CAMBODIA

Khmer Times-Mar 19, 2018

Phrases such as an end to impunity, rule of law, democracy, patriotism, nationalism, freedom of speech, an end to one-party democracy, and an end to tyranny are all catch words, tag lines and phrases used by Sam Rainsy.

He has been at it since 1994 in the first mandate, when as a sitting member of Parliament, a senior minister and Minister of Economy and Finance and a key FUNCINPEC stalwart, he chose to lead a march against the re-development of the Olympic Market to what it is today.

He created such a stir, fears of death, etc. to hype up those who were protesting with him. Ironically, it was a strange sight to see a senior minister leading a protest against development by the government he represented.

Now, back to present day politics. Old habits die hard and Mr Rainsy’s treasonous acts are not new as he has truly mastered the art of treason. Unfortunately, he is not that smart to carry out his nefarious activities secretly or prevent them from leaking out.

Take the fiasco in 1994, for instance. Mr Rainsy, secretly met with the Khmer Rouge leaders when they were already outlawed, although his father-in-law, was the host for the meeting with the genocidal delegates, after two rounds of roundtable meetings hosted by the late King Father to try and bring unity and peace to Cambodia failed. He kept his meeting secret and was exposed later as it was an act of treason. His father in law however had the mandate to meet and host the Khmer Rouge delegates but not Sam Rainsy.

And now, he is at it again – if proven true, of agreeing to cede Cambodian territory to Vietnam.

Mr Rainsy and his now defunct opposition coalition party members’ “patriotic” acts of leading marches to examine and remove boundary markers at the Cambodia-Vietnam border was nothing but a hogwash to get media attention and drive up anti Vietnamese rhetoric and emotions to get sympathy votes.

With the overseas reformation of CNRM, now disbanded in Cambodia, coupled with calls by Mr Rainsy for an open mutiny among the security forces, what more can we say? These are all further acts that could be classified as treason.

Mr Rainsy, together with other opposition members who are hoping for Prime Minister Hun Sen to yet again capitulate and grant amnesty to them to contest the 2018 elections must be in a dream world of their own. It’s sheer wishful thinking, if they believe that their foreign masters would prop them up if they gain power.

For Sam Rainsy, Kem Sokha, Mu Sochua, Tioulong Saumura, Kem Monovithya, Eng Chhay Eang and the other intransigents in the gang of 118, catch phrases such as law, order, morality and justice will remain just tag lines for them. These words are meaningless to these people, if they themselves do not believe them. All that these opposition politicians are good at is to incite people to commit violent acts against the government, legitimately elected by Cambodians.

In reality, they fear these very words which they preach as they cannot fathom the responsibility which comes with the implementation of these “phrases”. The proof is that the US has literally dumped Kem Sokha in favor of Kem Monovithya!

(first published in Khmer Times – http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50114714/the-oppositions-shenanigans/)