By Anonymous
The Khmer Rouge don't hold a monopoly on cruelty, however. In 1979, Thailand was being flooded by refugees from Cambodia who fled as the Vietnamese army drove the Khmer Rouge from power.
On June 8, 1979, the Thai army gathered thousands of desperate Cambodians from all over eastern Thailand and trucked them to the border at Preah Vihear. They were forced to march down the steep slopes back to their country.
"The path down the mountains became steeper, the jungle thicker," British journalist William Shawcross wrote in describing the scene in his book "The Quality of Mercy."
"Dozens, scores of people fell onto mines. Those with possessions had to abandon them to carry their children down. One group of refugees desperately pooled whatever valuables they had left, filled two buckets with them, and walked back up toward the Thai soldiers, carrying a white flag. The soldiers took the buckets and then shot the refugees."
About 45,000 refugees were compelled to make the risky trek down the slope, Shawcross estimates. There are no definitive figures on casualties, but they are thought to have numbered in the thousands.
We are phu dee (those of high class)
Cambodian patriots expressed their anger at Thailand‘s claim of ownership of the temple. For instance, a Cambodian wrote in a public forum: "Thais are thieves who stole Khmer creation and claimed as Thais. Even Muay Thai (Thai boxing) has its Khmer creation. Khmer alphabets, Khmer vowels and Khmer numerals are today used by Thais. Thais have never given the credit or mentioned the Khmers who helped Thai ancestors from the Mongol killing or helped Siam from the Burmese occupation, but to claim every Khmer creation belonged to Thais. Yet, Thais were the destroyers of Khmer temples and now they are collecting tourist money from Khmer temples. Thais are the shameless people on earth".
Cambodian has continued to call Thailand "SIEM", a term used by Cambodians in reference to Siam, which often connotes a sense of historical antipathy.
In January 2003, the Royal Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh was burned down by Cambodian nationalists. A few days earlier, a local Cambodian newspaper reported that Suvanand Kongying, Thai actress, declared that the Angkor Wat belonged to Thailand. Her statement immediately stirred up a great resentment inside Cambodia. PM Hun Sen angrily responded,"Suvanand was not even worth a blade of grass at Angkor".
Meanwhile, Thai media reported that Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej said to a group of furious Thai protesters gathering in front of the Cambodian Embassy in Bangkok, "Do not forget who we are. We are phu dee" (those of high class).
(note: this article intended for Khmer to understand Thai ideology, thanks from L.C)
On June 8, 1979, the Thai army gathered thousands of desperate Cambodians from all over eastern Thailand and trucked them to the border at Preah Vihear. They were forced to march down the steep slopes back to their country.
"The path down the mountains became steeper, the jungle thicker," British journalist William Shawcross wrote in describing the scene in his book "The Quality of Mercy."
"Dozens, scores of people fell onto mines. Those with possessions had to abandon them to carry their children down. One group of refugees desperately pooled whatever valuables they had left, filled two buckets with them, and walked back up toward the Thai soldiers, carrying a white flag. The soldiers took the buckets and then shot the refugees."
About 45,000 refugees were compelled to make the risky trek down the slope, Shawcross estimates. There are no definitive figures on casualties, but they are thought to have numbered in the thousands.
We are phu dee (those of high class)
Cambodian patriots expressed their anger at Thailand‘s claim of ownership of the temple. For instance, a Cambodian wrote in a public forum: "Thais are thieves who stole Khmer creation and claimed as Thais. Even Muay Thai (Thai boxing) has its Khmer creation. Khmer alphabets, Khmer vowels and Khmer numerals are today used by Thais. Thais have never given the credit or mentioned the Khmers who helped Thai ancestors from the Mongol killing or helped Siam from the Burmese occupation, but to claim every Khmer creation belonged to Thais. Yet, Thais were the destroyers of Khmer temples and now they are collecting tourist money from Khmer temples. Thais are the shameless people on earth".
