We were truly moved by national pride as we watched the 60th Anniversary celebration of our National Independence Day. We were moved as we remembered the memorable Father of National Independence’s legacies. We were deeply touched by what He often recalled His compatriots to keep in mind these following words of wisdom: “United, we’ll survive; divided, we’ll die”. It appears that His powerful spirit always stays with us and is re-invigorating the Khmer national soul to its original strength as in the Moha Nokor period.
Meanwhile, His Majesty Norodom Sihamoni’s appeal to everyone to” unite as one under the umbrella of our constitution and laws in order to defend and build our country in every field”, is seen as another mighty and magic voice that awakens the whole Khmer national soul everywhere, from those living next to the foot of Preah Vihear Temple’s hill to those living overseas.
Are there any Khmer nationals whose mind and soul do not shiver with emotion and pride when seeing their country growing, strengthening and their compatriots sticking together as one bloc under the umbrella of the constitution and the Cool Shade of His Majesty the King, being constitutionally representing as “The Symbol of Unity and Eternity of the Nation “ ?
Are there any wiser Magga or Path that could advance further our supreme national interests known as Samma magga or the Right Path than that of the King’s words of wisdom?
It is beyond belief of everyone that those who sincerely observe the king’s words of wisdom, abide by the constitution and every laws in effect in order to strengthen the constitutional institutions, turn out after all to be blamed as acting anti-constitutionally, illegally and illegitimately. Hence, if that is right, day becomes night and inevitably “sun-rise” will become “sun-set”.
Every Magga taken that goes against these above mentioned King’s wisdom would lead to nowhere since it is generally considered as a suicidal policy that would undermine the nation’s foundation: That is national cohesion.
Politicians from all sides should not forget the lessons learnt in the 1970s which have been still haunting our conscience. Over twenty-two years that have passed since the Paris Peace Accords, we all have been united under the umbrella of the constitution and have actively rebuilt our country in every field. We have since then grown-up to adulthood and are asked to take the reins of our country instead of depending everything only on foreign countries.
Perhaps replete with too much insistence on foreign interventions in our domestic affairs by the opposition, some foreign observers floated a rumor that “it’s high time Cambodians took the driver seat by themselves”.
Objectively, every country works to advance its own national interests. For instance, Chiang Kai-shek of Taiwan, Nguyen Van Thieu of the defunct South-Vietnam and Prince Sirimatak of the defunct Khmer Republic, all had expressed their “bitter memories” for having been abandoned by their allied friends as Lord Palmerston, the then British Prime Minister in the Opium War period said that: “Nations do not have permanent friends, only permanent interests”.
Any activity directing at illegalizing and questioning the legitimacy of national institutions is essentially suicidal since it only serves, intentionally or not, the weaken-strategy of foreign countries which aims at weakening state power, creating a new situation known as power vacuum that could open for them to interfere freely in our country as had intermittently happened since the fall of Angkor Empire.
Until now, the leaders of the other party miss to show their statesmanship: Are they wiser? Have they observed the “Ten Duties of the King” (and of national leaders)-dasa raja dhamma- more correctly such as having high moral character by sticking at least to the Five Precepts or Pancha Sila including not to lie or to cheat -musa-? Have they very well observed the Third Duty-pariccaga-that is sacrificing everything for the good of the country, being prepared to give up all personal comfort and partisanship and striving everything only for the sake of national interests ? Have they very well observed the Tenth Duty-avirodha-or non-opposition; that is not to oppose the King’s words of wisdom, calling for “national unity under the sole umbrella of the constitution”?
We resolutely believe that our most revered King’s words of wisdom constitute the Right Path-samma magga-that could re-invigorate the Khmer national soul into a new era of renaissance as in the period of Moha Nokor.
November 22nd, 2013
ENG YENG
Ambassador (retd)