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Pseng-Pseng

10v15

The Tale of the Fish, the Ants, and the Impunity

“​ ឥឡូវខ្ញុំកំពុងនៅធ្វើជានាយករដ្ឋមន្ដ្រី ទំាងអស់គ្នានៅជាមួយបាន។​  ប៉ុន្ដែ ស្រាប់តែ ដល់ពេលណា មួយ  ស្រាប់តែឯកឧត្ដមសមរង្ស៊ីធ្វើនាយករដ្ឋមន្ដ្រីម្ដង ឧទាហរណ៍ណា + (សើចទាំងអស់គ្នា) ស្រាប់ ដល់ពេលហ្នឹងឯកឧត្ដមអត់ឲ្យខ្ញុំរស់នៅ ស្រាប់ទៅធ្វើបាបខ្ញុំ ដល់ធ្វើបាបខ្ញុំ ការកម្លំាងវ៉ៃបក ត្រឡប់មកវិញ គឺធើឲ្យឯកឧត្ដមនៅមិនសុខដែរ។”

នាយករដ្ឋមន្ដ្រីហ៊ុនសែន  ថ្ងៃទី​២៦ មេសា​ ២០១៥  វិទ្យុបារាំងអន្តរជាតិ

“គឺយើងមិនមែនជាសត្វត្រី​  យើងមិនមែនជាសត្វស្រមោច យើងជា មនុស្ស  យើងជាខ្មែរដូចគ្នា។ “

ប្រធាន​គណបក្ស​សង្គ្រោះ​ជាតិ សមរង្ស៊ី ថ្ងៃទី​២៦ មេសា​ ២០១៥  វិទ្យុអាស៊ីសេរី

“អ្នកដែលដឹកនាំប្រទេសជំនួសអ្នកដែល ចាកចេញពីដំណែងក៏មិនត្រូវទៅរករឿង មិនត្រូវទៅ សងសឹក ហើយទៅគុំគួនអ្នកដែលគេកាន់ អំណាចពីមុនៗទេ។”

ប្រធាន​គណបក្ស​សង្គ្រោះ​ជាតិ សមរង្ស៊ី ថ្ងៃទី​២៦ មេសា​ ២០១៥  វិទ្យុអាស៊ីសេរី

“អ្វី​ដែល​ខ្ញុំ​កត់​សម្គាល់   និទ្ទណ្ឌភាព​នៅ​កម្ពុជា  ជាពិសេស​ក្នុង​បរិបទ​នៃ​ការ​ដឹក​នាំ​របស់​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​យើង​បច្ចុប្បន្ន  គឺ​មាន​ការ​កើន​ឡើង​ខ្លាំង​មែន​ទែន។ ដូច្នេះ ខ្ញុំ​មក​សិក្សា​បន្ថែម​នេះ គឺ​ដើម្បី​ជា​ចំណេះ​ដឹង​មួយ​សម្រាប់​ផ្សព្វផ្សាយ​បន្ត  ហើយ​ចូលរួម​លុប​បំបាត់​និទ្ទណ្ឌភាព​នៅ​កម្ពុជា នា​ពេល​ខាង​មុខ។”

យុវជន អៀប អូន ថ្ងៃទី​ ​ ​ ៣ ខែ​ឧសភា ឆ្នាំ​២០១៥ វិទ្យុអាស៊ីសេរី

“If they [children of the rich and powerful allegedly committing crimes] have not been arrested, they need to be arrested. There is no need to report on whose son it is or which tycoon’s child. Do not mention it. They are equal in society and the law… This makes people comfortable.”

National Police Commissioner Neth Savoeun, 6 May 2015, The Cambodia Daily

The 8 May 2015 joint declaration by the party in government and the one out of government renounces a Cambodian proverb on retribution: “During a high tide, fish eats ants, when water recedes the ants eat the fish.” Both parties pledge there will be no retribution to prove the proverb wrong.

It sounds very reasonable – nobody could ever win in the cycle of retributions. As Mahatma Gandhi says, “An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind”. There is no need for all to be blind.

However, for decades the tide has remained high and the fish has been eating ants: land grabbing, deforestation, farm evictions, starving wages, etc… The issue is how much longer the fish will continue to enjoy the ants. Will the well-touted culture of dialogue stop the fish’s appetite there and then? Not likely. There is a high probability the ants would remain victims for some time even if the fish wanted to stop because the weak are an easy target.

According to premier Hun Sen, minority leader Sam Rainsy has offered him a law that would guarantee amnesty from prosecution for previous leaders after they step down from office, though Sam Rainsy says it is the premier who asks for it. Anyhow, Hun Sen says he rejects it.

It seems there are a number of possible reasons for the rejection. First, the premier may think his fish has not been eating the ants. He often claims he is not well-informed, and often pleads ignorance. Sam Rainsy has now offered to report accurately to him what is going on, which may help.

Second, the premier can ensure the tide will never recede with the help of his top generals – one of them self-proclaims to be a Hitler’s disciple – who are ready to shoot unarmed civilians. He warns they will rise up with arms against those who bother him after he leaves office.

Third, he may encourage his fish to eat the ants faster so that if the water must recede, then there will be no ants to revenge. It may not be too obvious to him that when the water recedes the fish will die, even without the ants, and reveal their true nature – being rotten.

Anyhow, while Hun Sen takes out insurance policies to ensure a continuous high tide, Sam Rainsy commits himself to impunity for all, arguing Cambodians are human, not fish or ants.

Hence, whether Hun Sen is in or out of power, impunity will continue to shine. At national leadership level, the impunity encourages non-accountability, giving leaders a free reign to do whatever with a veneer of national interests without any concern for repercussions. No wonder many kill to remain leaders.

On the ground level, the likes of General Neth Savoeun and student Iep Oun will continue to be frustrated that criminals get away with their crime, and victims remain victims without recourse. And the culture of dialogue, as it is configured, will unlikely give them any relief.

Ung Bun Ang

10v15

Parthian Shot

So, according to the National Assembly Committee 1 chairman Eng Chhai Eang, the good intention of environment minister Say Sam Al to solve a land grabbing problem in Koh Kong is not enough.

It seems the high officials Eng Chhai Eang refers to behind the land conflict are as powerful as, if not more than, the minister’s father Say Chhum who Hun Sen says will be the next president of the Senate.

“រឿងហ្នឹង ខ្ញុំឃើញឯកឧត្ដមរដ្ឋមន្ដ្រី ​( សាយ​ សំអាល់)  ហ្នឹង លោកមានសុឆន្ទ: ក្នុងការដោះស្រាយ។  ប៉ុន្ដែមានបញ្ហាស្មុគ្រស្មាញខ្លះដែលធ្វើឲ្យឯកឧត្ដមរដ្ឋមន្ដ្រីពិបាកធ្វើការ  គឺដោយសារមានមន្ដ្រីជាន់ ខ្ពស់ផ្សេងៗទៀត មានការលូកដៃលូកជើងនៅទីនោះ ដែល ធ្វើឲ្យឯកឧត្ដមរដ្ឋមន្ដ្រីដែលលោកមាន ឆន្ទ:ដោះស្រាយ ហ្នឹង ជួបការលំបាក។”

​ប្រធាន​គណៈ​កម្មការ​ទី១ រដ្ឋសភា អេង​ឆៃអ៊ាង ថ្ងៃទី​ ៥ឧសភា​ ២០១៥ ​វិទ្យុបារាំងអន្ដរជាតិ

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Pseng-Pseng is published on the tenth, twentieth, and thirtieth day of every month. Previous issues are archived at pseng-pseng.blogspot.com