Independent Monument at Night in Phnom Penh ("Photo by Ethan Crowley")
Independence is very important for each
nation to lead their own fate towards future. Independent monument
represents the real strength of the nation. Cambodia got the independence on November 09, 1953 and built Phnom Penh’s
Independence Monument in 1958 as the national commemoration. 100 heads of Naga
(dragon) on the whole top of this monument styling to the Angkor Era was mixed
with modern creative ideas of VANN Molyvann, the famous architect in Cambodia. Therefore,
being surely needed, independence for Khmer nation could be divided into two –
independence country as Cambodia and independence community control in nearby
countries. Why independence is so
important for Cambodia and all Khmer people even in surrounding countries as
the previous territory of Angkor Empire? Later centuries after the fall of
Angkor Empire, Cambodia had been controlled several times by Siam Kingdom
(Thailand), Annam Kingdom (Vietnam), Japanese Occupation (Japan), and French
Colonial (France). Most intelligent and
popular Khmer people would be killed immediately for the fear of powerful
independence rebellion; more territories were cut off from Cambodia and many valuable
things were taken out of Kingdom to each country controlling Cambodia. Not only
taking most properties and large territories, Thailand imported from Cambodia
all the literate work of Khmer Language for Thai language development as well
as the ancient rule for controlling country many times, elephants, intelligent
people, and thousands of local Khmer citizens as their slaves, especially also
damaged all the remaining main original documents of Cambodia. From century to
century, fewer documents left in the kingdom and only royal family members and
monks could go to Bangkok for higher education, but the lessons were mixed with
new things Thailand provided and original lessons taken from Cambodia were
surely not provided for learning. Furthermore, Thai King had issued a policy
for only Thai language speaking since 1950s and 1960s caused millions of Khmer
citizens in Thailand illiterate for Khmer language. Besides, coming the
marriage of Vietnamese Princess and King Chey Chetha II of Cambodia since the
early 17th century, Vietnam also controlled Cambodia often in 17th
and 18th century taking large territories of Kampuchea Krom, cruelly
killing million local citizens (Kampub Tae Ong Strategy: using head of Khmer
Krom people instead of cooker boiling their tea to serve their Ong - boss), changing
name of all provinces in Kampuchea Krom to Vietnamese as well as today
provinces of Cambodia while they controlled Cambodia, and damaged most temples
and Khmer literate documents. Once again from 1979 to 1989, Vietnam controlled
Cambodia flowing almost all of most expensive and valuable things as well as
natural resources out of Cambodia to support Vietnam back for fighting down the
Khmer Rouge and flowing millions of Vietnamese into Cambodia as thousands of
Vietnamese communities showing in main cities of Cambodia, Cambodia side along
Vietnam-Cambodia frontier, and around Tonle Sap Lake (Great Lake) populating around
2 to 3 millions based on the Wikipedia’s website. Today, Vietnam still restricted
too much on the literate, cultural and traditional practices of all Khmer
people in the South of Vietnam and today Cambodia’s province in Vietnamese map
are still in new Vietnamese given name and so meaningful in Vietnamese, but
were so far from the pronunciation and meaning of each Khmer names using
worldwide. Turning to Japanese short occupation in early 1940s, Cambodia nearly
lost large territories of western and northern part of Cambodia to Thailand
since they were so close sharing benefits together during that time; Thailand
was so flexible to shake hand with new winner and turn their back to them while
losing for the hand shaking with western countries again. On the other hand, French
colonial helped to secure Cambodia for awhile from Thailand and Vietnam since
1863, but they put Cambodia nearly beneath the land meaning making Cambodian
people poorer and poorer with taxation, exporting natural and other resources
to France, using too much local labor force to satisfy their needs like
infrastructure building, war in Europe, and slavery. Being unforgettable
besides the lost of Kampuchea Krom, France has cut administratively more
territories and islands to Vietnam creating trouble for the Cambodia’s
ownership of those territories, islands and marine border demarcation. Moreover,
powerful Khmer people were used by those countries to fight each other as well
as to fight those countries’ external enemy weakening Cambodia from time to
time. At last, no independence for Cambodia and Khmer nation means no right to
do anything, but to get command even contrast to the will of the nation.
