Unity Forgotten: Lessons from China and the United States of America

The late King Father Norodom Sihanouk understood the vital importance of Khmer unity. Supplied

-Opinion-

“Even a dog knows its master — and who the enemy is”.

This Khmer proverb speaks to instinct, loyalty, and clarity — qualities so fundamental that even animals possess them. Yet in Cambodia’s political landscape, these virtues are often absent. When our nation faces external threats, unity should be automatic.

All Khmer, regardless of political affiliation, must stand together as one. To divide in such moments is not just a mistake — it is a betrayal of the nation.

A Lesson from History

In 1937, Japan invaded China. Two sworn enemies — Chiang Kai-shek of the Nationalist Kuomintang and Mao Zedong of the Communist Party — set aside their ideological war to form a united front. They fought together to defend their homeland. Only after Japan’s defeat did they resume their civil conflict.

This was not friendship. It was strategy. It was patriotism.

They understood that national survival comes before personal rivalry. They knew that when the homeland is under threat, unity is not optional — it is essential.

A Warning for Sam Rainsy

Even Benjamin Franklin, in the face of colonial crisis, declared: “We must, indeed, all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately”.

Rainsy, you seem to have missed this lesson — both from global history and from Cambodia’s own painful past. How did you come to call yourself a politician, yet fail to grasp the basic principle of national unity?

What a shame. This is not just disappointment — it is a warning. Your vision is narrow. Your understanding of both Cambodian and international history is lacking. You have shown that you are unfit to lead — not because of your ideals, but because of your refusal to learn from the past.

Faced with national challenges, you chose isolation. You refused to build bridges, even when unity could have strengthened and protected the country. While others sought solidarity, you remained apart — unable or unwilling to distinguish between personal ambition and national duty.

From this point forward, your actions have lost value. You are no longer seen as a unifying figure. Today, the people of Cambodia are united around the leadership of the Royal Government to resist foreign aggression. Why, then, did you choose to act against the national interest?

The people say:

“He knows nothing of national unity”.

“Even a dog knows its owner”.

A Call to Action

This is not merely a criticism. It is a call to remember that unity is not weakness — it is strength. It is survival. And it is the duty of every leader who claims to serve the nation.

We must learn from history. We must unite as one Khmer nation. We must rise above factionalism, ego and division. And we must never forget that unity — even strategic — is the foundation of national survival.

Perhaps the late King Father Norodom Sihanouk said it best.

“Khmer united is Khmer strong. Khmer divided is Khmer weak”.

Tesh Chanthorn is a Cambodian citizen who desires peace. The view and opinions expressed are his own.

-The Phnom Penh Post-