By Den Sorin
Moneaksekar Khmer
Translated from Khmer by Anonymous
A high-ranking Cambodian People's Party [CPP] official said that despite agreement within the CPP concerning the positions in the armed forces, it is not yet certain that there would be no changes because contestants are waiting to see the balance of forces between the two sides and the post-election actual situation first.
Previously Hun Sen wanted to have Neang Phat replace Tea Banh as Defense Minister and Kun Kim as armed forces Supreme Commander. However, if such an arrangement was made Hun Sen would have total control of the armed forces and Chea Sim would then be even more meaningless than now when he is already meaningless. Therefore, the party elders urged both sides to exchange positions between Ke Kimyan and Kun Kim, for Hun Sen wanted Kun Kim to replace Ke Kimyan as armed forces Supreme Commander while Chea Sim wanted Ke Kimyan to replace Tea Banh as Defense Minister.
Hun Sen consented to such a trade-off and the situation inside the CPP concerning power in the armed forces became calm for a while. However, recently the tug of war inside the military ranks within the CPP stirred up again because Hun Sen wanted to change his mind concerning the top post in the Ministry of National Defense as he did not wish to see Ke Kimyan have it.
The CPP official meanwhile said that Hun Sen recently strongly censured Tea Banh for not knowing how to use diplomatic language when he talked with the Vietnamese leaders, leading the state news agency controlled by the Communist Party of Vietnam to publish a report about Tea Banh's call on the Vietnamese Defense Minister to provide assistance in maintaining security during the elections, a report promptly quoted by the state-controlled Agence Khmere de Presse.
The CPP official said that the Defense Minister is expected to handle the administration's political affairs. Therefore, the Defense Minister needs to be a person well-versed in diplomacy. Because Tea Banh showed his inexperience in diplomacy Hun Sen wanted to remove him from the Ministry of National Defense while the Chea Sim side wanted Ke Kimyan to replace Tea Banh since Ke Kimyan's seat at the armed forces Supreme Command was snatched by Hun Sen and given to his close confidant Kun Kim. However, Hun Sen now wants to renege by expressing his desire to take over both the armed forces Supreme Commander's and the Defense Minister's posts. This has caused quite a commotion inside the party.
The CPP official further disclosed that Hun Sen has steadily promoted Neang Phat in preparation for him to be seated in the Defense Ministry's top post. People inside the armed forces previously predicted that the Defense Minister's seat would surely go to Moeng Samphan, an in-law of Hun Sen, because Moeng Samphan was seen getting promoted quite often. However, after Moeng Sampohan stopped being a Hun Sen in-law, Hun Sen instead reserved this top post at the Defense Ministry for Neang Phat. For this reason, Neang Phat has been seen promoted to four-star general and made Hun Sen's personal adviser with a rank equal to that of a minister. He recently was given the title of Senior Minister so that he could hold the Defense Minister's post.
The CPP official said that in this third term Defense Minister Tea Banh is also Deputy Prime Minister. In the next term the Defense Minister probably will not double as Deputy Prime Minister, but will be just a Senior Minister. Nevertheless, the question of who between Ke Kimyan and Neang Phat will be Defense Minister has no sure answer to it yet because the key to Hun Sen's remaining Prime Minister is still in the hands of the Chea Sim group. Therefore, if Hun Sen really goes back on his word there surely will be an implosion of problems.
Previously Hun Sen wanted to have Neang Phat replace Tea Banh as Defense Minister and Kun Kim as armed forces Supreme Commander. However, if such an arrangement was made Hun Sen would have total control of the armed forces and Chea Sim would then be even more meaningless than now when he is already meaningless. Therefore, the party elders urged both sides to exchange positions between Ke Kimyan and Kun Kim, for Hun Sen wanted Kun Kim to replace Ke Kimyan as armed forces Supreme Commander while Chea Sim wanted Ke Kimyan to replace Tea Banh as Defense Minister.
Hun Sen consented to such a trade-off and the situation inside the CPP concerning power in the armed forces became calm for a while. However, recently the tug of war inside the military ranks within the CPP stirred up again because Hun Sen wanted to change his mind concerning the top post in the Ministry of National Defense as he did not wish to see Ke Kimyan have it.
The CPP official meanwhile said that Hun Sen recently strongly censured Tea Banh for not knowing how to use diplomatic language when he talked with the Vietnamese leaders, leading the state news agency controlled by the Communist Party of Vietnam to publish a report about Tea Banh's call on the Vietnamese Defense Minister to provide assistance in maintaining security during the elections, a report promptly quoted by the state-controlled Agence Khmere de Presse.
