Tuesday, September 9, 2008

I think I'll retire from blogging for a while

I'm too lazy with writing. I'd rather sit on my ass doing nothing. Let the country run into ruin.

So mean time visit some other web site

KI-Media - My most hated web site. These kids criticize me all the time. What the heck? Don't they have something better to do? I guess not!..

Phnom Penh Post - Good newspaper

4Khmer - this guy is da shite

Mitleap - Make new friends and stop bugging me!

See you soon!

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Proud to be Khmer

History: How I won the 2008 Election

It's the will of the people (at least some people who helped to manipulate the election) that the CPP won the election fairly easy in 2008. There's 5 points that help us to win:

1. We sweet talk the voters and giving them donation before and on the day of election.
2. Give voters free ride on the government and army trucks to the voting stations. You should have seen the faces of these people who never been on a motor vehicle before. They are so happy be taken on a ride and they voted for us.
3. We didn't use ghost to vote like some said... we used people who help other people to vote who couldn't come to vote. We gave them gift if they let our people vote for them.
4. The power of the media is important. If you keep telling people something long enough even though it's not true they will still believe it. We control all the major TV, radio and newspapers.
5. Remove names from the voter list who are known opposition supporters. It's great when you have control of the NEC, isn't it?

I tell you, Cambodia without Hun Sen is like a duck without a pond to swim in! But unlike Khmers, ducks know to go to the next pond if the usual pond is full of shit. Khmer would swim in shit if we tell them it's made of chocolate!

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

The End of Cambodia?

To Chris

Don't come back to Cambodia! Else I will send you to Vietnam like monk Tim Sakhorn!

- Hun Sen

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The Helpless People: What Cambodians Owe Their Nation and Heroes

Cambodians once again made shameful decisions on the 2008 general elections that will potentially lead to the end of Cambodian history and sovereignty

By: A. Christopher Windsor
London, 28th July, 2008


It was a shame when I read a news article about Cambodian general elections in 2008 and found out that the majority of Cambodians (who were able to vote) voted for a dictator once again. The difference that Cambodian voters made in the recent elections was that they provided almost two-third of the parliamentary seats to the corrupt and unpatriotic party, namely CPP.

What do these results show us? Simply, the more you educate them, the more irrational they become. One should never blame the lack of education for such destructive results of the 2008 elections. Recently, we have seen the improvement in education of human rights and democracy principles. For example, the public forums and human rights trainings conducted by Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) and other organisations have been tremendously effective and have increased the understanding of human rights and democracy in Cambodia.

In addition to that, the outreach of internet has also helped Cambodians living in the city to better understand the outside world and see where the world has been up to. Globalization, on its positive side, has also provided more information to urban Cambodians about the other countries' economies and living standards, compared to which the Cambodian living standard is way below. These are all the advantages that urban Cambodians, namely Phnom Penh residents, have to exploit to make better decisions. Unexpectedly, these people with higher education and better understanding of the outside world made the worst decisions compared to other people across the country. As shown in the unofficial results, CPP has gained more supports in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia—where we would expect better outcomes.

Now let me ask, do you think that the lack of education really played a role in these destructive results? To me, it is obvious that the poor, uneducated countryside voters have stood up for and demanded democracy and change in their homeland more than do the educated Phnom Penh voters. It is also difficult to blame the uneducated for the fact that some of their votes were bought. After all, they are poor and they have the reason to sell their votes for money only to feed their family for one day and ignore the fact that their country will be forever in the dark future. But Phnom Penh voters cannot use the same excuse for the fact that they gave the opportunity to CPP to destroy their homeland.

Who to blame?

Yes, the elections were not transparent. Some votes were bought. Some voters were threatened. And, according to recent news reports, some voters' names were removed from the lists, resulting in an unusually low turnout. However, I would like you to pay attention to the number of votes that CPP received. Do you think CPP could get these many votes only by frauds? I do not think so. It is true that frauds existed in these elections, but without frauds, do you think the
opposition parties, namely HRP and SRP, could together win these élections? I do not think so. CPP would have won the majority seats but probably not as many.

Why do I think so? There are a lot of irrational voters out there who would always ruin the efforts of democracy lovers to pull this nation out of the current darkness. These voters tend to be those who live in the urban areas. They have better living standards and tend to forget that their living standards would be much higher if their country were developed. They have the option to migrate to another country when Cambodia is totally ruined. This group of Cambodian citizens also has acceptable levels of education. With these levels of education—which are not too low but not very high either—these people believe that they are so educated and that therefore they need not to listen to anyone. These people tend to believe that there is nothing beyond their knowledge. What is so sad is that their knowledge is so low.

