Hun Sen bowing to Prince Ranariddh during better timeBy Mean Veasna, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh
28 April 2008
Prime Minister Hun Sen has said he will work to have the word “prince” removed from official government use.
“I’ve stopped using the word ‘prince’ even in the Council of Ministers and the National Assembly,” Hun Sen said Monday in a speech to 7,000 factory workers, the second time in a week he has attacked the use of the royal moniker.
In an April 22 speech he said he would suppress the use of the word in the National Assembly and the Senate.
Cambodia is a constitutional monarchy, with a long tradition of kings, but Hun Sen’s main political rival was once Prince Norodom Ranariddh, son of former king Norodom Sihanouk.
Ranariddh is leading an eponymous party, from exile, for general parliamentary elections in July, contesting Funcinpec for the role of “royalist” party.
Funcinpec Minister of Rural Development Lu Laysreng said Monday the suppression of the word “prince” in government “is not inconvenient for our party.”
“If a person doesn’t want to use this word, there are others who use it,” he said.
Ny Chakrya, a leading investigator for the rights group Adhoc, said even if Hun Sen stops only himself from using the word, there will be an impact on royalists.
Several times in the past few years, Hun Sen has sought to have a law banning royal family members from engaging in politics, or, if they want to remain in politics, renounce their royal status.
“I’ve stopped using the word ‘prince’ even in the Council of Ministers and the National Assembly,” Hun Sen said Monday in a speech to 7,000 factory workers, the second time in a week he has attacked the use of the royal moniker.
In an April 22 speech he said he would suppress the use of the word in the National Assembly and the Senate.
Cambodia is a constitutional monarchy, with a long tradition of kings, but Hun Sen’s main political rival was once Prince Norodom Ranariddh, son of former king Norodom Sihanouk.
Ranariddh is leading an eponymous party, from exile, for general parliamentary elections in July, contesting Funcinpec for the role of “royalist” party.
Funcinpec Minister of Rural Development Lu Laysreng said Monday the suppression of the word “prince” in government “is not inconvenient for our party.”
“If a person doesn’t want to use this word, there are others who use it,” he said.
Ny Chakrya, a leading investigator for the rights group Adhoc, said even if Hun Sen stops only himself from using the word, there will be an impact on royalists.
Several times in the past few years, Hun Sen has sought to have a law banning royal family members from engaging in politics, or, if they want to remain in politics, renounce their royal status.
8 comments:
how about....samdach...what uuuuugoing to do with it..................burn more home ok.....they still vote for uuuuu anyway......burn more ......and get more land from them......
Gentleman
It is good, I am all for it.
Those empty titles with no true values made cambodians ignorant.
Likewise other titles os social flashy words ought to be abolished.
With no Ethical values, it is more like Hummer with Korean Jeep.
Oknhas can also be changed to black traders.
It is time to wake up to the reality, and spent more time for learning.
Neang SA
Hun Sen,should stop using the words prince and samdech in Cambodia politice to be fair and easy for Cambodian to call.Samdech is also a royal word.
I will support your idea, if you can delete all these words from parlimentary.
ជូនចំពោះ អាអគ្គមហាសេវាដៃចោរ ខូចសរសៃប្រសាទហ៊ុន សែន,
ពេលនេះ អាខូចសរសៃប្រសាទ ឈ្មោះហ៊ុន សែនគួរតែ គិតគូរដោះស្រាយ បញ្ហាទំនិញឡើងថ្លៃ ទើបត្រឹមត្រូវ ព្រោះជារឿង ដែលប្រជាពលរដ្ឋខ្មែរ ទូទាំងប្រទេស កំពុងខ្វាយខ្វល់។ ប៉ុន្តែ អាខ្ញុំយួនរូបនេះ បែរជាគិតគូរ អារឿងគ្មានអ្នកខ្វាយខ្វល់ទៅវិញ ដូចជា ការ “បំបាត់រាជស័ព្ទ“ ទៅវិញ ។
នេះចំជាអាហ៊ុន សែនខូចសរសៃប្រសាទមែនហើយ! ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋខ្មែរ សូមអញ្ជើញអាហ៊ុន សែន ទៅពេទ្យកាល់មែត ដើម្បីតំរង់សរសៃប្រសាទ ឡើងវិញទៅ ព្រោះដោយសារ អាខូចសរសៃប្រសាទហ្នឹងហើយ
ដែលវាចុះហត្ថលេខា អោយដីទៅយួន អោយយួនចូលនៅខុសច្បាប់ នៅប្រទេសកម្ពុជា។
ងាប់អោយស្រឡះទៅ អាអគ្គមហាសេវាដៃចោរ ខូចសរសៃប្រសាទឈ្មោះហ៊ុន សែន។ គ្មានខ្មែរណាស្រណោះ អាក្បត់ជាតិឯងទេ។
អរគុណលោក 6:10AM!
I agree with all commentators above who were for the abolition of all etiquettes or honorific (mostly bought)titles (prince, princess, samdech and okhna). Perhaps we should also abolish the title of excellency (ek oudom and lok chumteav). Every citizen should be addressed as lok or loksrey or mister or miss, mrs. or ms.
Perhaps politicians should consider this abolition after the election, instead of now, in a more calmer and less politically charged manner. They should also consider the abolition of double nationality. They should put all these matters to rest once and for all and should not raise them for political purposes.
When addressing workers, Prime Minister Hun Sen should publicly appreciate their work and their contribution to our economy and to our exports. He should get in their factories, see how they are working, in what conditions, and exhort them to work harder. Better still, he should dare nominate outstanding workers for the King to award honorific distinctions or titles in recognition of their contribution to the society.
LAO Mong Hay, Hong Kong
I think if you going to go that far, we ought to have a referendum, Dr Lao. However, if you just want to solve political issue, maybe its okay to forgo the referendum. The problem it it's cost money to do it the right way. Maybe we should keep the status quo until we have more money.
people know that prince ranaridh made trouble for himself. why can't he act like a prince as royalty with exemplary leadership as worth calling such. i guess it's the attitude thing again, and perhaps, too personal, too. questions should be: where is the national interest in him? cambodia ought to get rid of people like that as cambodia doesn't need another person's mistake that could cause more suffering for the cambodian people again. cambodia has to demand reforms, even with royalty like this prince, in particular. some individuals need serious attitude adjustment, for crying out loud! cambodia should not tolerate failed leadership as the nation and the people are the one to suffer the most. thank you.
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