May 3, 2013,
The New York Times
PHNOM PENH — Ten years ago, the children of Cambodia’s ruling elite were busy cementing interfactional alliances with a dizzying blitz of marriages. Having accomplished that, they’re now working on taking over the country.
At least six sons of high-ranking members of the Cambodian People’s
Party, which has had a stranglehold on the government for over a decade,
have been announced as parliamentary candidates in July’s national
elections, and their candidacies are being actively promoted by their
famous fathers as pre-election barnstorming heats up.
“Even if there are no more angels, there are still baby angels,”
Prime Minister Hun Sen reportedly said in a recent campaign speech. In a
reference to the angel scattering flowers that is the longstanding
symbol of the C.P.P., he was anointing his and his associates’ progenies
as Cambodia’s next generation of leaders.
Hun Many, the youngest of Hun Sen’s three sons, is his deputy cabinet
chief; he also heads the C.P.P.’s Youth Association, a crucial conduit
for recruiting young people into the party. Now, at 30, he is also
running for a seat in the National Assembly. So is the son of Interior
Minister Sar Kheng. At 33, Sar Sokha has already risen through the ranks
of his father’s ministry to become a senior police official, and is
married to the daughter of the former chief of the army.
Tang Chhin Sothy/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Prime
Minister Hun Sen of Cambodia, center, walked ahead of government
officials during an inauguration ceremony for a road in Phnom Penh in
June 2010.
Other newly announced candidates include Cheam Chansophoan, son of
Cheam Yeap, a prominent member of Parliament; Say Sam Al, son of the
Senate’s president; Ty Dina, son of the Supreme Court president; and Dy
Vichea, the son of the late, immensely powerful (and immensely feared)
national police chief, Hok Lundy.
Dy Vichea, a senior police official, also happens to be married to
Hun Sen’s daughter, Mana, a businesswoman with investments in nearly
every sector. (This is a second marriage for both: His first wife was
the daughter of Hun Sen’s brother, while her first husband was the son
of the army’s procurement czar.) Mana’s brother Manith is married to Dy
Vichea’s sister Chindavy.
Manith and Hun Sen’s other son, Manet, are also highly placed, with
each holding multiple positions. Manith is a colonel in the army, deputy
head of the Military Intelligence Unit and head of an ambitious new
land-titling program staffed by student volunteers loyal to Hun Sen.
Manet, a West Point graduate, is a major general, deputy chief of his
father’s bodyguard unit and head of the army’s counter-terrorism unit. He
is widely perceived as his father’s favorite son and heir apparent.
In a nationally televised speech Thursday, Hun Sen told voters he believed Manet was the child of a neak ta,
a powerful local spirit, who had been living in a tree nearby. “When he
was born, there was a bright light flying around the cottage’s roof,”
Hun Sen said, before turning to his son. “You should go visit that
banyan tree, because you come from that tree.”
Even as it builds a dynasty of young politicians ever more closely
linked through blood and business ties, the C.P.P. has denied any claims
of nepotism. It argues instead that the children of the ruling elite
are simply the most qualified candidates
for the positions they hold or seek. This is not untrue, since these
children of privilege attend the best international schools in Phnom
Penh, and are often sent abroad for expensive degrees. But merit hardly
seems to be the point.
The prime minister has been warning voters recently of what may happen if the C.P.P. loses power: New infrastructure projects will end; the schools and pagodas bearing Hun Sen’s name will be destroyed; civil war may break out.
“Just tick the angel box and you are electing Hun Sen,” he has advised.
He will probably be heard. The election’s outcome already seems
inevitable, so why not tick that box and be on the side of the angels?
Julia Wallace is managing editor of The Cambodia Daily.
9 comments:
The bright light that Hun sen said circle the roof of the cottage's shack that night was no other but Praiy bai sarj [ witch=Arb] wanted to eats the what was coming out of Bunrany's womb.I don't believe that Nak Ta is reincarnated to Hun Maneth at all, Hun sen lies a lots,he was born to cheats,lies,kills and steals...
Bible said:Demons come to robs,to kills and to steals,so does Hun sen.We have time and time again that he had done just that,Hun sen and his clans were demonic's possessed being don't know what fairness is...Hun sen's clans were super filty rich because of stealing and robbing from innocent Khmers people whose have not connection to their party.
Hun Maneth possess with Nak Ta's spirit? I don't think so,I think he possess with Arb's spirit,the Arb wanted to eat him that night but luckily they have thorn all a round the place the Arb can not come through that night.
Yobal Khmer
Long live CPP, with the support of the people, Hun sen will win another election. The oppositions are weak and divided, they are pathetic, this is the time to crush those western's stooge and dismantle their terrorist operations. Only under the great leadership of the CPP that Cambodia can find peace, stability, and properity for the people.
