Hun Sen Power Would Be Cheaper

«ច្បាស់​ណាស់​ថា បន្ទាប់​ពី​ថ្លៃ​អគ្គិសនី​នេះ​ទៅ គឺ​នឹង​អ្នក​ឆ្លើយ​ប្រាប់​ថា បើ​សិន​អញ​​កាន់​អំណាច អញ​នឹង​បញ្ចុះ​ថ្លៃ​អគ្គិសនី​នេះ ថោក​ជាង​ហ្នឹង ៣​ដង។ ប៉ុន្តែ​សូម​បញ្ជាក់​ថា អត់​មាន​ឱកាស​ណា​ថោក​ជាង​តម្លៃ​ហ្នឹង​បាន​ទៀត​ទេ»។

នាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី​ ហ៊ុន សែន ថ្ងៃ​ទី​១២ ខែ​មករា ២០១៥ ​វិទ្យុ​អាស៊ីសេរី

“អ្នកញុះញង់មួយចំនួនថា នៅវៀតណាម១គីឡូភ្លើងតែ២៥០រៀល។ គ្មានមានអាត្រានេះទាល់តែសោះ អត់មានទេ។ អញ្ចឹងវាជាការបោកប្រាស់ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋេ ដើម្បីធ្វើគោលដៅផ្សេង។”

អគ្គនាយក​អគ្គិសនី​​កម្ពុជា កែវរតនៈ​ ថ្ងៃ​ទី​១៤ ខែ​មករា ​២០១៥ វិទ្យុបារាំងអន្តរជាតិ ​

“We have created electricity [at Stung Tatai Dam in Koh Kong] that is beyond the capacity of the current power grid during the rainy season, and this electricity has not been used yet. We do not yet have a power grid to absorb and distribute [the electricity].”

Ministry of Mines and Energy secretary of state Ith Praing, 21 November 2014, The Cambodia Daily

“During the rainy season in 2014, Cambodia has had a surplus of about 246 megawatts [of electricity] that has not been consumed due to lack of a power grid.”

Premier Hun Sen, 6 October 2014, The Cambodia Daily (21 November 2014)

Is Hun Sen right when he claims there is no chance the electricity price drops to one third of the current level without nuclear power plant?

He is dead wrong.

Just a day after the claim, Electricite du Cambodge director-general Keo Rattanak announces a maximum electricity rate of 610 riels per Kwh (15.06 cents) for those who consume power less than 51 Kwh per month. If he is right that some room-renters pay their landlord 2,500 riels per Kwh, the new rate is only a quarter of the current one. If the better-off also pays the 2,500 riel rate, their new rate of 820 riels per Kwh represents a drop to about one third. Hence, Hun Sen’s own power pricing policy gives the lie to his claim.

Nevertheless, Keo Rattanak also lies when he says there is no such thing as 250 riels per Kwh in Vietnam. Yes, there is. The lowest rate for Vietnamese poor for less than 51 Kwh per month is 5.66 US cents, or 229 riels. He forgets a golden rule for lying: one lies only when it is impossible for others to check. A few clicks on Google search will provide all the numbers to prove Keo Rattanak does not know what, when, and how to lie.

Beyond the lies, Hun Sen could do much better, though. Indeed, he can take all credits for providing electricity to the people more than Pol Pot ever has. But a wishful thinking is that he would give Cambodians a break.

Cambodians, especially the poor, fare badly if the comparison moves beyond the Khmer Rouge handiwork. In contrast to their counterparts in neighbouring countries, Cambodian poor still pay far too much for Hun Sen power even with the new rate of 15.06 US cents. For the same amount of usage per month, Thai poor pay 7.74 cents; Vietnamese poor, 5.65 cents; and Lao poor, only 4.60 cents. None of these countries operates any nuclear plant.

Not only the Cambodian poor pay more in absolute terms than their neighbours, they pay even more from their income perspective. Out of their GDP per capita of $1,007, the Cambodian electricity takes 9.0%. Vietnamese spend 1.8% of theirs; Lao, 1.7%; and Thai only 0.8%. Thus, the Cambodian back is bending due to the electricity burden – not scoliosis.

	GDP per	Electricity Rates US Cent		Monthly	Annual Cost	Cost/GDP
	Capita (USD)	Lowest	Highest	<51 Kwh	Amount USD	Proportion
Cambodia	1,007	15.06	20.25	15.06	90.38	9.0%
Laos	1,661	4.20	12.07	4.60	27.60	1.7%
Thailand	5,779	0.00	13.00	7.74	46.44	0.8%
Vietnam	1,911	5.66	8.59	5.65	33.94	1.8%

Compiled by Pseng-Pseng, 26 January, 2015

It is also clear why Hun Sen electricity must cost so much. His power management is not as efficient as the way he uses guns and court to demolish peaceful demonstrations. Both he and Ith Praing know the 246-megawatt Stung Tatai Dam in Koh Kong has been producing electricity since August last year, but all the energy has gone unused because there is no power grid to bring it to consumers. Brightway vice-president Chea Sitha estimates the government loses about $74 million in revenue. This is another one of Hun Sen’s obsessions of putting the horse in front of the cart, so that his personal interest group can make a quick buck from the back-to-front development.

