonando and Rainsy to the"special" pardon list to honor the
late KingFather. Hun Sen loses nothing by releasing Sonando. Rather,the action
would likely earn him praise from the very groupsthat now criticize him. A
royal pardon for Rainsy means thismain opposition leader can participate in the
July election,an essential element of a democracy, which Hun Sen and hisruling
Cambodian People's Party have said they embrace.
Hun Sen and the CPP have been saying they are certain to winin July. In control
of government machinery since he becameprime minster in 1985, it seems unlikely
Hun Sen would lose.He's likely to win by hook or by crook. His victory
wouldlegitimize his and the CPP's continued rule. He said hewants to be ruler
until he's 90. Hun Sen is 60 years old.
Unless…
Unless Hun Sen and the CPP fear that Cambodia's electoratemay surprise them
again (!) at the 2013 polls as they did atthe first ever free and fair
elections organized andsupervised by the UN in 1993, when voters cast ballots
forchallenger, Prince Ranariddh, head of the royalistFUNCINPEC.
Not accepting the people's verdict, Hun Sen threatened war.To avoid war,
Ranariddh's father, the late King Father,conceived of a no-winner no-loser
solution. Two equallypowerful Prime Minister positions were created. The
shortterm solution was a recipe for disaster. In 1997, SecondPrime Minister Hun
Sen unleashed armed soldiers loyal to himto engage in street fighting against
First Prime MinsterRanariddh's royalist soldiers. Thus, Ranariddh was
oustedfrom power.
Today there's no King Father to come to Hun Sen's rescue.
In praise of US tradition
In a democracy, politics is a sport. Election winners governaccording to the
Constitution; election losers step asidebut their rights are protected; the
country moves on. Theprinciple of "power rotation" is ingrained.Winners know
they aren't in power forever; losers also knowtoday the winners govern, but
tomorrow may be their turn ifthe people so choose. In a democracy, power
changes hands.
Ten days ago I watched the inauguration of President BarackObama for his second
term as the 44th President of theUnited States: He took the oath in a
swearing-in ceremony atthe White House on January 20; the next day, a
publicceremony, the 57th inauguration of the US President, wasattended by about
a million people.
Tennessee's senior senator, Lamar Alexander, spoke intelevised remarks on this
occasion. His comments summarizedwell what I would like to write about the US
tradition oftransferring/reaffirming US power. Americans seem to do thisbetter
than any other nation under the sun.
"Today we praise the American tradition of transferringor reaffirming immense
power . . . We do this in a peaceful,orderly way. There is no mob, no coup, no
insurrection. Thisis a moment when millions stop and watch. A moment most ofus
always will remember. A moment that is the mostconspicuous and enduring symbol
of our democracy. Howremarkable that this has survived for so long in such
acomplex country with so much power at stake – thisfreedom to vote for our
leaders and the restraint to respectthe results…"
Khmer culture
Very sadly, hundreds of years of Khmer tradition taughtCambodians to kaowd
klach (admire and fear), smohtrang (be loyal), bamroeur (serve), and
kapier(defend) their leaders unconditionally, rather thandefend the nation's
high principles and ideals. Khmersociety values class, status, rank, role
relationships thatfurther divide society into superior-inferior,
boss-client,leader-follower roles. That tradition and those valuescontribute to
a zero sum culture that sees everything inblack and white, instills a
winner-loser mentality, focuseson honor and face. In this world, a compromise
is anadmission that the "other" guy is not all wrong,and you are not totally
right.
Worse, Khmers hold subsequent generations liable forperceived affronts. Chaim
muoy cheat, remembermuoy cheat, which encompasses seven generations, fromchi
tuot (great, great great grandfather), chiluot (great, great grandfather), chi
leah (greatgrandfather), through chi ta (grandfather),ovpouk (father), kaun
(child), chao(grandchild) – a very, very long time.
Will the opportunity that this second period of nationalmourning presents
produce something constructive, or willthe political players in Cambodia
continue to demonize oneanother? It's likely that this tradition of bad
behaviorwill continue, taking "an eye for an eye." As somewags note, a tooth
for a tooth and an eye for an eye willleave many Cambodians toothless and blind.
And yet, I nourish a feeling that as in the Khmer politicalworld things aren't
usually what they appear,"something" may be worked out for royal pardonsand
sentence reductions. .
Khmer political Ramvong
Cambodians have a passion for song and dance. Julia Wallace,writing for the New
York Times in "Cambodian Strongmanand Karaoke King," describes karaoke as
"verybig" in Cambodia. Besides office workers singing anddancing the night
away, young viewers download videos ontotheir computer and sing at home.
