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The absence of Sam Rainsy poses a great threat on election legitimacy
Sam Rainsy, the President of Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP)
Photo courtesy of Sam Rainsy’s Official Facebook
Election campaign kicked off in Cambodia on June 27, 2013 in the meantime Cambodia National Election Committee (NEC) released the list name of the candidates competing in each constituency.
Eventually, the list name is not included Sam Rainsy who is a prominent leader of the opposition party. Sam Rainsy is a self-exiled politician in French to avoid 12 years jail of court conviction in Cambodia in which the observers claimed it is politically motivated.
The absence of Sam Rainsy in the election this time has placed a critical question on the “legitimacy” on the election if the Cambodian Poeple’s Party (CPP) won. Democratic election in Cambodia was firstly organized by the United Nations Transitional Authority for Cambodia (UNTAC) in 1993 after the Paris Peace Accord was created to settle down the conflict and develop democracy in this country. But the legacy of UNTAC has been remarkably obstructed by the coup detat in 1997 when second prime minister Hun Sen was able to claim his single premiership.
Since then, the national election has been totally monitored by the government which has never been able to separate itself from the ruling party CPP at all. During each national election such as in 1998, 2003, 2008 and this upcoming 2013, the ruling party has enjoyed free ride on consolidating all means to win the election. Like Cambodia Daily reported on June 29, 2013 that “Hun Sen has bolstered his political strength through a combination of electoral victories, influence over the broadcast media and judiciary, legal and extra-legal political maneuvers, intimidation of opponents, patronage, and economic threats,”.
At the present, the merge of the opposition parties ie the Sam Rainsy Party and the Human Rights Party has established a new challenge to the ruling party CPP to merely predict their winning result. Thus, the trumping up charges towards to the opponent such as expelling the 27 opposition legislators from the National Assembly and cutting off their salary as well as the recent order to close all broadcasting media opposing their party, is considered an extra unfair election game worse than previous elections.
Songs and the Politics in Cambodia part II
Songs have been traditionally used by politicians to describe their personality, their policy, election campaign and to advertise their organization. Hence, Khmer patriotic songs or ចំរៀងស្នេហាជាតិ Chomrieng Snaeh Haa Jeat Khmers had been mainly advocated to oppose the intrusion of foreigners in the past. But now many patriotic songs are describing the injustice happening in society, unequal development and social gap, reprimanding the dictatorship style and promoting democracy etc.
In here, I have found two impressive songs sung by two Khmer singers in which I would like to translate them to share with everyone as following.
1. First and second video clip is the same songs sung by Koy Vanna titled “It is time to wake up all Khmers”.
It’s time now brethren Khmers, don’t be negligent (repeat), because the Khmer nation need need you again (repeat), oh children have you forgotten our history, we must unite to build our Khmer nation to re-survive,…
It’s time now brethren Khmers, if we neglect how could our nation advance? (repeat), our past is glorious (and) Angkor is splendid because (our nation) have united, don’t be drowsy and take excuse, we must safeguard our race and Buddhism, wake up brethren Khmers, near or distance to re-develop our nation (repeat)…
Passing several years as Khmers were bitterly suffering, oh all angels have you seen this?, Khmer blood spread all over the earth, no second of having no suffering as it is absolutely relentless, patriotism is the love of power entitlement including gold money dollars, may all Khmer children figure out again, our nation has inherited glory as all mankind they know and praise, all Khmer children you must unite to save our nation, to destroy vicious enemies who are intending to eliminate Khmer nation, stand up to unite and shoulder on time so that Khmer nation can be prosperous,
Patriotism must be honest so that you deserve real reputation and progress can prevail to Khmer children, this time is like other time, our nation needs honest patriotic,
Patriotism must be honest so that you deserve real reputation and progress can prevail to Khmer children, this time is like other time, our nation needs honest patriotic,
NEC in Cambodia is incapable
Reading the report of Cambodian Daily today on the irregularities of voter listing by NEC is another serious issue constraining the building of democracy in Cambodia. The random sampling of 4,900 registered eligible names of the research found that 10.8 percent or more than 500 registered voters could not find their names on the voter list. This percentage is terribly higher than national election of 2008 which was 7.7 percent.
The report also said “The accuracy of the 9.6 million-strong voter list came under fire in March and those concerns were reiterated with the release of the final version on Friday of an independent audit report, which found a number of serious errors, namely that more than 1 in 10 people who are registered for July’s election appear not to exist, and that 9 percent of past voters have been taken off local voting lists unfairly.”