Little fog in the small well calm down be awared of Snakes near by will swallow you alive! Don't you hear your boss Hun sen is paranoia lately? In previous speeches he said birds followed him everywhere he went,lately he said his son was reincarnated from the sprit that lives in Banyant tree,he saw a bright light circle his cottage hut and that night his son born. He called his son Nak mean Bonn but I call him Monuz mean barp vinh barn trov.
I knew that spirit of Yeay Arb is reincarnated in him that night because he seems like don't care about his people despite his educational back ground.
Nakta prey
Hun Sen wants to tell Khmer citizens that his eldest & favorite son , Hun Manet was
born to be " CORRUPT " because Neak Ta (s) are doing nothing more besides hurting
superstitious people for offering ( bribes ) . So Hun Sen message to the voters :
" Hun Manet will be the wicked CPP junior who was born to take bribes for your business protection & personal safety - " . CPP symbol soon will be changed from
" ANGEL " to " NEAK TA " .
Khmers should not believe Neak Ta & don't vote for Neak Ta - you will be sick ,
ហ៊ូន សែន កំពុងដើរតួរដូច កូរ៉េខាងជើង
ចង់បន្តរពូជគ្រប់គ្រងប្រទេសខ្មែរ តែទោះជាយ៉ាងណា
វិអីនេះហាក់ដូចជា ដើរនយោបាយផ្តាច់ពូជខ្លួនឯងទេ
ប្រជាជនខ្មែរកាន់តែអស់ជុំនឿរទៅៗដោយចាត់ទុកថា
ជាដឹកនាំនយោបាយបែប គ្រួសារនិយម នឹងបក្សពួក
និយម អំពើអាក្រក់វាលប់អស់អំពើល្អកាលណាមាន
មហិច្ចតាដូច្នេះ អាមានគុំនិតចង់ត្រូតត្រាតរៗពូជនោះ
វាហួសសម៍យហើយ សុម្បីប្រទេសយួនក័វាពុំហាន
ធ្វើផង។
ត្រូវមានជុំនឿរបែបធម្មជាតិផង អំណាចកាលណា
វាត្រូវអស់បុណ្យ គឺវាត្រូវរលាយឯកឯងសូម្បីតែ
ជីវិតក័ពុំសល់ រឿងដែល ត្រកូល ហ៊ុន ធ្វើសូម្បី
តែមនុស្សក្នុងជួរបក្សរបស់ខ្លួនអ្នកខ្លៈក័គេពុំពេញចិ
ត្តដែរ។
ខ្មែរមានមាយាទមួយ ពេលលើកសសើរឡើកប់ពពកសូម្បីតែនិយាយអ្វីក៏យកពាក្យដំកើងមុនដែរ ឧទាហណ៏ យុទ្ធសាស្ត្រដេជោ ហាក់បីដូចនៅស្រុក
ខ្មែរពុំមានអ្នកចេះដឹងសោះ វាគួរអោយអាម៉ាស់ណាស់ សូម្បីតែរាស្ត្រយួនក៏វាលាន់មាត់ថាខ្មែរមានតែ ហ៊ុន សែនម្នាក់ចេះ បានវាអាចចូលមករស់នៅងាយស្រួលបាន ។
តែបើខ្មែរស្អប់វីញ ជេរប្រមាថ កាប់ចាក់ កំទេច
គ្មានសល់ គ្មានគឹតថាច្បាប់នៅត្រង់ណាទេ មានតែកំហឹង មិនគឹតខុសត្រូវទេ រក UN មកដោះស្រាយក៏ពុំទាន់ដែរ ។
សព្វថ្ងៃអ្នកដែលបានប្រមូលលុយពុករលួយក្លាយជាឧញ៉ា បានដំណែង ក្លាយជាអ្នកមានទ្រព្យលួចជាតិបានចេះតែលើកដំកើង ហ៊ុន សែន ទៅព្រមទាំងជនជាតិយួនផងដែរ តែថ្ងៃក្រោយស៊ួរថាក្រោយពេលត្រកូល ហ៊ុន ត្រូវអស់អំណាចតើវាអ្វើអ្វីខ្លៈ
ចំពោះ ពួក ហ៊ុន វានៅគាំទ្រជួយ សសើរ លើកជើងទៀតទេ។
ឬមួយត្រកូល ហ៊ុន អាងកងកាពារនឹងទាហាន
ខ្មែរសព្វថ្ងៃ តើទាហានខ្មែរសព្វថ្ងៃដែល ហ៊ុន សែន ខំចិញ្ចឹមតាមរយៈកាកក្របាតក្រហម នឹងតាមរយៈក្រុមហ៊ុនផងនោះអាចយកមកជួយសម្លាប់ខ្មែរគ្នាឯងដោយសារអំណាចខ្លួន នេះជាគំនិត្តដ៏ល្ងង់
ខ្លៅហើយ។
ការទុកគេរឈ្មោះអោយគេគោរព សសើរ មិន
មែនស្រឡាញ់អំណាច ដុល្លា គ្រួសារនិយម
ពូកនិយម ដឹកនាំប្តទេសដូចសព្វថ្ងៃនេះទេ
ដោយពុំគឹតពីជាតិអនាគតប្រទេសជាតិដូច្នេះទេ។
ក៏សាងជាតិដែរវាជាការពិត ខ្ជីលុយបរទេសមកក៏សាងតែខ្ចី ៥០០ លាន ក៏សាងអស់តែ ២០០
លានទេ ឯ ៣០០ លានចែកគ្នាដាក់ហ៊ោប៉ៅដាកធានាគារ នេះហៅថាក៏សាងដែរ។
តើជនជាតិយួនមករសើស្រុកខ្មែរប៉ុន្មានលានហើយ? អោយអ្វីយួនខ្លៈ? ដឹងគុណយួនដែលយួនឳយអំណាចវាជ្រុលពេកហើយដឹង។
តើយួនវាដឹងគុណខ្មែរនៅពេមស្តេចសីហនុជួយ
ទ៍ពយួនតាំងមួលដ្ថានសឹកនៅស្រុកខ្មែរតើយួន
វាឳយខ្មែរអ្វីខ្លៈ ឬមួយសព្វថ្ងៃវាអោយពលរដ្ធវាមករស់នៅស្រុកខ្មែរវាសងគុណខ្មែរហើយ។
Hun Sen and his CPP cronies consider Cambodia as their personal property. They are trying to build a family dynasty by appointing their sons to succeed them at the expense of the children of the poor who probably are more capable than the kids of these corrupt CPP officials.
