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.