Questions require Answers

News of Cambodia N 0816-F

INFORMATION AND QUESTIONS REQUIRE ANSWERS

Khemara Jati
Montreal, Quebec
February 28th, 2008

I/. Information.

How Hanoi vietnameses Laos

In Laos, since already three years, the children have to learn the vietnamese language as second language at the elementary schools. Then the education of the vietnamese will be strengthened in the secondary classes. Finally the vietnamese language will become the vehicle language in universities in Laos like in Vietnam. Then the responsible and the Laotian intellectuals until the lowest level will use the vietnamese language to communicate among themselves verbally as well as in writing. Finally the Laotian language will not be more spoken than by the people and will eventually disappear for lack of written support as what was supposed to be for the language of Cham.

In Thailand, the language of our sisters and brothers would be eventually extinguished if there is no education at least primary and secondary into Cambodian as in Cambodia. It is the same case for our sisters and brothers of the Kampuchea Krom. Cambodia is the only place where we have the possibility, even reduced, to develop our language and also to rewrite our history which gathers us and makes us proud of our ancestors and also our elder brothers.

No any major power should rather develop our language and rewrite our history with the aim of uniting us to defend our nation against the encroachments of our neighbors. And also to help our sisters, brothers and fellow countrymen in Thailand and in Kampuchea Krom to protect and preserve their ancestral culture. Because the material and religious culture without the support of the paper (writing) is a culture in process of disappearance. It is what the colonial regime began to proceed it in Kampuchea Krom. Louis Malleret very well described it in 1946. It is what Hanoi is doing it in Laos. It is what Huê made it for Champa. Our sisters and brothers of Thailand and Kampuchea Krom know it by experience and make us understand about it.

In sub-Saharan of Africa, the education uses foreign languages since primary classes even in South Africa and in Namibia. In these last two countries, the industrialization development and the whole fortunes remain always in the hands of the Whites, with only some rare Blacks. Major power help to fight against the diseases as the AIDS and the Malaria, and against the famine by supplying foodstuffs, but the great majority of the Africans always continue to live in the darkness of ignorance, the disease, the misery and often in fratricide wars. Nevertheless Africa conceals immense wealth in any kind: petroleum, natural gas, uranium, gold, platinum, diamond, copper etc. which make the wealth of the developed countries and the big multinational companies. On the other hand Africa possesses men of very great values as General Secretaries of the UN, Unesco, members of the French Academy, the engineers who make robots sent on the March planet etc. The father of the Senator Barack Obama, is a Nigerian recently emigrated in the United States. At the moment Kenya is living in bloody conflicts. Barack Obama fights to become the democratic candidate in the Presidency of the United States. If his father did not emigrate in the United States, Obama would be among those who killed each other in Kenya. So Africa can produce remarkable personalities, but regrettably too small number impossible to find some high-level work in their native country. This is because the African universities use European languages. The best elements do not find any work in their knowledge in foreign languages and do not find any work corresponding to their levels. They are thus obliged to emigrate towards the developed countries. They are very welcome with open arms. The most intelligent and the brightest African whether he is can never become Einstein in his country.

Is not Cambodia, with the university education in foreign languages, becoming an underdeveloped country as African countries? With a future its absorption by Vietnam in the Eastern and by Thailand on the Western? Already, our natural resources are not already served for enriching mainly countries and foreign citizens, in particular Vietnam and Thailand? More there is a human invasion from Vietnam. One day the Eastern part of Cambodia will not become a Vietnamese province actually?

II/. Questions require answers

A/. About Preah Vihear.

Preah Vihear is recognized by the International Court of the Hague as belonging to Cambodia. Fighting so that Thailand respects this decision is very well. All the Cambodians agree with that. But:

1/. Why still there is no tourist exploitation of Preah Vihear of the Cambodian side?

2/. Why still there are no any roads in good condition for easy access to Preah Vihear from Phnom Penh ? Nor the other good road from Angkor to Preah Vihear?

3/. Why abandoning exclusively to only Thai the monopoly of exploiting the tourist wealth of this prestigious monument builds unquestionably possible by our ancestors?

4/. Why the road from Sisophon to Siem Reap city remains always in very bad condition?

5/. What is the important to build the railway from Poipet to Sisophon and the construction of the road from Poipet to Anlong Veng?

6/. Why the roads towards our borders are generally still in very bad condition? Is it enough to defending the land and maritime integrity of our country by only the diplomacy field?

B/. About the renovation of our railroad line Battambang - Phnom Penh - Sihanoukville.

This railroad line is supposed to be a part of the line which will join Singapore to Kumming in China:

1/. Why there is still no map showing where represent the project of this railroad line?

2/. What represents, in this project, the railway Poipet-Sisophon?

3/. Is the gauge the same everywhere since Kumming to Singapore?

4/. The gauge of the railway renewed in Cambodia, does it answer this standard?

5/. Why, once renewed, our railway can run only at most 50 km per hour? In this XXIth century? Is it the maximal speed from China to Singapore will also be 50 km / hour?

6/. The name of the company mandated to renew our railroad line is mentioned. But where the material like rails, cars and locomotives come from? Is it new material or it is the old one abandoning somewhere else, not to say the scrap in an Asean country? And sold out at a high price to Cambodia? Would it explain the maximal speed of 50 km / hour of this new train?

C/. Problem of the energy

We know now that we are soon going to have important incomes with the exploitation of our petroleum and our natural gas.

1/. Before 1970, there was an oil refinery in Cambodia for imported petroleum treatment. Now that we have some petroleum, why still there is no project of an oil refinery construction? Why not to take advantage of it for not to be dependent of the gazoline from Vietnam imported through the monopoly of the Vietnamese company Sokimex and sold out of 50 % more expensive than in Vietnam? Why allowing Vietnam to make enormous profits on the back of our people?

2/. Why still there are no projects of power plants constructions using our gas and/or our petroleum?

3/. Why allowing Thailand to come and build on our land a very big power plant fed with the coal which is so polluting. Why the construction of this kind of power plant is forbidden in Thailand but allow officially in Cambodia?