This kind of nepotism will upset the grassroots CPP supporters, because the ordinary members and people will think that they worked so hard just to support the powers of these corrupt people and that their hard work will never pay off for them, so they will quit the CPP and join the oppositions in the future.
Regarding the spirit Hun Sen was talking about, it was probably a bad spirit. In the old days people believe in forest spirit and animism. So Neak Ta is a forest spirit and animistic god. People always associated Neak Ta with bad spirit, coming to do bad things to them. In the Cambodian countryside in the old days, almost in every house, there were Ktorm Neak Ta or spirit house. People built these houses to please or to appease Neak Ta not to harm them or to bring them sickness or bad luck.
Another belief is that when people see a flash light flying over their houses or coming out of big trees, especially the banyan trees, they believe the lights are from the monster/evil spirit called "Preay Kongtorng Kheav", "Arb" or "Preay Beisach". People in the countryside are very scared of these lights. If these lights flew over their houses or out of a big tree near their houses, they have to hold a ceremony to make offerings to these spirits to appease them not to harm their family in anyway.
So, the flash light that flew out of the banyan tree in Memot that Mr. Hun Sen was talking about was was probably the light of the "preay kontorng kheav" or "arb" or "preay beisach", which were monsters or evil spirit. This is not a good sign for Hun Manet because people will consider him to be born from an evil spirit. No good too for Cambodian either to have a monster or evil as the future leader of Cambodia.
We need to stop cursing Hun Sen and CPP. If we dont do anything then we will be here for the next 30 years cursing them while more Khmer dies and more Youn breed inside Cambodia.
Many Khmer peoples are either scared or ignorant. They think that the opposition doesn't stand a chance while CPP dominated every branches of Royal Government of Kingdom of Cambodia. Peoples already believe that the CPP already win before election. Opposition will probably loose because these reasons:
1. The population saw there will be bloodshed if Hun Sen loose.
2. Peoples want stability because CPP controlled military, Police, court, 99% of media, economy.
3. CPP always clever in cheating tactics.
4. NEC body are dominate by CPP, not neutral.
5. Peoples themselves still remembered Khmer Rough time so they are weary, scared of violences.
6. Most rural farm land villages are CPP dominate
villages chief, most of these peoples had little or non education at all. So they are ignorants of their rights.
7. Vote buying, Viets illegal immigration will vote for CPP, intimidation or kill on opposition candidates.
In most SE Asia those who had guns will win elections some ways, some how. Worst case for these peoples if they loose election they will force the winner to except share powers where they will be dominate. In Cambodia you will never see hundred of thousands of people take it to the street to protest because of Pol Pot did to them in the past. Most of the CPP leaderships are Khmer Rough. CPP knew this so all they had to do is reminded peoples of the past. Don't forget the Viets special forces are always ready at the border to come in when Hun Sen call.
Kennedy clan, Bush family, Nehru, Butho, Akino, Aung San, Kong Kom and sons, Mr. & Ms. Sam Raingsy, Mr. & Ms. etc.?
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