LES 6
COMMANDEMENTS |
camboDIATRIBE
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THE 6
COMMANDMENTS |
La Population Exaspérée S'en Prend À Wild
Aid
(2004-Oct-20)
Koh Kong : L'ONG
Wild Aid saisit du bois destiné à la pagode Thmâ Baing,
la charrette à buffles qui le transporte et la scie mécanique.
La population réplique par une embuscade qui dépouille l'organisation
d'une voiture et de deux motocyclettes. Les engins sont enchaînés
dans la pagode. Après l'intervention des autorités, les villageois
proposent d'échanger les véhicules contre la charrette, acceptent
la destruction de la scie mais exigent que Wild Aid assure les rénovations
de la pagode et de l'école communale!
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Y Chhean completely ruined (2004-Oct-16)
Samngatki : Former Khmer Rouge, now
CPP-affiliated, Pailin Governor Y Chhean is completely ruined, having
lost all his fortune because of continuous gambling at the Thai-run casinos
along the border with Thailand.
A strange clause in the National Assembly construction contract
K.I. : The $27-million
contract for the construction of the National Assembly's new premises was
controversially granted to Ly Chhuong Construction and Import-Export Co.
Ltd on 10 January 2003. Article 41 of the contract says: "[The
construction company] must proclaim that it has not given nor promised
to give money or any other benefits to any government officials or any
bidders in order to obtain the [present] contract." The real
cost of the construction is estimated at $13 million.
Unfair selection of next king breeds republicans (2004-Oct-13)
Virak Pruhm : The Constitution says that the new king must be
selected 7 days from the death of the current king, but it doesn't say
anything about "within how many days" we have to select the new king if
the current monarch retires or gives up his crown and yet is still alive
and well. Why all the rush to select a new king? Such a flaw is
an open door to many things including a huge door or possibility for Cambodia
to become a republic. One of the ex-king's explanations for his reasons
to retire on October 7, 2004 was that he was worried and didn't want Cambodia
to become a republic. He felt that there were so many republican elements
in a certain party. The former king's concern was and is legitimate because
it was and it is true. On one hand, Funcinpec
--the so-called royalist party-- are full of republican opportunists who
ride along the success of Funcinpec and hide behind prince Ranariddh and
a few other royal elements. On the other hand, the Cambodian
People's Party is a communist party that has never truly believed
in monarchical regime. Ex-king Sihanouk
knew that very well. As for the Sam Rainsy Party (a party which almost
always follows the former king's Reach Domress), many people believe
that this party is not a royalist party and its members never formally
claim that it is a royalist party. With the current fighting between Sam
Rainsy and Ranariddh, and without ex-king Sihanouk sitting as
monarch, it is hard to believe that Sam Rainsy and his followers love monarchy.
Without the ex-king, Rainsy may run out of Reach
Damress to follow.
The new king of Cambodia must be selected fairly and in accordance with
Cambodia's Constitution. The handpicked new king empowered by the ex-monarch
will be viewed as unconstitutional because the Constitution
says that "the king shall not have the power to
appoint a heir to the throne". Everyone knows that ex-king Sihanouk
has been using his own royal influence to crown his own son to be the next
king. The Royal Council of the Throne
has not done its job in a fair fashion either. It has only considered a
candidate who was chosen by the ex-king and has not sought any other capable
princes in other royal-background families like the Ang Duongs and the
Sisowaths to be nominated so that the Throne Council can also consider
these princes to be the next king. Such a process is written in the Constitution
which states, "The king of Cambodia shall be a member of the royal family,
of at least 30 years of age, descending from the blood line of king Ang
Duong, king Norodom or king Sisowath".
Worst of all, Mr Heng Samrin has formally
declared that the 5 CPP-members of the Throne Council will support prince
Sihamoni as the candidate for next king. Such an announcement, coupled
with the ex-monarch's proposal, was an unfair practice that intimidates
the rest of the members not to search for other able princes to come forward.
Article 9 of the new law suggests that the selection of the king must be
done by "secret votes". What kind of "secret votes" will
that be? Mr Heng Samrin is already declaring his "secret".
With such an unmerited practice by the royal family members (mainly ex-king
Sihanouk) and the Throne Council, the people of Cambodia will not truly
respect the next king, prince Sihamoni, and undoubtedly the republicans
will be everywhere to welcome such a king. By then, the ex-monarch Sihanouk
will not be there to worry about the republicans anymore. What all Cambodians
should worry about is the future of Cambodia and not the future of certain
individuals or certain dynasties. If Cambodia becomes a republic
by the choice of the Cambodian people, then let it be.
PEN Nearovi, Montréal, Québec, Canada
(nearovi@sympatico.ca)
