The Second-Class Intellectuals

«មិន​​បាច់​រៀន​អ្វី​ក៏​បាន​ដែរ ប្រឡង​ចេញ ប្រឡង​លេងៗ ប៉ុន្តែ​គេ​ឱ្យ​សញ្ញាប័ត្រ​ដូច​គ្នា ឈ្មោះ West Point ដូច​គ្នា​អ៊ីចឹង ប៉ុន្តែ​គេ​អត់​ទទួលស្គាល់​នៅ​ស្រុក​គេ​ទេ។ ចង់​ធ្វើ​មេទ័ព​នៅ​អាមេរិក ឱ្យ​មក​បំពេញ​តួនាទី​ដូច​ជន​ជាតិ​​ស្បែក​ស ដែល​គេ​ទទួល​សញ្ញាប័ត្រ​ដែរ​នោះ គេ​អត់​ឱ្យ​ទេ។ គេ​ថា អ្នក​ឯង​យក​ទៅ​ស្រុក​អ្នក​ឯង អ្នក​ឯង​យក​ទៅ​បង្អួត​ទៅ​ សញ្ញាប័ត្រ​ប្រភេទ​ទី​ពីរ​នោះ​ណា។ អា​ហ្នឹង​ជា​កិច្ច​ការទូត នយោបាយ គេ​ចង់​មាន​ទំនាក់​ទំនង​ល្អ គេ​ឱ្យ​ទៅ​កូន​នាយក​រដ្ឋ​មន្ត្រី​នេះ កូន​ប្រធានាធិបតី​នោះ ឱ្យ​យក​សញ្ញាប័ត្រ​ក្លែង​ក្លាយ ប្រភេទ​ទី​ពីរ​នោះ​យក​ទៅ​បង្អួត​នៅ​ស្រុក​ខ្លួន​ទៅ។”​

ប្រធាន​ស្ដីទី​គណបក្ស​សង្គ្រោះ​ជាតិ​ សម រង្ស៊ី ​ថ្ងៃ​ទី ៣០  ខែ​កញ្ញា ឆ្នាំ២០១៩

“Graduates of US colleges, universities or institutes of higher learning receive degrees or certifications if they meet the requirements of that institution. A student’s country of origin is not a factor… US higher education institutions have an unmatched reputation for academic quality and critical thinking…”

US embassy spokesperson Emily Zeeberg, 4 October 2019, Khmer Times

“Rainsy’s words really look down on Khmer nationality which he thinks Khmer can not [sic] do and must have different standards from other nationalities.”

Second Cambodian West Point Graduate Meach Sithyka, 1 October 2019, Freshnews Asia

« ការដែលអ្នកចោទមិនហ៊ានភ្នាល់ វានឹងសឱ្យឃើញថា គាត់បាននិយាយតែផ្តាស គ្មានមូលដ្ឋានច្បាស់លាស់។»

នាយកមជ្ឈមណ្ឌលសិក្សាគោលនយោបាយ ច័ន្ទ សុផល ​ថ្ងៃ​ទី២ ខែ​តុលា២០១៩ ភ្នំពេញប៉ុស្តិ៍

«លោកសម រង្ស៊ី ជាមនុស្សមានបញ្ហាខាងស្មារតី ពីព្រោះគាត់តែងតែ ដើរចោទប្រកាន់គេគ្រប់គ្នា ដោយមិនសមហេតុផល ហើយគាត់មិនហ៊ានភ្នាល់ទេ ដោយសារតែគាត់និយាយតាមការនឹកឃើញ ហើយនិយាយគ្មានមូលដ្ឋាន និងមិនអាចរក ទឡ្ហីករណ៍ មកការពារខ្លួន និងភាសារបស់ លោកតែងតែញុះញង់ បរិហារអ្នកដទៃ ដែលធ្វើឲ្យ សាធារណជនមានការយល់ច្រឡំ។»

ប្រធានវិទ្យាស្ថានទំនាក់ទំនងអន្តរជាតិនៃរាជបណ្ឌិត្យសភាកម្ពុជា គិន ភា ​ថ្ងៃ​ទី២ ខែ​តុលា២០១៩ ភ្នំពេញប៉ុស្តិ៍

Many Cambodians have graduated from all types of foreign universities including first-class. Most regard themselves as intellectuals or professionals. Some, however, fails to apply what their first-class institutions claim to teach in their curriculum. Is this because these first-class institutes also engage in dishing out second-class degrees, or first-class intellect is beyond Cambodian graduates?

