Monday, June 23, 2014

COMMENTARY: The Future Will Tell Whether or Not NCPO Respect Human Dignity

The Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC)’s quick and effective respond to the fear and desperation of the Cambodian migrant workers forced to cross the border back to Cambodia by the Thai military is laudable and merited to be given a thumb up. Let’s segregate things accordingly. The fact that they entered Thailand illegally and hired by Thai legal businesses by hundreds of thousands to look for a chance, an opportunity and a promise to earn income two or three times higher than what they should have earned should they worked in Cambodia against expected risks of exploitations and abuses is another thing. On the other hand, the forced exodus of those migrant workers with their families including young children culminating in the crossing back to their homeland, a situation remotely expected by the RGC and the provincial authorities bordering Thailand, had been handled appropriately, beyond the thought and imagination of those poor souls and the people all across the country. Cambodian soldiers and military trucks took good care of the exhausted and frightened workers and help them get back to their home provinces. Volunteers with the Cambodian Red Cross, Scouts and youth groups have worked diligently to provide a steady supply of food and water.

A sense of solidarity and the extending of helping hands should have become an example across time and space, and not only when misery and mistreatment by unkind and immoral foreigners struck. As a result, a wake-up call forces the hands of the RGC to facilitate the access of migrant workers to seek for status of documented workers with an almost no cost to migrant workers to apply for passport and requires only a twenty-day waiting period from the date of application. It is hopeful that regional passport offices would be in the thinking process of the RGC, as the free-flow of workers could be agreed upon and implemented when the ASEAN Economic Community is established.   

It was a time when Thailand has allowed up to 200,000 Cambodian migrants to enter Thailand and work illegally in agricultural and construction sectors, on top of some 400,000 who received legal work permits from Thailand among the more than 2 million documented migrant labourers working in Thailand. Cambodian illegal migrant workers were taking immense risks expecting to earn some money which they lost all hopes to earn enough at home in order to pull themselves out of real poverty. Many migrants hope to earn enough to buy a used motorbike that they will use as motodop or moto taxi, or to put a roof over their head good enough to keep themselves cool when it is burning hot, dry when it rains, or to save enough that they can pay the doctors when a child or an old parent gets ill. There were stories about abuses by their employers who are Thai legal business enterprises and owners. For these migrants their lives, by destiny or by devious curses of their past lives follow the path of cruel entrapment expressed by Cambodian folk proverb, saying: “In the water you are the meal of the crocs, on dry land you are the feast of tigers, foraying through forest you step on thorny branches, and coming to the market you had to pay bribes to the police.” For them they have no ways out of poverty that the United Nations had only defined in terms of economic poverty and measured globally as earning less than one dollar and a half (US$1.50) a day, which is unpractical and unreasonable for Cambodian poor who live in a clustered society where rich and poor can see each other on the streets, in towns, in the villages and where the pictures of income and wealth inequality are observed with amazement by the poor and displayed extravagantly by the rich. Sooner, there will be the Rolls Royce’s, the Porsche’s, the Lamborghini’s cruising the narrow and busy streets of Phnom Penh. Four-Wheel drive and other luxury vehicles have inundated showrooms and car sale lots thus satisfying the search for comfort and the expression of individuality of a rising number of successful business people, young professionals, and the off-springs of rich families. All year long, rain or shine high-ranking government officials and some or a majority of their staffs travelled to the provinces, districts, communes and villages on weekends “to assist the local authorities,” or “to strengthen the political bases”. Reasonably, they need reliable vehicles for their busy schedules and their safety. Their trips and their physical presence complement video conferences, official letters, instructions and guidelines, and above all put them in contact with real people that they serve. On the radius of zero to a few hundred kilometers, thousand pairs of eyes from “the center” meet the realities of the lives of people they serve, evaluate their needs, touch their heart, and probe their feeling that made social researchers and analysts irrelevant. Supply-siders of Reagan years (in the US) had their mantra which dominated all other economic thoughts of that time: “High tide lifts all the boats, big and small,” could be true in Cambodia, meaning that even poor Cambodians could enjoy larger and well to extremely well paved and well maintained roads for the Rolls Royce’s, the Porsche’s, the Lamborghini’s etc…

Thailand had accepted illegal Cambodian migrant workers for their legal businesses, if this is not the case, this would have been a systematic human trafficking and exploitation of human beings of a grand scale that blinds Thai authorities from the border-check points to the places of works. Economic benefits for Thailand have been huge, but the risks for illegal Cambodian migrant workers have been also on the rise. Uncertainties open wide the door for limitless and even cruel and inhumane exploitations. For personal social and economic reasons, illegal Cambodian migrant workers have agreed to the so-called “normal exploitations” to the delight of some Thai people and legal business organizations. Cambodian migrant workers had no choice. They had no way out. A case in point, as written and published in The Nation, “the Thai-Cambodian Border Trade and Tourism Association of Chanthaburi province has predicted the Cambodian workers would return to Thailand within a few weeks because Thai wages are at least three times higher than those in Cambodia.”

