Voice Your Opinion About Cambodia: Cambodian Constitution 
Cambodian Constitution
After I read the articles on this website, made a lot of comments about our borders and Hun Sen blocking Sihanouk from helping the border problem. I fliped the pages of our constitution:
Chapter 1 (Sovereignity)
Article 2. The Kingdom of Cambodia's territory is absolutely inviolable within its borders as defined in the 1/100,000 map drawn up between 1933 and 1953 and recognized internationally between 1963 and 1969.( Why 1963 and 1969? why not 1933?)
1)Could CIC or anyone that have access to this map make it accessible on the web site? Please!
Chapter 2 (The King)
Article 8. The King shall be the symbol of national unity and national perpetuity.
The King shall be the guarantor of national independence, sovereignity and the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Cambodia; he shall guarantee respect for the rights and freedom of citizens and respect for international treaties.
From this article the King have the right to annul all treaties signed by CCP during the 70's, 80's on borders. Why didn't Sihanouk claim borders uccupied by the neithbors, while he was King? or why the present King his son doen't do that either?
Could someone help me out? I knew they both scared of Hun Sen execution. Anything else beside that? They could bot go in exile in Peking and work it out from there.
So far as I am concern, the king needs to nullify all treaties that allow the loss of our land including Kampuchea Krom (let's call South Cambodia). He should reserve all rights to all our territiries. He has an obligation to unify our lands.
Chapter 1 (Sovereignity)
Article 2. The Kingdom of Cambodia's territory is absolutely inviolable within its borders as defined in the 1/100,000 map drawn up between 1933 and 1953 and recognized internationally between 1963 and 1969.( Why 1963 and 1969? why not 1933?)
1)Could CIC or anyone that have access to this map make it accessible on the web site? Please!
Chapter 2 (The King)
Article 8. The King shall be the symbol of national unity and national perpetuity.
The King shall be the guarantor of national independence, sovereignity and the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Cambodia; he shall guarantee respect for the rights and freedom of citizens and respect for international treaties.
From this article the King have the right to annul all treaties signed by CCP during the 70's, 80's on borders. Why didn't Sihanouk claim borders uccupied by the neithbors, while he was King? or why the present King his son doen't do that either?
Could someone help me out? I knew they both scared of Hun Sen execution. Anything else beside that? They could bot go in exile in Peking and work it out from there.
So far as I am concern, the king needs to nullify all treaties that allow the loss of our land including Kampuchea Krom (let's call South Cambodia). He should reserve all rights to all our territiries. He has an obligation to unify our lands.
SUBMITTED BY: Preah Pisnoka Email: Pis....@hotmail.com Wed, 7 Sep 2005
2 Comments:
There are two questions being asked?
1) Why the Cambodian map wasn't recognized between 1933 and 1953 while it was drawn, and it was delayed to be recognized internationaly between 1963 and 1969?
2) According to Cambodian's Constitution, the King has the power to nullify any non-satifactory treaties, and why haven't the two kings done something about it?
In my opinion, first, we should ask French about it. Cambodian was under French colony, and the French had organized and controlled almost everything in the governing system. For example, Cambodian politics and economy.
During the French colony, Cambodian map was drawn in Vietnam, and Vietnamese were the French's favorite. We should have known that the person who drew the Cambodian map were Vietnamese and French and the map was kept in Vietnam. Our map wasn't drawn based on the size of Cambodia but it was based on where the most Cambodian were living so that it was easy for the French to monitor the activity of Cambodian and Cambodian resistant.
By reading our Cambodian history which was writen by Western Scholar, I noticed that our kingship government was struggle through power. Our political actors were mainly kings concerned about power. We weren't pay much attention to our teritory because the Cambodian administration was relying on French. If the Cambodian was to complaint about our Cambodian border that it wasn't reflex our satisfaction, who would Cambodian complaint to, wouldn't it be the French and the Vietnamese? And who was doing all the measurement, wouldn't it be the French and the Vietnamese? Was there any world order organization which we could forward our border issue to?
Remember, between 1933 and 1953, every small country like Cambodia was relying on the super power country like French, English, United States and Spain. So Cambodia had French to rely on.
However, Cambodian map was being recognize by the world between 1963 and 1969 because Cambodian became independent,and the government was established independently. Moreover, Cambodian had joined the United Nation, which was founded in 1945, and sent her diplomats to the United Nation and many countries in the world. That why we have been recognized.
We could ask that why wouldn't our government present Cambodian map which included Kampuchea krom and Khmer Sorin?
There are a few reasons why Khmer Krom and Khmer Sorin were not in our map. First of all, Cambodian was still affected by the foreign relation - French and United United States and English. The influence of French's policy were tied to Cambodian and Vietnamese government. The Cambodian internal administration was set to be effected by the decision of French. For example, if French said that Cambodian should have forgotten Kampuchea Krom and Cambodian would have gotten one million dollars, Cambodian government would act upon this. Second, the Khmer Sorin had been under Thai control, and Thai had United States and English at their side. Last, the two parts of Cambodian were in the dispute teritory; therefore, the United Nation would not want to involve with the internation conflict, and the UN had not created such resolution yet for the time.
The second question why wouldn't the kings nullify all treaties? Both kings have not had a chance to nullify the treaties because not all politicians are at his side. To act now, the king would be executed or the thrown would be abolished by CPP and the FUNCI would be behind to support. I think the King Sihakmoni has done the right thing which to slow down to save the thrown. He is buying time to get to know Cambodian first and to let the people to know him. He needs to get people on his side that includes CPP supporter. He wants people to see that what he does, he does for Cambodian and it's not for a favor of a political party. What the CPP's see the king now, they see him as resistant to punish CPP.
Last, your idea that both kings can work it out in exile like China. I think it is so impossible. For example, Sihanouk did that. He formed Cambodia Border Council in China and he was rejected to grant the decision making power. We also heard about the 2003 election which was stalled when Sihanouk and Chea Sim refused to sign the decree that allowed Hun Sen and Ranaridh to form the government. Nonetheless, Hun Sen promoted one of FUNCI's to represent the king and the decree was signed.
Thanks KM for your explanations. If I'm Sihanouk (which I'm not) or the presnt King,I would rather lead a total revolt like he did to get independant, in my opinion it will unify Khmers.It is so frostrated to see we khmer take a pro-passive action (reactive), instead of pro-active (Sihanouk himself used to say "Aide toi le ciel t'aidera" and latin proverb "If you want peace prepare for war" yet during Sankumreasniyum Cambodia had only 30,000 soldiers). I rather die, but I file claim on my Cambodian lands, this gives a legal right to the next generation of Khmers to work on and finish this job later. Like you did KM in your previous life. Some people may say what good will it do? It's only a legal claim file by the rightful owner of the land.
About the 1/100,000 scale map, mentioned in the constitution, could you or someone you knew be kind enough to put a copy on the web? Mr. Sieng Peng Se, do you have a copy? CIC could you ask him please!
PA
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