Le Forum Khmer-Network » News/Actualités » Politiques » [SJF] L'esprit de Munich (de Sisowath Thomico)


		Not logged in [Login - Register]

Printable Version | Send to Friend | Subscribe | Add to Favorites

« Prev. thread | Next thread »

24/10/2006 @ 19:10

[SJF] L'esprit de Munich (de Sisowath Thomico)

Vorasith

Moderator

Posts 1863

Registered 25/04/2003

Location Genève

The Munich Spirit

1938 was a dramatic year for western European countries : first, the “Anschluss” , the annexation of Austria by Hitler in March, then the menace against Czechoslovaquia at the Nazi Party Congress in September. In order to avoid the war to burst out, British Neville Chamberlain, French Edouard Daladier met Hitler and Mussolini in Munich on September 30, 1938. The deal was to sacrifice Czechoslovaquia to preserve peace for France and England. Commenting this so-called “Last Chance Conference” Winston Churchill said : “They accepted dishonour to have peace. They will have dishonour and war”.

The situation in Cambodia is not that different. The historical analysis of all the events that have been taking place in the Kingdom over the last few years clearly shows a relentless willingness to destroy every single symbol of whatever does not point to the current regime, and, subsequently, all the obstacles to a power that does not accept neither contradictions nor critics.

The first of those symbols is the Sangkum Reastr Niyum because it can be referred to as an unbearable success story. All of the Sangkum Reastr Niyum constructions have either been neglected, sold or destroyed one after the other. The Olympic Stadium is completely walled in by buildings and its campus invaded by markets and squatters, the Preah Suramarit National Theater “accidentally” took fire, the Royal University of Fine Arts was sold and demolished, the Council of Minister and the National Defense Ministry buildings have been “swapped” and just stand waiting to be bulldozed. Those are but a few examples. Hundreds of less known buildings bore the same fate such as schools, health centers and even innocent statues.

The second target of the regime is democracy. To begin with, since January 2003, all the protests that are not initiated by the government or government/CPP controlled are not allowed, in complete violation of the principles of the 1993 Constitution which embodies the United Nations Charter and the Human Rights Conventions.

Not only peaceful protests are no more allowed or severely repressed, but little by little, the freedom of speech has been muzzled by the use of repressive laws and/or threats. The last example of which is the recent defamation lawsuit filed against a human rights activist. But the most blatant violations of all the international human rights conventions were the arrests of human rights and democracy activits in October 2005. Last but not least, the coming 2007 local elections process is more and more becoming an awful farce.

The last symbol to be knocked down is undoubtedly the monarchy. In May 2005, a Royal Palace piece of land was “swapped” to the Phanimex company. This sale has to be interpreted as a direct threat against retired king Sihanouk, who, at that time, presided over the Supreme Council on Borders Affairs and took issue with the government over border delimitation with neighbouring countries and more precisely with Vietnam.

But this was not the first blow. In October 2004, Prime Minister Hun Sen hinted that the Republic could be proclaimed if the Throne Council was not established within seven days after the abdication of then-King Sihanouk. It meant that it was up to the regime to establish or not the Throne Council. Once again, in October 2005, the Prime Minister threatened to abolish the Monarchy should King Sihamoni refuse to sign the Royal Decree about the “Additional Convention” inked with Vietnam. The last occurrence of the increasing threat against monarchy is the planned law denying to the members of the Royal Family the right to be involved in politics in full violation of article 31 of the 1993 Constitution that stipulates that “every Khmer citizens shall be equal before the law”.

All those events, when they are put together like a giant puzzle pieces, clearly point to a steady, coherent and consistent strategy aimed at eradicating any resistance to the establishment of an absolute power. They also display the constant, step by step retreat of the democracy and human rights activists, of democratic and royalist parties and of the international community who prefer to give up intangible principles for the sake of artificial peace and stability that do not really exist. The spirit of Munich led to the Second World War. What will it lead to in Cambodia ?

Sisowath Thomico

#29161

« Prev. thread | Next thread »

Le Forum Khmer-Network » News/Actualités » Politiques » [SJF] L'esprit de Munich (de Sisowath Thomico)