Less than a month, since the 22 May Thai military Coup d’Etat, Cambodian migrant workers legal and illegal were the target of a political cleansing by the Thailand’s military junta. There has been a plan in place, namely:

(1)   It began with the political campaign saying “illegal labourers a threat to Thailand,” eliminating all the goodness of the economic benefits reaped by Thailand and the pledge of friendship cooperation and good-neighbourly relations between Thailand and Cambodia.

(2)   Then there were reports, true or created, about the killings and beatings of Cambodian migrant workers by Thai armed forces which are traditionally and notoriously known to be mean and cruel beyond comprehension when dealing with Cambodians. This creates fear for the worst that caused the “forced exodus” of the Cambodian migrant workers.

(3)   In the meantime preparations were made by Thai Labor Ministry to move documented workers from the pool of more than 2 million available workers to replace Cambodian migrant workers.

(4)   And later on, a smoke-screen had been figured out by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to confuse and manipulate the international opinion about “the crackdown,” saying that “the crackdown was aimed not at individual workers but at human trafficking to punish procuring persons, the employers and benefit-reaping officials.”

NCPO, arbitrarily, targets Cambodian illegal labourers as a (national security) threat to Thailand, not Thai human traffickers, not Thai procuring persons, not Thai employers and benefit-reaping officials, as falsely stated by NCPO. In hindsight, had the NCPO targeted the relatively less vulnerable Thais who are the wrong-doers in comparison with the most vulnerable Cambodian illegal migrant workers by honestly announcing and carrying out the crackdown on Thai human traffickers, procuring persons, employers and benefit-reaping officials, there would not have been the “forced exodus” of the Cambodian illegal migrant workers back to Cambodia. The NCPO’s plan is despicable. It is discriminatory. It defies civility. It is inhumane. Its hypocrisies will never foul the international opinion.

It is humanly proper for the NCPO to adequately and promptly express sincere apology to those suffering migrant workers. Compensation should be another step to be taken by the NCPO. Failure to do so is tantamount to shame, cruelty, and disregard of human dignity.

June 23, 2014
Professor Pen Ngoeun
Advisor,
University of Puthisastra, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

ប្រ​សិន​បើ​គណ​បក្ស CNRP អះ​អាង​ថានឹង​​និយាយ​ដើម្បី​ប្រ​ជា​ជន តើ​ភស្តុ​តាង​នៅ​ឯ​ណា​ ?​

 The Cambodia Daily ចុះថ្ងៃទី​ ២៣ ខែ មិថុនា ឆ្នាំ ២០១៤
         
          នៅ​ក្នុង​អត្ថ​បទ​បញ្ចេញមតិ​​របស់​​លោក​ស្រី​ មូរ សុខ​ហួរ ដែល​មាន​ចំណង​ជើង​ថា «​គោល​ដៅ​របស់​គណ​បក្ស​ CNRP គឺ​ដើម្បី​កសាង​អំ​ណាច​​ដល់​​ប្រ​ជា​ជន​ និង​ស្ថាប័ន​ជាតិមួយ​ចំនួន​ទៀត» (ចុះ​ផ្សាយ​នៅ​លើ​ទំព័រ​ទី​២២ កាល​ពី​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​១៧ ខែ​មិ​ថុ​នា​)បាន​ប្រ​កាស​ថា​​«​ប្រ​ជា​ជន​កាន់​តែ​ហ៊ាន​និយាយ ហើយ​យើង​គួរ​តែ​លើក​ទឹក​ចិត្ត​ដល់​ពួក​គេ​»​

