Open Letter: My Concern of 7 January Celebration

Open Letter: My Concern of 7 January Celebration

Ladies and Gentlemen, Cambodian Compatriots:

My name's Khmer Young, a younger generation of Cambodia, I would like to express my heartbreaking and sadness to the continual mechanism to make Khmer divide under the controversial day of 7 January.

I am also one of the victims of the Khmer Rouge regime. Many relatives of mine were also starved, tortured and died during that period. Surely, it is not easy to forget this darkness in the history page of Cambodia. But to be a real young Khmer generation, I hold no revenge or hatred towards those mismanaging regime. I am surely realized that this extreme regime has already been passed and will never come back again.

All Cambodians of both elders and youngers can see with the same sight that Khmers should stop hatred among our own Khmer race, including the wilderness of the Khmer Rouge. This attitude perfectly reflects the heart of all Cambodians to forgive in order to gain the larger benefit and the brighter future. And as most Cambodian population are Buddhist, they has already learned to forgive in the way of clearing their path for the constructive past, intellectual present and brilliant successful future.

In the recent year, Cambodian people of both elders and youngers have been silent about the 7 January day. This quietness doesn't mean that they agree or appreciate this day. Their silence means that all Cambodian people have moved forwards to welcome new period of globalization and capitalism particularly to see the brighter future rather than being lived in the trap of a divisive strategy of foreigner.

However, the CPP as a so-called information minister has deliberately spoken through the media to rationale the 7 January as well as to use the strategy of "dividing and conquering" to make 7 January day become more attractive and to make fear among Cambodian people.

As I am one of the younger generations of Cambodian people, I am not going to debate the advantage or disadvantage of 7 January day because doing so I am just one among those who are falling in the trap of Vietnam. Vietnam has been so smart in making troubling in our society in order to benefit from it. More debate about this controversial day, more division surely happens in Khmer society. And who will benefit from this? The CPP or other parties, or Cambodian people?

To stand strongly in celebrating this day by some few CPP's members are really inspiring. Of course, there are many CPP's prominent members and common supporters don't see any significant necessary to celebrate this day for the benefit of Cambodia or particularly for the benefiting of CPP party to win the vote during election period. CPP with huge budget and human resource can easily win other parties rather than using this controversial day. They surely see this day is out of date, and when the Khmer Rouge has been disappeared, this 7 January day is appearing clearly as the day of foreigner intervention and occupation in Cambodia.

Dear all Cambodian compatriots, our don ta (ancestors) have been instructing us to unite and trust each other especially our same race, so any activity that leads to controversial and division among our compatriots, that activity must be condemned and named it as "treason or traitor".

Again, this letter humbly appeals to all Khmers to see the right thing in order to lead the navy of Cambodia in the right track to appreciate our next civilized advancement.

The recognition or celebration of the 7 January day will surely exacerbate our nation, it will not bring any better for Cambodia under the current change of the world.

With King Regards,

Yours Very Truly,

Khmer Young