The Bangkok Post: Ensuring history’s right on both sides is key to better ties (29.01.2008)

Here’s another article by Thanida Tansubhapol from the Bangkok Post, again quoted in whole.

PHNOM PENH RIOTS / FIVE YEARS LATER

Ensuring history’s right on both sides is key to better ties

THANIDA TANSUBHAPOL

One of the keys to closer ties between Thailand and Cambodia lies with the Thai-Cambodian Association that was set up a year after the 2003 riots.

And for the association, a way to prevent violence recurring is to create a proper understanding of Thai-Cambodian history. Trying to correct history textbooks is a good way to start.

But five years on, there hasn’t been much progress on this front even though academics from the two countries have met frequently to discuss the textbooks.

” What is different in the textbooks [about Thai-Cambodian history] is that the two countries write history differently,” Dhonburi Rajabhat University vice-president Prayoon Songsilp said.

Ms Prayoon said it might be wise if the two countries studied each other’s history more and softened the words used in textbooks.

The future is also encouraging as Thailand is helping Cambodia design a curriculum for the Thai language at the bachelor’s degree level at the University of Cambodia in a task expected to be completed next year, she said.

Allowing Cambodian students to learn Thai in universities also shows that the Cambodian government is more open about education these days, she said. In the past the Phnom Penh government feared Thai influence, she added.

The Thai-Cambodian Association has also launched more than 30 projects _ mostly in arts and culture, literature and student exchanges, Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat said.

” We believe that Cambodian people have a better attitude towards these projects,” he said, citing the good response from Cambodian university students who know the Thai language who have been invited to visit Thailand. ” They know Thailand better,” he added.

Bangkok has taken Thai movies and songs to Cambodia to show to Cambodians and the two countries also have cooperated to produce dictionaries as well as projects on reading and writing the Thai language for students at the secondary to university level.

Source: Thanida Tansubhapol, “ Ensuring History’s Right on Both Sides is Key to Better Ties,” The Bangkok Post, January 29, 2008, at http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/29Jan2008_news15.php

The Bangkok Post: Khmer Studies Becoming More Popular (29.01.2008)

This is an article from the Bangkok Post of January 29, 2008 by Thanida Tansubhapol. It shows some positive signs by some Thai people [in the wake of the Phnom Penh-riots five years ago] to make an effort to learn their eastern neighbor’s language – paving the way for more cultural understanding between the two historically conflicting nations. Quoted in whole here is the article:

PHNOM PENH RIOTS / FIVE YEARS LATER

Khmer studies becoming more popular

Relations improve in wake of anti-Thai riots

THANIDA TANSUBHAPOL

The riots in Phnom Penh five years ago that resulted in the Thai embassy being burned and rocked Thai business confidence in the country has not deterred Thai people from learning the Khmer language.

Since the anti-Thai protests on Jan 29, 2003, Dhonburi Rajabhat University, which pioneered teaching Khmer, has seen more students applying for the course, according to university vice-president Prayoon Songsilp.

About 40 students enrol in the class each year, said the expert in the Khmer language, adding the number was higher than during the protest, which temporarily soured ties between the two countries. However, she did not reveal past records on the number of students.

Dhonburi Rajabhat University opened its Khmer language course in 1989. Now Silpakorn, Maha Sarakham and Si Sa Ket Rajabhat universities also offer students courses in the Khmer language in a bid to build closer relations between the countries.

For Thailand, one of the most jarring events in Thai-Cambodian relations in recent history happened on January 29, 2003. On that day hundreds of young Cambodians stormed the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh, broke into the compound and burned the building. The angry rioters then moved on to other Thai businesses in the area, looting and smashing property, prompting then prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to send C-130 military planes to evacuate Thai people living there.

Silpakorn University students do a writing exercise during a Khmer language class at the archaeology faculty. — SOMCHAI POOMLARD

The major cause of the protests came from a single misunderstanding of culture and history between the two countries. Actress Suwanan Kongying was accused of saying that Angkor Wat belonged to Thailand in a television show, something she later denied saying.

The incident showed a large gap in understanding between the two countries. One way to close that gap was to learn the language of Thailand’s neighbouring country.

” The Thai people should know all the languages of their neighbours, especially the Khmer due to many similarities in the cultures,” said Ms Prayoon.

Thai words used to address members of the Royal Family have their roots in the Khmer language, she said as an example.

Pajaree Phancharoen, 20, a second-year student at Silpakorn University’s archaeology faculty, said she had chosen to learn Khmer because she was interested in the language.

It is not difficult to learn to write Khmer because it is similar to the Thai language, but the pronunciation is different because it has more than 20 vowels, she added.

” I would like to become a tour guide because there are very few people who know the Khmer language. I want to know the Cambodian culture, way of life and food,’ ‘ she said.

Supachai Varoros, a fourth-year student at Dhonburi Rajabhat University’s education faculty, said he is taking up the course because his home province, Si Sa Ket, is adjacent to Cambodia.

” After I graduate, I will go back home to become a teacher because I got a scholarship to study. I chose to learn Khmer because I think I can use it more than Japanese, Chinese or English in my hometown,” he said.

” Language will be an important way of helping us understand and not look down on each other,” he added.

The situation now is different from in the past when only a few Thais knew the language of their neighbouring country.

The lack of Thai people speaking Khmer was reflected in an incident involving the navy when Cambodia was at war.

