Dear Editor,
I am dismayed by the
government's rehearsal for the national independence celebration
(‘Bigger and better' Independence Day, October 23). Of course,
Cambodia's Independence Day on November 9 is important as Cambodia
gained full freedom from the French on that day, but I believe the
Paris Peace Agreement on October 23 is equally important.
October 23
is considered a renaissance for Cambodia in both economic and political
terms. Though Cambodia has encountered problems in terms of fully
implementing the chapters of the treaty, the path to democracy in
Cambodia lies in the treaty's stipulations.
While we already have
full independence, Cambodia's political upheavals will end and its
democracy will become genuine when it fully adheres to the October 23
Paris Peace Agreement. I would like to suggest that all Cambodian
people and political parties remember the significance of this very
important day. Political dogmas aside, October 23 should be celebrated
and commemorated equally to national Independence Day on November 9.
Sophan Seng
PhD student in political science
University of Hawaii at Manoa
