By Khmerization
The political developments in Cambodia in the last few weeks have been very interesting and worthy of my comments. It started with Ranaridhh's misfortunes. While the Appeal Court upheld his 18 years sentence, he has suffered another political blow. Added to his injury Hun Sen has announced that he will sever all political ties with him by refusing to intervene for his political comeback. The ex-king Sihanouk has refused to get involved also when Ranariddh wrote to him for some sort of intervention. On top of all these misfortunes, Ranariddh had suffered more political punches. Khmer Amatak Newspaper, which is a pro-Ranaridhh newspaper, was ordered suspended after it launched repeated scathing attacks on Nhiek Bunchhay, Ranariddh's nemesis. To add to another insult, Mam Sonando ordered the suspension of a pro-Ranariddh radio program, Voice of the Monarchy, from broadcasting on his Beehive Radio station without any convincing explanation, but Sonando's action was suspected to be resulted from political pressure from Hun Sen after the radio broadcast a program criticising him. Hun Sen seemed to have no mercy on Ranariddh after Ranariddh had been the political force that helped kept him in power from 1993 to present.
On another development, Funcinpec, after an unsuccessful soul searching for its PM candidate has settled on an unlikley choice. After trying to unsuccessfully woo Prince Ranariddh, Prince Sirivudh and Princess Veacheara to accept the post, it has chosen Princess Arunrasmy. The choice of Princess Arunrasmy as its PM candidate has been viewed as a political manoeuvre and a desperate attempt to revive its fledgling popularity and to ensure its survival post-2008 election. But after the 2008 election's dusts have settled, Funcinpec's fate would be no different from the Son Sann Party, Ung Huot, Tuon Chay or the fate of other imminent Cambodian personalities who had chosen to serve Hun Sen. They all have been sent into oblivion and dissappeared into the Cambodian political wilderness.
On another note, King Sihamoni has bestowed three more royal honorary titles to the CPP strongmen. While Hun Sen, Chea Sim and Heng Samrin have already received their royal titles, their new titles will no doubt boost their political standing in their party and in the country as a whole. The granting of the royal titles has some sort of a double-edged sword effect. It has a mutual benefit to both sides. By giving the titles, the king had aimed to maintaining an eternal relationship with the Cambodian People's Party in order to ensure the survival and to preserve the monarchy. On the other hand, with the new royal titles on hand, the CPP has another credential to add to their resume in which they can show to the Cambodian voters that they are the protector of the monarchy and hence is the only force that can lead the country.
On a sad note, Son chhay, a Sam Rainsy Party's MP has claimed in a Radio Free Asia interview that as early as last week the CPP-dominated Cambodian National assembly has passed a law to grant a one hundred thousand(100,000) hectares of land concession to a Vietnamese army-owned company to establish coffee and rubber plantations a long the Cambodian-Vietnamese border. This land concession would have grave ramifications on the issue of Cambodian sovereignity. According to Son Chhay, this business formula had been implemeted in Laos with little benefit to Laos and her people, but on the other hand the Vietnamese presence presented a danger to Laotian soveregnity. The company was army-owned, run and managed by army personnel- ex-soldiers and ex-officers- who invaded Laos in the 1970s. The company staffed the plantation with about 3,500 ex-Vietnamese soldiers per ten thousand hectare. By estimate and by comparison to the land size granted to the Vietnamese company the plantation on the Cambodian granted land concessions (100,000 hectares)would be staffed with at least 35,000 Vietnamese ex-soldiers. The question posed is: if 35,000 ex-Vietnamese soldiers were to be stationed on Cambodian soil, how could we ensure that those parts of our land are not permanently occupied by the Vietnamese. This is reminiscenced of the Chey Chettha's reign, when he granted some sort of a land concession to the Vietnamese settlers to settle on Cambodian land, known today as Kampuchea Krom, temporarily but Vietnam refused to hand it back to Cambodia when the term of the agreement expired. Now Kampuchea Krom has been permanently in Vietnam's possession since the late 17th century. I hope that, if the Cambodian leaders are smart enough they would not go ahead with the granting of these land concessions to the Vietnamese army-owned company on our soil. If Cambodia need investors, first look for local investors and second, we can look for reputable investors from countries that do not share border with us to develop the plantations along our border. In this case, if the Vietnamese company refused to hand the land back to Cambodia after the expiration of the, say 50 or 99 years, lease then this part of Cambodian land will become another Kampuchea Krom. It is sad really.
