The IRI Survey

The International Republican Institute is formally a non-partisan organization funded by the U.S. government. However, it is generally perceived as leaning towards the Republican Party due to its more conservative outlook. Be that as it may, it conducts important surveys in countries that don’t have the means and knowhow to do those themselves. The results (should) constitute guidelines to governments on what the people of their country think and what the government’s charted course should be for the immediate future.

The survey for Cambodia was released this week and contains valuable information that the political parties and many a pundit should take to heart. It would appear that the findings support the governing party in general and that the opposition parties are bypassing the people’s concerns, at least lately.

Like in any other country Cambodia’s population is more concerned with bread and butter issues and important domestic issues like education and health care rather than with international conflicts, like the border issues, which of late have become the sole focus of Cambodia’s foreign policy. The government concentrates on the Western border and Thai incursions into Cambodian territory and Thailand’s unfounded claim to Preah Vihear. The main opposition party on the other hand focuses on the Eastern border with Vietnam and that country’s perceived encroachment into Cambodian territory.

Although the population as a whole stands by the government’s firm stance towards Thailand, the border issue with Vietnam does not seem to gain much traction among the people. The latter may be a thorny issue, which is more likely than not very difficult to resolve in the face of the close relationship between the two countries. Additionally, the government can ill afford to have opponents, possibly even enemies, on both sides – in the West and in the East. Any political security adviser worth his/her salt would be foolish to advocate such a policy. Therefore, at this point in time, with tensions with Thailand running very high, it surely makes sense to put the Eastern issue on the back burner. Unfortunately, this concept seems to be completely lost on the main opposition party.

Therefore, it comes as no surprise that 80% of the people said the country is heading in the right direction. 51% are tired of the party leaders’ squabble and focus on their own personalities instead of on the pressing problems facing the country.

Even 40% (45% in the cities and 38% in rural areas) believe they will be richer one year from now. Seeing as that 70% comprise the rural population who are generally poorer than the city folks a certain optimism also permeates that segment of the population.

But the overriding concerns are that they want better health care, a better educational system, jobs, lower food prices, building roads and schools. However, just as high up there, in the high 80ies, is their wish for less corruption. This is naturally also no surprise as they are confronted with that aspect of Cambodian life on a daily basis.

The whole survey can be found here - http://www.iri.org/countries-and-programs/asia/cambodia

Since the survey seems to support the government’s contention that it is doing a good job the main opposition party took exception to the finding that 89% believe the country is moving in the right direction. They contend that people were simply too afraid to state their true opinion. With the 89% figure that interpretation is hardly convincing. It again goes to show that they just don’t seem to have a clue of how to play the role of a true opposition – certainly not by only lambasting the government at every turn. They know what the people want to hear and their political parties to do. Rather than being doubtful about the veracity of a survey by an admittedly neutral organization, they should finally formulate viable solutions and alternatives to the problems the people want addressed.

In Absentia

This saga has taken another unsavory turn with Sam Rainsy being sentenced to two years in prison for racial incitement and destruction of public property. The neutral observer can only shake his/her head in bewilderment as to the extremes this case has escalated into.

Just last week the SRP published material showing that those border markers were indeed on Cambodian territory, or as the SRP calls it, it was Vietnamese encroachment on Cambodian territory. The maps shown seem to be genuine and the border delineation appears to be in accordance with the relevant bilateral treaties.

As I wrote here before, removing the border markers, wrongly placed or not, was a bad judgment on Sam Rainsy’s part. However, as this was Sam Rainsy, the authorities acted with speed and full force. What else could he expect? The charges were absolutely blown out of proportion by any international standard, as is now the court’s judgment. Those wooden border markers, even if they were state property, were worth a few dollars at best. The destruction of public property is a laughable charge. But that’s not what was at stake here. Sam Rainsy handed his opponents the weapons with which to defeat him; and they indulged him. Basically, he only got what he asked for.

Racial incitement is a serious charge, though. Judging by SR’s past remarks on Vietnam and the Vietnamese immigrants and settlers in Cambodia, one could at minimum read a deep resentment into them. Were they also discriminatory? In my mind, yes. But were the comments or his actions in Svay Rieng racial incitement? The way I understand it inciting other people to discriminate against a certain ethnic group or race would constitute such an act. In this day and age, it is widely condemned by everybody but die-hard racists. History has shown us the outcome of racial and ethnic discrimination - slavery, tribal wars, and the holocaust. We know it leads to misery, mental anguish, and even catastrophe.

Politicians playing the ‘ethnic’ card seldom gain wide popularity over the long run. Ultra-nationalists, and that is what they mostly are, remain a fringe group in the West, and I would believe, in Asia as well. That Sam Rainsy chose this anti-Vietnamese stance as part of his platform put him in the very nationalistic corner. This offended the Vietnamese government and since they are an important trading partner, by extension, the Cambodian government as well.

