Alleged Khmer Politics the Soap Opera: V
Despite allegedly signing on as The Iron Man’s alleged new poodle, the Rain Man wrote an open letter to the Cambodia (rarely) Daily (almost) this week to demand that the Cambodian Government officially invite the FBI to resume its investigation into the 1997 grenade juggling competition. It would seem that while the Rain Man has stopped naming specific people he allegedly considers responsible, he is not going to allegedly stop calling for an investigation, well allegedly good for him, at least he makes alleged sense on that point.
Notice anything allegedly different about this week’s episode of the Soap Opera – perchance some alleged Emails to yours truly made some alleged threats and alleged that the author should ‘be careful much more in harsh words about people who work big’ – well, with that level of grammar and sense of syntax, I expect to be mobbed by a backpacking English teacher more than anything, or possibly one of the better educated UN employees.
Other than that nonsense, the news this week was somewhat low key, with news from our neighbour to the North filling more column inches than anything else. Yawn.
Meanwhile back at the Capitol of Mirth, the Ministry of the Interior were drafting a proposed new law to limit public protests to parks – which set off the UN Hacks again, you really would think that they should have worked out by now that their hayday here is over and that nobody is actually listening to them anymore. A surprising response came from the Rain Man’s party, where bewildering lawmaker Son Chhay spoke up about poor villagers who had travelled to Phnom Penh to protest, ‘This is really scary, it eliminates their access. The government will continue to allow the rich and powerful people to rob their land.’ To which I have to ask the question, What Access??? They have none now.
Another amusing little nibble were the claims by both CPP and the Rain Man?s party that members of funky FUNCINPEC were trying to defect in droves to both of their parties – lower ranking members approaching the SRP and higher ranking ones going to CPP. While we have not seen any public movement to either party, I am sure that it is only a matter of time before the more career minded politicians actually jump ship.
Happy birthday, oh no, not your birthday, happy Tuesday then, 55, oh no 54 oh, happy Tuesday again. Well I guess if the Queen of England can have two birthdays? Still it was a bumper day for the people who sell advertising space in the multiple of ‘newspapers’ here. Possibly that extra cash bonanza for the local rags was behind the comments of the Ministry of the Interior, for whom a spokesman accused a certain newspaper of being written ‘under the influence of too many amphetamines.’
Midweek I was treated to some English comic political fare, curtsy of my old sparing partner Red Ken, it was also somewhat ironic as I found myself agreeing with him for the first time in well over a decade, the American Ambassador to the UK is ‘a chiselling little crook’ the congestion charge is not a tax, it is a transport fee. Put your hand in your pocket and pay up the US$250,000 you owe HM Government.
However, I digress, back to things Cambodian and this week saw the removal of two FUNCINPEC commission heads from the National Assembly, including everyone’s second favourite feminine royal, Princess Vacheara who until Friday headed the commission on foreign affairs and international relations. Strangely enough, the slapping was done by FUNCINPEC’s fresh Secretary-General Sticky Bun Chhay, not by The Iron Man or his party. Even stranger, the open slops are being filed by boys from The Rain Man’s party. Suspicions of a strange hand shake in a back room somewhere abound.
It seems that in true Khmer Royalist Tradition, Her Highness has left the Country to do some last minute hot season shopping in Beijing.
Well that just about allegedly wraps up another week, apart from to answer a question about Kem Sokha’s -People Power Party and the answer is, when/if he forms a party I will comment on his, I do not review people auditioning for parts, only players.
As for Suigang Chinese Rubbers, far too short and mysterious to be using. Perhaps Jiabao was here shopping for some larger sizes?
Finally (do not worry, I will end soon) While imitation may be the most sincere form of flattery, ‘The Gecko’ filler from the Phnom Penh Post still owes me 10% in Beer Lao for his use of the phrase ‘Soap Opera’ to describe Khmer politicians and situations?
Lord Playboy
alleged (adj)
Represented as existing or as being as described but not so proved; supposed.
allegedly (adv)
Usage Note: An alleged burglar is someone who has been accused of being a burglar but against whom no charges have been proved. An alleged incident is an event that is said to have taken place but has not yet been verified. In their zeal to protect the rights of the accused, newspapers and law enforcement officials sometimes misuse alleged. Someone arrested for murder may be only an alleged murderer, for example, but is a real, not an alleged, suspect in that his or her status as a suspect is not in doubt. Similarly, if the money from a safe is known to have been stolen and not merely mislaid, then we may safely speak of a theft without having to qualify our description with alleged.