4/. Why the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank help us to build high-tension lines to feed our eastern provinces the electricity from Vietnam and our western provinces with the thai electricity? Why oblige us to abdicate our independence in electrical energy while we have the possibility of doing without it?

5/. Why allowing Vietnam to come and build on our land two hydroelectric dams and then selling the electricity to Cambodia at the price fixed by Hanoi?

6/. Cambodia can be independent in energy in any kind, in particular in electrical way. Why obliging our country to remain eternally dependent on our neighbors in energy and in particular in electrical energy? Can Cambodia be independent in the decisions by being dependent on our two neighbors in energy, more particularly in oil and electrical energy?

D/. About our tourist industry

The complex of monuments built by our ancestors is known now all over the world and appreciated by its magnificence, its originality and its artistic beauty. The Angkor region is the biggest historic concentration of monuments in Asia and in the world as well. Certainly monuments in India and in China are very important and interesting in all the points of view. But they are scattered in immense countries. The growing influx of the tourists makes our pride and contributes to a certain extent for us to unite each other.

1/. Why the two million guests a year, who spend more than two billions of US dollars a year leave the inhabitants of the province of Siemreap still in the ignorance, the disease and the misery? Certain organizations say that only less than 10 % of these two billions of US go into the pockets of the only inhabitants of the city of Siem Reap. Most than 90 % fills the pockets of the foreigners of which the Vietnamese Sokimex company. Why?

2/. Why there is no another Cambodian airline company takes advantage of this extraordinary tourist development?

3/. The city of Siem Reap develops in a vertiginous speed, as well as in Phnom Penh and at Sihanoukville. What is the percentage of the Cambodian companies participates in these constructions? What is the percentage of the architects, the engineers and the Cambodian technicians in any kind? What nationalities are the architects, the engineers and the foreign technicians who participate in these constructions?

4/. There are now numerous archaeological excavations in Cambodia. Is there participation and training of a big number of Cambodian archaeologists? Why in Cambodia, the archaeological excavations always remain monopolized by foreigners? The confrontation of the results of the archaeology excavations and the papers is extremely important for our history. It began only since the 1960s with Bernard Philippe Groslier. The results of B. P. Groslier researches are highly appreciated by George Coedes and Paul Mus. Now the new excavations results come to confirm the theses made by B. P. Groslier. Although these results come to clarify and to refine these theses. Are there Cambodian historians able and capable of making the synthesis of our history or we leave always the foreigners to monopoly of writing it?

E/. Problem of the education

1/. In when a project to develop the education into Cambodian language in all the universities?

2/. Why the rate of illiteracy elimination in Cambodia does exceed only hardly not even 50 %? While in Thailand and while in Vietnam this rate exceeds the 90 %? Does not the future of a country depend on the number of the high-level intellectuals who work in factories and research laboratories in own country?

3/. Vietnam says that it is going to build schools in our provinces of the Northeast. What language will be taught in these schools? Or like in nearby Laos? The Cambodian with the Vietnamese?

4/. The Vietnamese Hoc Lundy built a university at Svay Rieng city. This university uses what language?

F/. Problem of the media

1/. We have the foreigner witnesses concerning the very bad condition of the road from Sisophon to Siem Reap city. It took them more than four hours for 100 km and they qualify this road as « dancing road ». Why does this road always stay in very bad condition? Is it the ransom of the dependence of the city of Siem Reap from thai electricity?

2/. Why still there is no any report on the road of Kompong Thom city to Preah Vihear? Why does this road always remains in very bad condition? Is it also another ransom of the dependence of the city of Siem Reap from thai electricity?

3/. Why, still there are no reports on our cities and villages about our eastern borders and the roads leading to over there? Is it also another ransom of the dependence of the Eastern part of our country from Vietnamese electricity?

III /. Conclusion

Defending the independence and the territorial and maritime integrity only by the political and the diplomatic fields is it sufficient? Why neglecting the development of the education, the economy and the infrastructure purposes, first of all the communications by ways of the ground, water and maritime? All the responsible for the developed countries of the world know that the future is based on the number and the quality of the high-level intellectuals and the laboratory researches which are on the base of any development and economic independence.

Is it the influence of the Cambodia histories written by foreigners? Indeed with the only exception of Bernard Philippe Groslier, all these foreign historians write our history only on the “political” history only. They put aside the economic problems and the relations of Cambodia with the outside world, in particular from the Portuguese arrival in Malacca in 1511 following by the other Europeans in this area.

We shall detail more on the fundamental points of the Cambodia history another time, now confirmed partially by new archaeological excavations at Angkor Borey, Angkor and even in Sisophon region.

In sum, the language and the history are both the fundamental bases of our national union. No any major power should rather help us to develop them.

Note : Cet article est aussi disponible en français sur demande.

The Respect of Human Rights of the First Nations

News From Cambodia N° 0815-E

THE RESPECT OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF THE FIRST NATIONS AT THE U.N.

Khemara Jati
Montreal, Quebec
February 20, 2008

We diffuse below an article on the problem of the respect for the Human Rights of the First Nation peoples. We wish that our fellow countrymen of Kampuchea Krom ask to be a part of Representatives of these Autochtonous peoples as First Nation of the Delta of Mekong. It is also necessary to notice that the name of this river is Cambodian Mé = river, Kong is an ethnic group who was a part of the Khmer empire.

Then we publish another article concerning the public declaration for forgiveness of the Australian Prime Minister for the First Nation peoples of Australia for the misdeeds practised against her for centuries. This broadcast ceremony shows the Australian Prime Minister asking for forgiveness, in knees, in front of representatives of the First Native peoples of Australia.

The ancestors of the Cambodians du Kampuchea Krom indeed were indeed the First Native peoples of this region. They have brought to the earth the first known civilization. The proof? Thanks to the indications provided by the Cambodians living in this region, Louis Malleret discovered the site of Oc Eo. Malleret wishes that in Kampuchea Krom, people must keep the Cambodian names of origin. Because these names give indications which leading onto possible historic sites.

