What does the International Community Stand for the Current Crisis?

The people march to UN office and other embassies

The rally at the Democracy Plaza

By Khmer Wathanakam
www.khmerwathanak.blogspot.com

After the third mass protest, the two main political parties will reckon a possible way to end a political impasse that has crippled the country over three months.  The CPP has eked its rule as usual business without paying attention to what the mass of people are demanding for. The CNRP is still facing its dilemma: to stand firm with the CPP or to resort to some degree of flexibility in negotiation with the CPP in any future rendezvous. This fresh mass protest along with over two millions thumb prints petition to the UN and other signatory countries in the Paris Peace accord will add more leverages for the CNRP in the next negotiation. However, the CNRP's momentum gets a setback recently when some leaders of the key signatory and donor countries have openly congratulated Hun Sen for his dubious re-elected new term, namely France, Australia, and Japan. But these countries have also insisted that the two parties must continue negotiate to end the current crisis peacefully.

The CNRP has not much room to move besides staging a mass peaceful protest and boycotting the new legislature. To stand firm with the CPP in such a current strategy is unlikely to work in a long term, but according to Mr. Kem Sokha, a vice president of the CNRP, said that his party still has some unrevealed strategies to deploy in the future if needed. Now the party needs to demand the freedom space for the supporters first. And this primary step seems work, as Kim Sokha mentioned that there were no massive troop deployment, no road blocks, and no security forces' intimidation despite the number of protesters in the rally and march far exceeded the authority's limit.  But based on the people's actions and will, they want to do more than just peaceful protest if their demand for justice is not considered by the ruling party. Most protesters openly demanded Hun Sen to step down and to proclaim Sam Rainsey as their sole prime minister. They have been perturbed by continuous repression and social injustice over the past 34 years under Hun Sen's rule, and another five year-term rule of the same old face is unbearable for them.

A Growing Community in a New Promised Land

Salute the flags of the US, Cambodia, and Buddhism

Prepared for Buddhist Monks' sermon

Reported by ខែ្មរវឌ្ឍនកម្ម
www.khmerwathanak.blogspot.com

Minnesota, a land of ten thousands lakes and a home of the Mall of America ( the largest shopping mall in the nation) is also a promising land for a Cambodian Community in the US. About 10,000 Cambodian Americans settled in the state, the coldest place in winter but the most beautiful place in summer. Minnesota's size is slightly bigger than Cambodia (about 220,000 to 180,000 square km ), but it has population roughly about five millions as compared to Cambodia about 15 millions, which is one of the most spacious states for its small population. Such a natural endowment has contributed to a sustainable livelihood of the people in the state. A wast green land has provided people with many great activities during summer time: from camping, fishing, hunting, picnic, and  numerous activities that help people releasing their stress from urban life and work places. Also Minnesota is a leading state in agriculture as well as the high tech-industries; many US giant companies are originated here such as 3M, Delta Airline, Metronic, General Mill, BestBuy, and so on. These high-tech companies have provided a great employment opportunity for the people from different backgrounds. For Cambodian Community despite it's smaller than Spanish, Hmong, Somalia, India, and Vietnamese Communities, but its unique culture and adherence to Theravada Buddhism have made it more visible than the other minorities in the state.

Paris vs. Geneva Peace Accords

Four Cambodian Factions 

By Khmer Wathanakam
www.khmerwathanak.blogspot.com

The Paris peace Agreement officially ended a protracted war between the Vietnamese invaders along with their communist satellite regime and the Khmer Tripartite Resistance Government on October 23, 1991. But this agreement seemed officially legalize Hanoi's proxy regime which had isolated from the international community over a decade rather than fully protected Khmer's interest. In fact, the Paris Peace Agreement is fair enough for Cambodia, and it is the second political instrument or thwart after the Geneva Peace Accord in 1954 for Cambodia to protect itself from all potential enemies, especially Vietnam and Thailand. Unfortunately, this agreement has been hijacked by the current regime which has repeatedly violated the Paris Peace Accord--unfair border demarcation, bloody coup 1997, human right abuse, election fraud, and so on. If this accord is fully respected and fallowed by Hun Sen's regime, Cambodia will become a master of its own destination and the most democratic and developed country in the region.

The Paris Peace Agreement has provided Cambodia all political and economic means to defense and to develop itself to its potential capacity.  But Hun Sen has not only ignored it but repeatedly violated it. There are many important parts of this accord, but we pick only two crucial elements as examples: (1) part II, article 12 explicitly spells out the guarantee of the people's rights to determine their future based on free and fair election, but so far all elections have not been free nor fair except the UN's supervision election in 1993. (2) part IV, article 18 clearly spells out about how to maintain, to preserve, and to defense the country, and how the other signatories recognize and respect the sovereignty, independence, and the national unity of Cambodia. In this article, Vietnam and Thailand  (the signatory countries) grossly violated it. Vietnam forced Hun Sen to sign an unfair border treaty in 2005, which severely violated Cambodia's sovereignty and independence. And Thailand's claim over part of the Preas Vihear Temple's vicinity is also another violation over the Cambodian sovereignty even in a smaller scale vis a vis Vietnam which has covertly controlled Cambodia via its subservient Hun Sen's Regime.

The Opposition's Exclusion from the Power Mechanism in the Legislature will Creates a Resolute Political Battle

Hun Sen, an unpredictable leader

An insincere handshake

By ខែ្មរវឌ្ឍនកម្ម
www.khmerwathanak.blogspot.com

After the negotiation between the CPP and the CNRP has faltered over the past two months, the CPP which has created the new government on its own will, has planned to finish its final work of creating the power mechanism in the parliament unilaterally again without showing any interest to solve the problem with the opposition except leaving a fractional power for the opposition to get it or to lose it. Such a brave move by Hun Sen and his CPP is very unacceptable to any party in the dispute. Hun Sen and his CPP are using their tons of leverages to force the opposition to succumb in order to end the crisis on their own will.  This offensive act cannot end this crisis quickly but to prolong it without a foreseen future. Hun Sen and his CPP intend to create more crisis but claim they don't have the crisis, and they intend to break up the national unity when they always talk about the national reconciliation. This is a hypocrisy that the CPP has preached over the past 30 years. So far, the CPP has not made any considerable concession that help to end the current crisis but to ignore and ignite it. when Hun Sen and his CPP complete their final work of creating the power structure in the parliament on their own will this week, there is nothing left for the opposition to talk with them any more but to prepare for the riskier and resolute battle with the CPP in the future. The CNRP still possesses more leverages against the CPP but not fully guaranteed of its success.The opposition have no more room to move but to fight for their survival to the end by using all their available leverages at this final stage of the crisis.