Pseng-Pseng
Distinction
Awards 2014
The year 2014 opens with a tragedy – the Veng Sreng murder,
and closes with another tragedy – Roka HIV spread. And in between there are
plenty of tragedies for those who have no connection to high places.
Still, a few manage to earn Pseng-Pseng annual accolades.
Here are the winners and their category.
*Bravery Award: Hun
Sen’s Mercenaries
“They weren’t afraid of the protesters throwing stones, they
were only angry at them. I saw them shooting only to kill. It was like watching
children play with fireworks.
Ouk
Mara, 17, student wounded on her way home from school, 8 January 2014, The
Cambodia Daily
“I was standing just outside my doorway watching everything when
I was shot and I have no idea where the bullets came from. The military police
were running around shooting indiscriminately, they had become so angry after
the people started throwing stones at them.”
Heath
Rady, 20, wounded female worker from the Canadia Industrial Park, 8 January
2014, The Cambodia Daily
“They didn’t shoot to threaten us, they shot to kill us.”
So
Nar, 27, wounded while standing on the third floor of a residential building on
Veng Sreng Street, 8 January 2014, The Cambodia Daily
Hun Sen launches the year with gun fires by ordering his
military police to shoot to kill, murdering five, and seriously injuring at
least 42. They open fire to disperse protestors along Veng Sreng Street in Por
Senchey district. They have guts to shoot those who have no idea they would
walk into a gunfight with a few stones.
The district’s name literally means “Blessing with So Much
Victory” – very aptly for the murderers, not the victims. Or an anagram of the
name is the victory blessing for [Hun] Sen, marking his historic achievement in
the district.
*The Best Property
Agent Award: Hun Sen
“Prime
Minister Hun Sen rejects all of the plans that have been designed. When I ask
him why, his answer is simple: ‘To sell the land’.”
Retired architect and urban planner Vann Molyvann, 31
December 2013, Next City
“But at the moment they don’t
have this vision, they don’t have clear planning for the city. So many
developers come to Cambodia and they do what they want. There are many
buildings built in different styles, which ruins the image of the city.”
CocochiCam Designs CEO Toshishige Kawauchi, 19 December
2014, The Phnom Penh Post
Nothing can stand between the man and his piles of cash.
Concrete jungles worth a few billion bucks are shooting up like mushrooms in
the dark – without urban planning and regard for construction and building
safety, and health regulations. They say plans and regulations are coming.
Meanwhile, lakes are filled, land subdivided, and sold like
hot cakes. There have already been floods, death, and injuries associated with
putting the cart before the horse.
Agent Hun Sen’s thinking is clear and simple – making money
first and fast. And GDP huggers celebrate as these activities are added to the
GDP growth.
*The Great Supreme Hypocrite
Award: Tep Vong
“I … ask the relevant
establishments, the National Assembly, the Senate, the government and all
political parties, to please create procedures to make the ordained monks and
novice monks stay neutral…[and] avoid participating in activities that support
or oppose any political party and participating in elections.”
Tep Vong, The Great Supreme Patriarch, 18 December4 2014,
The Cambodia Daily
“អង្គអនុសំវច្ឆរមហាសន្និបាតមន្ត្រីសង្ឍទូទាំងប្រទេសលើកទី ២០
បានសម្រេចគាំទ្រយ៉ាងពេញទំហឹងនូវបេក្ខភាពសម្តេចអគ្គមហាសេនាបតីតេជោ ហ៊ុនសែន ជានាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី
សម្រាប់អាណត្តិខាងមុខ និងអាណត្តិក្រោយៗទៀត ...”
សង្ឃប្រកាស លេខ១០៤/១១
ស.ន.ក.ជ ចុះថ្ងៃទី២១ ខែធ្នូ ឆ្នាំ ២០១១
The clergy has enough hypocritical sense to propose a
suspension of monks’ right to vote after feeling monks ignore his call for an
eternal support for Hun Sen premiership.
To follow through his latest logic, he may move next to ban
police, armed forces, and public servants to ensure their political apathy.
*The Turning Point
Award: Sam Rainsy & Kem Sokha
“So we now have this role of the opposition being
recognized and the minority leader, who will be the dialogue partner of the
prime minister. I and Mr. Hun Sen would speak as near equals on issues of
national interest.”
CNRP
president Sam Rainsy, 29 November 2014, The Cambodia Daily
What Sam Rainsy sees as the turning point delivers his
deputy to CPP’s Heng Samrin as the latter’s new deputy in the National
Assembly, and let himself play second fiddle to Hun Sen as honorific and
symbolic prime minister. He can now speak with the premier on “near equal”
footing.
This “near equal” is not enough for CNRP director of
information Meach Sovannara and other party members who are thrown in jail due
to what CNRP claims as a political motive. An equal footing may just set them
free. Nevertheless, the jailing of these low grade followers may not an issue
of national interest.
*The Colourful
Language Award: Hun Sen and Tep Vong
"...ទេ
ចុះមកឆ្កួតជាមួយនឹងអាត្មាម៉េច អាឆ្កួត មកឲ្យធ្វើអំពាវនាវម៉េច កុំមកនាំអញឆ្កួត អញមិនឆ្កួតទេវើយ
អញប្រាប់មិញហើយថា ច្បាប់ជារឿងរបស់ខ្លួនឯងទេ កុំនាំអញឆ្កួត អញមិនឆ្កួតជាមួយពួកអាជំគួតអស់ហ្នឹងទេ។"
The Great Supreme Patriarch Tep Vong, 17 December 2013,
VOD Hot News
“Don’t come to beg from them
[the government]. They have no rice for you. They only have dog shit for you.”
The Great Supreme Patriarch Tep Vong, 18 December 2013,
The Cambodia Daily
«ឥឡូវគេដោះហើយតើ
ដូច្នេះហើយបានជាចៅហ្វាយខេត្តរត់ទាំងយប់។ អីក៏ភ្លើម្ល៉េះ! តែអានេះភ្លើខូច។
កុំព្រហើនពេកណា អាក្មេងព្រហើន!។លោកឯងនិយាយយកចំណេញ។
អាងឡើងអាងចង់ទម្លាក់នាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី។ មើលោកឯងសាកមើល!
បើក្បាលប៉ានដែក សុំអញ្ជើញ! ខ្ញុំប្រើភាសាថា លោកអ្នក
ថ្លៃថ្នូរជំនួសពាក្យថា អាល្ងង់។ អានេះអាងមានវីអូអេ វិទ្យុអាស៊ីសេរី។
(តែ)អញមានទូរទស្សន៍វ៉ី ។»
សម្តេចអគ្គមហាសេនាបតីតេជោ
នាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី ហ៊ុន សែន ២១សីហា ២០១៤ វីអូអេ
Even with their glorified title, their language could still
make them sound like they are dust of life. There is no diamond in the rough.
The best thing is that their audience is immune to the
vulgarity. Other high-profile politicians adopt the language, but fail to make
it as colourful.
Anyway, have a
great 2015; all the winners will.
Ung Bun Ang
30xii14
