A Root of Racial Issue Between Vietnamese and Cambodians

Propaganda image of Vietnamese in Cambodia(Google image)

ដោយខែ្មរវឌ្ឍនកម្ម
www.khmerwathanak.blogspot.com

An incident of killing a Vietnamese Cambodian man by a mob on a traffic accident scene has drawn condemnation from Vietnam foreign ministry, the Vietnamese embassy in Cambodia, many human right groups, and many foreign media because this murder case involving with racism against the ethnic Vietnamese in Cambodia.  However, this kind of racism is not new, and it has rooted between the two peoples for centuries; the racism has been practiced in both nations for generations, not only in Cambodia.  And this murder case should be blamed on the repressive policy of the Vietnamese and the current Cambodian governments which have always tried to hide the truth about history and animosity between the two countries and artificially to create a stark friendship, covering up the Vietnamese ambition to colonize Cambodia.  Without honest dialogue and mutual respect between the two nations, there is no real answer to this racial question.

Any Chance of Political Breakthrough?

ដោយខែ្មរវឌ្ឍនកម្ម
www.khmerwathanak.blogspot.com

The two parties will resume negotiation in the upcoming week, but agendas for talk had not yet set. However, the CNRP clearly indicated that it would raise a demand for election reform and midterm election while the CPP hesitated to provide any clear agenda until the talk starts.  The resumption of talk will give people a glimpse of hope that the worse may be over now, for the political atmosphere has been tense since the deadly crackdown by Hun Sen's security forces on the garment workers who had protested for their higher minimum wage.  Since then, the regime has banned all kinds of protest and violently disperse all peaceful protests, beating up protesters and jailing many activists. In addition, a fresh violence just happened in the past few days when the security forces violently removed residents from dispute property in Borei Keila caused at least nine more people injured.  Thus, any political compromise between the two parties will help reduce pressure and tension in the country where many people have suffered enormously from social injustice and political oppression.

How has a Small Vietnam Become a Dominant Power over Indochina Today?

ដោយ ខែ្មរវឌ្ឍនកម្មៈ
www.kmerwathanak.blogspot.com

Emperor Le Dai Hanh

Vietnam is a small nation that originated from a place called Xich Quy about 2500 BC, currently around Guangxi and Guandong provinces of Southern China.  Through its long rough history, Vietnam has at least 20 different names starting from some familiar names such as Dai Co Viet, Dai Viet, Nam Viet, and Vietnam from a reign of Emperor Gia Long (Nguyen Phu Anh) until today.  Though Vietnam had gone through numerous and prolong wars, every time it had happened, Vietnam emerged as a stronger nation.  Today, Vietnam has become the dominated power over Indochina, and based on its historic evolution and steady expansion, it's more likely to expand its border beyond Indochina in long future.  Starting from around 10th century, after independent from China suzerainty over 1000 years, Emperor Le Dai Hanh started expansion southward to Champa and Kampuchea Krom, and the emperor's legacy was continued by Ho Chi Minh, known as "journey toward the west."  Now we should look into some factors that make such a small nation to be the dominant power in Indochina and the region.

 Under Chinese suzerainty over 1,000 years, the Vietnamese  had learned war tactics and adapted themselves to fight their much larger enemies--Chinese and Mongol dynasties, France, and the US.  Vietnam long history has revealed some patterns of war tactics that the Vietnamese had deployed against their enemies--avoid  being caught alive, trick enemies and ambush, and preemptive strikes.  These tactics had been used for generations from the common era through the Vietnam War Era. In around 40-43 AD, Queen Trung Nu Vuong led revolt against Han Dynasty rule but failed,then she committed suicide. In 225 AD, Lady Trieu Thi Trinh led another revolt but failed again, then she committed suicide by throwing herself into the river rather than being caught alive.  And in 1841, General Truong Minh Giang committed suicide by poisoning himself when his military campaign failed in Cambodia.

Another common tactic is to lure the mighty enemies into their disadvantageous positions and counterattack or ambush them. Emperor Le Dai Hanh facing his mighty enemies-- the Song dynasty's troops--he tricked the advanced Song troops into a dead valley and ambushed them, killing their commander and defeating them in 981.  In 1284-88, the Tran dynasty facing imminent invasion from Mongol army, under Mongke Khan and Kublai Khan, the Tran army avoided the open field battle with the Mongol army, but they had lured the enemies into their disadvantageous positions: swampland and tropical forests and counterattacked them in guerrila tactics to defeat them.  Such a style of warfare was well practiced during the Vietnam War from 1964-75 against the US troops and their allies.  Most American troops were killed by ambushes and explosive traps more than open field battle.

What is a CNRP's new strategy?

Peaceful rally at Freedom Park

By ខែ្មរវឌ្ឍនកម្ម:
Since the brutal crackdown by Hun Sen's regime on garment worker protest that caused at least five deaths, scored a number of severe injured protesters, and violently dispersed the peaceful protesters from Freedom Park, the opposition seemed a bit in disarray.  Since then, the CNRP has lost chance to organize any big rally and protest against the adamant regime.  Hun Sen, who is covertly bolstered by Hanoi, has raised his chutzpah to smash all kinds of protester--garment workers, CNRP supporters, Mom Sonando's supporters, and even civil society organizations--on his free will.  Now he even brazenly organized and hired his supporters to threat and disrupt all peaceful NCRP's rallies while he has been holding a position as the prime minister of the country.  There is no sign that Hun Sen is willing to make any concession or compromise with the opposition but to entrench himself for another five- year term.  In such a harsh political condition, what should the opposition do?

Hun Sen security forces beat up peaceful monks

The incident at Veng Sreng Road has cost the opposition a big political and physical blow, for an uncontrolled situation and unorganized protests had completely pushed the CNRP and its supporters into Hun Sen's political trap.  Road blocking and violent confrontation with security forces just gave Hun Sen enough ground to unleash his brutal response.  The opposition grossly miscalculated the situation and did not well coordinate with all union representatives.  It inspired them to rise up and demand for better wage, but it did not provide them the guideline how to execute the plan successfully.  The CNRP should meet with all union presidents discussing the plan what they should do and what not to.  Those young enthusiastic youths needed a clear rule and objective that the CNRP supporters had been taught repeatedly.
As the aftermath, everything and momentum that the CNRP had been built over five months were extirpated in less than 24 hours.  Hun Sen had used Veng Sreng incident as pretext to ban all kinds of protest, fearing of national and social security deterioration.  Then, even peaceful demonstrations were violently dispersed by Hun Sen's security and his mercenary forces.  In rural areas, Hun Sen even hired and organized his supporters to threat and disrupt most CNRP's rallies.  The whole situation seemed fall into the post-bloody coup 1997 when opposition leaders were summoned to court and some activists were threatened and went on hideout.