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Tuesday, March 31st, 2009
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9:08 am - TO A FRIEND...
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My humble opinion is we need to look at the trial as the beginning of the healing process and the detachment of starvation, suffering, diseases, and intimidation of the barbaric nature that forcibly put upon us for these past 30 years by the machine called “Khmer Rouge”. It’s an opportunity to cry out loud, if you have not done so. It’s an opportunity to wash away, or at least try to; the pain and confusion of loosing love ones. There is no medicines to heal the wounds, but there are friendly voices nearby incase the time has comes to awaken the Khmer people. These voices are our neighbors, countrymen, opponents that look to repent themselves, and old friends who come together to participate in the new struggle for identity, self awareness, and a sense of belonging into this world. You must find your inner voice and determine whether it is time to heal yourself and accept the changes in your life.
Let this New Year brings you strength and opportunity. The strength of a community whether abroad or in Cambodia starts with One person. Walking in your sleep or go to sleep will not eliminate your suffering or hunger, but prolongs it. As a child growing up during the Khmer Rouge time, I too, loss a father and a brother. We all, in one way or another, received this abundant karma and man-made fractured lives. We, the survivors endure endless pain and suffering; unfortunately our struggles in life continue and our marks from those years tatooed us forever.
There’s nothing stronger than the common bond among people. My fellow Cambodians, let not be that we lost the war, but a lingering battle. All men are created equal, but what he or she chooses to accept is his/her choice.
Let’s choose to stop the pain and seek remedy
Let’s choose to speak instead of spoken for
Let’s choose to be heard instead of just hearing
And finally, let’s choose to be who you are and not who you were.
You must understand that neither I nor my friends can wake you up from your deprived sleep; only you know when to wake up and join the fast moving and glorious world.
Whether you are still sick, healthy, strong, or weak, you always have choices. You must be brave to make and accept the choice you make.
Take Care,
-Sidney
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| Friday, March 21st, 2008
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6:52 pm - Blind compassion is ignorant at its worst
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Sidney Liang
www.cambodianvoices.org
03/21/2008
It is often true that we always look to blame other people rather our own selves. It is very rare that we look at our own internal missteps. I have seen many things come across emails, junk mails, snail mails, audio, and even through video. For example, an unnamed organization that always blames the Vietnamese, Thais, and other neighbors for our loss of lands, cultures, tradition, and ways of life. We embrace the foreigners, the neighbors, and the do good people with open arms, open heart without reservation. It is obvious that when you give up something, whether it is land or culture, you’ll never get it back. In 2002, while in Cambodia, I went into this nice restaurant by the Palace. Upon arrival, the people there hardly noticed me walking in. Coincidentally, a bunch of foreigners walked in, you can guess what happened. It was like Hollywood stars were walking into town. It’s not only happened in Cambodia, but in Lowell, Massachusetts as well.
It is easier to blame other folks than taking responsibility for ourselves. In Long Beach, we blame the Cambodian officials from Cambodia for coming to California to cut the ribbon. Think about it, without folks in California’s invitation, open heart, and nice gesture, I don’t think the Cambodian officials know where California is, nonetheless coming to cut the ribbon.
Story time: A Snake was running from a hunter. After moving into the deep grass, the Snake climbs up the tree. In the tree lives an Owl. Approaching the Owl, the Snake said “Mr. Owl, I am being chased by a ruthless hunter; can you help me?” The Owl said yes and tried to hide the Snake but he could not do so because the hunter could see through the branches. Then the Owl said, why don’t you climb into my mouth and I’ll hide you inside me; I’ll let you out when the hunter is gone. Upon hearing that, the Snake decided to go into the Owl’s mouth and finally stay inside his stomach until hunter left the wood. After the hunter left, the Owl told the Snake to come out, because it is safe now. Sadly, the Snake refused to come out of the Owl’s stomach. The Snake found that it’s warm, peaceful, and safe inside there.
These last words from our Great Buddha were: "Be an Island to yourself; Be a refuge to yourself; do not take to yourself any other refuge. See truth as an island, see truth as refuge. Do not seek refuge in anyone but yourselves.
We listen to his teaching and life but do we really hear him.
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| Thursday, January 31st, 2008
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9:15 am - No Blame...
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Dear Friends,
I have been thinking about the prospect of the petition that has been circulating of trying to prohibit Mr. Sok An to come to the Long Beach Parade. Heck, I even posted here, but everyone knows this is a very long shot. This parade or invitation has nothing to do with Mr. Sok An, Mayor Foster, or even Cambodia for that matter. It is about the Long Beach community and its affect on all other Cambodian community around the world. It is about the desire to please and the misunderstanding and un-appreciation of local community partnership. Long Beach is the largest community in the United States, but is it one community? I remember for so long about the struggle of Cambodian community members trying to make Long Beach their homes. For decades Cambodians have been arriving to Long Beach and designed a community to call home. Finally, the dreams and the wait are at hands. Instead of celebrating and being united to receive the fruits of their labor that long awaited them, the community is broken. The fruits of their labor are being wrapped up and prepared to give to others that are not even related to their causes, struggles, or understanding of the Cambodian American’s pains and suffering. From afar, I am saddened to see this unity broken due to greed, desire, and the ability to serve others than themselves. The hard works that united them turned into rubbles because of the desire to hike the ladder of human domination.
