August, 2014
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Geopolitics right for future Cambodia in between China and Vietnam
Reading two articles and listening four hours Khmer Rouge history documentary these two days, I am keen to expose some inner preconception about best choice for Cambodian leadership in handling with foreign policy especially between China and Vietnam at the present.
Courtesy: Facebook
First article is the exclusive interview of the Khmer Time Magazine with German historian Bernd Schaefer who is expert on communist intelligence networks through his work on piling of reported documents archived on the file named Stasi Dossier while East Germany was close ally with Vietnam and Soviet during the cold war. Schaefer ever described many current Cambodian government leaders are former Vietnamese revolutionists and the report described characteristic of Heng Samrin and Chea Sim as true peasant-like leaders. The split of Sino-Soviet led to waging war at the border in 1969 triggered irk for Vietnam who has closely incorporated with China to topple the America. Thus, the geopolitics right in that time was Vietnam who suddenly decisively opened attack against Khmer Rouge and drove them away from Cambodia by installing their own government. Vietnam’s decision was noted that while Chinese leadership was having internal uncertainty regarding cultural revolution as well as visible weakness displayed by the Khmer Rouge’s internal dividing leadership, the attack happened spontaneously. However, the aggression happened during the early month of January was not paid attention by the western world as they were busy in celebrating new year eve and Christmas. To maintain its face, China opened attack Vietnam on the borderline 30 days later on February 17, 1979.
According to Schaefer, the history seems repeat itself as China and Vietnam is clumsy at each other at the present because of Spratley Island scheme. Between China and Vietnam, Cambodia must ensure that it chooses the geopolitics right.
Stasi files on Cambodia’s top officials – Southeast Asia Globe _ Southeast Asia Globe Magazine
Courtesy: Facebook
Courtesy: Facebook
Second, screening the 583 pages titled “Kicking the Vietnam Syndrome in Cambodia“, his view is in parallel with Schaefer’s in term of geopolitics right. Impressively, during the fierce fighting between Thailand and Vietnam on an unsettled agreement to divide Cambodia land for their occupation, Thailand who was more powerful sent a legitimate Khmer King Ang Duong to the Cambodian throne in the expect to enlarge influence over Vietnam. However, the geopolitics changed as Western colonists were looking for new territories in this region including strong subconsciousness of King Ang Duong to free his land from both hegemony, his sovereign was admired in an attempt to welcome new comer like France to safeguard his territory.
Vickery 2010 on “Kicking Vietnam Syndrome in Cambodia”
Third, spending more than four hours while doing some chores and listening the youtube documentary broadcasted by RFA, it is understandable the remarkable demise of the Khmer kingdom under ultra nationalism, paranoid and xenophobic leadership of Pol Pot and his team. Comparing to Vietnam who experienced narrow space to move around after they defeated the America, but China shied away from them while Russia fought with both China and America, the prospect to maintain peace and unity of Northern and Southern Vietnam was so dim. So the decision to invade Cambodia is a one stone two birds action: good time to get more aids from Russia and waging a war than can unify the dividing fractions of Vietnam. More than this, King Ang Duong had no choice at all in using his own leverage to face with both Thailand and Vietnam. He was raised and educated in Bangkok since childhood. His returning back home was seen so fragile and disorganized. But opportunity arose as he worked hard to strengthen the country unity and secretly contact France if this colonist interested to be his nation guardian.
But Khmer Rouge under Pol Pot leadership and his team had everything in hand during their power. Pol Pot can easily court China and US to fight against Vietnam or achieve their ambition to reclaim Khmer Krom territory back. But this group is too bossy, disorganized, ultra nationalistic, ignorant, unproductive, xenophobic, and paranoid. Their management begun with displacing people from their own shelter in order to prey enemy or those suspected. The weakest point that Pol Pot lost their geopolitics right opportunity is the destroying of his own manpower. Leadership that take their own citizens as hostage and enemy is the worst management in the history of human kind.
Courtesy: Facebook
So right now, after the agreement on 22 July 2014 between CNRP and CPP, the twilight for Cambodia strength on political management is the jewel to choose geopolitics right. While opposition has promised to perform as “Loyal Opposition”, the government must pursue political pragmatism and integrity to conduct in-dept reform. “National solidarity” and “Cambodian people first service” will enable “extra strength” to paddle this Cambodia ship in a right direction in between China and Vietnam.