In when similar ceremonies on behalf of the representatives of France and of Vietnam celebrates in front of the Representatives of the Cambodians of Kampuchea Krom?

Annexes :

The First Nations determined to implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

VANCOUVER , Feb. 19, 2008 /CNW Telbec/ - Today, the leaders of the First Nations meet in Vancouver on the occasion of a two-day symposium during which they will consult representatives of the United Nations to see how the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of First Nations can be implemented at Canada. The National Chief of the AFN Phil Fontaine said that the First Nations are determined to implement this declaration of the United Nations.

“We look forward to hearing international experts tell us how we can move forward with the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on Canada”, said National Chief Phil Fontaine. "We believe that the international community agrees on this point, that the United Nations Declaration will benefit First Nations of Canada and the world by setting minimum standards regarding to survival dignity and well-being of all peoples.”

“The United Nations Declaration is a valuable tool that can be used to create opportunities to renew and improve relations between the peoples and states of North America and the world,” said Grand Chief Edward John, Council who is a member of the political executive of the First Nations Summit and a member of the First Nations Leadership Council. “Forums and discussions of this kind can enable First Nations Canada of this valuable tool for the benefit of our people. They also allow us to decide how we can continue to put pressure on the Canada to follow the example of Australia and abandon its colonial policies towards a full implementation of the United Nations Declaration.”

The First Nations about using of mechanisms of Protection of Human Rights of the United Nations in order to promote the Declaration. Members of this group are:
- Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, President, United Nations Permanent Forum on the issues autochtones; - Connie Taracena, Minister Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Guatemala to the United Nations;
- Claire Charters, Senior conférence, Victoria University of Wellington ;
- Tonya Gonella Frichner, Representative for North America, Nations Permanent Forum; and
- Les Malezer, spokesman, National Aboriginal Alliance ofNational Aboriginal Alliance of Australia.

Only Canada, New Zealand, the United States and Australia were opposed to the adoption of the Declaration of the United Nations last fall. The Canada objected to the declaration after participating for over twenty years in its drafting. Since then, all opposition parties, Canada urge the federal government to support the Declaration. In the meantime, support for the Declaration was part of the electoral promises of the Labour Party of Australia, which formed the new government in the country.
The two-day symposium is open to all media. The agenda can be found on the website www.afn.ca.
The Assembly of First Nations is the national organization representing First Nations citizens in Canada.

February 20, 2008
Legal experts question Canada’s arguments against the UN Declaration

(Vancouver, BC) Today, on the second day of the symposium Implementing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples a panel of international law experts will discuss Canada’s stance on the UN Declaration. “The Declaration and Canadian Law” panel begins at 9:15 a.m.
The panel will critique the federal government’s recent campaigns against the UN Declaration, in Canada and abroad, including arguments that: the Declaration does not address individual rights, threatens the rights of non-native citizens, and is inconsistent with Canada’s constitution. The panel is also expected to comment on how Canada’s actions regarding the Declaration have impacted its international reputation and relationships.

“We believe that Canadians are fair-minded people who care deeply about human rights and that they do not want their government to pick and choose when they will apply and respect human rights. Canada has made a commitment to uphold the highest human rights standards in international and domestic law. We remind Canadians that it is not too late for the federal government to reverse its opposition to the UN Declaration, as Australia has promised to do,” said National Chief Phil Fontaine. “We expect the legal panel will agree with other legal advisors and international experts by reaffirming that the UN Declaration is consistent with the rights guaranteed under section 35 of Canada’s constitution and all other domestic laws and international human rights laws."

Canada was actively involved in the drafting of the UN Declaration for 20 years, but in 2006, after the election of a new government, it suddenly changed its position and began actively opposing the historic document. The government’s opposition included a media campaign against the Declaration, lobbying other states to oppose the Declaration, and demanding amendments to provisions that Canada had previously helped draft.

“This week's symposium should be a signal to Canada that the adoption of the UN Declaration was not an ending but a new beginning. This gathering is an example of the work underway by indigenous peoples to ensure that the UN Declaration is recognized and implemented as the minimum standards for the survival, dignity and well being of the Indigenous peoples of the world”, said Grand Chief Edward John of the First Nations Summit and First Nations Leadership Council. “Canada's opposition to the UN Declaration has proven to be nothing less than an international disgrace. In fact, Amnesty International recently commented that Canada's position as a global human rights champion may be slipping due to its opposition to the human rights of Indigenous peoples. It is time for Canada to recognize its error and prove its concern for human rights by supporting the UN Declaration.”

The Declaration was adopted by the United Nations in September, 2007 despite opposition from Canada. Since then all opposition parties in Canada have urged the federal government to change its position and support the Declaration. The symposium Implementing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is a chance for First Nations leaders to learn how they can move ahead on implementing the Declaration in Canada.

The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples addresses both individual and collective rights, cultural rights and identity, rights to education, health, employment, language, and others. It outlaws discrimination against Indigenous peoples and promotes their full participation in all matters that concern them. It also ensures their right to remain distinct and to pursue their own visions of economic, social and cultural development.

The two-day event is open to all media. The full agenda is available online at: www.afn.ca. Today AFN National Chief Phil Fontaine and Grand Chief Edward John of the First Nations Summit and First Nations Leadership Council will be available to media at 12:30 p.m..
Media contacts:
Karyn Pugliese, AFN Communications: 613-292-1877, kpugliese@afn.ca
Colin Braker, Communications Director, First Nations Summit, cell: 604.328.4094, e-mail: CBraker@fns.bc.ca


February 12, 2008

AFN National Chief Congratulates Australia's Indigenous Peoples on Government Apology to its Stolen Generations

Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Phil Fontaine today expressed overwhelming joy to the Indigenous peoples of Australia and congratulated Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd for issuing an apology for the "Stolen Generations" as the first order of business by the new government.

“This apology is monumental for our Indigenous brothers and sisters in Australia, and throughout the world on righting a great wrong,” stated AFN National Chief Phil Fontaine. “First Nations in Canada applaud the Australian government for its demonstrated leadership on issuing this long awaited and profound apology. The forced removal of children from their parents was the most egregious of human rights violations imaginable, causing enormous harms.”