Sadly, it is a normal cycle that happened in most of our community, workplace, temples, schools, and our very own homes. My friends, we have changed for the worst because we don’t appreciate our neighbors, friends, and family until they are gone leaving only broken parts as evidence. It is not because we don’t have the education, strengths, commitment, perseverance, endurance, or the ability to rebuild but only we carry a broken TRUST among us. We must try to take baby steps in trusting our Cambodian friends, neighbors, community and most importantly ourselves. Let the old distrust of each other go… embrace anew because we have so much to loose…ourselves.
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| Saturday, January 26th, 2008
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9:03 am - PETITION TO STOP SOK AN
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Dear Friends,
Do you know that Mr. Sok An, the Deputy Prime Minister of Cambodia, is now on a schedule to come to preside the nearing 2008 Cambodian-New-Year parade in Long Beach California, under an undemocratic secret arrangement of some Cambodian business opportunists in Long Beach. This is quite a mockery to democratic Cambodians, mainly Cambodian-Americans. Allowing that to happen clearly sends a menacing message to Cambodian people that Sok An who has fully taken control of Cambodian people's destiny in Cambodia is now putting another grip on Cambodian-Americans, too. Please help Ms. Navy Phim sign a petition to stop that invitation. To help Ms. Navy Phim sign the petition, you can select one of the 2 following procedures depending on your circumstances.
1- Please download, sign the petition, and get as many signatures as possible: _http://navyphim.com/SokAnPetition.pdf_ (http://navyphim.com/SokAnPetition.pdf) Please sign and mail petition to: myP1T.com PO Box 4129 Long Beach, CA 90804 or email a scanned copy with signature(s) to: _petition@myp1t.com_ (mailto:petition@myp1t.com)
2- Sign the petition through (http://www.petitiononline.com/newyear/)
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To: Parade Committee, Mayor Bob Foster
Mayor Bob Foster
333 W. Ocean Blvd 14th Floor
Long Beach, CA 90802
Dear Mayor Foster:
We are writing to protest the appearance of Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An at this year's annual Long Beach Cambodian New Year Parade, to be scheduled in April.
For over a decade, Cambodia has been under the administration of Prime Minister Hun Sen, a government that has violated an incalculable multitude of human rights with impunity since 1997, so much so that they have simply ceased to meet with the latest United Nations rights envoy this past December. Cambodia has one of the most corrupt governments in the world today, ranked 162nd out of 180 nations according to Transparency International (180 being most corrupt). Mr. Sok An is the head of the Cambodian Council of Ministers and is that government's second in command.
We the undersigned, Cambodians and non-Cambodians alike, are deeply shocked and saddened that the right hand man of such a government has been invited to parade himself in an event purported to celebrate diversity, community, and personal freedom. How does one celebrate these values by welcoming the very figure that is a perpetrator against them? What community and freedom are our brothers and sisters celebrating in Cambodia, where Mr. Sok An and colleagues rule the people with forced evictions and rampant land grabs, where simple freedom of expression is met with incarceration and death?
In their press release on January 9, 2008, the committee that invited Mr. Sok An stated that they "believe in open dialogs and making changes through peaceful means as taught by Dr. Martin Luther King." That may be well and good but a parade is simply not an appropriate venue for having such dialog. While Dr. Martin Luther King met with opposition figures to create open dialog and further understanding, we cannot imagine he would have invited members of the Ku Klux Klan to participate in a parade celebrating the African-American community as a means of opening this dialog.
We implore your understanding and compassion in this matter and fervently hope you will rescind Mr. Sok An's unfortunate invitation.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned
Sincerely,
The Undersigned
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| Monday, January 7th, 2008
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11:20 am - Help yourself
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by Sidney Liang
www.Cambodianvoices.org
I hope everyone has a good New Year celebration. I hope this year will bring new life to the routes you take. It has been too long for me to write something on the page. This is one of those times that it is hard to start writing about things. I tried hard not to let the event in Cambodia or personal life affects the things I do. But everyone knows that it is nearly impossible to do such things. The diminishing hopes of renew life support for people in Cambodia seems to glow dimmer each year. The society of life in Cambodia appears to adapt the cut-throat mentality. Survival of the fittest overshadows the understanding, kindness, and compassion of our own kind. The Buddhist law of Metta, Karuna, Muteda, and Opheka oppresses by the capitalistic society and the powerful. The lands are being grabbed and the lives of ordinary people are slowly choked to death. Cambodia will soon become the land of the wandering death. Where do you bury the survivors? This will be known as the rebirth of Cambodia. The new Cambodia will be divided by clans, locations, and the broken bridge of rich versus poor. If not today, the iron curtain of Cambodia will soon surround its people. When the final iron curtain comes down, the rebirth begins.
Growth: throughout the year we have seen improvement in communication, good roads, many schools, nice hospitals, and beautiful architectural sceneries. It is the law of nature to give something in order to take something back. But this is the visual affect of the international techno-frenzies publicity stunts. Unfortunately, most people have given their souls. The one sacred thing that a person has to show the way of moral values.
It is heart broken to see the setting up of the final curtain to the Cambodian society. The script has been written, the players are chosen, the places have been chosen on the chalkboard, but just a matter of time. Let it be peace and equity throughout our broken hearts. While we always search to blame some other people than ourselves, there is no one to blame but our individual self. A person in the mirror is only a reflection. S/he does not have feeling unlike the person stands in front of it. There is no blame to give and no hands to point fingers. Please always remember “the sum is always greater than its parts”.