          មធ្យោ​បាយ​មួយ​ក្នុង​ចំណោម​មធ្យោ​បាយ​ជា​ច្រើន​ទៀត​ដែល​ប្រ​ជា​ជន​កាន់​តែ​ហ៊ាន​និយាយ​គឺ​តាម​រយៈ​ប្រ​អប់​​ឆ្នោត​កាល​ពី​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​២៨ ខែ​កក្កដា​ឆ្នាំ​មុន។

          គណ​បក្ស​ CNRP បាន​អះ​អាង​ម្តង​ហើយ​ម្តង​ទៀត​ថា​​លទ្ធ​ផល​ជា​ផ្លូវ​ការ​​គឺ​វា​ខុស​ពី​ការ​ពិត​ ដែល​គណ​បក្ស​ប្រ​ឆាំង​មួយ​នេះ​ពិត​ជា​ទទួល​​បាន​​ចំនួន​៦៣​​អាសនៈ​​​ មិន​មែន​៥៣អាសនៈ​​នោះ​ទេ។ ប៉ុន្តែ​​គណ​បក្ស​ CNRP មិន​ដែល​បង្ហាញ​នូវ​​ការ​អះ​អាង​ជាក់​ស្តែង​ទេ​ ទាក់​ទិ​ន​ទៅ​នឹង​សន្លឹក​ឆ្នោត​សរុប​ក្នុង​ខេត្ត​ណា​មួយ៖ គឺ​ថា​ខ្លួន​មិន​បាន​បង្ហាញ​អ្វី​ទាល់​តែ​សោះ​ដែល​អាច​ត្រូវ​បាន​ពិនិត្យ​ដោយ​អ្នក​សង្កេត​ការ​ណ៍​ដែល​គ្មាន​ភាព​លំអៀង។​

          ​ប្រ​សិន​បើ​​លោក​ស្រី មួរ សុខ​ហួរ​ ពិត​ជា​ចង់​លើក​ទឹក​ចិត្ត​ដល់​ការ​សម្តែង​មតិ​របស់​ប្រ​ជា​ជន​មែន ខ្ញុំ​ស្នើ​ឲ្យ​លោក​ស្រី​បង្ហាញ​នូវ​ការ​អះ​អាង​ដ៏​ពិត​ប្រា​ក​ដ​អំ​ពី​តួ​លេខ​របស់​គណៈ​កម្មា​ធិ​ការជាតិ​​រៀបចំ​ការ​បោះ​ឆ្នោត​ពី​ខេត្ត​មួយ​ចំនួន​ដែល​ខុស​ ឬ​ក៏​សារ​ភាព​ថា​ការ​អះ​អាង​របស់​​គណ​បក្ស​ CNRP ថា​ទទួល​បាន​៦៣​អា​សនៈ​នោះ​គឺ​វា​ខុស៕

ដោយ  Allen Myers

If CNRP Claims to Speak for the People, Where’s the Evidence?


[Published in the Cambodia Daily, June 23, 2014.]


Mu Sochua, in her opinion article “The CNRP’s Goal Is to Build People Power, National Institutions,” (June 17, page 22) declares, “The people have spoken. And we should honor them.”

One of the ways in which the Cambodian people have spoken was through the ballot box last July 28.

The CNRP has repeatedly claimed that the official result was different from the reality, that the opposition really won 63 seats, not 55. But the CNRP has never presented any specific claims regarding vote totals in any province: that is, it has presented nothing that could be checked by impartial observers.

So, if Mu Sochua really wants to honor the people’s voice, I challenge her either to present specific claims about which NEC figures from which provinces were wrong, or to admit that the CNRP claim of winning 63 seats is incorrect.

by  Allen Myers



សម្តេច​​តេជោ​​ស្វាគមន៍​​កិច្ច​​សហ​ប្រតិ​បត្តិ​​ស្ថាប័ន​​អយ្យ​ការ​​កម្ពុជា-​ឡាវ

សម្ដេច​អគ្គ​មហាសេនាបតី​តេ​ជោ ហ៊ុន សែន​ នាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី នៃ​ព្រះរាជាណា​ចក្រ​កម្ពុជា​បាន​សម្ដែង​នូវ​ការ​អបអ​សាទរ ចំពោះ​លទ្ធផល​ជា​ផ្លែផ្កា​នៃ​កិច្ច​ពិភាក្សា​រវាង​ស្ថាប័ន​អយ្យការ​នៃ​ប្រ​ទេ​​ស​ទាំង​ពីរ (កម្ពុជា-ឡាវ) ដែល​បាន​ឈាន​ទៅ​ដល់​ការ​ចុះ​អនុស្សរណៈ​ជាមួយគ្នា ហើយក៏​បាន​ស្នើ​សុំ​ឲ្យ​ស្ថាប័ន ទាំង​ពីរ​បន្ត​សហការ​ជាមួយគ្នា​បន្ត​ទៀត។