Cambodian has continued to call Thailand "SIEM", a term used by Cambodians in reference to Siam, which often connotes a sense of historical antipathy.
In January 2003, the Royal Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh was burned down by Cambodian nationalists. A few days earlier, a local Cambodian newspaper reported that Suvanand Kongying, Thai actress, declared that the Angkor Wat belonged to Thailand. Her statement immediately stirred up a great resentment inside Cambodia. PM Hun Sen angrily responded,"Suvanand was not even worth a blade of grass at Angkor".
Meanwhile, Thai media reported that Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej said to a group of furious Thai protesters gathering in front of the Cambodian Embassy in Bangkok, "Do not forget who we are. We are phu dee" (those of high class).
(note: this article intended for Khmer to understand Thai ideology, thanks from L.C)
8 comments:
History of Thailand and Cambodia, Manich Jumsai, [Thai history book p213](thai Ideology)
[His Majesty King Norodom Sihanuk really nedd to to make himself more popular among his own people ?(two sides of the coin) Or Thai side playing innocent].
The question of Preah Vihear Temple is really unfortunate. It is a real misunderstanding. It happened out of a molehill which, fired by the pride of politicians on both sides, had become a mountain whose right must be defended by both sides to the last.
Nobody, neither in Thailand nor in Cambodia, seemed to know anything about Preah Vihear and its importance as a historical monument. What is worse nobody really knows where is the frontier. The Foreign Office of Thailand did not possess the map annexed to the Franco-Thai Treaty of 1907 which was made by Lt.-Col. Bernard, with the knowledge of the Thai commissioners who in 1907 had no knowledge of map-making and rather left to Bernard to draw it up and then to endorse it. There was no military occupation of the Preah Vihear Temple as asserted by some American and French historians. Nobody knew of it. It was left in the jungle, until a short while before the dispute, somebody went to see it, talked about it, and other people, including the police, as private individuals went to see it, and thus it became a centre of tourism on the Thai side, when it also awoke Sihanouk to the feeling that he must claim it, in order to make himself more popular among his own people. The Thai of course thought that this was unjust since the temple perched on a hill top, accessible from their side of the frontier looking over a steep precipice on to the Cambodian plain beneath. Since no archives were started and the map annexed to the treaty was lost, the Thai thought that out of geographical reasons, it could not have belonged to Cambodia. As early as 1939 while I was in the Ministry of Education I conceived of an idea of having a map depicting historical sites printed and distributed to schools. I therefore took the matter up with my colleagues in the Fine Arts Department, who gave me along with other pictures to copy on to the map also the picture of the Preah Vihear Temple within the boundaries of Thailand. This temple was therefore printed on the map at the time, 10,000 copies made that same year and distributed to all the schools in Thailand. Preah Vihear, being on the side of Thai watershed, not accessible from the Cambodian side because of the high precipice, unless a staircase was made, was taken to be within Thailand and nobody seemed to doubt it at the time. The second time I heard of it was when I became a police officer, and member of the National Police Council. One day in 1953 the Director-General of the National Police Department, the late General Phao Sriyanonda, in the usual monthly meeting of the Police Council, mentioned to the members of the council about the Preah Vihear Temple that a group of police constables, without instruction from anybody, and following in the wake of a flow of tourists, went to see the temple out of curiosity as simple private individuals and stayed on top. During their stay a group of Cambodian soldiers came along, and when they saw the Thai police lying about in the temple, they said nothing and went away.
