Why CNRP Return Plans Omit Sea Option

 

It surprises nobody outside the CNRP leadership that they fail again in their plan to enter Cambodia. Despite Hun Sen’s court summons for them to appear in court to answer treason charges, Hun Sen refuses them entry visas. He prefers them in exile where they are less disruptive to his peace.

The interesting question is why the CNRP repeats the same thing and expect a different outcome. They claim that they have learned a lot from the first failure in November 2019. For the second attempt, they beg the King to intervene while insulting him. They tell the court to grow spine and stand up to Hun Sen. They send in a genteel vice-president instead of a rough and tumble acting president. They promise no more pre-announcement of dates and itineraries for the second trip, only to break it.

Actually, they have not learned much. Both return plans in essence still depend on a naive belief that Hun Sen respects his own law, or is stupid, or democratic enough to let them in, or all the above.

This leads to fascinating questions on a real intention of the CNRP return plans. Are they fearful of Hun Sen as much as they say Hun Sen fears them? Are they committed, as much as they claim they are, to rescuing the nation when they have already secured a comfortable lifestyle in exile? Why have they deprived themselves of lateral or creative thinking that extends beyond entering Cambodia either by air or land? Or would thinking outside the box involve too much risk?

A simple truth is that they would be able to enter Cambodia any time. Anyone can enter a country without either passport or visa, or both, if they are committed to their goal and ready for any consequences. Drug traffickers, trade smugglers, and others do it all the time. Even Ying Lak Shinawatra sneaks out of Thailand by boat into Sihanoukville to escape from a Thai court summon in 2016. She then receives an instant Khmer passport and flies out of Phnom Penh for Hong Kong along with Hun Sen’s compliments.

It is certain the CNRP leadership could, by boat, land anywhere on the 443 km stretch of Cambodia’s coastline after leaving from a beach in Malaysia or Thailand. The Cambodian coastline security is most likely lax because Hun Sen’s coastline patrol system cannot be so well-resourced. Coastguards are either corrupt, or susceptible to taking bribes. Should the CNRP local networking in Sihanoukville be effective, some of those guards could well be their supporters or sympathisers and even facilitate their arrival.

Indeed, this is a viable option for a third attempt, if there is one, to enter Cambodia. Indeed, the CNRP leadership may have already considered and discarded it, due to a bankrupt notion that they would not risk doing it without Hun Sen’s passport and visa. Or, have they outsourced their thinking to the man whose sole aim is to ensure they cannot rescue themselves, let alone the nation? 

Ung Bun Ang

21i21

 

Fake News You Can Use

It may be a bit late, but as they say it is better late than never. The CNRP Youth Movement in South Korea has blurted out in public their frustration and criticism of Sam Rainsy’s behaviours. They say he acts on impulse putting their followers at risk. They ask him to be responsible and stop behaviours that are destructive to the party and national interests.

Now it is clear why Sam Rainsy and the leadership do not want to have anything to do with succession planning that nourishes and grows their successors. They simply cannot manage different ideas of their followers.

Many in the party leadership share the youth’s sentiment, but they are not willing to speak out even in private. They say they would do so when they are in power. This is a crooked thinking that overestimates their influence over the acting president; if they do not dare have a quiet word with him now, how they believe he would care when he is in power.

 

“ក្នុងនាមជាថ្នាក់ដឹកនាំនៃគណបក្សសង្គ្រោះជាតិ លោក​សម​រង្ស៊ី ត្រូវបង្ហាញនូវការទទួលខុសត្រូវខ្ពស់ចំពោះជោគវាសនារបស់គណបក្សនិងសកម្មជនអ្នកគាំទ្ររាប់លាននាក់ដែលកំពុងជ្រកក្រោមដំបូលរបបរាជានិយមអាស្រ័យរដ្ឋធម្មនុញ្ញ​និងប្រជាធិបតេយ្យសេរីនិយមពហុបក្ស។ លោកសម​ រង្ស៊ី ក៏មិនត្រូវនិយាយអ្វីតាមតែអារម្មណ៍នឹកឃើញផ្ទាល់ខ្លួន ផ្ទុយពីគោលការណ៍ និងគោលជំហរបស់គណបក្ស ហើយដែលធ្វើអោយប៉ះពាល់ដល់ប្រយោជន៍ជាតិ​ កិត្តិយសបុគ្គល និងសន្តិសុខរបស់អ្នកគាំទ្ររាប់លាននាក់នោះទេ។”

សេចក្តីថ្លែងការណ៍របស់ចលនា​យុវជន​​គណបក្ស​សង្រ្គោះជាតិ​ប្រចាំ​នៅ​ប្រទេស​កូរ៉េ​ខាង​ត្បូង ទំព័រហ្វេសប៊ុក ថ្ងៃ​ទី១១ ខែ​មករា ឆ្នាំ​២០២១

 

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