Indigenous people in Canada and Australia were victims of the same racist assimilation policies, practiced in similar ways, causing similar harms. For years, Aborigine children in Australia were forcibly removed from their homes by the government and placed in schools. Thousands were physically and sexually abused and many were never returned to their families or communities.
To acknowledge First Nations' solidarity with the Stolen Generations and the new government's apology, National Chief Fontaine appointed Grand Chief Edward John, a prominent First Nations leader and residential school survivor to be present in the Australian Parliament to witness Prime Minister Rudd's apology.

“It is obvious that Canada and Australia can and should work together on Indigenous issues, and learn from each other,” said the National Chief.

The Assembly of First Nations played a key and central role in concluding the recent Settlement Agreement on behalf of 80,000 survivors of Indian residential schools. Under the settlement, the Canadian government provided a $1.9 billion compensation fund for the 'common experience' of those who attended Indian residential schools. A further $5 billion will go towards compensation for individual abuses through an individual assessment process. There is also $125 million directed towards the Aboriginal Healing Foundation and the establishment of a 5 year Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to bring to light the full story of the residential schools.

“We expect the government of Canada to give a full and sincere apology at an early date,” said National Chief Fontaine. “We submitted a draft apology to the federal government in May of 2005 and we are still waiting to be consulted. We fully expect that this will happen soon so that we can move on with the healing and reconciliation that has been denied our people far too long.” The National Chief noted that the new Australian government plans to support the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

“I am optimistic that the Canadian Government will, like the Australian Government, see the error of its ways and reverse its position on the UN Declaration,” the National Chief added.
As part of the effort to inform First Nations leadership and others about the implementation of the Declaration, the Assembly of First Nations and the First Nations Leadership Council of British Columbia are co-hosting a symposium in North Vancouver on February 19-20, 2008 at the Chief Joe Mathias Centre. This historic symposium will include presentations from recognized experts in Canada and around the globe, including Grand Chief Edward John and Alberta Regional Chief Wilton Littlechild who have dedicated many years of their professional careers to working on and advocating for the Declaration.

Editorial (in Google News translated unofficially by Khemara Jati)
Saturday, February 16, 2008

Aborigines are Australia's honour

Through the long stopover in Australia, here a long time, I glimpsed those who are called Aborigines. I was shocked by the way they were treated. The aborigines are the inhabitants of this isolated continent where Europeans came to settle here more than two centuries.

The natives of this country wondered who were these intruders. The Europeans have quickly removed, deported them. They began to exploit the land, the undergrounds and they do not care if they land used by the indigenous tribes. These lands were robed, confiscated, occupied. The Aborigines were then regarded as intruders from colonization, of modernity. They were pushed ever further.

In the 1950's, white Australians and proud of it being were happy to have escaped of the Japanese interest that they had felt threatened during the Second World War. They rose strongly against immigration of color. They also continued to deny their place of the original inhabitants. These were no longer a threat. They had become simply a “problem” that one wanted to solve.

At the time of human rights, it was no longer to exterminate them as had been done in some of them of this part of the globe. It was decided simply to assimilate them surreptitiously. It should be dried up gradually their sources of life by confiscating their children. They abducted by thousands to their parents, to their tribes and were given to white Australians who later on convert them in Western culture; chunking unworthy of humanism of which it is claimed elsewhere.

It was still the time of contempt. The aboriginal was ridiculed, caricatured, mocked or laughed. His intelligence was denied, and nevertheless it was about one of the most ancient peoples of the planet. How was it happened here, in this huge island? How was there lived and survived face of a mostly rough and hostile nature, if not by means of intelligence, of imagination and creativity?

Indigenous peoples have civilized the globe

These people, we would have had to consider them infinitely respectable, because they were the efforts of the primary witness of humanity to emerge from chaos. However, we condemned to the nullity, illiteracy, alcoholism. Their health wavered, the life expectancy of their members was and still is considerably lower than that of the whites, sure of themselves and of their superiority for so long. Already in the 1950's, European visitor could only be outraged by the place reserved for aborigines.

And here is an extraordinary event occurred: «We ask forgiveness», solemnly declared the new prime minister, Kevin RUDD. «We ask forgiveness for deep grief, suffering and disappearances that we have inflicted them in removing their children of their families, their communities, their country.

For the pain and suffering endured by the stolen generations, we ask forgiveness to mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters. For having separated their families, we ask forgiveness. For the infringement of the dignity and the humiliation of a people proud of themselves and their culture, we ask forgiveness.

Today, we make the first step by recognizing the past and toward a future that encompasses all Australians ». So, henceforth, 450 000 people are recognized in their dignity. Finally, the word fervently and ardently hoped by all humanists is pronounced: PARDON.

Those who had previously mocked unacceptable been mistaken to this ancestral humanity are delighted : « It happened, today, in Australia, something great in the eyes of the world, said Gilles Devers (1): the recognition that the most important people in the world are indigenous peoples. »

They are, in fact, who are the first to have civilized the earth, but from their tireless efforts made since the dawn of time, that humanity began to rise.

(1) Gilles Devers, www.20minutes.fr, rubrique « Actualités du Droit ».
François Régis Hutin

Note of Khemara Jati :

Still, a writing system remains now to invent to record the world of the First Nation peoples of Australia.

080220

Note : Ce texte est aussi disponible en français sur demande.

The Future of Cambodia ...

News of Cambodia N° 0814-E

The Future of Cambodia and that of our brothers in Thailand and in Kampuchea Krom, remains in our common written language and in the researches for our true common history

Khemara Jati
Montreal, Quebec
February 18th, 2008

The development of our written language comes to help our sisters and brothers living in Thailand to develop their cultural identity. We already know that even the songs cross the borders of Thailand to Kampuchea Krom by way of Cambodia. Soon texts in Cambodian will be written and printed in Thailand and in Kampuchea Krom will be read in Cambodia. So the unity of the Cambodians where ever they are will be based on the solid foundations of our language. Serious researches on our history of course based on the papers, but also on the economy, the agricultural production systems during Angkor era are needed from now on by resuming in particular the very important works of Bernard Philippe Groslier and then by placing our history in the context of the world history in particular from the Portuguese arrival following by the other Europeans in our region.