Ung Bun Ang

30i15

Parthian Shot

There is a man on a kerb at a pathway intersection laughing. A pedestrian asks him why he is laughing. He replies, “Do you see that rock in the middle of the pathway? I have been standing here observing all morning. That rock has tripped up more than 10 people, yet nobody has removed it.” He continues to laugh.

After laughing his head off the whole morning, the man decides to do a research on why nobody cares enough to remove the rock.

Then he finds out there is a standing order from a police chief to keep the rock there to trip up pedestrians in the hope they will be hurt badly enough to go to a private medical clinic located close by. The clinic will then pays a kickback to the police chief, who shares a cut with his superior.

The man sits down, and this time cries his heart out the whole afternoon. Even he cannot remove the rock…

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Hun Sen’s Hitler and Viet Concoction

“Speaking frankly, I learned from Hitler. Germany, after World War I, was not allowed by the international community to have more than 100,000 soldiers, but the Nazis and Hitler did whatever so they could wage World War II.”

National military police commander General Sao Sokha, 16 January 2015, The Cambodia Daily

“I learned from the Vietnamese guerrillas to take small numbers to fight against the big, but that cannot be for winning, but to destroy them. If we want to win, we have to take big numbers to fight against the small.”

National military police commander General Sao Sokha, 16 January 2015, The Cambodia Daily

“I do not have any duty to clarify this [the Veng Sreng shooting] for anyone [because an investigation has already been carried out.”

Defence Minister Tea Banh, 5 January 2015, The Phnom Penh Post

“His Excellency Deputy Prime Minister [Sar Kheng] agrees to go to answer questions in the National Assembly over the incident on Veng Sreng provided that [National Assembly President] Samdech Heng Samrin summons. But he believes that opposition leaders Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha, and ‘NGO leaders’ need to ‘clarify’ their role in the bloodshed.”

Interior Ministry spokesman Khieu Sopheak, 12 January 2015, The Phnom Penh Post

“It is normal [to send forces armed with AK-47s to face the Veng Sreng slaying commemoration march on 4 January 2015] since ‘armed forces’ are equipped with weapons. We use the weapons to protect people’s lives, including those people who were marching.”

Military police spokesman General Kheng Tito, 5 January 2015, The Cambodia Daily

Whatever the newly-found culture of dialogue means to Hun Sen, it is clear he well prepares himself and his mob for it. Sao Sokha, a self-confessed disciple of Hitler, is more than ready. A lesson he learns from Hitler is to do “whatever it takes” to make wars, including psychopathic savage to shoot at unarmed civilians. Hitler does this rather well, so does Sao Sokha. There is a slight difference, however. Hitler does not target his own race; but Sao Sokha does; and so does Pol Pot.

Sao Sokha also learns from the Viets, and applies it well to destroy opponents and win. He has done it so well that Vietnam rewards the CPP government with a $2.2 million building to house the Cambodian police academy, to be followed later by another building for a military history institute.

Momentarily, after the 2013 elections the Hitler and Viet tactics appear non-applicable. Continual demonstrations against the election outcomes grow larger and larger, which must be too overwhelming for Hun Sen; he stays away from his golf course for months. The proclaimed election “victory” is not celebrated at major ministries as it usually is. A reliable source claims the CPP actually gets less than 40 seats in the elections. The crushing defeat and hundreds of thousand demonstrators must shake Hun Sen’s nerve; he is no longer certain who have really voted for him after spending huge amounts of cash for election rallies and buying votes.

Only a quick trip to Hanoi at the end of December 2013 pumps Hun Sen up; he returns to implement the Viet destruction tactics with gusto. Sao Sokha forces fire indiscriminately at Veng Sreng demonstrators and bystanders, killing 5 and injuring at least 42. Since then street protests, whether political or industrial, are much smaller in size, allowing Sao Sokha to apply the second prong of his Viet tactics – taking big numbers of his armed forces to face any smaller crowd of protestors. Indeed, he achieves the ultimate winner’s trophy.

The consolation prize for his opponents is a culture of dialogue and a few honorific titles and positions. It is uncertain how these prizes are going to work, though. Tea Banh says he has no duty to explain anything about the shooting. Sar Kheng is prepared to say something, but he expects his opponents to come clean. And Kheng Tito remains adamant it is normal to bring weapons to any public gathering to protect all, including those they are prepared to shoot dead. With or without dialogue, gunfire remains an option.

Suitably, CNRP is not in a rush to dialogue for a release of its jailed politicians, let alone other victims of land rights abuse and activist monks who are also in jail. It says it will not partake in a planned month-long continuous demonstration demanding a release of all the jailed 19, but some speeches are possible.

Well, the Hitler and Viet concoction has worked rather well for the winners. Is there a reason to change anything?

