Lonesome Hun Sen

“China has never attached any political condition in aiding and investing in Cambodia. Bilateral cooperation between the two nations are open and transparent and history will show that Chinese investment is not a trap.”

Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wentian, 26 September 2019, Khmer Times

It has been a worrying time for Hun Sen. He has been losing “friends” left, right, and centre.

According to a source in his inner circle, China has become non-committal. It still says it supports Hun Sen but refuses to specify how it will do so despite his numerous requests for details. This is a serious deprivation of substance Hun Sen needs for his sanity. He knows China has a habit of backing a winner of the day, so it can again change side if Sam Rainsy manages to bring people’s power with him on 9/11. Ambassador Wang confirms Chinese investments and aid are not political, which means China will deal with whoever in power in Cambodia. Could Beijing fly a new victor to Cambodia in a 747 jet like it used to for Prince Sihanouk?

The source claims China advises Hun Sen to do what it has done with its Hong Kong dissidents – allowing them to run amok in the streets until they run out of steam. Hun Sen rejects the idea as it has no palatable options for him should a 9/11 momentum grows out of control.

Eternal friend Vietnam is dropping Hun Sen. It is well-known Vietnam has not been thrilled with Hun Sen’s close alignment with Beijing. The source claims Hanoi demands he sign a declaration denouncing China in the South China Sea dispute. An analysis argues if Beijing decides to use forces in the dispute, Vietnam will be its first target. Hun Sen refuses the demand telling Hanoi he can secretly sign anything but not for public consumption. It seems his September trip to Vietnam announced in August is postponed indefinitely; there has been no report on it. Hun Sen is worried, according to the source, that this precarious relationship may lead to Hanoi facilitating Sam Rainsy’s transit in Vietnam.

Hun Sen also suffers a snub from Western diplomats in Cambodia. The source claims when his lobby team speaks of his remarkable economic growth, the envoys speak of human rights and freedom. The US will cheer when a Chinese naval base project in Cambodia is dead.

Hun Sen’s effort with ASEAN may fall flat. Thailand has expedited a CNRP member on his request, but this time involves a huge fish. It may remember it is Hun Sen who interferes in its internal affairs by assisting former Thailand prime minister Yingluck to escape Thai court on corruption charges; he issues her a Cambodian passport. If Thailand harbours a grudge against Hun Sen, Sam Rainsy may walk into Cambodia with reportedly at least 200,000 Cambodians working in Thailand.

The Lao premier says he will comply with Hun Sen’s extradition request, but it is unlikely without a greenlight from his patron Hanoi. Malaysia’s Mahathir keeps asking Hun Sen, unsuccessfully, to stand with ASEAN against China. Anyhow, any of the ASEAN members may just regard extraditing Sam Rainy as an act of violating the ASEAN non-interfering principle and ignore the request.

His eleventh-hour efforts fail. He must feel lonely.

Ung Bun Ang

28ix19

Funny News You Can Use

For a regime that hails its rule of law every time they move their lips, there is no clear difference between “theft” and “loan”. They transform theft into loan with ease even without legal documents to indicate who is a lender who is a borrower.

National Military Police Commander Sao Sokha instructs all loans by his officers be returned to court. However, his spokesman Eng Hy claims it is not certain if there is anything borrowed from the court. Either the boss is stupid or ignorant, or his subordinate is smart enough to put his boss’s mental stability and capacity into questions.

Anyhow, according to the Ministry of Justice, it does not matter whether it is a theft or loan. Its spokesman Chin Malin says those assets, confiscated from alleged crimes as evidence awaiting trial, need to be used to preserve their value. Really? Why does he not quote any relevant law when claiming this?

And what does the court say in all this? Absolutely nothing.

The legalised theft appears also widespread. Sao Sokha asks for a listing of these real estate, non-real estate, and valuables like vehicles, motorcycles, rifles, pistols, mobile phones, computers, etc. The ignorant commander has no idea about the extent of the theft-loan system he is dealing with.

«ចំពោះនាយទាហាន នាយទាហានរង នៃកងរាជអាវុធហត្ថ ដែលបាន ខ្ចីចលនទ្រព្យ អចលនទ្រព្យ និងរតនវត្ថុផ្សេងៗ ដូចជា រថយន្ត ម៉ូតូកង់ កាំភ្លើងវែង‑ខ្លី ទូរស័ព្ទដៃ កុំព្យូទ័រ ... ។ ល ។ ពីសាលាដំបូងរាជធានី‑ខេត្ត យកមកប្រើប្រាស់ ជាមធ្យោបាយសម្រាប់ធ្វើការងារនោះ គឺត្រូវប្រគល់ជូនសាលាដំបូងរាជធានី‑ខេត្តវិញ ជាកំហិត។»

មេបញ្ជាការកងរាជអាវុធហត្ថលើផ្ទៃប្រទេស នាយឧត្តមសេនីយ៍ សៅ សុខា ​ថ្ងៃ​ទី១៧ ខែ​កញ្ញា ឆ្នាំ២០១៩ ភ្នំពេញប៉ុស្តិ៍

«តុលាការបានស្នើទៅក្រសួងយុត្តិធម៌ [ឲ្យធ្វើដូច្នេះ] ប៉ុន្តែខ្ញុំមិនដឹងទេថា តើមានទ្រព្យសម្បត្តិដែលបានខ្ចីពីតុលាការ ឬអត់នោះទេ។»

អ្នកនាំពាក្យកងរាជអាវុធហត្ថលើផ្ទៃប្រទេស អេង ហ៊ី ​ថ្ងៃ​ទី១៧ ខែ​កញ្ញា ឆ្នាំ២០១៩ ភ្នំពេញប៉ុស្តិ៍

«វត្ថុតាងមួយចំនួនទាមទារឲ្យមានការប្រើប្រាស់ជាប្រចាំនិងការថែទាំ ព្រោះបើទុកចោល វាធ្វើឲ្យខូចតម្លៃរបស់វា។»

អ្នកនាំពាក្យក្រសួងយុត្តិធម៌ ជិន ម៉ាលីន ​ថ្ងៃ​ទី១៧ ខែ​កញ្ញា ឆ្នាំ២០១៩ ភ្នំពេញប៉ុស្តិ៍

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