Pseng-Pseng
30iii15
Michelle Obama
Gets on Hun Sen’s Nerve
“And
foundation for those values [equality, inclusiveness, fairness, and openness]
is actually the focus of all your work here in Cambodia, and that’s education.
When girls get educated, when they learn to read and write and think, that
gives them the tools to speak up and to talk about injustice and demand equal
treatment. It helps them participate in the political life of their country and
hold their leaders accountable, call for change when their need and aspirations
aren’t met. I’ve seen this process first hand back home in America. You
probably watch what we go through, right? It’s not always easy for a government
to meet the needs of its people. My husband certainly gets his share of criticism
and disagreement, but we wouldn’t have it any other way – not in America,
because voices and opinions of our people of our country, both men and women,
from every background, from every walk of life, that’s what makes America
strong and vibrant.”
US first lady Michelle Obama, 21 March 2015, Whitehouse
Website
“I
cannot afford to live on a teacher’s wage. If I did not also work as a moto
driver, my family would not survive; there would not be enough money for us to
eat.”
Kampong Chhnang High School math teacher Doung
Socheattra, 6 October 2014, The Phnom Penh Post
“The
content of these two laws [National Election Committee and Elections] has been
critically and fully discussed, so the National Assembly today does not need to
raise this or that point for debating anymore, as the working groups have done
the in-depth work. So today is just a day for congratulations that the result
[of last year’s political deal] is coming into shape [through] the two proposed
laws.”
National Assembly minority leader Sam Rainsy, 20 March
2015, The Cambodia Daily
If Michelle Obama were
Cambodian, she could be arrested, charged, and thrown in jail for making the
above statement, which Hun Sen would say leads to a revolution. She utters the
words that are fundamentally powerful, and do not bode well with any nervous autocrat
protected by armed forces and tycoons.
She promotes education for
some certain values – equality, inclusiveness, fairness, and openness – all of
which Hun Sen has ignored, if not despised. To make up for the lack of quality
education, there has been in the last two decades an abundance of lip-services
for the sector he says is one of his top priorities. Teachers who are the most
important pillar of any decent education system are on starving wages, and must
rely on other jobs to make ends meet. Almost three quarters of investors say Cambodian university graduates fail
to meet their needs; 65% of them think vocational training graduates do not
match their skill requirements. And Hun Sen expects the hundreds of
thousands of workers whom he sends to labour abroad to bring home what he calls
“technological knowhow”.
Michelle Obama encourages
political participation, which contradicts Hun Sen’s mantra of leaving politics
to the leaders. She asks Cambodians to get themselves educated, to speak up,
and to hold their leaders accountable, when their needs and aspiration are not
met. Hun Sen, on the other hand, stimulates a laissez-faire system where
everyone is on their own. They must find their own connections to materialise
their wants and greed.
Those voices and opinions from
all quarters that Michelle Obama says make America strong and vibrant may annoy
Hun Sen and his personal interest groups, and make them nervous. They could do
without a strong and vibrant Cambodia. They have their brand of peace and
stability, for which their top Hitler’s disciple is prepared to shoot dead
those they say trouble makers; and their court is ready to lock them up.
The leaders treat their
herds, particularly members of the legislatures, like children; they are only
to be seen, not heard. All attending legislators raise their hand in unison to
pass the two controversial laws as soon as they are read out. Their leaders
tell them it is time to pat each other’s back for the job well-done, not
debating. And they would hit the roof if the Constitutional Council or the King
raised any question. Anyhow, it is uncertain how many intelligent souls are
cowed into silence, or how many are as content as lap dogs.
Therefore, it is unlikely
that the Cambodian leaders could appreciate the US first lady’s visit to Siem
Reap, let alone the values she advocates. As she is not Cambodian, Hun Sen
could do little beyond whining about some misunderstanding that requires someone
to foot university scholarships of $1,500 per year for each of the ten high school
students Michelle Obama selects for her “Let Girls Learn” program in Cambodia.
She would not have it in
any other way, but the Cambodian leaders would.
Ung Bun Ang
30iii15
Parthian Shot
Besides the slang the CPP
premier uses to vent his annoyance that the US is not paying for the ten
scholarships, it is not clear from the following quote who is paying for them –
Hun Sen, his wife, or the State? Then again, they may be the three musketeers
who are “all for one and one for all”.
Anyhow, what is the big
deal? The four year scholarships for the ten cost only $60,000, which is
unlikely to send any of them broke. The premier and his wife are loaded; the
State is reported to collect more tax revenue; and the economy is expected to
do better than 7% p.a. for this year and the next. Or, is it just another screw-up
of their top priority?
“សុំផ្តាំទៅលោកជំទាវមីស្សែលអូបាម៉ាផង
ជំទាវប៊ុនរានីហ៊ុនសែនដោះស្រាយហើយ។ អញ្ចឹង គាត់ បានមកត្រឹមរើសមនុស្ស ដល់បោះមកឲ្យក្រសួងអប់រំដដែល
អញ្ចឹងមានរឿងអី? អត់ទេ យុទ្ធនាការ គាត់ល្អ ប៉ុន្តែខ្ញុំសុំឲ្យមតិ សុំឲ្យអាមេរិកជួយចប់ចុងចប់ដើម កុំលេងអាធុនហ្នឹង
ងាប់ហើយ។ អញ្ចឹង ដើរបំផើមចោល នែ អារឿងដើរបំផើមចោល អាហ្នឹងមិនស្រួលទេណា។ ស្រាប់តែលេងគាត់ដើរ
រើសទៅ លេង៣០០នាក់ វាមិនងាប់ហើយ ខ្ញុំមានលុយឯណាឲ្យ?។ ខ្ញុំសុំទទួលមួយវគ្គហ្នឹងទៅ ហើយធើការជាមួយអាភីសគ័រ
[Peace Corps] អី យូអេសអេអាយឌី [USAID]។ សុំឲ្យគាត់ថា បើគាត់រើស កុំលេងរបៀបហ្នឹង អាលេងរបៀបហ្នឹង
ខ្ញុំទើបតែរកឃើញ ប្រហែលជាលោកជំទាវ បារ៉ាក់អូបាម៉ា ក្តាប់មិនជាប់ផងទេណា។ ធ្វើសារទៅឲ្យទូតអាមេរិក
មើលអាហ្នឹងមែនទែន យូអេសអេអាយឌី កុំលេងធុនអាហ្នឹងណា។”
នាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី ហ៊ុនសែន ថ្ងៃទី២៥
មិនា ២០១៥ វិទ្យុអាស៊ីសេរី
Should you wish to receive Pseng-Pseng on your screen as soon as
it is released, subscribe to it at https://tinyletter.com/pseng-pseng
Pseng-Pseng is published on the tenth, twentieth, and thirtieth
day of every month. Previous issues are archived at pseng-pseng.blogspot.com
Screw Hun Sen!!!
ReplyDeleteKal