Ung Bun Ang

20i15

Parthian Shot

It takes Sao Sokha three days to clarify he is not Hitler. However, he confirms that he is only savage enough for his own people, which raises a further question: why Cambodian “strongmen” enjoy abusing only their own kind?

“The killing of people and the racism and persecution of another religion is what Hitler did… I neither admire him nor follow him, and I am not saying my subordinates should either. I am not Hitler.”

National military police commander Sao Sokha, 19 January 2015, The Phnom Penh Post

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Hun Sen Summons the Non-Imbecile

 “Of course, Samdech Hun Sen has played a clear role in encouraging the royalists and Sihanoukists to join forces and not continue to be divided.”

Funcinpec president-to-be Prince Norodom Ranariddh, 3 January 2015, The Cambodia Daily

“My re-entry this time, there is no payment from the CPP. I received nothing… no blue light, no green light, no red light; I have not received anything…”

Prince Norodom Ranariddh, 6 January 2015, Radio Free Asia

“Only the imbecile does not change their mind. [Like my father] I change to suit circumstances. I change… [because] circumstances change…”

Prince Norodom Ranariddh, 6 January 2015, Radio Free Asia

“I spoke to Samdech Arun this morning, saying, ‘Samdech, I seem to receive a party without a headquarters, don’t I?’ Samdech Arun said ‘There is no headquarters because His Excellency Nhiek Bun Chhay sold it already.’”

Prince Norodom Ranariddh, 6 January 2015, The Cambodia Daily

“If one day they think of uniting all within the current regime, I will very warmly welcome them.”

Prince Norodom Ranariddh, 6 January 2015, Radio Free Asia

“They [royal families] are not really concerned about the nation… I want to say that if we speak only the royal families [for succession plan] we won’t go very far. But we must take something as a basis for the nation for the monarchy that is the people.”

Prince Norodom Ranariddh, 6 January 2015, Radio Free Asia

It is uncertain when Prince Ranariddh is lying or telling the truth. He initially claims Hun Sen brings him into limelight only to refute it three days later that the latter has no hand in his rebound. Then again, it is quite possible he is not an imbecile who cannot tell different stories to suit different circumstances.

Whether or not Ranariddh suffers from temporary amnesia, Hun Sen stands to benefit from his rebound. Ranariddh can divert the CNRP’s attention, if not the public’s, away from pounding on major on-going problems the government is unable or unwilling, to solve: land disputes, logging, corruption, etc… Though it is unlikely to deliver Hun Sen fatal blows, its relentless pursuit has increasingly become a source of annoyance beyond Hun Sen’s tolerance level. Furthermore, Funcinpec may once again become a potential force to split anti-CPP votes, which will require the CNRP attention and resources.

The benefits to Hun Sen could be so great that the prince’s re-emergence is anything but by chance. There are Hun Sen’s fingerprints all over Ranariddh’s defibrillator.

For an effective diversion, the animated prince, who says he is also mercurial like his father, can still serenade some opinion leaders. For others, it is difficult to envisage Ranariddh will return with any substance. After his father won the 1993 elections for him, he has squandered all the 58 seats plus the party’s headquarters prime property. Then again, he may now change from a loser – as circumstances now change – unless he is an imbecile.

Resuscitated Funcinpec will cut into anti-CPP votes unless Hun Sen for some reason pulls the plug on Ranariddh before the next elections. Ranariddh says he is not going to break up any party’s votes – but his political mission is to unite everyone under Hun Sen’s wings. Though Ranariddh is unsure how many seats he will get, he says he will get some. If Hun Sen believed that the CNRP seats are unaffected, in the zero sum game the seats would have to come from the CPP. Does Hun Sen execute a strategy that gives away some of CPP seats to Funcinpec? Unlikely, especially when Hun Sen has a track record of accurately predicting election results before vote counting completes.

Also Ranariddh’s rebound may be just short and sweet; it comes without any succession plan in place for Funcinpec. In response to a prompt that ageing CPP leaders are bringing in their grown-up children to takeover, Ranariddh says he has Cambodian people to succeed him, which is not exactly a vote of concern for an effective long-term planning. This means the comeback is for personal, not national interest as claimed.

For such control and benefit, it must cost Hun Sen something; only he and Ranariddh know exactly how much. Ranariddh denies rumours that spread like a bushfire that Hun Sen pays him five million bucks for the stint. As he is not an imbecile who is unyielding to changing circumstances, it is uncertain if he is now telling the truth.

Ung Bun Ang

10i15

Parthian Shot

“This may sound a bit pompous but I would prefer to die standing than to live on my knees.”

Stephane Charbonnier, editor-in-chief of the satirical French magazine Charlie Hebdo, 2012.

Going by the pen name “Charb”, he was killed along with three of his colleagues after gunmen had stormed their offices on 7 January, 2014.

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Pseng-Pseng is published on the tenth, twentieth, and thirtieth day of every month. Previous issues are archived at pseng-pseng.blogspot.com