All I can say is take care of yourself…
-Sidney
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| Wednesday, October 24th, 2007
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10:01 am - "A little Lift"
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Sidney Liang
www.cambodianvoices.org
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Last night, one of my professors gave me this quote to discuss in the Leadership Class. I found it to be very indebt and appropriate to what we do as volunteers and public servants who receive barrage of criticism, insult, unappreciative, and unsupportive verbiages and actions toward our priceless works. I could not say it any better than that; so enjoy!
“It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly…who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at best, knows the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails while doing greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
- President Theodore Roosevelt
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| Monday, October 22nd, 2007
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1:23 pm - Here and There...
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Sidney Liang
www.cambodianvoices.org
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I am sitting here with nothing to write because so many things are happening or just brain-freezed.:
The Cambodians who came together in DC last week to ask the Cambodian Government to respect the Paris Peace Accord – many folks came together from all over the world to express their concerns about the violation of the PAC agreement.
Khmer Krom Federation is rallying about the heartless oppression Vietnam has on them. Recently there are so many things are going on that was filtered from the defrocked of Venerable Tim Sakorn. Religion is being used as tool to stab inside the hearts of our Cambodian believers.
Khmer Lowell came together and help elected Niki Tsongas to the House of Representation of the 5th District of Massachusetts. I am amazed by this execution of their civic duty and rights. We are moving slowly and get involved.
I miss my little lost Rabbit – not sure what happened to my little hare. There was an eclipse a short while ago.
There was an outrage of an incident where Vietnamese stepped on the neck of a 14 years Cambodian kid to death in the mud.
Visiting Taiwan is a nightmare when you are not a citizen of the United States – basically if you have a green card and hold a reentry permit, you should go to do your visa in Ho-Chi Minh City, Vietnam…not sure why, when there is an embassy in Boston.
I am almost finish reading some Buddhist stories for leisure listening and study
Oh! Homework…Homework…
Well! I guess there is so much going on in my head and no wonder I am getting bald. Anyway, just writing… If you want to write something, please forward to me and I post it for you.
With Love,
-Sidney
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| Monday, October 15th, 2007
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9:31 am - With Passing...
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Sidney Liang
www.cambodianvoices.org
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With the passing of my uncle (oum Rorn) two days prior to Pchum Benh, I felt a sense of loss, sorrow, but not sadness. He passed away at the age of 82 taken by disease that stricken his body for over five years. In the many days leading to his death, I was not able to go and say good bye which makes it hard for me. But it was expected and I know it was fast approaching. I have many unsaid words and unyielding thoughts forever compressed within me. My uncle was a quiet man, all children never heard of any fight between him and my aunts. He never raised a sound at me or anyone that I know. From that day forward, I will never see him again and my house will be forever changed. Every Cambodian’s cultural holidays, events, ceremonies, and special gathering, he was always at the head of the table and lead. He was a man of a few words but big heart and thoughts. He left behind a wife, four children, and many grandchildren. As part of his obligation as Cambodian that brought to monkhoods at young age, he help built a temple which called “Glory Buddhist Temple” in Lowell, Massachusetts.
In Buddhism, we born, grow old, get sick, and die. It does not have to be in that sequence, but it is a normal acceptance. As human being, we feel attached to those that brought us good memories, love, kindness, compassion, respect, and the ability to feel at ease in his or her presence. The funeral procession was filled with tears from the beginning to the end. About a hundred cars were lining up the highway; the sound of grown people cry can be heard in and outside of the temple. The loudest sound of loss and devastation was at the final button pushed at the crematory. I and my relatives lifted the casket up into the flame burning containment and all flowers were put in as well. The oldest child, bong Jop was surprisingly gave that task while other children and grandchildren surrounded him. The sense of loss can be felt to the outside chambers of the funeral chapel. In less than five seconds, the body of my uncle was gone.
In actuality, he left us four days ago at the hospital. It is hard to give up the desires and greed within ourselves. Even with just a laying body, we still want to hang on to him and pretend that he’s still around. It is the greed to hang on to him even he endure so much pain before he died. We eliminate the suffering he endured daily for the past six long years because he never complained and still wanted to keep him around. He is at peace now looking down at us to keep doing good deeds and help the unfortunate.
Once in awhile, it hits me like a brick of how this loss impacted me. I know I will continue to miss him as long as I live; especially at cultural festivities. I am not sad because he is no longer feeling the physical pain of going to the hospital 3-4 times a week anymore.
To my dearest uncle: I will always love you and miss you very much. I know you are in good hands now – so take care of yourself. Thank you so much for everything you left behind to me. Good bye.
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| Thursday, October 11th, 2007
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8:59 am - Do Something...Please
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Sidney Liang
www.cambodianvoices.org
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Today we celebrate a day of thanks and gratitude to our ancestors, elders that are still alive, and others. Pchum Benh is not set for only the dead but also for the living. Imagine being starved while still alive and the kids only set to bring foods to the dead. As human beings, we scream for food if we missed lunch, dinner, or breakfast. Our parents, grandparents, children, friends, and others that have died missed years of foods and other offerings because of their wrong doing while they were alive. Even you believe in this ceremony or not, you should believe in thanking those who have done good deeds/gestures and provide comfort to you. Some actions were done because their responsibilities as parents, grandparents, or close relatives while others; provide kindness because of their hearts. So as Cambodians, take a moment to go to the temple and leave all your questions, doubts, and ignorance of pchum benh behind for just one day…listen to prat pchum benh.
