Hun Sen’s Reactions to Coronavirus: Courageous or Foolish?
«បើយើងនៅតែលាក់លៀម អត់បានទេ។ យើងត្រូវហ៊ានចេញមក នៅពេលយើងមានការសង្ស័យបញ្ហា។»
នាយករដ្ឋមន្ដ្រី ហ៊ុន សែន ថ្ងៃទី ១១ ខែមីនា ឆ្នាំ ២០២០ ភ្នំពេញប៉ុស្តិ៍
«បើសិនពលរដ្ឋកម្ពុជាមិនជឿជាក់លើពេទ្យកម្ពុជា ពួកគេមិនដឹងទៅទីណាទេ ព្រោះបើសិនជាអ្នកណាម្នាក់ មានផ្ទុកមេរោគនេះ ថៃនិងវៀតណាមនឹងមិនឲ្យអ្នកនោះ ចូលប្រទេសពួកគេទេ។»
នាយករដ្ឋមន្ដ្រី ហ៊ុន សែន ថ្ងៃទី ១០ ខែមីនា ឆ្នាំ ២០២០ ភ្នំពេញប៉ុស្តិ៍
«មានតែពង្រឹងជំនឿទុកចិត្ត ដំបូងជំនឿទុកចិត្តលើខ្លួនឯងតែម្ដង។ ជំនឿ ទុកចិត្តលើខ្លួនឯងយ៉ាងម៉េច ប្រាប់ថាអញអត់ឈឺទេ ។ អញអត់មានឈឺអីទេ។ ដូច្នេះ អាណាចង់បំផុស បំផុស[ទៅ] ទីចុងបំផុត អញអត់ឈឺ ។ អ្នកដទៃទៀតដែលគេថាឈឺ ក៏អត់ឈឺដែរ។»
នាយក រដ្ឋមន្ដ្រី ហ៊ុន សែន ថ្ងៃទី ១០ ខែមីនា ឆ្នាំ ២០២០ ភ្នំពេញប៉ុស្តិ៍
“We have the right to listen to phone conversations. We have a warrant from the courts or prosecutors.’’
Prime Minister Hun Sen, 11 March 2020, Khmer Times
“I am not a medical expert so I cannot describe the current situation of the virus. But as a journalist who keeps track of Health Ministry updates, we know there was only one case involving a Chinese man. The ministry has not announced any new cases. This is good news for Cambodia.”
Club of Cambodian Journalists president Pen Bona, 5 March 2020, Khmer Times
«ខ្ញុំគិតថា ត្រឡប់ទៅវិញ ខ្ញុំឲ្យពេទ្យយកសំណាកខ្ញុំ ទៅមើលដែរ ព្រោះខ្ញុំនិយាយទៅដូចរាងតឹងច្រមុះ ព្រោះអ៊ីចេះតែកាលណាខ្ញុំដំឡើងម៉ាស៊ីនលើសតែពីមួយ ម៉ោងទៅ វាតឹងច្រមុះហើយវាជាទម្លាប់របស់ខ្ញុំទេ។ ម៉ាឆឺតនឹងទៅណាគេថា កូរ៉ូណា។»
នាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី ហ៊ុន សែន ថ្ងៃ ទី៩ ខែមីនា ឆ្នាំ២០២០ វិទ្យុអាស៊ីសេរី
Hun Sen has eventually confessed he can no longer cover up the dead elephant with his basket. In a media blitz, he reveals his reactions that involve drastic demands on the public. Are they helpful?
He asks the people to trust the State healthcare system – the one they have not for decades. Only the poor put up with local medical services; others prefer healthcare in neighbouring countries. Even Hun Sen himself flies to Singapore even for a routine health check. Yet, he warns they have nowhere to go, because Thailand and Vietnam will not let any COVID-19 carriers into their countries. It must be unsettling for the well-off.
