Sam Rainsy: សារ របស់ខ្ញុំ ជូន ប្រជារាស្ត្រខ្មែរ ផ្សាយចេញ ថ្ងៃនេះ បកប្រែ ជាភាសា អង់គ្លេស | English translation of my message to Khmer people

 

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[ជាលាយលក្ខណ៍ អក្សរ ខ្មែ]

២៧ សីហា ២០១៧ / 27 August 2017

សារ របស់ខ្ញុំ ជូន ប្រជារាស្ត្រខ្មែរ ផ្សាយចេញ ថ្ងៃនេះ បកប្រែ ជាភាសា អង់គ្លេស។

ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF MY TODAY'S MESSAGE TO THE KHMER PEOPLE

Fellow Cambodians,

Over the last few weeks, the political situation in Cambodia has deteriorated to a point not seen since the Paris Accords of 1991.

The government is in the process of breaking the Paris Accords, Cambodia’s constitution, and international treaties and conventions on human, civil and political rights signed by Cambodia. What has happened in recent weeks amounts to a constitutional coup d’état.

Only a façade of democracy remains. The political culture of those currently running our country rests on a falsification of the notions of democracy, the rule of law and of development. Our “democracy” is a fiction, empty of substance, behind which an authoritarian power oppresses the people. The current “rule of law” is a parody in which arbitrary laws concocted by a small group violate all the democratic principles of the constitution. The “development” of which the government boasts consists of land confiscation, the destruction of natural resources, of corruption turned into a system of government. It simply worsens the suffering of an indebted population forced, in their hundreds of thousands, to leave the country in order to survive.

Even the biographies of our current leaders are fake. They are arranged to mask their crimes and to allow them to cling on to power, using Cambodia like a piece of private property. That’s why the authorities prevent the history of Cambodia over the last 70 years from being taught at school or debated in public.

There is nothing for Cambodians to hope for from the current government, which endlessly damages the interests of our country, and serves only foreign, family and clan interests. The current rulers know that they are more and more unpopular as the Cambodian people is starting to know the real nature of the regime.

The government’s promises made as the 2018 elections approach make people laugh. Why have the good deeds contained in these promises not already been achieved during 40 years of power? Why wait until just before the elections -- which are likely to bring about the end of the regime -- to make promises which they have neither the will nor the capacity to realise?

The current rulers know, as we do, that they are going to lose the elections because they have lost the confidence of the people, who are demanding change. Their fear of losing power in 2018 causes them to become more and more dictatorial. The country’s intellectuals are assassinated, they are closing and preparing to close Khmer and foreign radio stations and newspapers who dare to tell the truth. They expel international organizations engaged in peaceful and legal activity to promote democracy in Cambodia.

I remain convinced that dictators, no matter how authoritarian and oppressive, will be overcome by the popular will. As a free Khmer citizen, I will continue to fight by all legal and peaceful means to restore freedom and justice for our people. My struggle is to return full independence and sovereignty to our martyred country of Cambodia.

I appeal to all our compatriots to keep intact the flame of hope and cherish our country in their hearts, to continue the struggle for liberty and justice, guarantees of national survival.

Those whose names are not yet on the electoral lists should go to register to vote in July 2018. They can do so between September 1 and November 9, 2017.

I ask those of you who are listening to me who understand the current political situation to explain our struggle to those who have not yet understood.

Finally, I appeal to Khmer citizens from all walks of life, including the civil servants who serve the country and the soldiers who defend it, to unite in the name of nation, freedom and justice, in order to save our country, while there is still time.

Long Live Cambodia!

Sam Rainsy

Paris, August 27, 2017

សម រង្ស៊ី / Sam Rainsy
www.facebook.com/rainsy.sam