We have traveled far and beyond our homeland and seek refuge in all corners of the world. Our hearts are full of suffering and heartache have stretched beyond our imagination. As Khmer blood, we do have kindness and compassion in our hearts and souls. It is okay to show your kind, compassionate, generous, and grateful heart. Please do not be afraid or ashamed of being KHMER. Do not just open your heart to outsiders, but embrace those within yourself. We have a beautiful country, rich in cultures and traditions, kind-hearted people, and a proud Buddhist religion.
We do not need to know or understand others but only ourselves. A person extended his or her hand to you carry a considerable thought behind the gesture. My friends, it is never too late to start doing something good for others. The starting point can be anywhere, anytime, and to anyone…but you must start.
To all my old, new, expected, or unexpected friends, as human being we have feelings, thoughts, and thankful when someone has done the right things toward us. Even some animals show compassion toward each other. The animals we harmed, hurt, or killed were born from past life's actions and the unfortuante birth into sinful life. Let them be free and help them find light to ease the pain and blossom into cleanliness of the after life. All in all, be HUMAN that know right from wrong, good from evil, and live life in values that embrace all beings.
With love,
-Sidney
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| Monday, September 24th, 2007
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9:20 am - ENOUGH
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by Sidney Liang
www.cambodianvoices.org
The struggle to serve sometime comes to a haul. It is really hard to comprehend when a server become servant. I need to ask and beg our communities to please STOP fighting each other. It is mentally and physically painful to see decades after decades we keep looking for mistake of each other, talking bad about each other, and dominate each other. No one knows our weakness more than ourselves. Day by day, we expose our vulnerabilities to our friends, foes, neighbors, and the world. Let me take this small example: I have post the petition on this sites for days, I only have 4 KHMER people signed it. It is very sad. I am sad. Is there only 4 people surfing this site? We are not united. Why do we hate each other so much?
I am writing this because, this week I loss 22 of my staff and program is eliminated. On a national stage, two Khmer Communities competed. One Khmer community won, but KHMER loss. Honestly, I am very ashamed and heart broken by this. My friends, I am tired. For over fifteen years, I have tried to serve, build team network, and create a sense of community. Whether it rain, shine, snow, in sickness or in health, the Cambodian community always served by this small 4-5people VOCC group.
We are not a perfect nation, community, or people; so do other nations and people. There comes a time when we should let it go and improve ourselves. We must not live in miseries and stuck trying to hurt or do damage to ourselves. We must try to see the goodness in people, our own people. We must learn how to forgive so that we can grow further; and not stuck with sinful thought of harming each others. We must learn how to say good things and praise our parents, child, friends, and foes. If we don’t, our kids will take root from our sad hated heart. We were once a country and people of pride, values, religion, and caring. We were people with compassion and kind hearted.
We must realize that it was not Khmer who turned Khmer into a barbaric nation or heartless people. We have loss our ways for so long. As a result, the nation is in bad shape. Our communities are not united. Our people pinned against each other…our hearts are not sacred. Wherever you are, your actions contribute to the wellbeing of our nation and Cambodian people as a whole. Khmer always Khmer…we should be proud of that. I need to ask and beg our communities to please STOP fighting each other. Please STOP!
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| Thursday, August 30th, 2007
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11:35 am - Trails and Tribulation
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Sidney Liang
www.cambodianvoices.org
In recent days, there were too many distractions to Khmer Rouge Tribunal. Especially with the request to suspend the immunity of King Norodom Sihanouk so that he could be investigate and prosecute for his roles during the era. In many sense, all of these could only be just to distract, sway, and infringe upon the very works of the judges, investigators, prosecutors, and all others who are committed to bring those responsible for the atrocity of killing over 2.4 millions innocent Cambodians to JUSTICE. While the request is legitimate and rightly so but, in my opinion, I think the request is without methods within the direction from the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (http://www.eccc.gov.kh/). The ECCC should be the platform in which victims and perpetrators can seek information, permission, direction, and how to ascertain the procedural process in requesting and gathering evidence for trial to prosecute or defend themselves. My question is; has there been a formal indictment from the ECCC to prosecute or seek prosecution of King Norodom Sihanouk? Have all the names of those five or six people being charged been revealed? Why is the sudden certainty that his name is not in there? There are so many unknown or lack of information from the ECCC. While everyone, groups, or organizations can requests and say anything, but the formal request to lift immunity of person/people to charge for certain crimes must come from the courts (in this case the ECCC) and always followed by credible evidences, especially crime against humanity such as during the Khmer Rouge era. Without indictment from the court, an innocent person and good name can be smeared and assumed guilty and a guilty person or perpetrator can walk free because of technicality.
Whatever it seems like, while the ECCC locates in Cambodia, we must let it be independence from the Cambodian government. We must give credits to the national and internal judges who work so hard in trying to find some sort of closure to the holocaust of the dead and the living dead for many Cambodians. The court of public opinions and uninformed approaches could hamper the infantile work of the Cambodian national reconciliation, peace, and security of the ECCC. For these past several days, everyone has had their say in seeking to lift or defending to keep the IMMUNITY of King Norodom Sihanouk. Everyone can say anything and they have, but only the ECCC can make the difference. I say, if it related to the ECCC then talk to the ECCC and make it stick. Otherwise, why brings this up? What is the real cause of this stir up?
The combination of many waves of the eastern and western sea can create a giant tsunami, yet the sea is the sea.
