Who Is Khom? and Who is Khmer?

Is anybody know who is "Khom"? Who are they? and Where do they live? Can anybody tell me? Sometimes ago I felt really embarrassed that I did not know, at that time, who is "KHOM" and what are they?. But don't you wanna know why I felt like that? and what it has to do with me personally? Before I answer to that question above, here below are what is in Thailand history refer to as KhomThese couple pieces of papers are quoted from Thailand history books, even though I have not yet find the first hand source, which showing what is "KHORM" alphabets are, in which Siamese refer to. The point is in Thai history, they belief that their scripts were derived from Khom nation, and the worst is "KHOM" is not Cambodia.

Leg go back to my question above. The reason I personally felt embrassed because as what I am Cambodian or Khmer, and I do not know that there is such as word of "Khom" in Khmer history. Especially, Khom is ancient Khmer as what the Thais refers too.

There is nothing wrong with the ideas above, since in this 21st century most of the country promote human right and which freedom of expression is just one of those rights; however, given fall information is what most of us think that completely unacceptable. Thai government has all the right to think and to say as well as the Thai citizens but as long as it is not affecting the other nation or people. The ideas that Thais citizens believe that Khom is not Khmer, the ancient Khmer, is what Cambodia can not tolerate it since it affects to Cambodia history, nationality, origin, and reputation.

According to a Thai lawyer-professor named Sompong Sucharitkul spoke with ABC Radio Australia on Monday, August 04, 2008 that " the current generation of Kampucheans are not the same as the Khom the old Khmer that may have been successor in title but it's long far removed from their ancestry." It seems like Thailand has long been rewrite Cambodia history for their Thai generations, and this kind of belief seems has been deep roots to every single Thai citizen and children that about to learn their neighbor history as what the Thai lawyer above as a role national model.

To Cambodia, Thais action that mentioned early can be considered as deprivation of Khmer history and Khmer citizen as the whole. This kind of statement and belief can really provide a misinformation of Cambodia to the world community. Especially the statement above can be translatable that Cambodia is a liar nation since it has claim that they are the Khmer.

In reality, the Khmer is yet exterminated and there will be only one Khmer race in the world history. Even though the Khmer is no longer a big and powerful race in the region which their once were, they know that their have a very long history. The Khmer know that after gone through many up and down of wave history, their only boat is still floating and there are nor the second boat ever exist.

It maybe difficult to understand the Thai action regard to the Khmer history by the foreigners, but it can be well understand by the Khmer. It seems like there are some cultural, political, and historical reason get involve in this long attempts action. Thailand event though a stronger nation compare to Cambodia nowadays, was formed under the Khmer empire period and later on expanded itself stronger and became a powerful nation after the Khmer golden age set. After the falling of Angkor, the Siam start to absorb and simplifies of every Khmer civilization and culture and use it as it own such as language, scripts, and culture. However the Siam does not want anything to attached with the Khmer even though in reality they are, they have used every means to disregard the Khmer civilization and claim that as their. All of these reasons without understanding the Siam and Khmer history, foreigners will never understand of real action of Siam which is now refer as Thai.

There is proverb say "history is for the winner to write but the loser". There is nothing wrong with this proverb, but it is so wrong and an unethical mistake that one nation to write another nation's history. To Cambodia, by rewriting the Khmer history and creating a word "KHORM" instead of Khmer to put in their history education system for their children by the Thais reflects its long term political interest to blind the world of its own dirty actions and ignorance of it true origin and especially to undermind the Khmer history and origin.

By Rocky