We wish that the good news from our sisters and brothers of Thailand encourage also our fellow countrymen, where ever that they are, to encourage our children living abroad to learn to speak, to read and to write as well our language bequeathed by our ancestors for fifteen centuries.

Our fellow countrymen in Denmark have just given us an example to follow. The following step is to form associations to reunite capital to finance translations of the fundamental works of the world civilization into Cambodian. Finland, the only country which welcomes all the political refugees of the oppositions of the regime installed by Hanoi since January 1979 is favorable to finance these translations. The Cambodian political refugees in Finland are intellectuals able to translate the English books into Cambodian without dictionary.

We wish that abroad where established Cambodian and foreign libraries take example on the Mark Twain library of Los Angeles by opening a section in Cambodian language.

The possibility of using of our language on Internet is going to accelerate the ways of distributing of our written language in Cambodia, in Thailand, in Kampuchea Krom and all around the world.

The final stage is the implementation of our language in universities to be able to allow our whole people: farmers and intellectuals of the highest levels to use the same language. The spoken and written language is one of both essential bases of our national unity. The other one is a history which allows us to be proud of our past.

Note : Cet article est aussi disponible en français sur demande

Annexes :

KI Media
Dedicated to publishing sensitive information about Cambodia
Monday, February 18, 2008

http://ki-media.blogspot.com/2008/02/khmer-teacher-from-surin-came-to-look.html

Monday, February 18, 2008

Khmer teacher from Surin came to look for Khmer language books in Cambodia

Chey Mongkol gave an interview to Koh Santepheap (Photo: Chamnab, Koh Santepheap newspaper)

Friday, 15 February 2008
Koh Santepheap newspaper
Translated from Khmer by KI-Media

Phnom Penh city – Chey Mongkol, a native Khmer from Surin province (Thailand) and a Khmer language teacher from Sisaket province (Thailand), declared on 13 February 2008 that the majority of Khmer people living in Surin no longer know how to speak Khmer anymore because they are not using their own language. However, now, Chey Mongkol has set up his small elementary school which is attended by about 60 children. The goal of his teaching is so that the younger generations know the Khmer language, otherwise, in the future, Khmer Surin will no longer know Khmer language at all, and they will only know Thai and Lao instead.

In an interview with Koh Santepheap at the Royal University of Fine Arts (RUFA) in Phnom Penh, Chey Mongkol indicated that his presence in Phnom Penh is to purchase books used to teach young Khmer children in Surin. He said that book merchants in Phnom Penh had given him 250 books also, and most of these books are for first grade level.Chey mongkol indicated that only about 1-2% of Khmer people in Surin know their native Khmer language and still speak Khmer in Surin currently, but most of them are already very old. He added that the younger Khmer people no longer speak Khmer, they only know Thai: “I spend a lot of time teaching them, I want to preserve our Khmer language, otherwise, our Khmer language will disappear.”

Nevertheless, Chey Mongkol said that his teaching to young Khmer children did not meet with any opposition from the Thai authority. He added that, in the past, about 40-years ago, Khmer people were afraid to use their own language because they were forced to speak Thai at school and in public places, later on, Khmer people lost the habit of speaking their own language, and some say they are ashamed, and they stop speaking Khmer altogether.

Chey Mongkol claimed that, in spite of all this, the preservation of old Khmer customs in Surin still remains somewhat even if there is an influx of foreign culture or modern culture which seriously affect the preservation of Khmer Surin original culture. He added, currently, only old Khmer people still speak Khmer at home, whereas the younger generations no longer speak Khmer anymore.

Chey Mongkol said that he started a library for the students to read Khmer because he believes that Khmer teaching is not sufficient yet, therefore the additional book reading could complete part of the education. He added: “We want Khmer in Surin to preserve Khmer language so that it would be easier for them to communicate with Cambodians inside Cambodia.”

From Phnom Penh, Chey Mongkol will take back to Surin documents in Khmer language. He indicated also that he is giving a lecture to RUFA students where he showed slides about the situation of Khmer students in Surin, about dances performed by Khmer people in Surin, so that RUFA students understand about the current issues faced by Khmer people in Surin.

History students who listened to Chey Mongkol’s lecture said that they are interested about the history of Khmer people in Surin who has the same customs, and same origin as other Khmer people, and they want to preserve our Khmer language also in order to facilitate the communication between themselves and Khmer people in Cambodia. The RUFA students added: “Even though we are separated because of past history, but we are still one single people, we must connect with each others.”

Chey Mongkol indicated also: “In my family, they do not talk Khmer that much, some speak Thai, others speak Lao. Only I persevere to speak Khmer, even at the market, they don’t want to speak Khmer, but they speak Thai and Lao instead.” He added: “I am calling for the generosity of people who want to help expand Khmer language to help provide their support to me.” He added that he is working hard to help educate young generations of Khmer children to know their Khmer language, and to preserve their Khmer language.

For those who wish to support Chey Mongkol and Khmer Schools in Surin, please contact Chey Mongkol at the following email address: KhmerSurin@gmail.com.


Monday, February 18, 2008

Cambodians in Norway raise funds to help Khmer in Surin learn Cambodian


Left: Men Nath, Ear Channa, and Chham Chhany; Right: Chey Mongkol

To Help Khmer Surin Cambodian School, please contact Chey Mongkol at:Language and Culture Association of Surin province (LCASP) P.O.Box 27, Surin City, Thailand http://phumpon.blogspot.com/email: khmersurin@gmail.com
HP 0875815514Tel & Fax: 044520179

Sunday-Monday, 17-18 Frebruary 2008
By SilaSralanh Khmer newspaper
Translated from Khmer by KI-Media

Noticing the struggle of the Khmer Association in Surin to preserve Khmer culture and customs, and its effort to provide Khmer education to younger Khmer children born in Surin who almost forget completely the Khmer language because they live under the Siam pressure, a number of Cambodian expatriates living in Norway have collected funds to help support a Cambodian school in Surin, Thailand.

