How Hun Sen Fails in Myanmar
«ប៉ុន្តែខ្ញុំនិយាយក្នុងនាមជាកម្ពុជា មិនមែនក្នុងនាមប្រធានអាស៊ានទេណា។ សុំកុំចងភ្ជាប់ខ្ញុំជាមួយប្រធានអាស៊ាន។»
នាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី ហ៊ុន សែន ថ្ងៃទី១៧ ខែកុម្ភៈ ឆ្នាំ២០២២ កាសែតភ្នំពេញប៉ុស្តិ៍
«ឥឡូវវាស្ថិតនៅក្នុងស្ថានភាពធ្វើក៏ខុស មិនធ្វើក៏ខុស។ ឥឡូវមានតែអ៊ីចឹង! បើថា គេមិនចង់ធ្វើយើងក៏មិនចង់ព្រួយហ្នឹងហត់ ព្រោះឥឡូវយកគោទៅដាក់មុខរទេះ ឥឡូវធ្វើម្ដេចទៅមុខរួច។ ក៏ប៉ុន្តែសុំបញ្ជាក់ណា នៅសល់តែ១០ខែ ថ្ងៃនេះ១៦ សល់តែ១០ខែ ១៤ថ្ងៃទៀតទេវ៉ើយ! ចប់ភារៈកិច្ចហើយ។ សូមអញ្ជើញប្រធានក្រោយធ្វើទៅ។ បើវាពិបាកពេក វាពិបាកពេក។»
នាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រីហ៊ុន សែន ថ្ងៃទី១៦ ខែកុម្ភៈ ឆ្នាំ២០២២ វិទ្យុអាស៊ីសេរី
“We [Hun Sen and Joko Widodo] discuss development in Myanmar. I reiterated clearly Indonesia position on the importance of implementation of [the] 5-Point Consensus to [5PCs] bring democracy back in Myanmar through inclusive dialogue… Should there be no significant progress on the implementation of the 5PCs, Myanmar should only be represented by non-political level at ASEANB meeting.”
Indonesia President Joko Widodo, 5 Jan 2022 Twitter
«ខ្ញុំអត់មានផលប្រយោជន៍ណាមួយទៅក្នុងបញ្ហាពាក់ព័ន្ធនឹងនយោបាយ ចង់បានឥទ្ធិពលនយោបាយអី ខ្ញុំអត់មានទេ ព្រោះប្រទេសកម្ពុជាតូចណាស់បើប្រៀបធៀបជាមួយនឹងប្រទេសមីយ៉ាន់ម៉ា។»
នាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី ហ៊ុន សែន ថ្ងៃទី១៧ ខែកុម្ភៈ ឆ្នាំ២០២២ កាសែតភ្នំពេញប៉ុស្តិ៍
Hun Sen is utterly confused and frustrated when serving a brief stint as a peace crusader in the Myanmar conflict. He fails in getting the military junta to embrace his Thank-You-Peace political marketing stunt.
He is unclear who he is when playing international politics. First, he assumes a role as the ASEAN chair. Hun Sen could not wait to take over the ASEAN alternate chair and the Myanmar case with gusto. Before his ASEAN term begins in January, he has flagged his travel plan to Myanmar sending a clear message to General Min Aung Hlaing that he wants to be there.
However, when it is clear his Myanmar effort falls by the wayside, he says he has acted on behalf of Cambodia, not ASEAN. He does not want this early flop to mar the rest of his term. After all, his last term in 2012 is also a dud; it is the first time ever in history ASEAN fails to issue a joint statement when the then chair Hun Sen rejects a consensus on South China Sea maritime disputes.
He is now counting the days his chairmanship will be over. In his usual gangster slang, he says from this day, 16 February, there remains only 10 months and 14 days to go before passing on the conflict to the next chair.
Hun Sen is frustrated. He has not expected ASEAN to come down so hard on his unilateral move to rehabilitate Myanmar. The frustration must be unbearable particularly for the strongman who is accustomed to getting literally everything he wants. In Cambodia, every time Hun Sen yells, “Jump”, his minions will ask, “How high?”
Three days before the man flies into Myanmar, Indonesia President Widodo begins to rain on his parade. An ultimatum from the president is clear – the leash he puts on Hun Sen is short. He wants the Chairman to bring democracy back in Myanmar before accepting General Hlaing into ASEAN. With similar pressures from Singapore, Malaysian, and the Philippines, Hun Sen has since kept to the ASEAN script, despite extreme discomfort for the strongman to endure in the straitjacket.
Hun Sen pretends to be in charge by coming up with two initiatives. He issues his own four-point plan for General Hlaing to consider. The first point is for Hlaing to implement the 5PCs, which has already been rejected; and other three sound very similar to three of the 5PCs. The second initiative is to establish an ASEAN Troika that Hun Sen claims to be very crucial to resolve the deadlock; it has also been ignored. It seems all his attempts to save his face only reinforce him as a laughingstock.
He then resorts to lies. Hun Sen says there is no benefit for him to get involved in [international] politics; he says he does not want to have any political influences. This ridiculous claim comes from the man who lives and breathes politics and adores every world stage opportunity anyone offers him.
He has lost it, completely.
Ung Bun Ang
22ii22
Alternative Comments You Can Smile On
Malaysia Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah should be thankful for his lucky star. Hun Sen has only told him not to be so rude towards the ASEAN leadership, especially towards himself – the ASEAN Chair. He says the man does not know a language of diplomacy; this comes from the prime minister who is fond of using gangster slang in his public address in Cambodia. Hun Sen would drag this minister through court to answer charges of incitement, public disorder, or something sinister that his Phnom Penh court would make it impossible to escape jail sentences at best.
Anyhow, what does this Malaysian minister say that has driven Hun Sen up the wall? The man tells Aljazeera News: “There are people who think that he should not have taken the visit because his visit has been construed or interpreted as a recognition of the military in Myanmar. Malaysia is of the opinion that he has the right to visit Myanmar as the head of government of Cambodia. However, we also feel that because he has already assumed the chair of ASEAN, he could have probably consulted the other ASEAN leaders and sought our views as to what he should do if he were to go to Myanmar.”
Asked if Hun Sen’s visit will achieve anything, Saifuddin gives it a flat abrupt “No”. The man is not merciful on Hun Sen’s ego. How rude.
«សុំកុំឱ្យរដ្ឋមន្ត្រីការបរទេស [ម៉ាឡេស៊ី] នេះ ព្រហើនពេកដែលមានសម្តីសំដៅមិនគប្បីចំពោះថ្នាក់ដឹកនាំអាស៊ាន ជាពិសេសប្រធានអាស៊ានតែម្ដង ដែលមិនសមជាភាសាការទូត ដូច្នេះហើយកុំឱ្យយកលក្ខណៈព្រហើន ដែលលើកឡើងកន្លងទៅនេះ មិនដូចភាពជាក់ស្ដែង ដែលអ្នកមួយចំនួន ដែលគេតាមដានការងារអាស៊ាន ឬធ្វើការងារអាស៊ាននេះ ហើយគាត់ខ្វះនូវការគួរសមទៀតផង។»
នាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី ហ៊ុន សែន ថ្ងៃទី២៤ ខែ មករា ឆ្នាំ២០២២ កាសែតភ្នំពេញប៉ុស្តិ៍
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