The CPP official said that the Defense Minister is expected to handle the administration's political affairs. Therefore, the Defense Minister needs to be a person well-versed in diplomacy. Because Tea Banh showed his inexperience in diplomacy Hun Sen wanted to remove him from the Ministry of National Defense while the Chea Sim side wanted Ke Kimyan to replace Tea Banh since Ke Kimyan's seat at the armed forces Supreme Command was snatched by Hun Sen and given to his close confidant Kun Kim. However, Hun Sen now wants to renege by expressing his desire to take over both the armed forces Supreme Commander's and the Defense Minister's posts. This has caused quite a commotion inside the party.
The CPP official further disclosed that Hun Sen has steadily promoted Neang Phat in preparation for him to be seated in the Defense Ministry's top post. People inside the armed forces previously predicted that the Defense Minister's seat would surely go to Moeng Samphan, an in-law of Hun Sen, because Moeng Samphan was seen getting promoted quite often. However, after Moeng Sampohan stopped being a Hun Sen in-law, Hun Sen instead reserved this top post at the Defense Ministry for Neang Phat. For this reason, Neang Phat has been seen promoted to four-star general and made Hun Sen's personal adviser with a rank equal to that of a minister. He recently was given the title of Senior Minister so that he could hold the Defense Minister's post.
The CPP official said that in this third term Defense Minister Tea Banh is also Deputy Prime Minister. In the next term the Defense Minister probably will not double as Deputy Prime Minister, but will be just a Senior Minister. Nevertheless, the question of who between Ke Kimyan and Neang Phat will be Defense Minister has no sure answer to it yet because the key to Hun Sen's remaining Prime Minister is still in the hands of the Chea Sim group. Therefore, if Hun Sen really goes back on his word there surely will be an implosion of problems.
8 comments:
This rivalry between the Hun Sen faction and Chea Sim's faction existed a long, long time ago but it did not materialise into any major conflict, except that after every election Hun Seu was able to strengthen his power more and more by successfully sidelining Chea Sim's loyalists and promoting one of his own to the most powerful posts. While I would like to see Chea Sim's faction getting stronger so it can stand up to Hun Sen's unlimited power, I can see clearly that Chea Sim's faction is significantly weakened by Hun Sen's reshuffling of the govt.'s posts by moving all his loyalists to the more powerful posts and demoting Chea Sim's loyalists to the lesser powerful posts. In order to survive, the Chea Sim faction must fight hard to keep the status quo or fight hard to get more powerful posts for his loyalists, after the July election.
I wasn't surprised with all the bickering and the infighting among the CPP clan because it is just a show to confuse the Cambodian population!
Just remember at the end of any disagreement only the CPP can trust another CPP! Ahhahahhahahha!
Manat could easily handle the responsibility and (new) challlenges.
One proverb says, "There is non who is deaf than those who do not want to listen and there is non who is blind than those who do not want to see". This proverb is fitted with 10:49AM.
HAHAHA!!!!
This proverb is also fitted with Hun Sen's denial of corruption, human right abuses and land grabbings in Cambodia today.
This remains to be seen.Snake sheds its skin every new season. So it seems 2008 election victory for CPP is a shake up in order to appease US and Russia debt reliefs.
General Ke Kim Yan is a trainable and likable among peers.He can be Philippines General Ramos.This is why Hun Sen is wary of Kim Yan rising in popularity. Many know,Hoc Lon Di despises Kim Yan personae. Hoc Lon Di looks over his shoulders too often in presence of Kim Yan.
Both are hardly share the same stage.Note Kim Yan is too brown not to be Khmer in standing next to Lon Di of yellow tone of Cochinchine leech type.
again, qualifications for any appointed position in gov't should be obide by constitutional law and by the merit of their qualification, not by personal want or need. this is how cambodia should operate, by law, not personal interest or what have you. the constitution should spell out the qualification if that isn't already existed. thank you.
I've been waiting for a long time to see that Chea Sim and his allies rise up to counter balance Hun Sen's unlimited authority.
Ke Kim Yan is probably the last Khmer General who has a true quality of a field commanding general. I don't think anyone else can replace him at this point.
I grew up with CPP elite. I know damn well that Hun Sen is often greedy beyond his reach. Even his own CPP, he's stiring the pot now and then.
Take for example: former military officers _ Nhim Vanda, Bou Thorng, former Chea Sim's men like Ros Chhun....etc. were kicked out from thier positions, and replaced by Hun Sen's men.
Time and time, Hun Sen is determined to replace others with only his entrusted persons on important posts: Kun Kim and Hoc Londi no education nor experience.
Chan,
Chea Sim, you must do something about this before it's too late.
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