Yes, at least one of the most reputable Australian universities has conferred second-class certificates for decades. An econometrics professor friend of mine who tells me in the 70’ that well-connected students with scholarships from corrupt countries are not geared for any mental challenge. The conundrum is that if his university conferred a “normal” degree on them, its prestige would be blemished. Yet, it cannot fail them; it would cause catastrophic diplomatic quakes.

There is, however, a genius compromise: a degree with a “special” design and inscription for these “special” talents. Thus, my friend hails, the university reputation will remain intact while recipients and their governments will be happy; their ignorance will not hurt them. Indeed, only a select few know about this “special”.

Perhaps West Point Military Academy shares a similar practice. Responding to a claim that it does, the Academy confirms, though uncontested, it has issued degrees to three well-connected students from Cambodia. The US embassy refers in general terms to the US higher education system and requirements. Both fail to address an implication of the claim that one of the requirements, perhaps unwritten, is a political consideration for diplomatic sensitivity. Both do not explicitly deny the contention that first-class institutions like West Point cannot fail their well-connected students.

Anyhow, West Point may issue only a first-class diploma, but reactions of their graduates to the claim appear so second-class. Hun Manet resorts to wagering to make his point. He is thrilled declaring the Zeeberg statement validates his diploma; really? Another West Point graduate stretches the claim to another level: she says it treats Khmer nationality with contempt. Suddenly, she pretends to represent the whole nation.

If Hun Manet learned anything about critical thinking at West Point, he would be deflated by the Zeeberg statement. If Zeeberg counts West Point as one of the US institutions that she says enjoy an unmatched reputation for “critical thinking”, the two graduates who have reacted to the provocative claim have failed their school in this instance. Their responses are emotional-driven and too simplistic; they are not outcomes of a critical thinking.

Then there is a Hun Manet cheer squad that consists of local intellectuals. Centre for Policy Studies director rushes to conclude that a refusal of a wager means the claim is nonsensical and baseless. A Royal Academy of Cambodia director agrees and goes for the jugular: the claim is by a person with mental problems. They can manage only these intellectually deficient contributions. Somehow their thinking is wrapped up in a gambling mentality to play the man rather than the ball.

It is sad that these intellectuals forgo the opportunity to make their schools proud of their intellect.

Ung Bun Ang

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Funny News You Can Use

Well, they say only the brain-dead will not change their mind; and neither do they care.

They made it sound so caring when they decided to ban foreigners from working in the informal sector. They said the move would help protect jobs of Cambodian people and create more employment opportunities for them. They said they had consulted all relevant stakeholders and checked all national and international laws to avoid any kind of discrimination. It was a ban made in heaven for Cambodians that lasts for only 37 days.

Then, they say they forgot the golden rule, that is, the man with the gold makes the rule.

After checking with their money man, they claim Cambodians are not capable of servicing the man in driving; chauffeuring; hairdressing; sewing; peddling goods and services; shoes shining; vehicle repairing; processing gold and precious stones; and producing Khmer materials: souvenirs, musical instruments, Buddha statues, and monks alms bowls.

With Hun Sen favouring even routine medical check-ups in Singapore, they show Cambodia could not do without foreigners from the informal sector to professional services.

If any of West Point graduates is still searching for a contempt of Cambodian people, look no further.

“[The lifting of the ban] is due to a demand for foreign expertise in the service sector and in order to encourage investment to Cambodia.”

Labour Minister Ith Samheng, 7 October 2019, Khmer Times

“We have issued this prakas at an appropriate time after consultations with relevant parties. After careful review and discussions with employers, workers and union representatives and the government, with regards to both regional and international legal frameworks, as well as the Labour Law, the prakas avoids racial or geographical discrimination.”

Ministry of Labour spokesman Heng Sour, 28 August 2019, The Phnom Penh Post

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