Khmer Quotes

Thanks to my generosity, imperial troops were dispatched to Cambodia, costing millions of coins, and brought you security by destroying the Thai. Our soldiers were stationed among you to bring you peace. This was like bringing the Cambodian [Khmer] people out of the mud and into a warm feather bed, and this is well-known by all …. Anyone who can think for himself should be grateful to my court; why are there people who hate us?

Military convicts and ordinary criminals if kept in prison will be useless. Therefore, it would be better for them to be sent to Cambodia and live among the [Khmer] people there, who would benefit from their teaching.

All these shortcomings stem from the laziness of the Cambodians [Khmer]… teach them agriculture. As for language, they should be taught to speak Vietnamese. Our dress and table manners must also be followed. If there is any out-dated or barbarous custom that can be simplified or repressed, then do so.

Let the good ideas seep in, turning the barbarians [Khmer] into civilized people. As for winning the hearts of the people, and teaching them, we plan to do this rather slowly.

All the Khmer leaders and nobles, all the district chiefs and all the common people are ignorant, stupid, foolish and gullible. They have no idea what is true and what is false.

The customs of the [Khmer] barbarians are so different from our own that even if we were to capture all their territory, it would not be certain that we could change them.

The masters wanted to keep their slaves, and the slaves, their masters.

The Cambodians [Khmer] are so stupid that we must frighten them. Ordinary moral suasion has no effect.