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| Tuesday, August 21st, 2007
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12:56 pm - Invasion of Angkor Wat
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by: Sidney Liang
www.cambodianvoices.org
There comes a time when people need to fight for their survival and existence. Cambodia and her people can not be stand idle by and let everyone stab, knife, and violate in the daylight. The rage of the phone company http://www.iradium.fr/fr/index.php?xtref by invading Cambodia for Vietnam should be water down. For those who don't know what the fuss is all about, please take a look to the left on top of Angkor Wat. Yes, it is Vietnam Angkor Wat and not Cambodia. There's no word or phrase or abbreviation of Khmer or Angkor Wat any where. Outrage? yes- Cambodia was chipped into pieces by the French and given Khmer Krom to Vietnam and now the history is repeating itself. While everyone should live harmoniously and we should take advantage of each other, this is a clear violation and invasion of Cambodia’s sovereignty.
Khmer Mchas-Srok (http://wms.cfcambodge.org/kms/ ), we need your help as well to help stop this infringement to our national pride and symbol. The soul of our ancestors is broken by this ignorant, arrogant, blind, and un-researched marketing blunder of this Iradium phone company. The brothers and sisters in France and around the world; please stand up and let your voices be heard and stop this invasion of our Angkor Wat immediately. I call for our Cambodian government officials to stand up and stop the violation of our national symbol. There are things that we can ignore for the sake of peace and solidarity, but not at the cost of selling our souls and the souls of all our ancestors.
We must defend our ancestors and their treasures so that our kids can continue to be proud of our heritage. If we can’t defend for the dead, how useful are we in calling yourself the Cambodian patriots or love or your motherland. You must write letter, emails, fax, and phone them about this outrageous violation of our country. Let yourself be heard. We must demand that this phone company pull this phone cards off the shelves and issue an apology for their trespassing to our country, our people, and ancestors. To write to them, please click on this link: http://www.iradium.fr/fr/contact/message.php?pb=clientele
Whether we are a poor country, many of our family members died, we hardly have enough food on the table, our religion swallowing and infiltrated, by politics, and our economic system is recovering, in whatever circumstances we should always have prides. Without pride and identity, we are nothing but the floating lost souls. My fellow brothers, sisters, aunts, and uncles, we are a people of peace. People who know right from wrong and dealt with situation according to our Buddhist doctrine. It is better to follow a path than standing still; it is better to say something than let someone else say it for you; it is better to eat your own food rather than let someone feeds you with their owns; When we are no longer ourselves, it is no different than the living dead.
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| Tuesday, July 31st, 2007
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11:31 pm - The changing of Cambodian religion
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Sidney Liang
www.cambodianvoices.org
The curtain of our religion for this modern is coming down. The changes in political atmosphere and the dark cloud of political wrong doing are filtering into Cambodian daily of religious practices. Buddhist religion and those who practice it want to seek light and enlighten those who darken themselves with evil deeds. For many generations, our lord Buddha and those who believe in him provided us with torch of righteousness and elimination of desire and wrongful thoughts. Our days, our nights, our hours, and minutes are no different from many years in the past. It is a profound sadness that the human hands of political destruction broken the Cambodian harmonious spirits of serenity, compassion, kindness, and pushes the lord Buddha aside as part of a political chess games/structures.
It does not take a Buddhist monks, Achar, or scholar to determine that our modern society is created to fence the daily karma and increase or achieve the ultimate desire. Our religious temples infiltrated, sanctioned, and run by thugs and robbers. Unclean people from the frontline/street washed, shaved, and dressed up and lead the closed eyes by the nose. To see, ones must open their eyes. Our Buddhist doctrines unexplained of meaning to a just words memorization. This action does not foster the creation of the unbelievers and does not abundant the knowledge of those who has already believed. Our Buddhist leaders who follow the path of our enlightened teacher should shed more light into the darkness in the daily community. The simple teaching of respect, compassion, and generosity should be the basic step to awaken the shattered hearts of our Cambodian people.
Everyone receive enlightenment at their own pace and time, and the unbelievers can be the leaders as long as the heart is pure from greed, hatred, jealously, and desire. No one can be the creator your sins, your hatred, and your desire beside yourself. Being from hell like most of us, our hearts and minds could be easily swayed to join Mara, the evil ones. In the uncontrollable cycles of human emotions, ones should not be contentious with what is impermanent but look and seek internal sanctuaries which are peace and harmony. Our belief in Lord Buddha should be strongest in the most trying, darkest, and difficult times of our lives. Our religion can not be stolen but only be relinquished by those of the weakest believers. Our light in the heart can not be just turned off by a simple switch. The temples in our hearts must have structures and foundations. The temples should be built for the Lord Buddha and not converted for Tourists.
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| Monday, July 16th, 2007
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1:52 pm - Welome to the Voice of Cambodian Children
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We have been receiving rave review our community discussion this week. Mr. Pahim Kay, Mr. Siphann Touch, Mr. Seang Sak, and Ms. Reaksmey Pich have done a very important job in bringing to front the inner issues of our community in Lowell, Massachusetts as well as abroad. Our people want to hear lots more discussion like that in the coming weeks and months. It is up to our hosts to create schedules, topics, and guests for their slots. This past weekend brought many folks out from their secluded homes and environments to converse with our hosts. Democracy is utilized when many people express their opinions, concerns, and suggestions. This is the first step and hopefully many more steps to come. VOCC encourages people to call in during our shows and join the discussion. We apologize to the many listeners who were unable to call in due to high volume of callers. We hope that this will not discourage our listeners from keep calling to our shows every weekend.
