By Matías Pavez
Mu Sochua is a Cambodian politician and rights activist. She has served as a Member of Parliament and as Cambodia’s first Minister of Women and Veterans’ Affairs. Currently, she is a Board Member of the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights and is constantly involved in the opposition political party of Cambodia.
Sochua gives a strong message on the importance of nonviolence: “Nonviolence keeps the rhythm going so the anger and other passions are removed and replaced for something more positive and rational.” In this Q&A, she expressed her concerns over topics such as the Cambodian situation, women’s rights, and what’s next for her in the future.
Q: Over the years…what do you consider the most challenging thing you have overcome?
A: I think the challenge that I am facing right now; is how to get myself and other leaders from the opposition party, other Cambodian political refugee leaders at a national level and political prisoners to be free and to go back to Cambodia so we can build… rebuild Cambodia together in Cambodia and not from a distance.
Q: What’s your current inspiration?
A: This morning, I was on a live talk show, and I just declared I want to run as a president for the next elections… as Prime Minister. I am the kind of person who stands on top of a cliff and says, “there is no way out but to jump down to the sea”, I have done that on the past many times; jumping down to the sea, to the water, but at least I know how to swim and to take some precautions like not hitting things and keeping myself straight to be able to absorb the impact… but when I am in front of a challenge I don’t walk away: I jump in. Many times, in my life, I’ve jumped in. When I was here in America as a student, I was 20 years old; I partly spoke English, and when the Cambodian situation broke, meaning the communist regime, the Khmer Rouge genocide regime that killed over 2 million Cambodians in less than 4 years fell. I was in San Francisco, and we were all in the dark because there was no information whatsoever coming out from Cambodia. It was like Cambodia was whipped out of the world map… but our parents were inside. One day, when I was 24, a big headline in The New York Times, a photo of a local reporter who survived the genocide with almost no teeth left… I knew right away that I couldn’t any longer wait… and I left America to find my parents, long journey… very long journey back home, and after some failed attempts to enter my own country and have waited a lot…the challenge of rebuilding Cambodia, inside Cambodia started. It started on a very dark evening at the airport in Cambodia. It was chaotic, with no electricity, and no running water… but I was reborn; I was no longer the girl that left Cambodia but a mother of two. That evening I knew that my life would not be normal, in that dark airport smelling like urine… But I had a vision, the Cambodia that we all want. And the inspiration is the darkness that makes me want to find that light and make it right for all. But we have to do it with peace, put aside the anger, the sadness, the vengeance because they killed my parents, they killed two million people… and that’s the only way that two million people can be born, and four… five million Cambodians can be back home.
Q: Do you think the women’s rights situation will have any progress soon in Southeast Asia?
A: In Southeast Asia, the world is different in the way you have different religions, like Islam in Malaysia, Indonesia, some parts of the Philippines, and Cambodia. There is Buddhism in more than 95% of households in Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar. In Buddhist countries, I think that women have more rights; they have more freedom… freedom for an education, freedom for a career, and freedom to marry. Compared to the Islam situation, which is more restricted because of the traditions of the religion. (…) In Cambodia, the survival instinct of Women has prevailed over the years after the genocide. However, what’s typical for women in Cambodia is the autocratic regime that has been there for 35 years and intends to stay on much longer. There is a male proverb that says, “males are gold, and women are just a white piece of cloth.” We must change it to males are gold, but women are precious gems. To be a white piece of cloth means that if you get stained, you are no longer a white piece of cloth, then you are nothing. If you are a widow is hard to remarry, you have to take care of the children on your own, and if life circumstances you have to work in the entertainment industry, then you don’t have value.
Q: What message would you give to many people that want something different for themselves and the world?
A: I learned to survive, mistakes, by keeping the mistakes as lessons and trying to improve and make it better next time. However, no matter how big the mistake is, you deserve another chance. I believe in second chances. My advice is to stay focused, know where you are going, take that path and embrace it with clear definitions and values, maintain those values, be open-minded, and don’t give up if you don’t succeed.
Q: Since you were a refugee once…Would you like to send a message to the Ukrainian refugees?
A: Being a refugee is not your choice. It was a choice made by someone for you. Being a refugee and surviving the long journey, whether by boat or walking through the jungle, shows you have great potential. Even though we are far away from home as refugees, we contribute significantly to democracy and human rights in the new country. Also is important to mention that the refugee is not alone. There is a new community that is looking for justice as well. There are countries such as the US or Germany where it is easier to be a refugee but others where it is not, like Indonesia… That is why the international community must adhere to the right of refugees, there is a UN convention on refugees, and refugees are human rights.
Q: What’s the value you give to nonviolence & peace?
A: Survive. It keeps you balanced; you can survive anywhere when you practice these basic principles. When I wake up sad, angry, or thinking about the destruction… in the atrocities caused by the dictator… I am a human being, I am angry, and I want revenge… but those are feelings of that moment. Nonviolence starts with taking in a deep breath… when I wake up, I always take a big deep breath before putting a foot on the ground. Nonviolence keeps the rhythm going, so the anger is removed and is replaced with a more rational moment.
Q: Can you share your upcoming projects and plans?
A: I would like more opportunities to share the community experience. Spending time with the communities keeps me grounded, and I like them to leave that zone of comfort and get to know other communities, so the message and strength are spread; it needs to spread. I am very worried about where democracy is going.