With this figure, I am speechless!
It is absolutely the responsibility of the National Election Committee. If we find out that this number is true, it means NEC is incompetent and we must dissolve the current body in order to pave way for a capable body to run the election in Cambodia. However, the report on March was also illustrating the incapability of the NEC on this same issue, and this same issue has been lingering for many elections in Cambodia. Now, it is time to condemn NEC that this is a criminal act of stealing the heart, honesty and integrity of the Cambodian people.
Innocent Cambodians should not be tolerant by the incompetent act of Cambodian National Election Committee. Cambodian people must stand up and speak out loud!
Songs and the Politics in Cambodia Part I
Songs have played important role to influence the politics in Cambodia. Politicians and political parties have used songs to draw attention of the people about their policy, their mission and this political agenda. More than this, songs have influenced the mindset the people during the time of foreign occupation or it is the most impulse in creating nationalism.
When I was young, Keo Sarath was my best singer. At the beginning, I listened his songs for entertainment but later his songs impacted my mind on how I imagine about freedom, justice, sense of belonging and the love of the motherland etc. The songs narrated the lives of Cambodian people at the refugee camp, the war, the Vietnamese occupation, the United Nations and the struggle for life etc.
For those songs, the most influenced such as “Sronos Dey Khmer”, “Sdai Phum Konnert”, “Kao idang duong jet”, “rodov pkaa ko”, “Snae Kam Chlong Daen” etc.
For your information, I try to collect the background of Keo Sarath and his songs for your anticipating in here. Thanks this website that give me the songs link and facebook that paste the history of this great singer Keo Sarath.
Bio of Keo Sarath, a Great Singer during the Post-Cold War
ប្រវត្តិសង្ខេបរបស់លោក កែវ សារ៉ាត់
កែវ សារ៉ាត់ (-កញ្ញា ១៩៩១)មានឈ្មោះពិត ឈុំ តេះ កើតនៅភូមិវត្តកំផែង ស្រុងបាត់ដំបង ខេត្តបាត់ដំបង ។ លោកជាកូនទី២ ក្នុងចំណោមបងប្អូន៧នាក់ ដែលមានឳពុកឈ្មោះ យ៉ត ឈុំ និង ម្ដាយឈ្មោះ គ្រិត សារ៉ាន់ ដែលពួកគាត់ទាំងពីរបានបាត់បង់ជីវិតនៅក្នុងឆ្នាំ១៩៧៧ ។
ក្រោយមកលោកកែវ សារ៉ាត់បានរត់ចូលក្នុងជំរុំជនភៀសខ្លួននាទឹកដីថៃ ។ លោកកែវ សារ៉ាត់បានរួមរស់ជាមួយនារីម្នាក់ហើយបានកូនមួយ បន្ទាប់មកនារីនោះក៏នាំកូនរត់ចោលលោកបាត់ទៅ ។ ក្រោយមកលោកក៏សម្រេចចិត្តរៀបការជាមួយនារីម្នាក់ទៀតឈ្មោះ ចន្ធូរហើយបាននាំគ្នាភៀសខ្លួនពីជំរុំនោះទៅនៅអាមេរិច។ ឆ្នាំ១៩៨៥ លោកចាប់ផ្ដើមច្រៀងដើម្បីយកប្រាក់មកទ្រទ្រង់គ្រួសារ ។ លោកបានច្រៀងថតកាសែតឲ្យផលិតកម្ម មយូរា បានប្រហែលជា ៤០ ទៅ៥០បទ ហើយក៏បានងាកមកនិពន្ធចំរៀង និងបង្កើតផលិតកម្មខ្លួនឯងនៅក្នុងឆ្នាំ១៩៨៨ ដោយដាក់ឈ្មោះថា ជួងមាស និង ចាបមាស ។
បទចម្រៀងដែលធ្វើឲ្យលោកមានឈ្មោះល្បីគ្រប់ទិសទី គឺបទ ស្រណោះដីខ្មែរ, ពិសាខដើមឆ្នាំ ជាដើម ។ លោកកែវ សារ៉ាត់ទទួលមរណភាពនៅក្នុងខែកញ្ញា ឆ្នាំ១៩៩១ នៅទីក្រុងឡុងប៊ិច, សហរដ្ឋអាមេរិច ដោយរោគថ្លើមប្រភេទ B ។
Songs Selection of Keo Sarath