We must try our very best to move forward as a country, community, and family of individuals. Dreading on horrific past, ignoring folks that ignorant of our cultures, running away from our inner enemy, and not break through the dark life that past will not bring ourselves, community, and country out of darkness. If one of us focuses on the positive energy in every situation, the chain of positive thinking will connect to all other positive thoughts thus create a chain of uplifting and bright environment for all. While there are always folks who talk negatives about their own lives, their country, and their community, this will only dragging down the development. As with anything, development takes time to grow. Please do not water the seeds of anger, frustration, hatred, and unpleasant emotion as it will grow beyond our expectation and hard to put out.
We should always try to fosters and water the seeds of kindness, generosity, compassion, and passion toward ourselves, but most importantly to our enemy in trying to solves our community’s and other problems. While I use the term enemy loosely, but this case meant toward someone who is always water the seeds of darkness. The exciting things about mankind are that we have different feelings, emotion, and thoughts. These emotion, feelings, and thoughts when formulate it right it creates harmonious community of love and kindness. I am not asking you to love someone else…but to love yourself. This is very hard to do because we always looking at someone or something. We’re hardly looking at ourselves. But when we’re looking at ourselves; it through the outer mirror and not internally.
I hope my writing today bring some ideas or thoughts to people around the world. I will continue to water this seeds until one day I can see the flower blooming and we all can enjoy the fruits of this plantation. Please remember when you point one finger at someone…you point four at yourself.
For more information or comments please write to: Sidney Liang
-Sidney
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| Wednesday, May 16th, 2007
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10:04 am - Drpopping In
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Sidney Liang
05/16/2007
www.cambodianvoices.org
Everyone is probably tired of seeing the same message on the front page of this site. I am sorry but my mind has not been cleared of the many tasks needed to be done to survive. So, I am sitting here this morning thinking of what to say to everyone who comes and goes throughout the site. If someone wants to say something on this front page, by all means, please send you message to me. I’ll be glad to post it on the site for you. Whenever you are ready, please send over what you have and we will decide how to approach it together.
The sun is shining on my back early this morning, for a moment I am feeling like going back home again. I am being told that, our country is nicer than before and the people are not starving as much. Just a few days ago, I received an article from Samai Tmei news that Cambodia is facing a high rise in the prevalence of diabetes. In one instance, I am happy to hear about this. It indicates to me that our Cambodian people are having enough food to eat, at least the majority. Eventually, I hope the growing in abundant of food will filter toward the farmers and villagers. Diabetes, white it is dangerous and deadly; for a short time, it helps.
I have not give much thought to many things going on in the neighborhoods around the United States such as deportation, illegal immigrants are being target for raid everyday, gang violence, and the sad reality of leaving our elders in the third world with no ability of bring them back to Cambodia. Even thought our congressmen and women are working hard to find some immigration reforms, but it is an eerie feeling just like during the KR when they coming knocking on doors. To date, some of those who were caught in the net in New Bedford, Massachusetts are still being held waiting for deportation. My friends! Mothers and fathers are being taken away from home. Pregnant women and children are staying with their neighbors and love ones because their husbands and the fathers of their children are in jails because being in this country illegally.
I leave you here today, but I will return to say hello more often after I finish my responsibilities. When you have story to tell, please email it to me at Sidneyli@cambodianvoices.org and I will gladly post it for you. Oh! The smell of the morning mist, makes me homesick and wanting to go back. When the time comes, I shall return home…unfortunately not anytime soon.
-Sidney
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| Wednesday, May 2nd, 2007
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12:54 pm - Nation, Religion, King
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I can come to a conclusion now that Radio Free Asia (Khmer) is somewhat biased in its way of reporting on this issues (monks+). I know sometime important people hardly admit their mistakes, just because they think they are special. One more think that I have to say for RFA-Khmer and then I’ll reserve my comments for later time is, to please try to use English words or Alphabets and not French. I have seen many times that they used French tones and pronunciation for names and organizations. It is along and painful history to reiterate the struggle we, as Khmer have gone throught. For this one, I do have the right to be furious because its base (RFA) is in Washington D.C. As one of the taxpayers who support the radio, I urge RFA-Khmer to change its habits or find staffer who can speak English. For RFA-Khmer to be successful and broadcasting about the seeds of democracy to Cambodia, it must be cleanse. When we are reporting news or events, we can't just choose of what we want or don’t want to do, we do for the services of our communities across the globe who need to benefits and improve from our work. I'll leave them alone for now. Now back to the monk situation, our banner says Nation, Religion, and King; today, I want to talk about Religion of Cambodians in Cambodia. I want everyone to take a moment and look at how religion in your heart, your home, and your country. While we do have different levels of belief toward God or Buddha of our choice, we are not pure. Monks are being used as tools to get political gain. Head monk acts as head of state and focus on the divine on earth rather that divine of the next life and bridge those are healthy souls across. On special occasion like Bon Pchum Benh, we take food to offer to monks so that they can provide to our ancestors, parents, children, and relatives whome has passed away. The words of blessing and rhythm of chanting can be heard flowing across Cambodia– if listen close enough it sounds very genuine and peace could be attained for that instance. Unfortunately on other days, monks are being beaten by batons, kicks, spit on, and drag away like criminals. A the present time, it is hard to tell if the actions by officials or lay people are justified. The ability to use monks to fight each other is brilliant political maneuver, but it is as clear as daylight to see how religion is being degraded and step on. Nation, Religion, King; all three are just words that mere the reflection of empty souls and deceptive illusion of walking with time to get closer to heaven on earth. -Sidney
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| Monday, April 16th, 2007
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1:18 pm - RFA and Maha Ghosananda
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by Sidney Liang
www.cambodianvoices.org
4-16-207
Today I just want to write to myself and talking out loud. You know, when you have something in your mind, you must say it out otherwise it eats you up from the inside out. I am unrest by the coverage or un-coverage of the Radio Free Asia (Khmer Segment) of Venerable Maha Ghosananda’s death. My broken heart and my strong headed opinion, I think that the action of RFA toward this story is questionable. Maha Ghosananda was the architect our Cambodian Buddhist religion or the revival of Buddhism in Cambodia. According to VOA, Ghosananda was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 for his efforts to rebuild Cambodian Buddhism after the fall of the Khmer Rouge, Does this mean anything to the reporters, managers, producers at Radio Free Asia (Khmer Segment)?