ប្រសាសន៍​ស្វាគមន៍​របស់​សម្តេច​តេជោ​នាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី​បាន​ធ្វើ​ឡើង​ ក្នុង​ឱកាស​ទទួល​ជួប​សវ​នា​​ការ​ជាមួយ​ ឯកឧត្តម​ ​Khamsane Souvong អគ្គ​រដ្ឋអាជ្ញានៃ​អយ្យការ​ប្រជាជន​កំពូល​ នៃ​សា​ធា​រ​ណរដ្ឋ​ប្រជាធិបតេយ្យ​ប្រជាមានិត​ឡាវ​ នារសៀល​ថ្ងៃទី​២០ ខែ​មិថុ​នា​​ឆ្នាំ​២០១៤ ​នៅ​វិមាន​សន្តិ​ភាព​។

ឯកឧត្តម អ៊ាង សុផល្លែត ជំនួយការ​សម្ដេច​តេ​ជោ​បានឲ្យ​ដឹង​ថា ឯកឧត្តម​ Khamsane បាន​ជម្រាប​សម្ដេច​តេ​ជោ​ថា ដំណើរ​ទស្សនកិច្ច​រប​ស់​ឯកឧត្តម មកកាន់​ព្រះ​រាជា​ណាចក្រ​កម្ពុជា​នេះ​ គឺជា​ដំណើរ​ទស្សនកិច្ច​លើក​ទី​១ ហើយក៏​ជា​ដំណើរ​ទស្សនកិច្ច​ជា​ប្រវត្តិ​សាស្ត្រ ដែល​បើក​ឲ្យ​ទូលាយ​នូវ​ទំនាក់ទំនង​រវាង​ស្ថាប័ន​រដ្ឋអាជ្ញា នៃ​អយ្យការ​ប្រជាជន​កំពូលនៃ​សា​​ធា​រ​ណរដ្ឋ​ប្រជាធិបតេយ្យ​ប្រជាមានិត​ឡាវ និង​មហាអយ្យការ​កំពូល​អម​តុលាការ​កំពូល​កម្ពុជា។

ឯកឧត្តម​ Khamsane ឲ្យ​ដឹង​ពី​ទំនាក់​ទំនង​រវាង​ស្ថាប័ន​អយ្យការ​នៃ​ព្រះ​រាជាណាចក្រ​កម្ពុជា​ថា កាល​ពី​ម្សិលមិញ (១៩មិថុនា) ស្ថាប័ន​ទាំងពីរ​បាន​ធ្វើ​ការពិភាក្សា​គ្នា​យ៉ាង​ល្អ ហើ​យ​ក៏បាន​ឈាន​​ទៅ​ដល់​ការ​ចុះហត្ថលេខា​លើ​អនុស្សរណៈ ​ដែល​ក្នុង​នោះ​មាន​អត្ថន័យ​ ដោ​យ​មាន​ការ​ព្រម​ព្រៀង​គ្នា​ក្នុង​ការ​ផ្លាស់ប្ដូរ​ទស្សនកិច្ច ​បទពិសោធន៍​ ក៏ដូចជា​ផ្លាស់ប្ដូរ​នូវ​ការ បណ្ដុះ​បណ្ដា​ល​មន្ត្រី​ឲ្យ​កាន់​តែ​មាន​ប្រសិទ្ធភាព​ខ្ពស់​ល្អ និង​បាន​ព្រមព្រៀងគ្នា​ធ្វើការ​ជំរុញ​ឲ្យ​មាន​ការ​អនុវត្ត​ច្បាប់ ដែល​មាន​ស្រាប់​នៅ​តាម​ព្រំប្រទល់​របស់​ប្រទេស​ទាំងពីរ​ ដែល​អ្វីៗ​ទាំងនេះ គឺ​ធ្វើ​យ៉ាង​ណា​​ចូលរួមចំណែក​ក្នុងការ​ពង្រឹង​បន្ថែម​ទៀត​នូវ​ទំនាក់ទំនង​ រវាង​ប្រទេស​ទាំងពីរ​៕