Dear Readers,
After my article titled "Cambodia: The Monarchy Or A Republic" was posted here in my blog, I received a few replies in my emails. Among them, the comments from Mr. Bora Touch, a lawyer from Sydney, Australia have been very academic and interesting. His comments are below - Khmerization.
Learned friends:
I am too a monarchist, a Khmer monarchist to be particular, as I came to appreciate the Khmer monarchy as a symbol, if not the symbol, of the Khmer culture, tradition, civilisation and institutionally maturity.
For us Khmer, republicanism is not a new (exciting) conception.It has been around before the times of our Lord Buddha. Buddha, our Lord guru, after experiencing life, philosophically and practically, rejected, because of a pragmatic knowledge of human failings, the republicanism way of ruling. The Lord had this to preach:
For us Khmer, republicanism is not a new (exciting) conception.It has been around before the times of our Lord Buddha. Buddha, our Lord guru, after experiencing life, philosophically and practically, rejected, because of a pragmatic knowledge of human failings, the republicanism way of ruling. The Lord had this to preach:
" For as Long as there are bullies and liars, monarchs are needed. For as long as the poor look for hope and the rich seek excess, for as long as the wicked fight for dominion and other nations manoeuvre for control, for as long as evil men oppose the impulses of the good, we need to believe in a king whose power comes from above."
Still in the relevant subject. We all know that India and Cambodia had the oldest/superior polity/political science treatises and teachings, Kaulya's Artharastra, to name one. Some dozen centuries later, ie in 4th century, Kamandakiya authored another significant treatise on political science called Nitisara (elements of polity). According to Khmer inscriptions, most if not all of Indian treatises, such Artharsastra and Nitisara, (Mahabatara, Mahayana, Buddhism included) etc. came to Cambodia before Angkor: ( KK Sarkar, Early Indo-Cambodian Contacts (1968). During the French colonial dominion, instead of teaching us the Khmer-Indian philosophies and polity, they taught us the western ones. Until today, we still are taught the same things at those universities because we/ the Khmer teachers are unable to teach our own thoughts. Lok Sar Sarun, through his Aryadharma ning Varpadharma Khmaer, (Khmer Civilisation and Culture (1972), arguing a long the line of Dr. Theos Bernard, Hindu Philosophy, (1947) gave us a starting point, but again we failed to pick his thoughts up and expand.
The French had also known that by the time they arrived in Cambodia in 1863, the later had a surviving constitution/Kram Srok (1693) which was older than theirs, older than the US's, and a rather sophisticated legal system and laws. The Khmer 1947 constitution, which most scholars wrongly called it the first constitution of Cambodia, was a copy of the draft constitution of the fourth French Republic. Again we ignored our own thoughts.
Bora Touch.
And the following is another reply from a reader named Salen Sy.
Dear Bora and all,
I personally have enough with the Monarchy, and the Royalist Character's is detestable but for the Khmer interests, and the Khmer glory to the future though, Royalist State in Cambodia is a must, as long as I can understand the Cambodian problem. Therefore, I am another person who support the Monarchy state in Cambodia. Bravo ! ! !
Regards
Salen Sy
2 comments:
I do not know how to voice my opinion on this subject pertaining to the conservation of Monarchy or transform Cambodia into a state of Republic. The Monarchy Era in my own belief is long overdue and I think as human we tend to focus on what matters most in today society.
Monarchy today is not the same as Monarchy during Kings of Kings, such as King Jeyvarman VII and his predecessor such as Suryavarman I. The present day Monarchy does not matter to everyday's person if you are to do a survey, because most educated individuals living side by side with present days Kings and Queens know that WE, The People can do without Kings and Queens. Regarding Kram Srok of 1693, these are rules which prescribed for the period of that class of people or its regime, but not at the present day or time where nuclear bombs and thermo bombs are easily pushed with a button. Having said that, it is about the preservations of the state to which laws must be the ultimate piece of scriptures and Godlike in order for mankind to follow. Although laws are written by men and not just from one man or a man, in the case of Monarchy where only Kings and his clans can have a say within his closest allies.
In the coming future, I do not think that the preservation of Monarchy would be that important. It is the preservation of life and the pursuit of happiness such as written in United States Constitution and that ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL.
I rest my soul.
Phnom Penh Post
Jumreapsur Lok Touch Bora,
According to a letter among many other letters which you have written to King Sihanouk dated on September 9, 2002, simply an indication of your intention asking King Sihanouk to get involve in the lost of our valuable territories to either Vietnam or Thailand. Since the day that letter has been written have you seen any changes or the situations are gettting worst?
Please do compare your written blog on January 3, 2009, I believed it was on Saturday, titled: Mr. Bora Touch: I am A Monarchist. The reason you love your parents and why you respected them were so many, infact, there are no words to describe the feelings toward your parents, but Monarchy is not your parents...they are simply endoved or bestowed upon them because of country traditions and descended through bloodline. Two millions of Khmer lives were or had been lost under his watch, yet there is NOT ONE MONARCHY dare to challenge the Vietnamese invasion or the current administration for their fallacy. Out of the prosecution, there was one man "Duch" who was happened to be a prision henchman, but not among the top leaders who got indicted, prosecuted and found guilty, while many among top leaders are free to walk on Cambodian soil. Where is justice one might ask? I and among other Cambodians have lost many relatives, but not one person held responsibled for crimes committed against Cambodian people. This is what led me to believe that Monarchism or Communism will cease to exist within Cambodia in the near future.
I rest my soul.
Phnom Penh Post
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