It is sadden that RFA-Khmer sent people to cover Cambodian New Year, Water Festival, and other cultural events in Lowell, Massachusetts but lack the wills and supports (or is it?) to provide appropriate coverage of Venerable Maha Ghosananda’s death for our beloved people of Cambodia. Even, the Voice of America provides enough, adequate and suitable coverage for Cambodian around the world, especially in our homeland. If you look at it closely, even professor Keng Vansak has more countless airtime on RFA. The death of Chea Vichea has more coverage and support, the shots of Peou Panha Pich has more coverage than Venerable Maha Ghosananda, oh! the jungle woman was covered and covered, not to mention the politicians that don’t or didn’t do much for the country except fighting each other, RFA-Khmer provide countless coverage…should I continue? Becasuse these are facts and I know I am not dreaming while writing this.
To date, I have not seen any intention from RFA-Khmer to do any story about Venerable Maha Ghosananda. At least do a highlight or a story about his life, his achievements, and his leadership. For his death, RFA only covered one time. Of that one time, it was an unsound and inappropriate coverage of the story. RFA-Khmer interviewed Venerable Hok Savann in Canada about the life and death of Venerable Maha Ghosananda in Lowell, Massachusetts. RFA-Khmer should understand that Venerable Maha Ghosananda provided hope and healing to many Cambodians in our homeland. Many lives will be affected by the lost of this important and noble man. He was one of the highest or the highest ranking and beloved Buddhist patriarch of Cambodia. If that bad choice of coverage affected me, guess how many other folks around the world will be disappointed by this.
I am just talking out loud and to myself. I know many folks are doing the same thing about this issue. All lives have meaning, whether you are king or just pheasant. Venerable Maha Ghosananda provide more meaningful livelihood to many Cambodians during the time of distress, needs, and lost of souls. He has salvages many souls and repaired many structures. RFA-Khmer, I think Venerable Maha Ghosananda deserves better coverage than you provided, you think?
After talking about it, I feel better now.
-Sidney
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| Monday, April 9th, 2007
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2:08 pm - Happy New Year to all!
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My friends,
From our family at the Voice of Cambodian Children, I want to take this opportunity to say Happy New Year to all Cambodians in all corners of the world. The end of this year is near, what have we done for our family, friends, and communities? Well, I am sure that many of us have contributed tremendous times and efforts in strengthening family and community we live in. There are efforts we can see and those we can’t see, but all efforts are appreciated.
In the world we live in today, friendship comes in many shapes, colors, and levels. We should take and appreciate all the kindness and compassion done to us and generosity and deeds we give to others. Living in co-dependency, we should not be blinded by the hatred in our hearts and the evil in our eyes. We know very well and we have paid dearly of what hatred and paranoid have done to all of us.
I know we can be kind to non-Cambodians, but we should always be kind and provide forgiveness to those who has wrong us by words or by physical harm. Yesterday, we lost a 16 years old boy who was shot while celebrating his 16 th birthday. 5 hours into his birthday, he died. A senseless killing by his own kind, two Cambodian males ages 19 and 20. The happiest time of year turned into the worse life tragedy.
There’s nothing much to say, but please take care of yourself and each other whether it is on holiday or just an ordinary day.
Happy New Year to all!
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| Friday, March 30th, 2007
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2:01 pm - Buddhist leader's body subject of global dispute
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By Michael Lafleur, mlafleur@lowellsun.com
Lowell Sun
Article Last Updated:03/30/2007 12:45:52 PM EDT
CHELMSFORD -- The preserved body of the Venerable Maha Ghosananda, an internationally acclaimed Buddhist monk and friend to the Dalai Lama and the late Pope John Paul II, now is the object of a global tug of war.
Maha Ghosananda died March 12 at a Northampton hospital near where he had lived for 27 years. His body was preserved by a Northampton funeral home and brought to the Trairatanaram Buddhist Temple on Quigley Avenue in North Chelmsford on March 18.
The monk, whose religious work and peace endeavors won him accolades as "the Cambodian Ghandi," now lies in state in the temple's main hall Maha Ghosananda's body is also under 24-hour guard.
The U.S.-based Buddhist monk organization that owns the temple and paid for Maha Ghosananda's care is scheduling a two-day ceremony in his honor, April 7-8. Afterward it plans to bring his body to Pelham, where it can be the focal point of a world peace center to be built in his honor.
A rival group from Canada also wants Maha Ghosananda's body for transport to Cambodia.
In an interview from Montreal, the Venerable Hok Savann said he has the blessing of Cambodia's former king to bring the monk's body to his native country.
Because "more people can participate officially" there, Cambodia is a more appropriate location to display his body, Hok Savann said.
"We will let people in America conduct the service they have and after it is done, we should do another memorial service for him in Cambodia," he said.