” The Royal Thai Navy, which patrolled along the border, got hold of some Khmer documents, but no navy officer could read the documents,” recalled Ms Prayoon.

After then-prime minister Chatichai Choonhavan launched a policy of turning the battlefield into a trading market in 1988, a lot of Thai businessmen flocked to Cambodia but knew nothing of the language, she said.

Those who knew how to speak Khmer made big money at the time when Thai businesses starting up in Cambodia needed people to translate contracts and agreements.

In addition to being translators, these Thais also had to turn themselves into teachers for the Thai businessmen and bankers who wanted to do business in Phnom Penh.

The demand for Khmer speakers led to a decision by Dhonburi Rajabhat University to open language courses to the public.

” Reporters or businessmen were among the 500 people in the first group who entered Phnom Penh, but they had to apply to join the course first,” she said.

She also taught the language to Thai diplomats being sent to Phnom Penh or those wanting to know Khmer since 1994.

However, the Khmer language is not highly popular compared with other languages in this region for Foreign Ministry officials.

Source: Thanida Tansubhapol, “ Khmer Studies Becoming More Popular: Relations Improve in the Wake of Anti-Thai Riots,” The Bangkok Post, January 29, 2008, at http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/29Jan2008_news16.php

The Nation: Relations Sour over Preah Vihear Claim (25.01.2008)

This news item has been published on Thailand’s The Nation newspaper website as “ urgent.” It gives a Thai perspective on the developing dispute of the two countries over Cambodia’s lobbying for the Preah Vihear Temple (ប្រាសាទ​ព្រះវិហារ) to be listed as a United Nations (UNESCO) World Heritage Site. (Read the article)

Support for ‘Olympic Dream for Darfur’ in Cambodia

“ China holds unrivaled influence with the genocidal regime in Sudan. As Beijing prepares to host the 2008 Olympics, join us in urging China to use its leverage to persuade the Sudanese government to allow a civilian protection force into Darfur.” claims the Olympic Dream for Darfur Team. (1) Similar events were held in “ Chad, Rwanda, Armenia, Germany and Bosnia as part of a campaign to persuade China to push Khartoum into ending the violence in Darfur.” (2) Why shouldn’t it be held in Cambodia, a country whose darkest moments were partly fated by China. (3) Let’s support Mia Farrow in stopping genocide in Cambodia!

 

Sources:

(1) http://www.dreamfordarfur.org/

(2) & (3) http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnBKK95165.html

អំពី​ប្លក់​ខេមរ​សន្តិ​សិក្សា

ប្លក់​«ខេមរ​សន្តិ​សិក្សា»​នេះ​ត្រូវ​បាន​បង្កើត​ឡើង​នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​ទី១៨ ខែ​មករា ឆ្នាំ​២០០៨។ ប្លក់​នេះ​មាន​គោលដៅ​ចម្បង​ណែ​នាំ​នូវ​មុខវិជ្ជា សន្តិសិក្សា និង​ការ​ដោះ​ស្រាយ​វិវាទ (Peace Studies/Peace and Conflict Studies) និង​​ចែក​រំលែក​នូវ​​ចំណេះ​ដឹង​និង​ការ​ស្រាវ​ជ្រាវ​​ខ្លះៗ​ដែល​មាន​នៅ​ក្នុង​មុខ​វិជ្ជា​មួយ​នេះ​ដល់​ខេមរជន​ទូទៅ។ សន្តិសិក្សា​ ជា​មុខវិជ្ជា​ដែល​មាន​ចំណាស់​ប្រហែល​កន្លះ​សតវត្សរ៍​ហើយ ហើយ​ចាប់​ផ្តើម​ទទួល​នូវ​ប្រជាប្រិយភាព​កាន់​តែ​ច្រើន​ឡើង​ក្នុង​មជ្ឃដ្ឋាន​អ្នក​សិក្សា​និង​អ្នក​ស្រាវជ្រាវ​របស់​បស្ចិមប្រទេស ក៏​ប៉ុន្តែ​មិន​ត្រូវ​បាន​គេ​ស្គាល់​ទូលំទូលាយ​​ទេ​​នៅ​ប្រទេស​កំពុង​អភិវឌ្ឍ​នានា​។ នៅ​ប្រទេស​កម្ពុជា​ដែល​ជា​ប្រទេស​ទើប​រួច​ផុត​ពី​សង្រាម​រ៉ាំ​រ៉ៃ ​មុខ​វិជ្ជា​សន្តិសិក្សា​នេះ​ទើប​តែ​មាន​ក្នុង​ពេល​ថ្មី​ៗ​នេះ ថ្វី​បើ​មុខ​វិជ្ជា​នេះ​មានសារៈសំខាន់​ខ្លាំង​ក្នុង​ការ​កសាង​និង​អភិវឌ្ឍ​ប្រទេស​ក្តី។ ខ្ញុំ​សង្ឃឹម​ថា​ប្លក់​នេះ​នឹង​ជួយ​រួម​ចំណែក​ដល់​ការ​ផ្សព្វ​ផ្សាយ​អំពី​​មុខ​វិជ្ជា​ថ្មី​នេះ​ និង​បំពេញ​នូវ​កង្វះ​ខាត​មួយ​ផ្នែក​នៃ​ប្រព័ន្ធ​សិក្សា​ខ្មែរ។