But does the charge also include abetting people to use violence against such groups or race? Probably, but I don’t think this can be leveled at Sam Rainsy. What Sam Rainsy could have been accused of in the past is making racially discriminating public comments. So is two years in prison justified for an offense like this? Hardly; additionally he is a professional politician and these people make much more inflammatory remarks in other parts of the world. In the end, what remains is, sadly, a miscarriage of justice. And it appears as though this is far from over now that this whole affair has turned into a dispute over border issues in general. Sam Rainsy announced he would publish new indisputable evidence of Vietnamese encroachment. (I guess he does this in his own name in order to protect his party.) This only serves to anger the government even more and makes them dig in their heels harder. Their response may rationally not be understandable but it will probably be just as harsh as the provincial court’s judgment.

But logically, this latest round begs a number of questions: ‘Why was this evidence not used in a legitimate manner before this foolish actionism in Svay Rieng? Why is this coming to light now? Did the SRP ever submit this material to the National Assembly? Did they ever submit it to the Foreign Ministry and/or the Border Committee? Wouldn’t it have been just as effective if they had published this on their website and used the media to propagate it, as is happening now?’

Since Sam Rainsy was mostly playing to an international audience and the Khmer Diaspora, as one observer put it, one must wonder whether this overplaying of his hand was worth all the sacrifice. After all, the international community pays only lip service to begin with, and the politically active Khmer Diaspora can’t sway things one way or the other in Cambodia anyway.

Recent News

Prime Minister Hun Sen gave a speech recently in which he mused about his longevity on the job. He thought he could probably not serve until he is 80 due to health reasons. That stands to reason as most people, especially the ones who have a stressful job, tend so suffer from one illness or other in their 60ies and 70ies. Hun Sen most likely won’t be any exception. What’s remarkable, though, is why he was talking about it at this point in time. There was no apparent reason unless you want to attribute it to a whim, a spur of the moment remark.

Another interpretation making the rounds is that he just wanted to remind everybody again that he has managed to stay on the job despite the vociferous condemnations by the human rights organizations, and most of all, by his arch-nemesis, Sam Rainsy. Perhaps, what he was indicating was that with Sam Rainsy now out of the way for good, he can go about his job without being disturbed every step of way.

The UN Human Rights Rappateur for Cambodia Subedi is visiting and had a constructive discussion with the Prime Minister. What is noteworthy here is, first, that he was received to begin with, and second, that obviously the meeting was held without pre-conceived notions. Both mentioned that the meeting went well, which, hopefully, is an indication that at least the acrimony seems to have been avoided for now. We will see what comes out of the meeting with the opposition parties next week.

What You Can Do I Can Do…..

The opposition accuses the government and the CPP of meddling in the judicial system, in fact, subverting it.

Now the SRP has launched a drive to petition the King to interfere with the judicial system. They are collecting signatures for that petition asking the King to have the court drop the charges against Sam Rainsy. What? Now they are using the same methods?

Meanwhile, a government adviser in turn accuses the SRP of forcing villagers to sign the petition.

There was once a TV-series in the U. S. called Brotherhood dealing with the corrupt legislature in Rhode Island. Somehow this whole episode with the border markers reminds me of that series.

If it weren’t so real and serious, one would have to laugh at this. Maybe at one point this will be the stuff for a Cambodian TV real life drama.

Methods of the Enemy

Today I received the following email:

Quote
To All my Dharma Friends/Social friends concerned,

According to my Psychological Convention/observation/experiences, please kindly help me remove the name" RUN PHIM SINAROITH" (who works for Cambodian Television Network-CTN) from my black list of distrust/breach of trust/and misbehaviors. I think, on her own behalf, she is not a bad woman by nature. We were not looking at men/women's relationship or any deviant relationship during our happy and friendly union/association, but social networking at the time. Thanks for the first time for your mutual understanding and tolerance. Please do it wisely and secretly at your earliest convenience. Be better-informed that my social network will not used for any deviant behavior or any kind of destruction both to individuals and society as whole, it shall be used any relevant purposes that serve the poor, the disadvantaged in society, and those people who are really in need of our social network.

Sorry for any mistake caused in creating this notification message!
Thanks for your kind co-operation and your wise dissemination of the message.
Regards,

VEN. SIM SANITH SANGHANADA THERO (ROH)
E-mail: sojanaworld@yahoo.com/dhammasastra@gmail.com
Note: This removal of the name from the black list is for RUN PHIM SINAROITH (the TV announcer) who works at Cambodian Television Network (CTN), and not the namees of Yeay Kdar Kdet and her supporters or the CPP members. Thanks!
Unquote

This Sanith Sim also emails the news from Khmer Intelligence. I find it remarkable that he and most likely others maintain a black list of people they deem distrustful, helping their enemy (the CPP and the current government), or are otherwise considered harmful to their ideals and ideas, whatever they may be. I don't know how I got on this mailing list, but I certainly do not support this group or groups. They condemn methods used by their enemy but use those same methods themselves. Hypocrisy, and that from an ordained monk.