Food for Thought

Ignorant or Wrong-Headed Action I am not a supporter of any political party in Cambodia. But I have noticed recently in a violent protest against first vice president of the Cambodian National Assembly, Mr. Kem Sokha, which resulted in two representatives being beaten savagely by protesters, that those protesters did not understand what they were doing. If we looked closely at the words the protesters displayed on their banners, they said that Mr. Kem Sokha was a "Devious" (ក្រឡិចក្រឡុច), "Poisonous" (ពិសពុល), and "Provocative" (ញុះញង់) person who is not worthy of holding National Assembly's First Vice President position. Let's look at the definition of each word. Devious: Not keeping promise or untrustworthy. Poisonous: toxic, noxious, nasty. Provocative: challenging, stimulating, offensive. By nature, all politicians are using these three (3) words described above as strategy to garner supports and votes to win political offices, regardless of who they are. Even Communist dictators are using this strategy, too, to keep the flame of class struggle alive. If Cambodia needs to get rid of every Devious, Poisonous, and Provocative politician, then the whole country would certainly be deprived of politicians. This might not be bad after all, given the fact that politician's squabbling have been the sole source of Cambodian calamity and suffering over the past half century and beyond.

Food for Thought

Delineate or Dissolve: The Stupidity That Lands a Senator in Jail Border demarcation between Cambodia and Vietnam has been a contentious issue among Cambodian politicians and political activists. The rancor has recently landed a senator in jail for posting a "fake" document relating to the 1979 border treaty between Cambodia and Vietnam on Facebook. Actually, the "fake" document appears to be just for one fake word: "Dissolve" which was put in place of the word: "Delineate". After many efforts by media savvy people, it now appears that this "fake document or word" has been tracked down to the doorstep of the France-based Cambodian Border Committee, which was led by a Mr. Sean Pengse. If this is where the word "dissolve" was translated from either Khmer or French for what its original meaning or actual writing was "delineate", the people who are responsible for translating it, should seriously need to have their credibility checked. Whether it was intentional or unintentional, the word "delineate" and "dissolve" are not the same or similar in any shape or form. In all seriousness, this Cambodian Border Committee probably needs to be "dissolved" for failing to make a correct translation of the word "delineate." I am saying this "tongue in cheek", of course.