2
The Cambodian Government, or rather Prince Sihanouk, took this to be Thai occupation of the place, and the Thai said nothing. A big campaign was made at once by Sihanouk to make it into a big affair, apparently to impress the people in his usual tactic in making himself popular, that the place was intruded and occupied by a Thai military force, and that he would drive them out. This sparked off also Thai pride to put up a resistance against the accusation, by holding on to it. After this the campaign went hotter and hotter, and both earnestly believed that the place was part of their kingdom and how could it be given up without injuring national prestige. In 1955 Prince Sihanouk wanted to participate more fully in Cambodian politics by taking the reign of government himself. He abdicated and appointed his father, Suramarit, king instead. Sihanouk who felt that Thailand was his enemy, who were waiting for the chance to annex his country, was even more convinced by the Preah Vihear incident that Thailand was having designs on his country. The temple was made an object of general attacks by mass media and as Marshal Sarit also broke out in vehemence, Sihanouk broke off diplomatic relations with Thailand in 1959, and brought the case before the International Court of Justice at the Hague. At the time Marshall Sarit was the Thai Prime Minister, and he appointed Seni Pramoj, ex-Prime Minister and Head of Free Thai Movement, a well-known Thai lawyer, to defend the case. As a lawyer, of course, he had no historical knowledge of Preah Vihear and looked at the matter from a purely legal angle. The French strongly supported Cambodia against Thailand and provided all sots of documents preserved in their national archives, which the Thai did not possess. Unfortunately quite unaware, the map was completely contrary to all expectations because it departed from the natural watershed and went round into Thailand at the point where Preah Vihear was located. The court would not consider any geographical reason nor any international usage ruling, but stuck to what was to be found in the map. So Thailand lost the case on the 15th June 1962. The breach between Thailand and Cambodia widened. Thai amour-proper was hurt, especially when her ally, the U.S.A., took the side of Cambodia. Quite aggrieved over the situation, Marshal Sarit gave vent to his grief over Thai broadcast. This gave an impression to Sihanouk even further that Thailand was thinking of preparing for the offensive against the integrity of Cambodia. After a few days Marshall Sarit got over his grief and complied with the decision of the International Court of Justice.
(note: this article is intended for Khmer to understand Thai Ideology thanks from L.C)
greatest efforts by His Majesty King Norodom Sihanuk
(Thai ideology)
Preah Vihear Speech
In 1953, Preah Vihear was invaded by Thailand armed forces as its belonging. With greatest efforts by His Majesty King Norodom Sihanuk who has led previous Royal Government of Cambodia, the King himself has done through many diplomatic channels with Thailand in order to get Preah Vihea back, but it was refused by Thailand. To follow any treaty: Any dispute that can’t be reached by diplomatic channel or agreement shall have been given to one or many arbitrators. And if there is no arbitrator, then it shall have given to permanent international court, where our highly respected His Royal Highness, the King had submitted the case to LAHE international court.
Victory had been given to Cambodia on 15th January 1962, under the decision of the international court, “Preah Vihea belongs to Cambodia, and geographically is on Cambodian land. On the 5th January 1963, after visiting Chom khsan district for newly inauguration our Royal Highness His Majesty the King of Cambodia; The Father of national Patrimony had traveled to Preah Vihear, 40 Km away form Chom khsan district center for our traditional Buddhist religious ceremony; and also to be presided raising Cambodian flag ceremony as a symbol of the returning of our beloved national inheritance that had been stolen by Thai force in 1953.
(note: this article is intended for Khmer to understand Thai Ideology thanks from L.C)
The bottom line, for decades if not century, we[Khmer] put ourselves in a predicament circumstances time and time again, we sabotaged each other time and time again, our people constantly suffered for many generation. Can the Thais said "We deserve It" because of our stupidity.
We never trust each other, we [Khmer] always hated each, never getting along and respect each other. We were stupid and we continued to be stupid.
Our people continued to suffer, and our government continue to be disrespected and taking advantage of by our neighbors.
I think the Thais is right when they said "WE DESERVE IT" BECAUSE KHMER ARE SOOO STUPID....
pu dee with blood shed of others...that Thais have...
Those Thais are the devils.
9:52AM,
I don't know who you are,but Khmers are not stupid. May be you are stupid. You can't label the entire Khmer population as being stupid. May be a few unqualified leaders that were stupid. I am appalled by your idiotic comments.
Khmers have sad history and is an unforgettable one we go through hell .
No coordination from leaders to traffic people to proper places.
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