Ear Channa, a representative of Cambodians living in Norway told Sralanh Khmer over the phone yesterday that: “We collected some funds to provide to Mr. Chey Mongkol, the teacher of Khmer language in Surin, Thailand. The reason we put effort to collect funds for the teaching of Khmer language to Khmer children is because we want them to preserve their identity and to preserve our national interest on this former Khmer land, and because we want to preserve the value of Khmer language and renown which existed since long ago.”

Ear Channa said that the funds which was handed to Chey Mongkol amounts to about 3,000 krones or about US$500. The funds came from generous Cambodian donors living in Norway: (1) Cambodian Buddhist Association in Norway: 1,000 krones, (2) Ear Bunrin: 500 krones, Men Nath: 300 krones, You Saravuth: 200 krones, Chham Chhany: 200 krones, Nov Veasna: 200 krones, Yin Kim: 100 krones, Om Virakbotr: 100 krones, Ear Channa: 300 krones, giving a total of 3,000 krones.

Ear Channa added that this small amount of funding which he collected was handed over to Chey Mongkol already and this action was done to encourage Khmer people living there to continue their struggle and their mission to preserve Khmer literature for younger Khmer generations, and to preserve Khmer identity in the name of Khmer people who can read, write their own Khmer language. He said that this fund will encourage Khmer Surin teachers to continue preserving Khmer literatures in Surin province.

Sralanh Khmer praises the generosity of Khmer people living in Norway for their help to preserve our literature and culture, even though they live in a country far away from their own, our Khmer people still remain in their minds.

Cambodia lost many provinces to Thailand, among these provinces, Khmer people in Buriram, Surin, Kok Khan, Sisaket still speak Khmer. Provinces where Khmer is almost forgotten are: Chanbury, Trayang, Paschimbury, and Nokor Reach Seyma. None of the Cambodian governments have thought about the lost of Khmer lands in Thailand at all, not only that, they never asked Thailand to allow Khmer people in Thailand to study Khmer so that they would not lose their national language, and their customs. No Cambodian governments have ever taken these actions.

Some documents indicated that Cambodia lost about 60,000-square-kilometer to Thailand, these lands cover 10 Thai provinces where 7 million Khmer people are still living in. Khmer people aged less than 40-year-old do not speak Khmer anymore, because Khmer children must attend Thai schools. Currently, Khmer Surin songs are (famously) known as Kantrem music.

41-year-old Chey Mongkol is married to Akhara, the couple has a daughter by the name of Apsara. This Khmer family comes from Kauk Khan province, and Chey Mongkol opened two Khmer language schools in Surin province.

http://ki-media.blogspot.com/2008/02/cambodians-in-norway-raise-funds-to.html

6 Comments:
Anonymous said...
Go Khmer Surin.
10:51 AM
Anonymous said...
Cambodian in Norway, you are a true nationalist and true role model. You have shown not only your words but your deeds. I would like to express my greatest honor to you Khmer Norway and Chey Mongkol Khmer Surin.
2:01 PM
Anonymous said...
I am appreciating everybody in Norway who always share some spirits and materials to Khmer Surin in Thailand. I call on all Khmer in overseas to support Khmer Surin Association. Please contact Mr. CHEY MONGKOL:Chaimongkol Chalermsukjitsri, Project CoordinatorIndigenous Language Education Project (ILEP)Room #1, Chom Surin Bldg, Surin.Fixed Line: 044-520-179HP 0875815514http://www.khmersurin.orge-mail: khmersurin@gmail.com Regards,Kuan Khmer
4:17 PM
Anonymous said...
This is honestly such a wonderful thing.
7:22 PM
Anonymous said...
About time someone at least have the urge to bring national pride and interest to enlight our newer generation. Khmer in Thailand had been cemented behind the big wall by Thai not to study or learn Khmer language. And plus Thai should be open for being democracy. But Thai is like one of Vietnamese behavior. If they wake up and learn Khmer language the Thai would be so scare because the majority of Khmer living in Thailand are very large in population. Thanks you Mr. Chey Mongkol. Please not just Khmer in Thailand, can you have those Khmer Krom that fleeing to Thailand have access as well. We are Khmer!
9:22 PM
Anonymous said...
I encourage everyone to help out in order to keep our people aware of the origin and identity as Khmer people living in Thailand. Please go to the website or do whatever; if you can't help more, please consider $20 once in awhile and trust me you would be glad you did. Please help spread the words... Thank you!
9:50 PM

The Thai White Gold and Ayuthia

News of Cambodia N° 0813-E

The Thai white gold and the Ayuthia's superiority on Angkor

Khemara Jati
Montreal, Quebec
February 7th, 2008

Thailand is currently the first rice’s exporter country of the world. The rice consumer’s increase in an exponential way increasing then the rice's production in the world cannot follow. The result : the price of the rice increases more than expectation. It makes the Thais people great happiness. It is interesting then to question the reasons of this prosperity.

Henri Mouhot is the first one who compares Menam to the Nile in his book « Voyages dans les Royaumes de Siam, de Cambodge et de Laos » (Journeys in the Realms of Siam, Cambodia and Laos, Ed. Olizane, Geneva 1989, 1st edition 1868), page 239 « the banks of Menam are covered as far as the eye can see with magnificent harvests; the periodic flood makes them of a fertility comparable to those of the Nile, and famous nevertheless since the antiquity. » As the Nile of the Pharaohs, every year Menam expands its fertile silt during its floods over the ricefields. It was not the case of artificial irrigation system using in Cambodia during Angkor era. Nowadays, the rice production in Thailand is concentrating on the banks of Menam and its tributaries as well as its delta with insignificant irrigation works since the Angkor time. This fact also explains the Siamese’s southward: from Ayuthia towards Thon Buri then Bangkok.

