មួយថ្ងៃ មួយម៉ាត់

បំណីនជីវិតៈ ថ្មីៗនេះខ្ញុំបានឃើញពត៌មានផ្សាយអំពីសៀវភៅ បំណិនជីវិត ដែលក្រសួងអប់រំខ្មែរសហការជាមួយសហរដ្ឋអាមេរិក ដាក់ ឲ្យប្រើនៅក្នុងកម្មវិធីអប់រំនៅកម្ពុជា ។ ដោយហេតុតែខ្ញុំមិនសូវចេះភាសា ខ្មែរជ្រៅជ្រះ ខ្ញុំក៏ស្វែងរកពាក្យអង់គ្លេសមកប្រៀបធៀប ដើម្បីយល់អត្ថន័យ នៃពាក្យខ្មែរឲ្យបានច្បាស់លាស់បន្តិច ។ ពាក្យ បំណិនជីវិត ប្រហែលជាគេ បកប្រែចេញពីភាសាអង់គ្លេស (Life Skill) ។ បើយើងយកពាក្យ អង់គ្លេសមកបកប្រែដាច់ពីគ្នា គឺមានពាក្យ (Life ជីវិត) និងពាក្យ (Skill ជំនាញ) ។ ដូច្នេះ ហេតុអ្វីក៏គេមិនដាក់ចំណងជើងឲ្យសៀវភៅ នោះថា៖ ជំនាញជីវិត វិញ ព្រោះវាត្រឹមត្រូវតាមពាក្យអង់គ្លេស ហើយមាន ចុងជួនល្អនៅក្នុងពាក្យខ្មែរទៀតផង ៕

មួយថ្ងៃ មួយម៉ាត់

មិនមានភាពចាស់ទុំ (ផ្នែកនយោបាយ)៖ ពាក្យនេះ ប្រហែល ជាគេបកប្រែចេញពីពាក្យអង់គ្លេស (Immature) ដែលមានន័យថា ក្មេងខ្ចី ។ បើយើងសង្កេតមើលពាក្យនេះនៅក្នុងភាសាអង់គ្លេស គេច្រើន ប្រើសំដៅទៅលើកត្តាអសមត្ថភាពរបស់បុគ្គលណាដែលមិនអាចអនុវត្តិ ឬក៏ធ្វើកិច្ចការអ្វីមួយឲ្យបានល្អត្រឹមត្រូវ ។ ការយកពាក្យ មិនមានភាព ចាស់ទុំ មកប្រើនៅក្នុងប្រធានបទនយោបាយនៅទីនេះ គឺហាក់ដូចជា ឆ្គងបន្តិចហើយ ព្រោះថា ពាក្យចាស់ទុំ គឺសំដៅទៅលើអាយុកាល​ឬ ថេរវេលា ។ ឯសមត្ថភាពរបស់អ្នកនយោបាយគឺមិនទាក់ទងទៅនឹងអាយុ កាល ឬក៏ថេរវេលានោះទេ ។ ដូច្នេះ នៅពេល​ដែលយើងយកពាក្យ (Immature)​មកប្រើនៅក្នុងប្រធានបទនយោបាយ យើងគួរនិយាយថា ខ្វះសមត្ថភាពវិញ ត្រឹមត្រូវជាង។ បើមិនចង់វែងឆ្ងាយ យើងយកពាក្យ ក្មេងខ្ចី ឬនៅខ្ចី មកប្រើក៏មិនទាស់ខុសអ្វីដែរ ៕

Food for Thought

Democracy Park OR Dictatorship Park? There is a well known Cambodian saying that goes: "Chhkae kontuy kvean, kir nov tae kvean", which means that "A dog with curling tail, could not straighten its tail." To put it in non-figurative language, this saying generally refers to people who are unable or unwilling to forgo a bad habit. The same could be said about tyranical government. By now, it has been well known that Cambodian government has transformed itself from Communism to Democracy. But, has it really done that? The answer would be: Yes, it has done that on paper, but NOT in practice. The image of plain clothes thugs hired by the Cambodian authority to chase away people who were staging demonstration in democracy park is a painful reminder that a dog with curling tail could not straighten its tail for long. The only way to keep it from curling back up is to cut it off.