The political developments in Cambodia in the last few weeks have been very interesting and worthy of my comments. It started with Ranaridhh's misfortunes. While the Appeal Court upheld his 18 years sentence, he has suffered another political blow. Added to his injury Hun Sen has announced that he will sever all political ties with him by refusing to intervene for his political comeback. The ex-king Sihanouk has refused to get involved also when Ranariddh wrote to him for some sort of intervention. On top of all these misfortunes, Ranariddh had suffered more political punches. Khmer Amatak Newspaper, which is a pro-Ranaridhh newspaper, was ordered suspended after it launched repeated scathing attacks on Nhiek Bunchhay, Ranariddh's nemesis. To add to another insult, Mam Sonando ordered the suspension of a pro-Ranariddh radio program, Voice of the Monarchy, from broadcasting on his Beehive Radio station without any convincing explanation, but Sonando's action was suspected to be resulted from political pressure from Hun Sen after the radio broadcast a program criticising him. Hun Sen seemed to have no mercy on Ranariddh after Ranariddh had been the political force that helped kept him in power from 1993 to present.
On another development, Funcinpec, after an unsuccessful soul searching for its PM candidate has settled on an unlikley choice. After trying to unsuccessfully woo Prince Ranariddh, Prince Sirivudh and Princess Veacheara to accept the post, it has chosen Princess Arunrasmy. The choice of Princess Arunrasmy as its PM candidate has been viewed as a political manoeuvre and a desperate attempt to revive its fledgling popularity and to ensure its survival post-2008 election. But after the 2008 election's dusts have settled, Funcinpec's fate would be no different from the Son Sann Party, Ung Huot, Tuon Chay or the fate of other imminent Cambodian personalities who had chosen to serve Hun Sen. They all have been sent into oblivion and dissappeared into the Cambodian political wilderness.
On another note, King Sihamoni has bestowed three more royal honorary titles to the CPP strongmen. While Hun Sen, Chea Sim and Heng Samrin have already received their royal titles, their new titles will no doubt boost their political standing in their party and in the country as a whole. The granting of the royal titles has some sort of a double-edged sword effect. It has a mutual benefit to both sides. By giving the titles, the king had aimed to maintaining an eternal relationship with the Cambodian People's Party in order to ensure the survival and to preserve the monarchy. On the other hand, with the new royal titles on hand, the CPP has another credential to add to their resume in which they can show to the Cambodian voters that they are the protector of the monarchy and hence is the only force that can lead the country.
On a sad note, Son chhay, a Sam Rainsy Party's MP has claimed in a Radio Free Asia interview that as early as last week the CPP-dominated Cambodian National assembly has passed a law to grant a one hundred thousand(100,000) hectares of land concession to a Vietnamese army-owned company to establish coffee and rubber plantations a long the Cambodian-Vietnamese border. This land concession would have grave ramifications on the issue of Cambodian sovereignity. According to Son Chhay, this business formula had been implemeted in Laos with little benefit to Laos and her people, but on the other hand the Vietnamese presence presented a danger to Laotian soveregnity. The company was army-owned, run and managed by army personnel- ex-soldiers and ex-officers- who invaded Laos in the 1970s. The company staffed the plantation with about 3,500 ex-Vietnamese soldiers per ten thousand hectare. By estimate and by comparison to the land size granted to the Vietnamese company the plantation on the Cambodian granted land concessions (100,000 hectares)would be staffed with at least 35,000 Vietnamese ex-soldiers. The question posed is: if 35,000 ex-Vietnamese soldiers were to be stationed on Cambodian soil, how could we ensure that those parts of our land are not permanently occupied by the Vietnamese. This is reminiscenced of the Chey Chettha's reign, when he granted some sort of a land concession to the Vietnamese settlers to settle on Cambodian land, known today as Kampuchea Krom, temporarily but Vietnam refused to hand it back to Cambodia when the term of the agreement expired. Now Kampuchea Krom has been permanently in Vietnam's possession since the late 17th century. I hope that, if the Cambodian leaders are smart enough they would not go ahead with the granting of these land concessions to the Vietnamese army-owned company on our soil. If Cambodia need investors, first look for local investors and second, we can look for reputable investors from countries that do not share border with us to develop the plantations along our border. In this case, if the Vietnamese company refused to hand the land back to Cambodia after the expiration of the, say 50 or 99 years, lease then this part of Cambodian land will become another Kampuchea Krom. It is sad really.
3 comments:
Very great blog. hard to find that kind of news. Thanks alot
Channel #Asian, Thanks for visiting my blog and thanks so much for a very nice comment. I'm encouraged by your sincere comment. I'll try my best to bring more good news to this blog. Thanks so much.
A good piece of information, thanks!
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