Does Sam Rainsy Have It?

«ខ្ញុំ​នឹង​នាំ​ពលករ​ខ្មែរ​នៅ​ថៃ​ពីរ​លាន​នាក់​បង​ប្អូន នៅ​ម៉ាឡេស៊ី នៅ​កូរ៉េ នៅ​ជប៉ុន ​ដែល​ពួក​គាត់​បង្ខំចិត្ត​ទៅ​ស៊ី​ឈ្នួល​ធ្វើ​ការងារ​ស្រុក​គេ ទៅ​ផ្ទះ​យើង​វិញ​ទាំង​អស់​គ្នា ទៅ​យក​ផ្ទះ​យើង ទៅ​យក​ដីធ្លី​យើង​វិញ ទៅ​យក​ប្រទេស​យើង​វិញ ​កុំ​ឲ្យ ហ៊ុន សែន ប្លន់។»

ប្រធាន​ស្ដីទី​គណបក្ស​សង្គ្រោះ​ជាតិ សម រង្ស៊ី ​​ថ្ងៃ​ទី១៩ ខែ​សីហា ឆ្នាំ២០១៩ វិទ្យុអាស៊ីសេរី

«ក្រសួងការបរទេសទាំង២កំពុងតែរៀបចំការងារហ្នឹងហើយ [ទស្សនកិច្ចនៅប្រទេសវៀតណាម] ព្រោះសម្ដេចតេជោទើបសម្រេចកាលពីម្សិលមិញ (២០សីហា)។»

នាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី ហ៊ុន សែន ថ្ងៃ​ទី ២២ សីហា ឆ្នាំ២០១៩ ភ្នំពេញប៉ុស្តិ៍

Again and again since the 1993 elections has Hun Sen proved he has “it” – the killer instinct. He makes himself the second premier despite CPP losing the elections. He executes the 1997-armed clash to become the only premier. He has many socio-political activists persecuted and murdered.

Meanwhile, there has been no clear indication that long-standing opponent Sam Rainsy has it. He may yet to flex his killer instinct after all these decades, if he ever has one. Perhaps, 9 November (another 9/11?) – the date he chooses to return to Cambodia – is his opportunity to confirm he badly wants Hun Sen’s job. Indeed, stepping onto Cambodian soil on 9/11 requires the killer instinct.

It is very unlikely that Hun Sen will make the comeback a risk-free for Sam Rainsy considering their chronic animosity and what is at stake. The latter boasts he is going to bring with him two million Cambodians working abroad to take back their real estate properties Hun Sen has swindled. Though he may not end up with the number – his previous grandiose claims often are pure hot air – Hun Sen is still anxious because he must know many agree with Sam Rainsy that he has robbed the nation blind. His relaxed façade of composing poems ridiculing the return is just a faint cover for the anxiety exposed by intense crackdowns on CNRP supporters throughout the country.

According to a source within Hun Sen’s inner circle, there will be no negotiation with the opposition before the 9/11. Sam Rainsy will be disappointed if he expects it for a safe passage.

Nevertheless, the source claims there could be one if Sam Rainsy managed to bring with him a sizable people’s power that Hun Sen believes he could not squash. One of Hun Sen’s considerations is to use the king to initiate a peace negotiation. A leader without the killer instinct will bow to the apathetic king and negotiate. They would accept a compromise with an incurable delusion that they can later change Hun Sen.

With this tactical move, the source says, Hun Sen aims to use his opponent’s naivety and the royal illusive authority to remove any fangs of the people’s power, at least in the short run, to give any opposition a chance to do a Funcinpec hara-kiri. The Funcinpec leadership embraces corruption that brings them all: positions, wealth, plus an eventual demise. Founder King Sihanouk would turn over in his grave as they wreck his legacy.

However, for good measure, Hun Sen has yet again turned to Vietnam. After a recent meeting with its foreign minister, Hun Sen will make an impromptu visit to Vietnam soon under a pretext of luring Vietnamese investors to Cambodia. Nobody explains why the Vietnamese investments suddenly become so urgent, as if foreign investments have not done enough damages to local livelihood.

Anyhow, the question is: Will the CNRP acting president unveil a killer instinct to overcome Hun Sen’s 9/11 gauntlet and ability to manage the corruption temptation that has destroyed Funcinpec?

Ung Bun Ang

01ix19

Funny News You Can Use

A report that Cambodia rejects Vietnam’s request for an automatic naturalisation of illegal Vietnamese migrants in Cambodia makes many high-profile Cambodians proud of their national souvereignty. They forget to ask why Vietnam has the guts to make such a request at the first place, if Chheang Vun is not lying.

The irony is that in the same breath, Chheang Vun asks Vietnam to help curb timber smuggling from Cambodia to Vietnam. He does not say what the Vietnamese response is. Perhaps, they would give him a two-finger salute, rather than words.

Would Vietnam say yes after Cambodia’s rejection of the bulk naturalisation request?

Even without the rejection, it is in Vietnam’s best interest to keep the timber smuggling from Cambodia going full swing. Vietnamese news website Cong Thuong claims Vietnam’s export of timber and forest products during the first 6 months of this year has reached about $5.23 billion, up 20 percent over the same period last year. The Vietnamese General Department of Forestry expects that the export for the whole 2019 to reach $11 billion. A large chunk of these Vietnamese exports is made possible with the courtesy of the Cambodia’s corrupt leadership that merely pretends to fight deforestation. Meanwhile, forest coverage in Vietnam has been increasing. This is indeed part and parcel of repaying the eternal gratitude Hun Sen has expressed so often for his power and prosperity.

They are laughing all the way to the bank, while Agriculture Ministry spokesman Srey Vuthy says he has no idea about the timber trade revenue for Cambodia. Well, as they say, ignorance is bliss.

«វៀតណាមបានស្នើយើងពីរឿងប្រជាពលរដ្ឋវៀតណាម ដែលមករស់នៅតំបន់ហ្នឹងយូរមកហើយ ម៉េចក៏យើងមិនផ្ដល់សញ្ជាតិឱ្យអ៊ីចឹង។ ខ្ញុំនិងគណៈប្រតិភូយើងបានឆ្លើយតបយ៉ាងច្បាស់លាស់អំពីរឿងនេះថាយើងមានច្បាប់ទម្លាប់របស់យើង ហើយច្បាប់ទម្លាប់ទាំងនោះ រួមមានច្បាប់សញ្ជាតិផង និងច្បាប់អន្តោប្រវេសន៍ផង។ យើងមិនអាចឱ្យសញ្ជាតិដោយស្វ័យប្រវត្តិ ចំពោះបងប្អូនវៀតណាម ដែលមករស់នៅខុសច្បាប់នៅក្នុងប្រទេសយើងបានទេ។»

ប្រធានគណៈកម្មការកិច្ចការបរទេស សហប្រតិបត្តិការអន្តរជាតិ ឃោសនាការនិងព័ត៌មាននៃរដ្ឋសភា ឈាង វុន ​ថ្ងៃ​ទី ២១ សីហា ឆ្នាំ២០១៩ ភ្នំពេញប៉ុស្តិ៍

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