*So it is candid to assume that the people who come to the street to demonstrate against the election have shared the same emotion: the perception of cheating by the NEC and this electoral committee has plundered their will. All Cambodian people cannot accept this act of cheating.*
2013/12/26 S. Sophoan <[email protected]> > Reflection of Political Leadership of Cambodia from Past to Present > Posted on December 24, > 2013<http://www.sophanseng.info/2013/12/reflection-of-political-leadership-of-cambodia-from-past-to-present/> > by Sophoan <http://www.sophanseng.info/author/sophoan/> > > *Pre Angkor and Post Angkor Political Leadership* > > At school, Cambodian children have learnt about many Khmer heroic Kings > during the pre Angkorean period. For instance, King Jayavarman II, after > escaping from the abdication of Java or Sailendra Kingdom, he made a long > march across Cambodia to calling for a people power to fight against > Sailendra occupation, and to proclaim back sovereignty of his Kingdom. It > is said that he was raised and grown up in Sailendra but he eventually > declared independence at Mahendra mountain (Phnom Kulen) to free from > Sailendra. He began strengthening his Kingdom by building Mahendraparavata > capital city with the installation of a sacred Linga of the Nation named > “Devaraja”. From this period of 802 as inscribed in the stone, Cambodia > enjoyed prosperity and candid strength in the region. > > For post Angkorean period, Cambodia was seen as very fragile and dividing. > According to palm leaves records, more than 700 years, Khmer Kings and > leaders turned to fight against each other by asking Thai and Vietnam to > back their cause. > > However, this behavior was halted during the reign of King Ang Duong who > projected his political leadership differently. He was raised and grown up > in Thailand, his ascending to throne was expected in the same previous > Kings. But the King secretly contacted France who was initially not > interesting in this region at all. The history tells that the King failed > at the first time because his messenger was killed by Thai authority. > However, his second attempt was successful and French arrival was signed to > be the protectorate of Cambodia. French fought with Siam and helped discard > the power of Siam ever existed in Cambodia. > > However, French arrival was not dislocated the power line between Vietnam > and Cambodia. Under the French’s policy of Indo-China, Vietnam enjoyed most > domination over Cambodia and Lao. This embedded legacy has affected on > Cambodian political leadership until nowadays. > > *Current Cambodian Political Leadership in Reflecting Post Angkorean Era* > [image: PMD > 1]<http://khmeryouth.cambodianview.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/PMD-1.jpg> > > From my whole life, I have observed that Cambodian politics has played > hard line approaches. This time, when the authority has allowed peaceful > mass demonstration to march freely for few days and the participants > visibly increasing, they come up with this idea “Coup” or an attempt to > overthrow the government which is explicitly threatening. By definition, > the peaceful mass demonstration could not be called an attempt to coup > (detat) at all. > > I observe the hard-line politics has been used in Cambodia since the > election in 1993. Often,[image: > 1234983_1389874377910181_726599538_n]<http://khmeryouth.cambodianview.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/1234983_1389874377910181_726599538_n.jpg>it > is not dangerous if Cambodian politicians are contendering with one > another, but for Cambodia, some of her leaders have always been seen so > subservient to the third party (outsider). The crisis of 1993 election > happened because of an attempt to separate Eastern zone plus the bloody > coup detate in 1997 which was visibly involved as our Premier televised in > soldier uniform from Vietnam plus the pressuring to sign additional border > treaty in 2005 in which many activists were jailed. These three examples > exhibit clearly on the leadership of powerful third hand. From time to > time, any Cambodian activists who are outspoken about the Koh Tral island > or Eastern border line, they will be ended by jailing, life threatening or > fleeing the country to avoid criminal sentencing. I listened RFA Forum this > Dec.22 (watch clip below) and had chance to listen to our Premier’s speech > on his logic on giving up the claiming back of Koh Tral very brokenhearted. > *[image: Acusing of Coup Detat] > <http://khmeryouth.cambodianview.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Acusing-of-Coup-Detat.jpg>* > > *As we are Cambodians and we are working to protect Cambodia land and to > protect our Constitution, why we condemn our own people who are sharing our > common emotion and mentality? Why our top leader has always taken side with > foreigner? Is it showing foreign influence is very strong in our system, or > our leadership is very weak and xenophobic, or the political mechanism is > not in our hand? If the last sort is exhibited truth, the learned, the > scholars, and the young patriotic entities who are working within that > system, cannot change anything to better off in leading this country > independently.* > > To what I am speechless now is, while the CPP has perceived that part of > their losing seats in the election, it is probably caused their unravel > secret relationship with VN, but it seems like this party has ignored this > part and they are going to visit VN, by the invitation of Vietnamese > leader, during this very tense circumstance in Cambodia. I don’t see this > coming event is really helpful for Cambodia and the CPP at all. Observers > and opposition politicians have asked themselves that why the preceptor > (ឧបជ្ឍា) from VN is likely very important during this very sensitive > political contesting? And as a sovereign and independent state and may be > very civilized like VN, is it more beneficial to sign memorandum with a > government in which their own citizens are still contesting about election > irregularity? I think VN should not back one party at all during this > unresolved election conflict. Further more, from this type of policy of our > neighboring country especially VN that Cambodia has transformed itself into > a nation of self-victimization or what else I can say?[image: PMD Trip To > VN]<http://khmeryouth.cambodianview.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/PMD-Trip-To-VN.jpg> > > From the reaction of Premier towards the demonstration (he rejected the > demand of the peaceful mass demonstration, watch clip below) including this > letter accusing the demonstration as an attempt of coup detat, including > the trip of Premier and his team to VN this coming Thursday, December 26, > 2013, encouraged us to hold a belief of “hard line political leadership of > Cambodia”. > > What next…? > > The peaceful mass demonstration has been occurred in Cambodia since the > campaign in June, the election day in July and this post election. This > ongoing daily basic rally has surely established a new culture of Cambodia > of : non-violence principle, political participation, grassroots democracy, > fearless and capable citizens etc. > > *Many people have compared the demonstration in Cambodia to that of in > Thailand. Of course, the two demonstrations are very different from each > other. In Thailand, the cause leading to the mass demonstration is a > historical conflict between two government parties. But in Cambodia, the > cause leading to mass demonstration come from the election which is found > unfair, unfree and fraudulence. National Election of Cambodia (NEC) has > rigged the election and produced false result, according to joint statement > of 20 NGOs. It said 20% of the eligible ballots were stolen. NEC itself has > been built dependently on the powerful CPP party. The procedures of the > election have been seen in vast disfranchisement and bias. Until the last > minute of the election result declaration, the NEC was seen under pressure > of military and policemen deployed by the government. So it is candid to > assume that the people who come to the street to demonstrate against the > election have shared the same emotion: the perception of cheating by the > NEC and this electoral committee has plundered their will. All Cambodian > people cannot accept this act of cheating.* > > Cambodia might be able to model other Asian countries about non-violence > protest and peaceful mass demonstration. CNRP has strongly committed to > non-violence and peaceful mean. And this new emerge of political agenda > should be credited to all Cambodian people. And if we think about organized > groups, the credit must offer to all stakeholders especially CNRP, CPP, > NGOs and Khmer community diaspora worldwide. > > By Sophoan > > https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=c64_fkZ4UbM > > https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=IXr0HqGbF8I > > -- > -- > 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. 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