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  Pseng-Pseng

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The Royal Laughing Academy of Cambodia

 

«​បើ​យើង​មិនបាន​ទទួលយក​មតិ​ពី​មហាជន​ទេ គឺអាច​មានមតិ​ប្រតិកម្ម គេ​ថា យើង​អ្នក​បំផ្លាញ​ភាសា មិន​ខាន​ទេ​​។ … កាលណា​ពាក្យ​ខ្មែរ​ចេញទៅ​មិន​ស្រួល គឺមាន​ទំនាស់​គ្នា​។»

អនុប្រធាន​ក្រុមប្រឹក្សាជាតិ​ភាសា​ខ្មែរ នៃ​រាជបណ្ឌិត្យ​សភា​កម្ពុជា សន ពៅ ១៦ ធ្នូ ២០២១ កាសែតភ្នំពេញប៉ុស្តិ៍

Welcome to a Royal Laughing Academy of Cambodia. It is a successful deformation within a decade of The Royal Academy of Cambodia (RAC), which is revived in 1999 to be the top national institute for academic research of all kinds of value to the country.

 The latest comical episode is when one of RAC units, National Council of Khmer Language, appeals for public inputs into spelling and pronunciation of foreign words Cambodians have borrowed. They say the appeal is to seek “unity” in adapting those foreign words into Khmer and in usage.

This experts appeal is very amateurish, however. First, they are so melodramatic. They say they are confident that without public inputs they will be accused of destroying the Khmer language. Second, they warn that without a consensus, there will be conflicts. San Peou of the Council points to a lingering dispute since the 60’s in Khmer language between followers of linguistic giant Samdech Venerable Choun Nat and those devotees of linguistics professor Keng Van Sak. The former group favours traditional way of protecting and developing Khmer language with Pali and Sanskrit as bases. The latter advocates for a modernisation and simplification of the language. For instance, Keng Van Sak would explain with humour that the traditional spelling of អាចម៍ represents an Indian excrement, not Khmer’s; the Khmer one would be a simple អាច់.

How could the RAC be so wrapped up with this “consensus” mentality? There are always different ideas in developing anything; after all, language is an art that will evolve with time, place, and people. The issue is how skilful linguistic experts are in framing new words and convincing users to follow and respect their language authority.

Still, this consensus mentality is consistent with what Hun Sen has enriched. There has been a consensus in all the government branches: legislative, executives, judicial. Not only are they flooded with members of a single party, but they are also dictated by a single person.

Sadly, the RAC has veered from a technical institution to a full-blown political mouthpiece for the autocrat. They sing chorus and praises to whatever Hun Sen cares to dish out. They must be fearful that the slightest critical view would damage Hun Sen’s consensus bandwagon or trigger revolutions.

The RAC, as a research and academic institution, is a complete wreck. For instance, they issue glorified honorifics and PhD graduates, which go like hot cakes, until Hun Sen sees some sense and puts an abrupt stop to it. They claim in October to have published a contemporary Khmer dictionary Volume 1. But no bookstores have ever seen, let alone stocked, it. Even the National Library of Cambodia, which is mandated to archive all published materials in the country, has yet to set eyes on it. Perhaps, they are withholding the publication because they have just realised, they must wait for a consensus for the sake of unity that has eluded them in this work.

Indeed, the RAC is a laughing academy, if not in ruins.

Ung Bun Ang

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Alternative Comments You Can Smile On

Lee Kuan Yew once warns after his retirement that he will keep his watchful eyes on Singapore like a hawk, even after his death. He says he will rise from the grave and kick those who have mismanaged the country.

It is worth pondering what would Prince Sihanouk do if he saw what his son did to his Funcinpec party he had founded and led to the 1993 election victory. Would he kick his son or himself?

However, it might be some consolation for the Prince in some way. It is rather flattering that there are still devoted members who hold the party in utmost value as they are now scrambling among themselves fighting for a piece of the party wreckages even after his son’s death. They must be antique collectors who could spot values for the next century.

The sad thing is that the CPP court, where the Funcinpec devotees have brought their contestation to, could not care less. It tells them to nick off, and they dutifully agree.

 

“ការសម្រេច​លើកចោល​មិន​ចាត់ការ​របស់​សាលាដំបូង​រាជ​​ធានី​ភ្នំពេញ​លើ​បុគ្គល​ទាំង ៤ ​រូបនោះ គឺអាច​ទទួលយកបាន និង​ត្រឹមត្រូវ​ស្របតាម​ច្បាប់​។ ចំពោះ​ការបន្ត​ប្តឹងទៅ​ក្រសួងមហាផ្ទៃ​ទៀត វា​ជា​សិទ្ធិ​របស់​អ្នក​ទាំង ​៤ ​រូបនោះ ប៉ុន្តែការ​សម្រេច​យ៉ាងណា វា​អាស្រ័យ​លើ​ក្រសួងមហាផ្ទៃ​។”

អ្នកនាំពាក្យ​គណបក្ស​ហ្វុ​ន​ស៊ិនប៉ិច ញឿ​ន រ៉ា​ដែន ២០ ខែ ធ្នូ ឆ្នាំ ២០២១ កាសែតភ្នំពេញប៉ុស្តិ៍

 

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Pseng-Pseng is published irregularly. Previous issues are archived at pseng-pseng.blogspot.com