GIVE THEM A CHANCE ? Leaders are of course born to manage state affairs in such a way to bring welfare for the people and prosperity and development for the country weather they be leaders from way back beyond Angkor era or from this contemporary era. Some cannot do the job as it should be owing to miscellaneous factors such as bad leading concept, bad team to conduct policy, bad policy itself or bad strategy (you can say all of these are big words )! And probably the execution of inappropriate ideology out of date such as communism. Some are conceived as descendants of God destined to some extent to rule on earth as God's representatives kings ), some came to power by political turmoil in Asia (world war, civil war, war laid over by neighbors... ), some directly by invaders with all kinds of pretexts including that of ousting a genocide regime out. Among these Hun Sen and the CPP are specimen of Vietnamese fashioned policy in Cambodia in order to serve the Vietnamese interests not the Cambodian interests. Thanks to them for delivering the Cambodian people from the Khmer Rouge yoke but their stay in Cambodia and their administration behind the label of Khmer puppets cannot be qualified other than pure invasion. So the Vietnamese's have given Hun Sen a chance or an opportunity to lead the country for almost two decades and the Cambodian people has given him a chance to govern without defying much his authority. Only in 1993 when the United Nations supervised the elections that the Cambodian people gave him another chance to cooperate with Ranaridh but he did not give a chance to the people for freedom of what soever nor a chance to enjoy peace since the " Rokar " Hun Sen stayed stiff and cannot bend or " Kong" to anywhere but shadowed even Ranaridh and finally ousted him out. Now then the people, including us, have given him another chance to respect the people' s will he crushes this will once again and imposes his dictatorship in cheating the 1998 elections, this of course with the compliance of a great number of the countries of the international community. Complaints about frauds during the elections are ignored just as he ignores us. Weather we give him another chance or not Hun Sen does not care and goes ahead to carry out his mentors' orders: use every mean to maintain in power or disappear. It is now or never to legitimize the de facto regime long time not recognized by the international community. When we start to see Hun Sen' s bloody hands before, during and after the elections he already moved forward towards his goal by first making the international community admit his flawed elections as "free and credible ," next discard Sam Rainsy from a government and pressure (by way of the king and the international community) Ranaridh to co-habitate in a government under his leadership. Let's admit he is strong in doing this, but logically leaders who violate fundamental human rights and who make use of dictator method of government must be removed either by force or by elections and this is not the case in Cambodia. Instead of giving a chance to the people to fully enjoy peace with dignity within a democratic framework Hun Sen, as leader, will get a chance to continue to govern by intimidation, by smuggling, by money laundering, by assassinations with no prosecution of criminals, by encouraging overture of casinos and brothels, by illegal logging... Do we, the common Cambodian people, have a chance to give him a chance to change this state of non-respect of the laws where all kinds of crimes are permitted to a prosperous state of law? I doubt very much! When the king, the so called opposition, the U. N and the international community try to give Hun Sen a chance to implement his policy , what can we the common people do, if not hope? Isn't it absurd to think of a political change based only on hope? And yet this is the truth. But if we just consider seriously what the WCC and DR Tith Naranhkiri are trying to do maybe one of these days we can transform our hope into reality! As leader, Ranaridh has been given a chance by the Cambodian people in 1993 to rule the country and direct it towards a lawful state and democracy but he did not give a chance to the people to see a slight light of democracy since he believes (exert from his declaration) that the people do not need democracy but only food. Months before the 1998 elections, while staying in Bangkok, Thailand, he has been given a chance by the American IRI and the NDI to form a democratic movement of opposition, the UCD, with the objective to electorally beat Hun Sen, but this chance supported by most of Cambodians inside and abroad has gone away since the day he and Sam Rainsy tried to wrangle the title of opposition chief. Self interest before general interest indeed. Since the days of the "Kingdom II of Cambodia " the "Lovea " not only "té " but always " ré " without stability. " té " and " ré " wherever his interests led him. Compared to Hun Sen he is the only one who " té " , Hun Sen not. Now then he becomes the president of the National Assembly can the people trust him to install democracy in Cambodia? Weather we give him a chance or not he still performs what suits him best without any other consideration. After the July 1997 coup by Hun Sen mistrust climate prevails between the "Rokar " and the "Lovea ." How then the world can expect stability of the country with such unstable relationship between the Executive and the Judiciary, we emphasize only about mistrust and not rancor and other bitterness. And the more they kiss each other the more the people suffer. Unless another "miracle on the Mekong" happens! Sam Rainsy, another figure of the opposition, supposed to be the symbol of what is seen so far as democrat defending the people's cause, the people's rights, anti-corruption, anti-Mafia, anti-dictator Hun Sen but not anti-despotic behavior, has a chance to participate in the 1998 elections under a unique list while within the UCD but prefer to run alone, deeply convinced of his popularity and his victory over Hun Sen, always seen alongside with Ranaridh but never get along with him. The Cambodian people have given a chance to Cambodian democrats to prove their ability to overcome personal interest and put forward general interest but it seems that Sam Rainsy could not get rid of the feudal behavior just as could not Hun Sen nor Ranaridh and deceive lot of his supporters from the day he went to Phnom-Penh and shook hands with the man he used to call Mafia dictator. He gives the people a chance to join him struggle for freedom and democracy, often at the price of their lives, in spite of his nonviolence preaching. He gives Hun Sen and Ranaridh a chance to govern again knowing soon or later they will break apart and he will be the only one who benefits from that split. What about other democrats? Are they really nil? In conclusion we are not the ones who give our leaders a chance to succeed but being leaders they must give us a chance by solving poverty, AIDS, illegal drug trafficking, smuggling, money laundering, illegal logging, casinos and brothels, water, borders, immigration, environment, health and education...problems. If not it is useless to be leaders! Partisan/nonpartisan, intellectuals/non-intellectuals, low vision/high vision, God/atheism...polemics put aside each Cambodian weather he be king, minister, soldier, civil servant, educator, peasant or beggar must have only one voice to express his choice because turmoil-torn Cambodia concerns us all. This country does not belong to our sole leaders.

Reflections are good but reflections and acting may be better! If not we deserve the leaders we have!

Krethya