The followings are what these people believe and why they are wrong:
  • Cambodia just got out of a huge civil war and it takes time for this country to recover. Why they are wrong: It has been almost 30 years—long enough for any economy to recover if its government is really working. Let us take Japan as an example. The country suffered from the destructive World War II, which was way more destructive than any civil wars Cambodia has ever suffered from. From the 1960s to the 1980s, not too long from the end of WWII, the overall of the Japanese real economic growth has been called a miracle. It did not take Japan longer 30 years to recover its economy and become the world's second biggest economy. We do not have that high expectation for Cambodia, but at least this nation should have shown some real improvement.
  • Cambodia has a growth rate of 11%; does it not mean Hun Sen government is doing a good job? Why they are wrong: Yes, CPP is doing a good job in bringing money to its elites' pockets. Yes, the growth rate is 11%, but the inflation rate has already hit 18%. What does this mean? Wake up, Cambodians. This means you are poorer. Even if you make twice as much as you did before, but if goods and services are three times more expensive, it means you are poorer. I am also sure that the 11% growth is distributed only among rich CPP members while the 18% inflation affects all Cambodians, including those who voted for CPP.
  • "I'm voting for a different reason this time - my choice is for a government that can protect Preah Vihear temple," 76 year-old Hok Hour in Phnom Penh's Chamkarmon district quoted in a Phnom Penh Post article. The old man, with not much brain, voted for CPP as he thought this party will protect the temple. Why they are wrong: First, let me ask, how could such an old person with life experience be so brainless? Can you not see that the Preah Vihear issue was a trick Hun Sen played to get votes from such brainless voters? You want a government that can protect Preah Vihear temple but not the Cambodia-Vietnam boarder? What would you do with Preah Vihear temple if the land you were living in was taken away from you? A democratic government would be able to protect not only Preah Vihear temple but all of Cambodian territory.
  • CPP has built roads, bridges and schools. Why they are wrong: If Cambodia had a better government, the number of roads, bridges and schools built would go up by not twice but 10 times at least. Cambodia accepts a large amount of foreign aid and money from loans. In the case of foreign aid, Cambodian citizens do not have to worry about paying back. In the case loans, however, they all have to pay back. So, watch out, Cambodians! Most of this money does not go to development, but it instead goes to the pockets of CPP members. While the benefits Cambodians receive from such loans are very minimal, they will have to pay back these loans in full amount—plus interest rates in some cases.
By making such shameful decisions, what do these voters owe their nation and hero?

What Cambodians owe their nation

Because of the lack of both social and economic development, Cambodia is potentially heading to the end of its history. As citizens, Cambodians have the legal and moral obligations to prevent this from happening. Unfortunately, as shown in the recent election results, most Cambodians chose not to. Instead, Cambodians chose to indirectly destroy the land that gave life to them. If anything bad happens to Cambodia in the future, we are to blame no one, but Cambodians.

The Vietnamese's fault? The Thais' fault? No. It is all Cambodians' fault. The Vietnamese and the Thais are not smart, but Cambodians are brainless. Cambodia is the only original nation of the Golden Land that is strong enough to survive from its neighbors' invasions. This nation protected itself from losing its sovereignty so that the current generation of Cambodia could live in its homeland peacefully. Unfortunately, the current Cambodians do not take into account the good this nation has offered them.

Only one day before I wrote this paper, Cambodians chose to take a convenient way to the destruction of their nation. They chose to ignore the great values their nation has always offered them. Surprisingly, these Buddhist Cambodians chose not to pay back what they owed their nation. Such an act is against Buddhist philosophy, which believes that you should always pay back what you owe. But who cares?—when the nation is destroyed, its religion will also be destroyed. Cambodians only took a shortcut to such destruction.

What Cambodians owe their heroes

The spirits of patriotic kings, such as Jayavarman II and Jayavarman VII, deserve an explanation from Cambodians who voted for CPP. These kings sacrificed their lives and their happiness to build a nation known as the Khmer Empire, the greatest power in South East Asia from the early 12th century to the early 13th century. If we look at the current situation of Cambodia, their lives have been sacrificed for nothing. I am sure that when these kings gave their lives to serve this nation, they did not know that their people would one day give this nation to the hands of an unpatriotic leader, such as Hun Sen.

When the Khmer Rouge captured Phnom Penh, the Khmer Republic troops fought until the last drops of their blood to prevent communism from spreading into this historic capital city. The spirits of these troops also deserve an explanation from CPP voters. These troops fought against not only the Khmer Rouge but also the communist Vietnam. Today, their children and grandchildren have forgotten all of their efforts. This current generate has already given the power to a pro-Vietnamese government.

