The offending cartoon: Explanations by Roath Khemara

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Saturday, May 15, 2010
By Roath Khemara
Translated from Khmer by Neay Choch

Recently, a famous Khmer political cartoonist showed a cartoon describing the problems faced by Cambodia by representing them as a naked woman. Several readers reacted by opposing the use of such a naked woman picture, saying that it is tantamount to looking down on the honor of Khmer women. This is a regrettable mistake because this cartoon only represents the truth in Cambodia currently, it does not involve any insult on the honor of Khmer women. I would like to provide below my explanations on the meaning of this cartoon.

First of all, we must clearly understand that this political cartoon is a symbol of the true meaning, as well as a symbol of the figurative meaning.

1. The naked woman represents Cambodia and the Cambodian people who are being used by some to serve their greeds, just like a woman who is forced into sexual slavery.
2. The gagging and the blindfolding represent the elimination of the freedom rights and all sorts of repressions.
3. The picture of the men with [cone] hats in front of the Khmer house located on top of the woman’s head represents the influence of Vietnam, that of its government and its people over Cambodia and the Cambodian people.
4. The chain tied to the woman’s neck and the steel weight ball inscribed with the words: “monarchy, communism and Yuon” represents the cause and the source of the suffering of Cambodia and the Cambodian people.
5. The plow that is raking on top of the woman’s back represents the anarchic investment and all the illegal profits withdrawn from natural resources.
6. The blood that drips from the woman’s back represents the hurtful feelings and the catastrophe faced by Cambodia and the Cambodian people.
7. The group of people who sit around the bowl of blood represents foreign investors, including China, Japan, Korea, Yuon, Siam, etc… who came to squeeze out the wealth belonging to Cambodia and the Cambodian people.
8. The group of people who are plowing on the woman’s back represent Cambodia’s leaders who allow anarchic investments and who illegally profit from our natural resources.
9. The driver of the plow represents the throne which follows the plow but couldn’t see and it acts as if it can’t see the perversion and the hurtful feelings suffered by the country and the Cambodian people.
10. Those who hold the umbrella for the king represent the former group of communists who hated the king so much, but who are using the king as their subterfuge to preserve and seek their positions.
11. The picture of the large man wearing a blue jacket marked with the words “Siam and Yuon” represents the neighboring countries – Siam and Yuon – which are waiting for the opportunity to kill off the victimized “Khmer” woman in order to reap the remaining benefits.

I hope that the explanations provided for this political cartoon are food for thought and that they would serve as an aid to the commenting study for this cartoon that a number of readers would like to obtain an in-depth understand of it.

Roath Khemara

PS: My sincere apologies to Roath Khemara if my English translation is not always faithful to your elegant explanations in Khmer – Neay Choch.