Food for Thought

Plain Cloth Police, OR Plain Cloth Terrorists?? The court house is a symbol of law and order. Hence, it should have uniformed security guards to maintain order. The use of plain cloth security guards wearing motocycle helmets (which is equivalant to wearing face masks) by the Cambodian authority to maintain order in front of the court house really makes a mockery of the institution. In general, only those who intended to commit crimes or terrorism wear face masks to hide their identities. Law enforcement officers should not hide their faces if they were to represent the law. Otherwise, they would be no difference than criminal terrorists. By definition, law enforcement officers are to protect the public. They must not fear the public. To the contrary, the image of these plain cloth security guards wearing motocycle helmets to hide their faces clearly show that they are afraid of the public to which they are sworn to protect. With such coward public security officers (punt intended) to protect them, the Cambodian people will definitely be living in fear for the rest of their lives. Frankly speaking, these plain cloth security guards wearing motocycle helmets look more like terrorists than law enforcement officers. If the purpose of the Cambodian authority is to terrorize its citizen, then it has done the job well.

Food for Thought

The Human Rights Abusers The actions of Cambodian authority over the past few weeks should make a number of foreign embassies in Phnom Penh, especially those which advocate the practice of democracy and respect for human rights, stir if not violently jump to action. But their silence and indifferent attitude toward the blatant abuses of human rights in Cambodia in recent days certainly make the situation go from bad to worst. This is a clear case for condemnation to be issued by foreign embassies which advocate the respect for human rights. But their collective silence makes the situation even more troublesome. Politics aside, the problem of human rights abuse is not so much that there are too many human rights abusers on this planet, but it is rather too many people, who could forcefully speak against human rights violation, choose to remain silence. Enough tirade against this indifferent attitude. Let's look at the crux of the issues surrounding the abuses of human rights in Cambodia. By now, everyone knows that the Cambodian authority has used a deadly forces to put down domonstration over wage issues by garment factories workers. The result was 5 people died and more than 30 injured. On top of that, 23 people were arrested and imprisoned in a remote place called Tropeang Plong located near the border of Vietnam. Based on reports from news organization and human rights advocate groups which gained access to visit with the prisoners, the arrestees were treated worse than prisoners of war. The injured arrestees were not treated while they were in custody, which was a violation of every human right-related covenant Cambodia is a party to. On top of it, the Cambodian authority appears intentionally mistreated the arrestees by physically and mentally isolating them from their relatives and the society at large. Very often, one would hear the Cambodian government claim of applying the laws faithfully to maintain public security and social order. Those who break the laws must be punished according to the laws. On this matter, every Cambodian should ask this simple question: Is there any law in the constitution or any other law books existed in Cambodia that allows imprisonment of arrestees hundred of miles outside of the jurisdiction in which they were arrested? If the answer is NONE, then, the Cambodian government, namely the people, who created and run it, have clearly broken the law. Shouldn't they be punished for breaking the law?

Food for Thought

The Human Right Defender Recently, a lot of blood has been spilled on the outskirt of Phnom Penh when Cambodian authority opened fired on garment factories demonstrators. Based on news reports, 5 people have been killed and more than 30 are injured. This is a clear case of human right violation. But what is even more bothersome is that our prominent human right defender, namely, the esteem director of the Cambodian Center for Human Right, Mr. Ou Vireak, did not immediately voice any concern. If I may, let me ask you a question, Mr. OU: Are you in some way incapacitated or too shocked over the bloodshed that you could not find strength to comdemn the Cambodian authority over the use of forces to commit this horrendous crime? One may recall that Mr. Ou Vireak bitterly fought tooth and nail against the use of the word "Youn" by Khmer as a reference to the people of Vietnamese origin lest it incites discrimination or violent attitude toward Youn. Comparing the use of word that could lead to discrimination or incite violence and the use of fire arms to commit violence, one does not need to be a human right defender to see the real human right abuses. If human right defender in Cambodia the like of Mr. Ou Vireak could not differentiate this minor point, Cambodian human right improvement will have a very long way to go. Let's remind each other again that human right, like justice, is color blind and free of racial biases. As a principle, human right does not discriminate against or kowtow to anyone. So, stop being a hypocrite and do what you proclaim to be doing.