Week 557

Wednesday, 23.4.2008: Samdech Dekchor Wants to Stop the Use of Royal Language in the Top National Institutions

The Mirror, Vol. 12, No. 557

  • Samdech Hun Sen Asks Samdech Euv and Samdech Mae to Advise a Son
  • Reaction of Mr. Mut Chantha…
  • “Samdech Akkak Moha Senapadei Dekchor Hun Sen said on 22 April 2008 that he wants to stop the use of royal language in the top national institutions in order to provide justice to all dignitaries in the use of the language for communication.

    “Samdech Prime Minister said during the inauguration ceremony of the library at Queen Kossomak High School in Kratie, ‘I also want to have the words “Preah Angk Mchas [“prince” or “princess” not used in the National Assembly, the Senate and the Royal Government, and also not “Toul Bangkum Chea Khnhom [“I” used in communication with members of the royal family], because the use of special royal language in the parliament makes its members already to be not equal.’ Samdech stated that we protect the monarchy, but those who enter politics should not have a different immunity from other people who also entered politics.

    “Samdech Prime Minister said with democracy in Cambodia, the politicians, when entering politics, cannot rely on themselves as the prince or princesses can…it should not be necessary to think whether you are a prince or princess.

    “Samdech Dekchor Hun Sen is a dignitary who brought back the constitutional monarchy in 1993 – after Field Marshal Mr. Lon Nol had dissolved it through the military coup in 1970 – and he always declares to protect the monarchy by claiming that the monarchy is for all Cambodian citizens, and it does not belong specifically more to some and not to others.

    “Samdech Dekchor said that some princes are respectable without entering politics, but some princes who enter politics must have the same rights as other politicians; when a prince hits us once, we must hit back twice to knock them down in order that they will never dare to do it again. Samdech said he used to give orders to princes who were members of the Royal Government, because they have to obey the Prime Minister’s orders.

    “While not mentioning the name, Samdech Dekchor Hun Sen called the accusation by Prince Norodom Ranariddh, who said that he cannot return to the country because of Samdech Hun Sen, an absolutely wrong accusation, and Samdech also called on Samdech Euv [the former King, the ‘Father King’] and on the King, to advise Prince Norodom Ranariddh.

    “Samdech Prime Minister said that the King and Preah Karuna – the father and a brother [of Prince Ranariddh] – to ‘help advise the son.’ This is not Hun Sen’s problem, but it is a problem of Prince Ranariddh himself [the latter is probably a direct quote – but not marked as such – from the Prime Minister’s speech].

    “Norodom Ranariddh Party president Prince Norodom Ranariddh was sentenced by the Municipal Court in absentia to 18 months imprisonment, and he was fined in addition to pay US$150,000, accused of a break of confidence in the case of selling the Funcinpec headquarters in Phnom Penh, when he was the president of Funcinpec.

    “According to some sources, Prince Norodom Ranariddh said during the Khmer New Year, that Samdech Hun Sen had set three conditions for his return to the motherland – first, to write an apology to Samdech Hun Sen, second, to stop entering politics, and third, to return not to be the president of Funcinpec.

    “Samdech Dekchor stated, ‘If you are disturbed, please be disturbed alone and don’t make others to be disturbed with you… if it is Hun Sen’s problem, Hun Sen will solve it, and if it is not, don’t put blame on Hun Sen… don’t lift a stone and drop it on Hun Sen’s feet… I would like to say that this dropped stone missed Hun Sen’ feet, and it hit the feet of the one who dropped it; such a strategy is always defeated – it never wins.’

    “Samdech Prime Minister said that Samdech Euv and Samdech Mae [the former Queen] should tell Prince Norodom Ranariddh not to bother Samdech Prime Minister, so that Samdech Prime Minister has time to deal with economic issues, and with national security… and in case [Prince Ranariddh] needs anything in the future, he can depend on Samdech Prime Minister for it.

    “Separately, the Norodom Ranariddh Party spokesperson Mr. Mut Chantha told Kampuchea Thmey that what Samdech Krom Preah had said is all true and cannot be denied.

    “Mr. Mut Chantha also accused Samdech Prime Minister Hun Sen that he is the person who ordered Mr. Nhek Bun Chhay to plan to overthrow Samdech Krom Preah [as president of Funcinpec], and then he ordered the court to try Samdech Krom Preah ahead of the [commune] elections. He went on to say that the preparation of formula for Krom Preah first to enter the country through the Funcinpec entrance, but to stop entering politics, is also Samdech Hun Sen’s plan. A witness who knows the plan is a senior official.” Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.7, #1622, 23.4.2008

    Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:
    Wednesday, 23 April 2008


    Chuoy Khmer, Vol.2, #85, 23.4.2008

    • Drug Trafficker Shot Dead One Policeman and Wounded Four Others, Astonishing Phnom Penh Residents [on 22 April 2008 – Daun Penh district]


    Deum Ampil, Vol.3, #65, 27-29.4.2008

    • Cambodian People’s Party Declares to Create a Government Alone if Funcinpec Will Not Get Any Seat


    Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.7, #1622, 23.4.2008

    • Samdech Dekchor Wants to Stop the Use of Royal Language in Top National Institutions
    • Mr. Sar Kheng: Fake Medicines Threaten Human Lives
    • French Cultural Center Shows Films in Provinces in Order to Publicize [French] Culture
    • Taxi Drivers Complain that There Are Too Many Illegal Checkpoints on National Road 62 [from Kompong Thom to Preah Vihear]
    • [French President] Mr. Sarkozy Tries to Calm Down China’s Anger at Demonstration against the Olympic Torch [the president has sent a senior diplomat to China, and an emotional letter to a Chinese disabled athlete who resisted a demonstrator in Paris who tried to take away the torch from her]
    • Nepalese King [Gyanendra] Will Not Go Abroad into Exile [after the success of the former Maoist rebels in elections]


    Khmer Sthapana, Vol.1, #13, 23-25.4.2008

    • Royal Government of Cambodia Welcomes the US for the Cancellation of Debts to Cambodia [with the condition of improving the human rights situation – Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith said that the Royal government welcomes that the USA have decided to cancel the debts made by the Lon Nol regime]


    Koh Santepheap, Vol.41, #6326, 23.4.2008

    • A German Man Prevented His Wife from Leaving the House, Tortured Her, and Broke Her Hands [he is arrested – Cheung Prey, Kompong Cham]; Not All Khmer Women, Married to a Foreign Man, Are Happy
      Karaoke Woman Raped by Eight Men [who escaped – 19-20 April 2008 – Sesan, Stung Treng]


    Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.16, #4570, 23.4.2008

    • Sam Rainsy May Face Being Jailed over [Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hor Namhong’s] Lawsuit against False Information
    • Reconciliation of Democrats: Human Rights Party OKs, Norodom Ranariddh Party Says Human Rights Party’s Act Is a Play
    • Chinese Ambassador Chats with Cambodian Journalists
    • There Are Two Kinds of Riel 50,000 Notes; Some [companies] Reject the Ones without the Year of Printing – [it is said that the Riel 50,000 notes without the year of printing are not fake; they were printed in Switzerland and the year of printing was forgotten]
    • [20-year-old] Man Killed His Father Who Was [allegedly] an Ill Will Sorcerer [on 20 April 2008 – he is arrested – Rolea B’ier, Kompong Chhnang]

    Have a look at last week’s editorial: How irrational emotions may be a block to see reality and its challenges

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