A Sign of Changing Time- Become An Agent of Change

As we can witness from the last couple of weeks, Cambodia has been getting many high level visits and many diplomatic visitors. Ranging from UN Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki Moon; US Secretary of States, former 1st Lady Mrs. Hilary Clinton and many others. Talks involved the respect for human rights, investments, infrastructure building, cultural understanding, exchanging of goods and services and debt relief. It is a sign of changing time. Moments that we should be proud to be Khmer once more and ever to come.

It is a sign of confidence and a sign that the leaders of world are recognizing that Cambodia cannot be left alone in global politics and commerce.

Strategically,Cambodia is important to China and the US. For the Chinese, it is a sphere of influence where Cambodia is strategically located on the opposite end of the its border to avert any kind of direct threat from Vietnam. We must remember that the Chinese have been at wars with Vietnam for centuries. Moreover, having Cambodia as its friend means Pan-Asianism is at its best from geo-political and economical standpoints.

During the last couple of decades, the Americans have never made Cambodia a top priority in terms of strategic importance after their devastating defeat in Vietnam. Many lives lost. They fought a loosing war with little and no support at home due to the peace movement that ended the war in political disarray and divided.

Due the bad memories and the US's commercial dependence on foreign oil, Asia a thing of the past and sidelined for at least during the last decade.

The US also realizes that China and India are utmost important as their trading partners due to the massive population and their potential spending power. Furthermore, the shift in geo-political power and influences in the world brought forth by the sheer magnitude of commercial activities and rapid development in Asia made it a force never to be left alone.

Cambodia, is one of the rising star in this new era of global trade. With its positive GDP growth year-on-year during the last five years and a rather stable political environment; the key players are beginning to realize that Cambodia should be not be left out on the sideline.

Another strategic importance that we must also note, Cambodia's natural resources are nearly untouched but are only seen as signs of opportunity.

Cambodia is one place in the planet where resources such oil and other minerals are yet fully explored. The opportunities are endless...What comes with these opportunities are problems if not managed carefully.

As future generations, we must learn from our past mistakes on how sphere of influence can take us to road of dispairs, hardship and destruction to the homeland. We must safeguard our identity and national interests for posterity. Yet realizing that playing in the global arena can reap us many rewards. We should not be isolated, yet we must not be succumed to commercial interests that will destroy the very resources that our people need for their livelihood.

Our vast oil reserves will mean more money for the country; better roads, railways, better schools, better educational programs, better health care for the needies, scholarships for our children to be abroad to learn necessary technologies and skills and of course better laws and governances.

Until these are carefully thought through; doom days lurk just around the corner. We have seen many failures in our lifetime of what individual greeds will do...Lasting impact are generations just from a simple fact that we did not think and preapre in advance.

It is not just our leaders's responsibilities..It is after all our home collectively. We have these choices to make...It is either to leave the course of history and let it shapes by the few or we become apart of it.

It is not a time to blame or curse the darkness..but it is time to become one nation, one people that will ultimately believe that the fundamental truths of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness are in our hands.

It is when we take ownership of our own destinity is that change will occur.

If we are the sons and daughters and descendants of our glorious ancestors who have built and left us many proud moments and remnants of glorious pasts from Bayon, Taprum, Angkor Wat to Ta Morn, Apsara to Baray; then it is our responsibilty to think and act in this ever changing time.

It will not be anybody else but us, the newest of generations; the need to think and plan ahead are never before so important...because when those bad days and history repeats themselves..It will be too late to act..and nobody else to blame..but ourselves. We have seen those moments before; yet we have failed to take part in them.

Yet this sign of ever changing time, we shall be ready...like never before...equipped with knowledge, emotions, aspiration, the will to exist, discipline, protect and secure, for ourselves and many generations to come.

When all has been done, the generations that will follow us can see that we live lives worth living for. We have made moments on this planet meaningful and secure victorious paths for them to lead on for ever and ever.

Let us join hands in this rebuilding process and become an agent of change for ourselves, our children and many generations to come.