Hun Sen asks the people to be self-confident to deny being infected and to reject as fake any news not in line with his. He does not trust their ability to work out what a fake news is. He has imposed a tight control over information flows. He brands anybody peddling “fake” news as terrorists; so far three have been arrested. Hun Sen warns that his regime has the power to listen in on private phone conversations. In local media that claim to be professional, a journalist club president accepts government words as the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, throwing critical thinking to the gutter.
Anyhow, it is doubtful if Hun Sen’s reactions so far have contributed to building up the public self-confidence he longs for. First, Hun Sen appears gung-ho in responses to COVID-19; but deep down, he may be scared and perhaps panicking. He says he is thinking of having a coronavirus test for an apparent stuffy nose. He also says it is usual for him to have it after working out. Is he making jokes with the virus? Or is he just plain anxious?
Second, he claims fighting the coronavirus contagion is his top priority and he has a plan to fund it. He orders three ministries to cut down their non-salary expenditures by 25%; the rest by 50%, and to postpone all government-funded constructions. The Ministry of Public Works has no idea what road constructions this year will cost. The Ministry of Economy and Finance does not know the amount earmarked for government projects. Later, it announces $30 million for a six-month period; then, it jumps to $400 million. The latest amount is $800 million for the first six months. Hun Sen now says the fund is no longer solely for fighting the virus, but also for coping with impacts of the forthcoming dry season. The plan looks more like a knee-jerk reaction.
Third, he asks the public to wear krama, or Khmer scarf, to avoid infections. He hangs it around his neck, leaving his nose exposed, as if it has magic power to ward off COVID-19. He instils a false sense of security into the people he wants to be brave, while a proper mask is still susceptible to the virus penetration.
Hence, Hun Sen’s reactions may cross over the line between courage and foolishness.
Ung Bun Ang
14iii20
Funny News You Can Use
Hun Sen’s ego has grown so huge that it is highly unlikely he would be prepared to eat humble pie, after the following curt exchange between himself and a young reporter on the issue of people’s trust in the State healthcare system.
According to Hun Sen’s logic, now that there is one Cambodian reportedly infected with the virus, he admits the public does not trust the health system. No wonder he has been trying so hard to sell it to the sceptic.
ហ៊ុនសែន [ហស]: “ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋមិនជឿទុកចិត្ត តើប្រជាពលរដ្ឋណាខ្លះបានឈឺជម្ងឺហ្នឹងហើយ? សួរនាងអែងអោយឆ្លើយខ្ញុំ អាសំនួរហ្នឹងសិន… តើប្រជាពលរដ្ឋណាខ្លះឈឺ ហើយមិនជឿទុកចិត្ត… ឈឺហើយនៅ?”
ញឹកស្រីលក្ស៍ [ញសល]: “ចា៎ស អរគុណសម្តេច… ក្មួយចង់សួរទាក់ទងថាតើ យើងមាន
ជំនឿចិត្ត របៀបម៉េចឲ្យពួកគាត់(ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ) ជឿលើវិស័យសុខាភិបាល
របស់យើង?”
ហសៈ “ប៉ុន្តែខ្ញុំសួរ មនុស្សឈឺហើយឬនៅ?”
ញសលៈ “សំរាប់កម្ពុជា មិនទាន់មានអ្នកជម្ងឺណាម្នាក់ឈឺដោយសារ…”
ហសៈ “ចុះបើមិនទាន់មានអ្នកជម្ងឺ ម៉េចបានជាមិនជឿ?”
ញសលៈ “ចា៎សសម្តេច ថាការសង្ស័យ…”
ហសៈ (កាត់សំដី) “អាហ្នឹងមកពីយើងបន្ថែមតើ?”
ញសលៈ ចា៎ស សម្តេច “ ។
នាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី ហ៊ុនសែន និង អ្នកកាសែតកញ្ញា ញឹកស្រីលក្ស៍ ថ្ងៃទី១៦ កុម្ភៈ ២០២០ វិទ្យុអាស៊ីសេរី
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