លោក ហ៊ុន ម៉ានីថា គណបក្សប្រជាជនកម្ពុជា ជាបក្សដែលកើតចេញពីប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ

by Khmer Circle: 

Almost entirely forgotten and rarely mentioned even when looking at the origins and foundations of the current CPP ["Cambodian People's Party"] was a political party in opposition under Sihanouk's "Popular Socialist Community Party" regime - The Sangkum Reastr Niyum - named "The Pracheachun" party ["The People's Party"] set up to gain a formal foothold within Sihanouk's pseudo-parliamentary framework. This political outlet was clearly one - but, not the only one - forerunner of the present CPP created and initiated with the sole intent to subvert and undermine the Sangkum's unchallenged presence among the Cambodian masses. 

The Pracheachun's real aim was not to make any realistic parliamentary headway at the ballot box - which was improbable given Sihanouk's autocratic hold on power at the time which was not dissimilair to Hun Sen's grip on power today - but to gain access to the Khmer people's eyes and ears through propaganda and sedition. Sound familiar? The Vietnamese who have always viewed Cambodia as their legitimate sphere of influence knew how to turn a stable situation into a more volatile, chaotic one that they could then manipulate and exploit to their winning advantage. The Pracheachun itself might have withered away in name and its parliamentary foothold lost, thanks to Sihanouk's refusal to share power and his persecution of the Left, in particular, as well as any other parties beside his but, certainly not its active personnel and fifth-column elements who would eventually swell the underground rebel movement and its 'revolutionary cells" throughout the country, set up for such a scenario. 

Ironically, it was also Sihanouk who provided his former adversaries with the decisive advantage when in the wake of his overthrow he opted to embrace them as his new comrades and allies in his bid for a return to his political throne and to avenge his overthrow. 

We would also witness a similair situation in the seventies when Pol Pot's mass purges led to defections of large numbers of his own regime's underlings and henchmen into the arms of the Vietnamese; individuals who would later be installed in power and eventually call themselves: "The Cambodian People's Party"...    

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