Hun Sen Sets Up a Blame Game

 

«ដូចនេះ​ខ្ញុំ​សុំ​អំពាវនាវ​ចាប់ពី​ថ្ងៃ​នេះ​ទៅ​រយៈពេល​ ១៥ ថ្ងៃ​យ៉ាង​តិច គឺជា​ដំណាក់កាល​សាកល្បង​ដ៏ធំ​បំផុត​​របស់​កម្ពុជា​ ឆ្លង​រួច​ ឬ​មិន​រួច​គឺ​វា​នៅ​ក្នុង​ពេល​នេះឯង។ បើប្រឹង​តែ​រដ្ឋ ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​មិន​ប្រឹង​ទេ មិន​ចូលរួម​ទេនោះ​គឺ​មិន​ជោគជ័យ​ទេ។​»

​នាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី ហ៊ុន សែន ភ្នំពេញប៉ុស្តិ៍ ថ្ងៃ​ទី១ ខែ​ធ្នូ ឆ្នាំ២០២០

 

«ប៉ុន្តែ​មក​ដល់ខែ​១១​នេះ ប្រែ​ប្រួល​បន្តិច ដោយសារមាន​រដ្ឋមន្រ្តី​ក្រសួង​ការ​បរទេស​មួយ​ប្រទេស​មួយ គឺ​ ​ហុងគ្រី។ គាត់​មាន​ជំងឺ​ហ្នឹង តែ​គាត់​មក​កម្ពុជា។ ដល់​ពេល​អញ្ចឹង អ្នក​ធ្វើ​ការ​ជាមួយ បាន​ឆ្លង​មួយ​ចំនួន។ ប៉ុន្តែ​មួយ​ចំនួន​ទៀត​អត់​ឆ្លង​ទេ។»

រដ្ឋមន្រ្តី​ក្រសួង​មហាផ្ទៃ ស ខេង សំឡេង​វីអូអេខ្មែរ ថ្ងៃ​សុក្រ ទី១៣ វិច្ឆិកា២០២០

 

“It is very clear the diplomat [in Bangkok Hungarian embassy] was infected by the Hungarian minister [Péter Szijjártó]. The infection happened in Thailand. We have evidence to say so.”

 

Sophon Iamsirithavorn, chief of the Communicable Diseases Division, Thailand Department of Disease Control, Khmer Times, 11 November 2020

 

«ប៉ុន្តែ ឥឡូវនេះ ប្រសិនបើអ្នកទាំងអស់គ្នាពាក់ម៉ាស់ តើខ្ញុំត្រូវពាក់អ្វីទៀត? »

នាយករដ្ឋមន្រ្តី ហ៊ុន សែន ខ្មែរថែមស៏ ២៦ ខែវិច្ឆិកា ២០២០

 

«ពេលវេលា​នេះ​មិនមែន​ជា​ពេលវេលា​ស្តី​បន្ទោស​គ្នា ហើយ​ក៏មិនមែន​ជា​ពេលវេលា​ទម្លាក់​​កំហុស​ឱ្យ​អ្នក​នេះ​ឱ្យ​អ្នក​នោះ​ទេ តែ​ជា​ពេលវេលា​ត្រូវ​សាមគ្គីភាព​គ្នា។ »​

នាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី ហ៊ុន សែន ភ្នំពេញប៉ុស្តិ៍ ថ្ងៃ​ទី១ ខែ​ធ្នូ ឆ្នាំ២០២០

It seems Covid-19 community infections Hun Sen dubs as “incidents” have taken off with vengeance. They send many anxious government elites including Hun Sen himself into quarantine. Hun Sen warns the first half of December 2020 is a critical period for Cambodia. He says if the community outbreaks are not contained, it will be disastrous.

It is not a surprise that the elites ignite the outbreaks. After all, Hun Sen has perfected a regime of privileges and entitlements for themselves riddled with recklessness and double standard. It is conducive to a perfect storm.

First, the recklessness is mind-boggling. Prak Sokhon says visiting Hungarian Peter Szijjarto has been certified Covid-free before he lands in Phnom-Penh. Sar Kheng says he has not. Only one of these two deputy premiers knows what he talks about. Prak Sokhon is happy to let loose Szijjarto to rub shoulders with his local cohorts. Sar Kheng prefers to whine post-factum. Thailand claims Szijjarto has infected others after arriving in Bangkok from Phnom-Penh.

Second, the double standard is astounding. Hun Sen calls for a public cooperation to quell the transmission, yet he says he does not have to wear a mask because everyone has already done so. He exercises the elite privilege of being special, arrogant, and above all rules. While they can take a comfort refuge in home quarantine, garment workers are packed like sardines in their truck transports to and from work, and on factory floors, risking community infections.

Hun Sen must feel the Covid heat and plans to deflect any blame. He is setting up a blame game, while saying it is not time to condemn each other. He asks for a full co-operation from the public warning their commitment and effort will determine a success or failure of his outbreak response. He holds them responsible.

He must know a chunk of the public will breach health guidelines for curbing the community infections. In his crosshairs are communities that are too poor to follow them. For instance, a recent survey by Professor LeBaron of University of Sheffield shows some 88 percent of Cambodian garment workers have been forced to reduce food consumption due to lower incomes. Then there are over a million of migrant workers who are travelling back and forth to Thailand looking for work. The destitute will risk anything by going anywhere to secure incomes and food. It is inconceivable that adequate benefits from Hun Sen’s economic measures during Covid pandemic, like cash distributions, will reach the poor in a regime riddled with corruption and nepotism.

Thus, Hun Sen has secured a perfect scapegoat for his potential Covid disaster. He is smart to quickly rule out his initial plan to declare a state of emergency, which would deprive him of blaming anyone else for his fiasco. This could become another Hun Sen’s legacy: the CPP elites keep their privileges and entitlements without taking any responsibility for their Covid outbreaks and blame others for their inability to put the genie back into the bottle.

 

Ung Bun Ang

10xii20

 

Fake News You Can Laugh At

In what sounds like a beggar-tone, Sok Eysen virtually bends his knees and beg Joe Biden for the US debt forgiveness. He stoops so low as he asks for what he says only a tiny sum.

Yes, Biden, who calls Xi Jing Ping a thug, may just do that for the sake of, as Eysan says, “collecting friends” like Hun Sen and “ease the political tension in the world” that Sok Eysan implies Hun Sen has created. How grandiose his master has been.

“When he won the election, Joe Biden gave hints that he will collect friends and ease the political tension in the world…Meanwhile, I think Cambodia’s debt [to the US] is very small. Therefore, I think there is a possibility that the US may cancel the debt or use it to help build and develop Cambodia. I think it is a good thing.”

Cambodian People’s Party spokesman Sok Eysa, Khmer Times, 30 November 2020

 

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