IS IT THE PEOPLE POWER AN EMPTY WORD? La notion du peuple, c'est vraiment de la foutaise! me disait Vannsak. That was exactly what Professor Keng Vannsak told me.

The invincible force of the people, the people power, the people, what did these words exactly mean? Are they empty words, without political meaning?

But history taught us that sometime the people power became invincible. No one can oppose to people power. We don't know when and how it happen, Is there a magic procedure to build people power?

You have to be careful about that, Vannsak warned me. When the authority used violence, people would hide to save their own skin. People would not come to help you. They would abandon you. So be careful about the people power.

He told me about his electoral campaign of 1955 election organized under the auspice of the UN, according to Geneva Agreement. He was Secretary General of Democrat Party at that time, and Saloth SAR (the future Pol Pot) was his devoted secretary. Vannsak told me that he was very popular because the Democrat Party focused on vital issues, economy, education, foreign policy etc. Democrat Party was the only one that focused on issues. Cambodian people liked to listen the issues. He avoided dirty campaign. But the Sangkum Reastr Nyum had no issues, no plan and proliferated on dirty campaign, digging on personal attacks.

At that time, I was a young boy who by curiosity followed very often Sangkum Reastr Nyum political rallies. All my family members were supporting Samdech Sihanouk. But all my cousins older and more educated than me were democrat.

Most of Democrat Party proponents were Public Administration employees, especially teachers, etc. They constituted the logistic support for the Democrat Party. Democrat cadres would find easily a place to eat and sleep and connect with others all over Cambodia.

Cambodian authority began to use violence, and menace against Democrat members; then, people got scared and deserted the Democrat Party. On the election's day, people, even the closed supporters, got scared and did not come to vote. The Democrat Party lost to the Sangkum Reastr Nyum.

Samdech Sihanouk was very popular. But to transform the popularity into victory, it needed a machine. Vannsak added that Sangkum Reastr Nyum victory owed essentially to Sam Sary (Sam Rainsy's father).

Sam Sary was a MA in political Science from the famous French school Science Po de Paris. As he was appointed Secretary General, he brought the know-how of organization, political doctrine and electoral campaign skills to the Sangkum Reastr Nyum. Without Sam Sary, there will not be swift victory for Sangkum.

Years later, I became Vannsak's student. "The people power is an empty word" still influenced my political thinking. I adhere to the adage: Personal security first, then other thing will follow after.

We lived in Western democracy. We are influenced by the Western political thinking. Freedom, especially the first amendment, the Freedom of speech is underneath of our conscience. Democracy and freedom are stuck with us as a way of life. Democracy and freedom mean first of all transparency and open system in order to get the support of the most people. So in democracy, we need and respect people opinion.

However we forget that the communist don't care much about democracy and freedom. They don't care about people opinion. What they care the most was their absolute control of sate power. Generation after generation, the communist performed their paradigm to conquer the power by using all means, including lies and violence. Once they grabbed the power, Communist power would be absolute and totalitarian.

Can we imagine that Saddam Hussein or Ho Chi Minh or dictators lose an election organized by his own government? Saddam Hussein always won the election by 99.99% of votes.

By the way, Vietnam had not yet organized during the past fifty years an election since the creation of the Republic Socialist of Vietnam. Communist Vietnam didn't need to consult Vietnamese people opinion.

Therefore, it is unthinkable that Hun Sen government can loose an election.
So now, what is the possible solution for Free Cambodia?

We noted that Hun Sen Party, the CPP, had his own police and his own army, seventy thousand (70,000) policemen, 100,000 soldiers, 20,000 soldiers disguised as Khmer Rouge in the marquis, and 5,000 disguised as Khmer SAR. This plethoric Hun Sen armed forces were backed up by Vietnamese occupation Army of 120,000 soldiers stationed inside Cambodia with their full heavy equipment, their hundred tanks, howitzers, AAA (Anti Aircraft Artillery) installed on almost Cambodian heights (Phnom Krom, Phnom Bakheng, Phnom Poeung Chhat, Phnom Chi, Phnom Bok, Phnom Bokor, Phnom Popokvil etc.) and 200,0000 Vietnamese militia.

So what is the probable solution of Free Cambodia?

To free Cambodia, we need people power. Vannsak had the premonition of people power. But he had not yet built it. We know all what people power is. We felt it. But we had not yet built it. We need a paradigm to build Cambodian people power.

I have the chance to meet a Khmer Krom, specialist of people power doctrine. He was trained at the first hand by Vietnamese Communist masters. The paradigm was a set of principles that Vietnamese performed generation after generation in their expansionist policy to swallow Cambodia (Champa, then Cambodia).

So to free Cambodia we had to build people power first. Always, first, build people power, then followed victories, military and political.

We should use the same paradigm to fight back. We will win without doubt because Cambodia is our motherland, our home and our soul.

When the Vietnamese communist infiltrated Cambodia during the last century, notably since 1930, they began to build in Cambodia sanctuaries and people power bases.

For Vietnam, the priority of priorities was Vietnam interest. To advance their cause, Vietnamese leaders did everything, lawful and unlawful. When King Sihanouk was an obstacle to Vietnamese interests, they insulted Samdech Sihanouk as a traitor before Cambodian villagers. When circumstances changed, they needed free passage of their logistic, they kowtowed the King. They were behind all draconian actions: Kill or buy Cambodian bureaucrats depend on the deal.

Preah Vihear Trial and Ho Chi Minh

The Vietnamese Communist was even behind the Preah Vihear Affair. We all knew that Cambodia had won the Preah Vihear trial at International Court of Justice (ICJ, Hague). But to recuperate Preah Vihear it was another affair.

Thailand didn't want to return Preah Vihear to Cambodia in spite of the ICJ verdict

Hanoi had her interest in this Preah Vihear Affair too. Vietnam wanted free passage of her logistic, ammunition and armament for their occupation army stationed in Battambang, Siemreap and Kompong Thom. Hanoi threatened Thai government: If Thailand don't get out of Preah Vihear region, that meant Thailand blocked the passage of Vietnamese logistic, Hanoi will mop up Thai occupation forces by forces. Under these menaces, Thailand let Cambodia recuperate Preah Vihear.

That was the triangular deal behind scene on the recuperation of Preah Vihear. Samdech Sihanouk owed that to Hanoi. The recuperation of Preah Vihear helped also to strengthen the friendship relation between Samdech Sihanouk with Uncle Ho.

To be free Cambodia should work hard to establish our people power. Our brothers of Khmer Krom knew very well. Khmer Krom Buddhist monk leaders told King Sihanouk; If you want to be free you have to fight by yourself. If you ask Vietnamese to fight in your place, to die in your place to liberate Cambodia, after the liberation Vietnam will be your master.
Baphuon - (Update Jan-Fev2005)