The Canadian monk said he is willing to negotiate with members of the Community of Khmer Buddhist Monks Inc., which owns about 70 other temples across the United States in addition to Trairatanaram Temple.
The Venerable Natha Pandito -- secretary general of the Maha Ghosananda International Buddhist Peace Foundation, which is planning the Pelham center -- questioned Hok Savann's story. He said earlier this month that Hok Savann's supporters went to the Northampton funeral home and tried to claim Maha Ghosananda's body.
"That caused us a lot of headache and confusion here," Natha Pandito said. "It's a very sad situation here."
Hok Savann denied the accusation.
He said Cambodian government officials would be contacting the U.S. Embassy in Cambodia to officially request that Maha Ghosananda be shipped to Cambodia.
That claim could not be verified yesterday.
Michael Ahearn, director of the Ahearn Funeral Home in Northampton, which prepared Maha Ghosananda's body, said no one tried to claim the body besides the Community of Khmer Buddhist Monks.
"I'm the only one at the funeral home they would deal with, and that never happened," Ahearn said. "I think what's happening is there is just so many people involved between the different monks."
Maha Ghosananda was born in Takeo, Cambodia. Published reports last week stated he was in his late 70s. Other sources, and monks at the Chelmsford temple, said he was born in 1913, and was 93 at the time of his death.
The U.S. monks said Maha Ghosananda had been a U.S. citizen since the late 1980s. They said the yearly peace walks he led throughout Cambodia from 1993 through 2002 were never supported by the Cambodian government.
"He was not welcome in Cambodia with his hard work for peace," Natha Pandito said. "They never honored his work and they were afraid of him and his influence. Now when he is dead, they act like they respected him. It's all untrue."
The Venerable Khon Sao, president of the Community of Khmer Buddhist Monks, said he has not received an official communication from anyone in the Cambodian government.
"If the government of Cambodia wants him back, they must talk with us," he said.
Khon Sao said Maha Ghosananda based his international mission from Leverett, a small town in western Massachusetts, and in Providence, R.I.
Natha Pandito said the international center, located on a large tract owned by his organization, would contain a library of Maha Ghosananda's writings and serve as an educational institution for speakers on international peace issues. He said the United States is the most appropriate location for such a facility.
"Here is a free country, and in Cambodia, you cannot do anything," he said. "It would be a very strong base for us to go back and help our own country."
From 1975 until 1979, Cambodia was ruled by the brutal Khmer Rouge Communist regime, whose radical reign is blamed for the deaths of an estimated 2 million to 3 million Cambodians. The Khmer Rouge outlawed the Buddhist religion and killed all but about 3,000 of an estimated 60,000 monks in Cambodia.
Maha Ghosananda was the foremost architect of Cambodian Buddhism's rebirth from that low point.
He was in the midst of a long period of meditation in rural Thailand during the Khmer Rouge period. His entire family died in the Killing Fields. He rose to prominence by ministering to refugees who fled to United Nations camps in Thailand.
Maha Ghosananda later publicly forgave the Khmer Rouge regime and met with their remaining leaders, who had fled to the jungles of northwestern Cambodia after being chased from power by an invading Vietnamese army.
His famous Dhammayietra Walks for Peace and Reconciliation in Cambodia led him through minefields and strongholds controlled by various warring factions in Cambodia.
He met with world leaders, including the Dalai Lama and Pope John Paul II, and was a prime mover in the Cambodian peace process that ultimately led to United Nations-backed parliamentary elections in 1993.
In 1988, Cambodian monks and lay people in Paris elected Maha Ghosananda the supreme Buddhist patriarch of Cambodia.
Maha Ghosananda was initiated into the Cambodian Buddhist Order in 1943, according to published accounts. He spoke 15 languages fluently.
"He is far beyond the nationality, the borders of nations," Natha Pandito said. "He's beyond a particular religion. He is an international figure. We should honor him and support his legacy here."
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| Monday, March 19th, 2007
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9:18 am - Can not go home...
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It has been more than 3 decades that our people were forced out of their home country and sought refuge in many countries around the world. Surving the camps and trying to adapt to many foreign countries was not easy, especially when you are limited in Khmer and English literacy. While many live to tell the stories of heroism, suffering, starvation, patience, and bravery to their children and grandchildren, many of our Cambodian people died and left everything in foreign lands. Many people died alone and body left to their caretaker government to be disposed.
Some people live together and cherish their parents and provide homeage and life of no pain until death. Other parents forced out by their children and live in Nursing Home to live on the second phase of prison without walls. We have so many Cambodian elders around the world who never left Pol Pot regime. Unbeknown to their children, they live in pain to see their children have a better life. Acculturation was and is not possible for most of them, they struggle to live in the countries of unknown noises/languages. The only way to MUTE and shut off the noise, a peaceful last breath, if it's ever possible. Some of our elders never made it back home. Their bones and souls floated in neverland and never see peace.
Today in Canada, US, Australia, and other countries, our Cambodian elders live in darkness with their eyes wide open. They are deaf because of the unknown voices and unsavory souls left from the Khmer Rouge era eating away at them every second.
As, VOCC, we see this and will hold a day of appreciation and thanks to our elders for bring cultures, traditions, religions, and life experiences and planted in the third world for us, our children, and the future generation. Without them, there wouldn't be any temples....without them, there wouldn't be Cambodian associations...without them there would be YOU. Remember, most of them don't speak the language and don't understand the environment...but look at the results.
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