Dr Gaffar Peang Math: Leadership Development for Prosperous Cambodia

For centuries, Khmer people have lived in a tradition of obedience and acceptance, following the rules of Khmer culture and society, which are based on a tradition of respect, loyalty, and protection of leaders or masters for life. These characteristics are Khmer qualities.

However, it is important to remember that when we choose to attribute those qualities to leaders or bosses because of their status rather than their personality in relation to us, we have created a hierarchy of structures: leader-follower (me-koun), superior-inferior (khpuos-teab), boss-worker (chaovay-kammakar), master-slave (mchass-kanhum bomrer), and have strengthened a culture of agreeing, bowing, accepting inequality and fear. This structure is a perpetual institution.

It would be better to turn the above-said Khmer qualities to increase and uphold the concepts, ideals and principles, that is to respect, serve, admire, be honest and defend democracy, freedom, justice, human rights, the rule of law, and to establish national institution for the benefit of our children and their children down to the next generations.

Text translated extracted for personal use from Dr Gaffar Peang Meth's article which can be found at kumnitkhmer.com.