Wallace reports that everychannel of Cambodia's nine major television networks
–owned by government officials or business people with closeties to the CPP –
airs a karaoke video singing praisesof Prime Minister Hun Sen or his wife,Bun
Rany.
A karaoke video praising Hun Sen and Bun Rany aligns withthe Khmer tradition I
described above. The impact of seeingand hearing that karaoke again and again
effectivelybypasses critical thinking. The music subconsciouslybludgeons the
listener into loyalty (smoh trang) forthe individuals in the image and the song.
There's a popular Khmer circle dance, the Ramvong,that draws villagers from
near and far to Khmer festivities.As long as the drumbeats sound, participants
get on theirfeet, move their hands gracefully, move with simplefootwork, going
around and around in a circle following therhythm. Khmers say, Ramvong toarl
phlu' or Dancing'til dawn.
In the Khmer political world, Hu Sen is a master at managingthe Khmer political
Ramvong. He controls the drumbeat, keepshis supporters, his opponents, and
Western aid donorsdancing around and around in a circle.
Hun Sen's Rainsy Ramvong is fascinating. Hun Sen'sNational Election Committee
removed Rainsy's name from thecountry's voter registry as Cambodian law
prohibits a personconvicted of a crime from participating in elections. Onthat
day, the US State Department expressed disapproval ofCambodia's decision, and
raised the "question oflegitimacy of the whole democratic process inCambodia."
Four days later, Rainsy told Radio Free Asia"I will be back in Cambodia before
the Julyelections."
The government responded that anyone can come to Cambodia;Cambodia is an
"independent state"; nobody tellsCambodia what to do; and Cambodia will execute
the court'sverdicts against Rainsy, i.e., he will be arrested on Khmersoil and
put in jail.
In mid-November 2012, before President Obama reportedlychastised Hun Sen on his
poor human rights records, USDefense Secretary Leon Panetta met Cambodian
defenseminister Tea Banh in Siemreap. News reports revealed thetraining of
Cambodian troops by US Special Operationsforces. Indeed, the US government has
been unhappy with HunSen's dismal rights record. But it is known that the US
gaveHun Sen's three sons support. The eldest, Hun Manet, theapparent heir, was
given a cost-free education at WestPoint; senior intelligence official Hun
Manith was assistedto study in Germany; and Hun Many, the youngest,
waspermitted to study for an M.A. in strategic studies atWashington's National
Defense University.
It's not difficult to see the US seeks access to Cambodia.Hun Sen knows it.
Last month, he congratulated Obama on hisre-election. Obama responded, he looks
forward tostrengthening US-Cambodia relations in the next four years.
Thus, the Ramvong beat goes on.
Food for thought
Today's political stakes in Cambodia are high. And there wasa history lesson to
ponder.
Hun Sen's coup in 1997 that sent Ranariddh into exile wasundertaken to ensure
that the people would not surprise himin the 1998 election. Ranariddh was in
exile.
After 2 to 3 billion dollars spent on a political solutionfollowing the 1991
Paris Peace Agreements to end Cambodia'slong internal wars, the international
community wanted tomaintain the illusion of Cambodia as a success
story.Ranariddh's exile would mean a lopsided election. So, theprince was told
by a representative of a friendly governmentthat he must participate in the
1998 election, or he wouldbe left out. In agony, the prince got on board. Hun
Sen whomade certain he would win the election, did win. Never mindthat the
election fell short of international standards. Thefiction of a Cambodian
"success story" wasmaintained – after all, that was the purpose of the1991 PPA:
To turn bullets into ballots, one way or another.
Today Sam Rainsy is needed in Cambodia by the internationalcommunity, and by
Hun Sen, himself, to legitimize the July2013 election. Sam Rainsy needs Hun
Sen's approval to returnto Cambodia to avoid 12 years in jail. Hun Sen needs
SamRainsy to legitimize the election. Hun Sen, Sam Rainsy, andthe international
community need one another.
I have no crystal ball to see the future. But history hasprovided lessons about
humans' abilities to "workthings out." It's easier to grant a royal pardon
toSonando. For Rainsy's return to Cambodia, a "deal"giving Hun Sen the upper
hand, and Sam Rainsy, a"junior" partnership is possible. Rainsy's pastbehavior
tells me he'll likely accept.
On a light note, we can recall the words of Patel, thehapless but eternally
optimistic hotel manager in the film,Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: "Everything
will be allright in the end. If it's not all right, it is not yet theend."
....................
The AHRC is not responsible for the views shared inthis article, which do not
necessarily reflect itsown.
About the Author:
Dr. Gaffar Peang-Meth is retired from theUniversity of Guam, where he taught
political science for 13years. He currently lives in the United States. He can
bereached at [email protected].
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