The worst is that this current generation has also ignored the recent hero who was imprisoned not too long ago. I need not to mention his name as we should all know who he is. This human rights activist decided not to leave his nation and Cambodians behind. He sacrificed his own wellbeing to protect freedom of speech for Cambodian citizens. And sure enough, these people have already forgotten him and his patriotic act. Someone told me that if you do not forget your people they will never forget you. This is apparently wrong in the case of Cambodian CCP voters.

How many people have been killed by the current government? Did they already forget monks and protestors who were attacked and killed by the government force in 1998? Did they not remember the FUNCINPEC troops who were killed during the 1997 coup? Some reporters and the former Labour Union leader Chea Vichea were killed, leaving sorrow for their families and friends. What did these people sacrifice for? It was all of Cambodians, wasn't it? Is that how Cambodians pay them back, by voting for the person who killed these heroes?

What do CPP voters owe these people?

Their lives.

To those who voted for CPP: You owe your nation and heroes. And you owe them big. Cambodians who voted for CPP are betrayers. They betrayed not only their nation and heroes, but also themselves. They will have to pay back and we will see this when the corrupt government takes their land away, cuts down trees and ruins the whole economy.

My last words: Who am I to tell you all of these? Well, I am no one. I am only a British economist who happens to have been to Cambodia many times (Cambodia is like my second home). I have once fallen in love with this country and its culture. Please excuse my language and any mistakes I might have made in this paper as I wrote it out of anger and disappointment.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Without me, nothing can be done in Cambodia!

The following is my interview with Cambodge Soir Hebdo

In an interview given to our colleagues on France 24, on 26 June, Prime minister Hun Sen touched upon several sensitive topics. From his political longevity to former King Norodom Sihanouk, and passing through the KR trial, the Kingdom’s Strongman gave out good and bad points.

Relaxed and smiling, but firm on his position, Hun Sen reminded first about his political adversaries: “Close to the election, political parties increase their criticisms, therefore, I decided to cut all relationships.”

Regarding his (political) longevity, Hun Sen insisted on the pairing of himself and the CPP: “If the party is not solid, I wouldn’t be here today. Our destinies are linked…” Bringing up the ideological evolution of communism to “reality,” Hun Sen assured that he will not be too old when he will relinquish power. That being said, he nailed down his detractors. Speaking about himself using the third person, Hun Sen declared: “They are scared of Hun Sen. As long as Hun Sen will remain in politics, they know that they are in a deadlock.”

However, his most virulent attack was reserved to the former King: “I want to make myself clear on one point: I do not want to imitate Norodom Sihanouk. His era was the 60s. Me, I live in the 21st century. If I were Sihanouk, I would order the shutdown of all opposition parties, just like when he was in power. There wouldn’t even be any election in a few weeks because there would be only one party….”

When asked about what will remain of Hun Sen in historical books? He replied without hesitation: “The greatest pride for Hun Sen: his CPP and the nation, it’s the end of civil war and the dismantling of the KR.”

On the subject of the former Polpotists, Hun Sen said that the accusation that he would have delayed the KR trial is “unfair.” “If I was really against it, do you think it could see the daylight? In Cambodia, if there is no Hun Sen’s signature, things cannot be done,” he pummeled.

He said to be “very concerned” that those accused who are “all very old” would “die before being tried.” That’s the reason why he wants “the trial to speed up,” before concluding by a latest cutting remark: “But, maybe the tribunal officials have their own reasons to delay the trial.”

Translated from French by Luc Sâr

Friday, July 11, 2008

Have kids at your own risk!

It's World Population Day today and I say to my people, have as many children as you want but don't expect the government to help you with raising your kids. Don't complain that your kids cannot afford to go to school or not enough food to eat or if they are sick don't complain that nobody treat your children because you have no money to pay them. They can go make money collecting plastic bags and other recyclable stuffs from the rubbish dumps.

One for the CPP and one step closer to VN

Our great Angkorean Kings built great temples and owner of vast lands. King father Sihanouk is right to say that Thailand is mean trying to claim Preah Vihear temple as theirs. They forgot the historical facts that Thailand's or Siam's inception was in the 12th century. They should be thankful many of the beautiful Angkorean temples were built in the area where it's now Thailand. But it's great that this case of the temple is over. It would be easier when we merge Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam together to become Indochina Federation. Ungracious Thailand, you should expect no more rich culture from us Khmer! We we can spread our culture to Vietnam instead! We will build many great temples in Vietnam... oh wait, we have over 500 Khmer temples in Kampuchea-Krom (Southern Vietnam) already. I'm not sure at what state they are in because I couldn't be bothered visiting them. They are not going to vote for me in this election anyway, so what's the point?