Letter to Ambassador William E. Todd
Dear Ambassador William;
It is my great privilege to write to you regarding current political development of Cambodia. Your recent article published in The Cambodia Herald intrigued my thought immensely on new adopted leadership of all Khmer leaders. Those leadership changes are surely impacted by post-baby boomers young Cambodian generation, savvy users of technology and increasing population of pragmatism.
Hence, part of the US-based funds, I would like to propose to spend more on Leadership Skills or Capacity-Building Programs towards all Cambodian front line activists particularly opposition youths, government young public servants, Buddhist monks, land rights activists, educators and environmentalists.
Your three proposed areas for reform are essentially urgent to tackle human resource deficit in Cambodia, but I would like to propose some scenarios that can handle with ongoing mis-using of political power or abusing of power. This has been impregnably showcased in Cambodian society and it has deprived public lives for centuries. Court system is built by unjust and non-durable procedures because of mis-using of power. Corruption has been so pervasive and it has posited a challenge to tame this social ill because of mis-using of power. Those mis-using power have occurred because of non-neutral police officers and arms forces etc. Ability to solve this issue is a great step to create power balance for fair playing field between the government party and the opposition party as well, in order to capitalize the best interests for Cambodians.
Thank you very much for your kind attention with my thought.
Sincerely,
Sophan Seng
Leadership Skills
The enemy of pragmatism from observing Cambodia politics
Listening to Nuon Chea’s speech in this video clip on facebook, he is critically out of date. His word cannot buy out the thought of Cambodian youth who are increasing to represent 70% of total 15 millions Cambodian population. Those are post-baby boomer generation, they are very pragmatic. They are not easily bought out by this low and xenophobic propaganda although they have perceived about this issue. The entrenched ideology could not be an excuse for such failed leadership of irresponsible crime against humanity. Contrarily, the mass killing and forceful displacement to allow local authority to punish and kills their own citizens is seen as the hidden scenario or modern political scientists called it “conspiracy”.
Achar Mien’s camouflage as Buddhist monk and story of many Vietnamese revolutionists who hide themselves in the saffron robes of Buddhism. Courtesy of Facebook by Mr. Jame
Nuon Chea’s speech showed an entrenched cowardice leadership. It will be disengaged by a new perspective at least they perceive those actions as a vague extremism and conspiracy agenda. Talking about this conspiracy theory, world renown undercover agents have been hiding under the skin of culture and tradition. We have learnt about the Christian missionaries who were working to draw map and make plan for powerful colonists to step in. During the post-cold war and the spread of communism ideology in Indochina, many Vietnamese worked on their way to hide their identity through wearing monk saffron robes. Their intelligence through becoming a monk is not only helping them to record adequate information, also helped them with free shelter and daily meal. Ho Chi Minh is known for his monkhood in Eastern Thailand of Ubon Rajathani. Achar Mien aka (fake name) Son Ngoc Minh ordained and enjoyed full mission as a Vietnamese revolutionist during his monkhood. Many Vietnamese revolutionists were believed to ordain in Cambodia soil and other places without knowing who they are. To be a Buddhist monk, they receive huge legitimate power and safest haven. This question should be a great topic for research for young Cambodian graduates.
There is a dangerous loophole for Cambodia as a nation on anticipating the root authenticity of each citizen because of untraceable last name. Many countries have adopted permanent last name to track the family root and authenticate family members in the purpose to secure unfavorable hidden ill-will citizens as well as for medication tracking remedy. Cambodian government should consider on this scenario as well.
While the world has been carefully appreciate the convict of Nuon Chean and Khiev Somphan for the guilty they both have done during managing top down bureaucrats as crime against humanity to lifetime imprisonment, the Cambodian people are knowing very little about this. Through the report of Radio French Internation (RFI), the people who are bused to sit watching and listening the trial judgment seems don’t know who is Nuon Chea and who is Khiev Somphan. They said that during that terrible day, they know and remember the chief of commune, or chief of village, or chief of district, who took away their children and siblings to the killing machine.