It is likely that Ayuthia was built by kings of Angkor, in particular by Jayavarman VII who had difficulties to manage the agricultural production with the Baray system fed artificially by waters of Phnom Kulên. Bernard Philippe Groslier left his main part and very important article: « the Hydraulic Town of Angkor: Exploitation or Overexploitation of the land? ». This documents lead to understand not only the importance of the agricultural prosperity of the Angkor civilization, but also its inexorable decline as well. (In Bulletin de l’Ecole Française d’Extrême-Orient, 1979, pages 161-202. What Groslier found by photos from the air and by excavations on the ground (the first ones made in Angkor), confirmed recently by statements of NASA satellite. In this article we raise from page 187:

« Angkor Thom is the last hydraulic town, in fact the last one of the Khmer cities. After her - up to the definitive abandon of Angkor indeed, it is there where the ultimate demonstrations of this civilization is concentrated - nothing more will be manifested, not even a single modest reservoir. The system died. »

It is also necessary to note that the great king Ponhea Yat had to leave Angkor definitely in 1431, because as writes Groslier « The system died ». No any single effort can fight against the nature not even with our irrigation system. It is also necessary to note that during 1520s the Portuguese reached Ayuthia with their boats, their firearms, and their knowledge. From this date it is not possible any more to write Cambodia's history without taking into account the massive Europeans arrival in our region and in eastern Asia. Nowadays, is it possible to understand what is taking place in current Cambodia by ignoring the conflicts of the geostrategic interests of major powers?

Nowadays, Cambodia can produce enough rice’s for her people and even export a million tons with the government cares of national interests. In this current regime, these million tons of rice are regrettably exported by Prey Nokor and Bangkok. Because the lack of roads especially policy to export accordingly this rice by Sihanoukville. Our farmers are obliged to sell their rice, with cheap price, to our neighbors equipped with proper access to Prey Nokor and Bangkok from our borders. All Cambodians in Cambodia know it and regret it sadly. On the other hand our rice is of better quality much netter than that producing by our neighbors. This is one more reason which makes our neighbors consuming our rice then increasing their rice exportation.

The best for us Cambodians, especially those living abroad, is to know above all, which parameter is necessary to solve unity equation of our people. For this reason it is important to listen to our fellow countrymen in Cambodia. After that and only after that, we can direct our efforts as well as the foreign helps. What is fundamental is to know how to distinguish the helps favoring the seizure of our neighbors of our lands and our wealth, helps which is making Cambodia independent of our neighbors in particular in the energy point of view. It is the fundamental question that every Cambodian has to settle and find out elements of answer.

It is necessary to note however that major powers have no interest, at least for the moment, to help us in two fundamental domains which are fundamental for the unity and the perpetuity of the Cambodian nation as well as for the development of the knowledge within our people:

1/. The use of our national language in universities and as a consequence the knowledge's distribution within our people and within our children by books of scientific popularization. To return Cambodians proud of their writing is the first fundamental objective to achieve, following examples of all the developed nations in the world, in particular at our closed neighbors.

2/. Write our History by ourselves. First by taking into account discoveries brought by archaeological excavations in particular regarding the economy where the productions were the fundamental bases of the Angkor civilization prosperity. Then by placing our history in the context of the world civilization. That is what our regretted Bernard Philippe Groslier tried to do.

080207

Note : Cet article est disponible en français sur demande.

Messages From Readers

News of Cambodia N° 0811

MESSAGES FROM READERS
(The messages of the readers who wish to remain anonymous are not signed)

1°/ Following « News of Cambodia » on the KhmerOs (Open Source)

From an engineer computer specialist:

It is a formidable tool for preserving and conveying the Cambodian culture and language, free (open source) and complete (office continuation, Internet navigator and office manger)!

More the downloading server is very successful, I did make a test. It is amazing.

China, Japan and South Korea, three years ago, decided to use also Linux, an engine introduced by the Finn Linus Torwalds, from software written by researchers of all the planet and thus constantly improved, and conceived very seriously from Microsoft. Linux has the advantage to be free.

(…)

« (…) I wish to thank Mr. Javier Solan and his team for being kind enough to help Cambodia and the Cambodians to get out of this major strategic domain for its future, to begin with the future of its youth.

It is an immense step made by Cambodia. Henceforth it would not feel any more too much complex because of its delay in this domain regarding to her close neighbors, to quote only that and to take into account only to use of our own writing in all domains including internet, in our schools and universities, in our administration, in the editorial staff of the works etc...

I share full of enjoyment with great satisfaction of all fellow countrymen concerning this magnificent developments.(…)

MS

2°/ Following « News of Cambodia » N° 0806 on translations, we receive list of books translated into Cambodian :

- "Min Chos Samrong Ning Chivit", translated from "The Foreigner" of Albert Camus, by Yi Chheang Eng, published by Nokor Thom, Phnom Penh, 1974.Chuth Khay has translated also many novels from french :
· « The Centurions » of Jean Lartiguy, translated as « Both chhneum nei sangkream », Phnom Penh, 1971.
· « The Wall » of Jean-Paul Sartre translated into « Chunh Chaing », Phnom Penh, 1972.

· « L'ambassadeur » of Morris West, title into cambodian « Lok Akkeak Roth Tout », Phnom Penh, 1973.

· « Littérature cambodgienne du XXe siècle », by Khing Hoc Dy, PP, Angkor, 2005, pp. 585-586.

· « Romeo and Juliet » of Shakespeare translated by Hang Thun Hak in 1971 re-edited for many times.

· The Tartuffe (Ketéyoss reu Snêha) of Molière translated in verse of 9 words by Ann Khun, Phnom Penh, 1954, 138 pages (autorization of translation n° 1340/MFE signed by : H. Monteagle, chief of French Mission for Education and Cultural Cooperation in Cambodia). (re-edited).

· « Paul and Virginia » of Bernardin de Saint-Pierre, translated by Hang Thun Hak, Phnom Penh (no date), 146 pages (re-edited recently).

· « The mysterious » of Jules Verne, « Koh Ath Kambaing », Phnom Penh 1973.

· « Santheankram » (lexique des termes scientifiques français – cambodgien) by Khemarayeankam, 1973.