After long consideration on the reason
why Cambodia and Khmer nation should be independent, there will be a talk on
how Cambodia should consider for using this independence properly. After
getting independence from France, the stability in Cambodia was confidently
seen from 1953 to the end 1960s. King NORODOM Shihanouk was smart for economic
development until end 1960s starting the economic falling down because of the
involvement of Cambodia with Vietnam War. Wishing to be a neutral nation, Cambodia
had no choice since China, Russia, and the United State of America used
political ideology in the region against each other and at last Cambodia chose
China as the nearer country. According to political analysis of the researchers
in the United States in 1958, position of Cambodia was in the dangerous world being
challenged by superpowers, so it was not a mistake of any Cambodian leaders
driving Cambodia to the poorest condition in Pol Pot Regime (1975 – 1979), but
Cambodia was forced to and nearer nations always took much benefits of that
situation. Billions US Dollars was lost through the war and the benefit-taking
helpers. It is sure that Cambodia today being independent with own government,
but how the government do to achieve the right target of economic development.
Until today, Cambodia only produces raw materials to export while the Sangkum
Reastr Niyum at least produced own goods and services to satisfy the local needs
completely and appreciably. It was not just the admiration of Sangkum Reastr
Niyum Regime, but the purpose of this is for today government to learn more how
we achieve the target of the economic development in past decades before the
last war period. It seems Cambodian leaders being admired too much with his Excellency,
but do not forget that word is meaningless sometimes while the reality is much
more to be done and should be done quickly while Cambodia is still rich of
natural resources as well as young labor forces. How should the government manage those
valuable things in own hand effectively and efficiently? Natural resources in
Cambodia were seen for decades not being controlled righteously. Gems and
forest in Pailin have been illegal dug and cut down nearly out of the soils
without providing much benefit to country. Forest and wild life management has
been being too weak to prevent the illegal logging as well as exporting to
foreign countries. Why is it so bad?
Forest and wild animals is actually the right thing for government and people
to use, but using righteously means sustaining the forest and wild life for use
longer period from generation to generation. Forest is not only providing
wooden logs, but also able to attract local and foreign tourists bringing more
revenues to the place. Wild life could be kept as natural zoos or artificial
zoos to catch the interest of local and foreign tourists bringing much more
benefits than sell its meat or export alive to nearby countries. Additionally,
land concession is really being a main issue against good natural management.
Why? Obviously, the main purpose of providing land concession is to develop on
the land factories, hydro dams, big orchards, mineral explorations, or other
kinds of development giving benefits to government, local people, and to the economic
growth of the country, but today high percentage local people are being
affected negatively and the sustainability for next generation is not really
secured. Being heard on radio, some political activists raised the stakes that
some companies just got the land concessions to log the woods and use all other
natural resources like wild animals, mineral resource, and so on; then continued
to ask for more land concession and transferred the old one to other companies
or leaving it alone. If it is really happening, what would the government do to
prevent those activities? Punishment in cash as well as growing back the green
forest should be done to warn all other companies not to follow; land
concession should be given with condition in contract and never given to nearer
people nearby the border with their country. If providing to nearby people, 99
years or 100 years is so long and who would be responsible to get it back? And
if they don’t grant it back, what are the prevention strategies for that
generation government? If strategies exist, how effective and efficient is it
to use? It was sure for today government being better to bring Cambodia here
better situation after wars. However, most Cambodian people spent too much
money extravagantly from lowest class to highest class people on the most
luxury and modern finished goods that no longer bring much more benefits back
to them if considering on the opportunity cost. It was not only the fault of
government, but people themselves forgot the past as well as most new
generations knowing nothing about the hardest time of Cambodia. Tourism sites
such as ancient temples, natural sites, cultural sites, and proper creative
amusements and parks should be established and protected both in town and field.
Smiling and friendly environment to all tourists should be a good standard for
all Khmer people to practice. Being imported from foreign countries, materials
should be limitedly used like the most expensive car, cigarette, wine, beer, modern
mobile phone, jewelries, most expensive electrical equipments and electronic
devices, etc. Television and radio broadcasting system should focus more on new
development research and education as well as proper news sharing and tourism
promotion rather than just entertainment and advertisement; advertisement is
surely good, but too much and advertisement for products and services not
benefit to the economic development is worse than no advertisement. Advertising
only good products and services, local citizens will also benefit and admire
the smartest idea of each broadcasting system. Last but not least, Khmer
community in Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam should focus more on language
conservation as well as better well-being adapting new good ideas from each
country and giving up all bad ideas for the sake of modern development and
better cultural protection. Each country should allow Khmer people and other
ethnic groups to practice their own culture just guaranteeing no actions affect
negatively the development of each country. “Wishing better, taking better
actions!” “Opportunity cost should be first consideration before doing anything
in this world globalization!”
“Development is not only for the country government, but also for all
people within the country!” “Independence means self-economic supports,
self-political supports, and self-sovereignty supports!”
By: POK Panhavuth
