|
|
12 Dec 2000
I took a brief peek into comments and book reviews in your website. Let me say up front that I am not here today to defense Loung Ung or her work here. As a fellow Khmer (heart and mind), I do have a concern, from what I read, the "personal and public" attacks on Loung Ung and her work. I consider it as not being "professional" about it. Yes, this is a free country and Ms. Ung should be given a chance to explain herself and defense what I see as "personal and public" attack against her. I do not know Ms. Ung personally, but if the writers of your website wish to contact her directly, I have her e-mail address and can probably dig up her phone for consumption. On the flip side of the coin, I also see the short fall of Loung Ung's book. She was too young to remember all of such detail, I am most certain. Her book is based mostly on researched information (and she admitted this earlier) and some memories. she did most of her work in Cambodia, talking to different people. That is a limitation for a book such as this. It is not necessary bad, but there were mistakes. Still, it is her book, her view, her research, and her memories. Ms. Ung book is not perfect. No one is. She is one of the few who manage to get the word out, unlike many of us who can only bring down people, put people down so to speak with what I perceive as "personal" attack for what ever reason. It is in Khmer culture and psyche to look down on others. It is what brought Cambodia down on her knees since Angkor time. Like it or not it is what we often do to each other, in my humble opinion. I think we (the Khmer) are better than that! Time to wake up. Two wrongs doesn't make it right, if Ms. Ung was wrong or offensive in anyway. I chose to look at what benefit this book brings, more so than what it did not (see above comment). It is a decision I made and in that sense, I am willing to defense it and perhaps Miss Ung's intenstion of the work that few of us capable of doing. I welcome people comment regard my comment here. It is from the heart and mind as one need both. Please write. My e-mail is enclosed and so is my review of Ms. Ung's book.
Ranachith "Ronnie" Yimsut
Ronnie emailed us the attachment of his review, but since it is offically posted in
another organizational newsletter, we have refrained from posting his attachment
here. Please email Ronnie if you are interested in reading his review of Ung's book.
|
© 2000 The Khmer Institute. Los Angeles, California. All rights Reserved. |