· A translation of Mathematics at the university by Cambodian mathematicians of the French universities in 1973.

· « Without family » of Hector Malot « Khmean Nheat Phaov », Phnom Penh, Yuvachon House, 1988.
· « A Voyage Round the World » de Jules Vernes (80 Thngai Chum Ving Piphublok), Phnom Penh, Rasmei Pak Dek Voat, 1990.

3°/ Following “News of Cambodia” N° 0807 on Cambodia-Finland Friendship :

Before posting messages of our readers, we would prefer to give some precision about Finland:

What is the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) ?What are its objectives?
The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a project of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) designed to provide policy-oriented international indicators of the skills and knowledge of 15-year-old students. Three literacy domains are being assessed in PISA: Reading, Mathematics, and Science (More details on each domain are provided in the section on PISA Domains). Three cycles of PISA are planned. In each cycle, two-thirds of testing time will be devoted to a major literacy domain: Reading in 2000, Mathematics in 2003, and Science in 2006.
PISA aims to assess to what degree students approaching the end of their compulsory education have acquired some of the knowledge and skills that are essential for full participation in society. PISA hopes to answer the following questions:
· How well are young adults prepared to meet the challenges of the future?
· Are they able to analyse, reason and communicate their ideas effectively?
· Do they have the capacity to continue learning throughout life?
· Are some kinds of teaching and school organization more effective than others?

PISA 2006 Science Competencies for Tomorrow's World
PISA 2006: Science Competencies for Tomorrow’s World presents the results from the most recent PISA survey, which focused on science and also assessed mathematics and reading. It is divided into two volumes.
Volume 1: Analysis gives the most comprehensive international picture of science learning today, exploring not only how well students perform, but also their interests in science and their awareness of the opportunities that scientific competencies bring as well as the environment that schools offer for science learning. It places the performance of students, schools and countries in the context of their social background and identifies important educational policies and practices that are associated with educational success. By showing that some countries succeed in providing both high quality education and equitable learning outcomes, PISA sets ambitious goals for others.
Volume 2: Data/Données presents the PISA 2006 full data set underlying Volume 1.
Together with the PISA 2000 and PISA 2003 surveys, PISA 2006 completes the first cycle of assessment in the three key subject areas. PISA is now conducting a second cycle of surveys, beginning in 2009 with reading as the major subject and continuing in 2012 (mathematics) and 2015 (science).

Key findings
Finland, with an average of 563 score points, was the highest-performing country on the PISA 2006 science scale.
Six other high-scoring countries had mean scores of 530 to 542 points: Canada, Japan and New Zealand and the partner countries/economies Hong Kong-China, Chinese Taipei and Estonia. Australia, the Netherlands, Korea, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium and Ireland, and the partner countries/economies Liechtenstein, Slovenia and Macao-China also scored above the OECD average of 500 score points.
On average across OECD countries, 1.3% of 15-year-olds reached Level 6 of the PISA 2006 science scale, the highest proficiency level. These students could consistently identify, explain and apply scientific knowledge, and knowledge about science, in a variety of complex life situations. In New Zealand and Finland this figure was at least 3.9%, three times the OECD average. In the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan and Canada, as well as the partner countries/economies Liechtenstein, Slovenia and Hong Kong-China, between 2 and 3% reached Level 6.

Precision made by Khemara Jati: The evaluations are made in the language of the country.

(…)

Effectively, “certain aspect of the history looks like the history of Cambodia, which obliged to fight for protecting her independence and her sovereignty, between her two powerful neighbours, in the situation of the conflicts of the major powers' geostrategic interests. Does not the policy of Cambodian neutrality call back the policy of Finnish neutrality?”

We can say that Finland owes its survival to its great patriotism, to its national unity and, important matter for us Cambodians, at its high intellectual, technical and technological level and at its economic dynamism who are painfully lacking at home at the moment.

MS

(…)

Readers wrote to us :

4°/ About Preah Vihear and about our needs in electrical energy:

From a reader in Cambodia: Why still it does not have any comfortable road to go towards Preah Vihear of the Cambodian side? There are now tourists who wish to know better our country more but feel regret for the roads in very bad conditions.

Thailand is building a train from Poipet to Sisophon and a road from Sisophon to Anlong Veng. While the road from Sisophon always remains little feasible? Thailand intends now to build an immense electric power run by coal in the province of Koh Kong. Why such an electric power plant so polluting to us? Already all our western provinces use the thai electricity. Why put itself voluntarily under the dependence in electrical energy of Thailand? It is also a way to enrich the thai electric companies.

In the Eastern, the situation is even worse. Our farmers are obliged to sell their harvests and farm products to Vietnam with the very low price compare to the market price in Cambodia : The lacking of roads to sell them in Cambodia. The poor Cambodian farmers are obliged to sell their land to the Vietnamese who speculates the market of the land everywhere in Cambodia. More nobody protests against the construction of two big hydroelectric dams by the Vietnamese on our lands. These dams were built by Vietnameses : engineers and executives who come to settle definitively on our lands with their family including women and children. It is already the case for the construction of roads on our lands coming from Vietnam. Then the electricity is run by Vietnamese companies which sell it back to us the electricity from these dams. On the other hand the eastern part of Cambodia already uses the Vietnamese electricity. Soon Phnom Penh will also use the Vietnamese electricity. Our fellow countrymen on our borders pay the Vietnamese electricity 50 % more expensive than what it costs in Vietnam.

5°/ Reaction from a Cambodian, excerpts from KI Media of January 31, 2008, relating to the hydroelectric dams by Chinese :

Anonymous said...

· It would be nice if the Americans, the Britishs, the Australians, the Canadians or the Frenchs decide to help Cambodia by investing in those Hydro Power Dams. It would be great if they would come with a price not higher that the one asked by the Chinese. So far, why no one other than China answers to our request?

· How long we should depend on the Viets or the Thais for electrical power we need?How long we should wait for our economic development?

Khemara Jati
Montreal, Quebec
February 1st, 2008
khemarajati@sympatico.ca