A Relentless Campaign Of Intimidation And Its Boomerang Effect

Romania's Nicolae Ceausescu
Iraq's Saddam Hussein

Thursday, June 19, 2008
Editorial by Khmerization
On the web at http://khmerization.blogspot.com

“Mr. Hun Sen should look around himself and see the fates of other fallen dictators. Many have died a terrible and agonising death. Adolf Hitler was incinerated in a bunker (1945). Mussolini was hanged upside down by his own people (1945). Ceaucescu of Romania was sentenced to death by a firing squad by his own people (1991). Zia Al-Hug of Pakistan died of a plane crash, presumably from an assassination. Laurent Kabila of The Congo also died in a plane crash, presumably from an assassination (2000). Najibula of Afghanistan was hanged upside down by the Taliban(?) in 1989. Last but not least, Saddam Hussein, but not yet Saddam Hun Sen, was hanged by the Iraqi and the Americans soldiers in 2006.”

Prime Minister Hun Sen is in his irrational and manic mind again. His erratic behaviours and his belligerent political manoeuvres of late is worrisome. The latest developments in the Cambodian political spectrum is a cause for concerned. As a concerned citizen who followed the political event in Cambodia very closely, I am saddened to see PM Hun Sen devoting all his entire energy and time to a campaign of political intimidation and victimisation of his political nemesis.

I am of the opinion that Mr. Hun Sen’s use of Mr. Hor Namhong’s defamation suit as an excuse to suspend Mr. Sam Rainsy’s parliamentary immunity and his decision to revisit a finished business of the 1998 mortar attack on his motorcade was nothing more than an attempt to thwart and hijack Mr Sam Rainsy’s electoral victory. (Full details here).

People may recall that some time ago, I have written that when one said the truth one said it for the interests of the public and the truth is defendable in a court of law. It was the undeniable fact that Mr Hor Namhong was indeed a chief of Boeng Trabek Prison and Mr. Sam Rainsy’s speech, whether malicious and vexatious or not, was the truth and said in the public interests.

I, like many others, believe that the 1998 mortar attack on Mr. Hun Sen’s motorcade was a set up, organised and orchestrated, by Mr. Hun Sen himself in order to use it as a pretext to arrest Sam Rainsy and Ranariddh when they refused to accept him as the PM during a post election political stalemate. So, the reactivation of this case is to open up an old wound with the intention of bullying his way into a PM job again, should he loses the upcoming election. (Full details here).

A long term observers of the Cambodian political situation would view the latest political developments with cynicism, with sinister perception and with a sense of déjà vu. With this kind of relentless campaign of terror and political intimidation, Cambodia and the Cambodian people could never have peace in their mind. A sense of fears would discourage them from participating in the election process and create an atmosphere not conducive to the holding of a free and fair election.

The lesson of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s should be learned. When people’s legitimate political rights and freedom had been suppressed and a campaign of terror and victimisation was unleashed against them, the resultant effect was that they opted for an armed struggle. I am not an apologist of the Khmer Rouge and never will be, but many would have agreed with me that their armed struggle was not of their own choice but rather it was forced upon them as a result of the suppression of their legitimate political rights and freedom. I am drawing a parallel here as I want to wake up Prime Minister Hun Sen to the fact that his suppression, oppression and victimisation of opposition activists would see a return to the 1960s style of political movement turning into an armed movement. We could also see some aspects of vengeance and revenge killings against Lon Nol’s officials by the Khmer Rouge and the revenge killings against Khmer Rouge cadres after Vietnam invaded Cambodia in 1979.

Coming back to the real issue, I believe that the reinvestigation of the 1998 mortar attack on Mr. Hun Sen’s motorcade and the request for the suspension of Mr. Sam Rainsy’s parliamentary immunity, is nothing short of a political witch hunt against Mr. Hun Sen’s political opponents. The investigating team, which consists of amateurs, resembles a vigilante group set up to hunt down Mr. Hun Sen’s political opponents in order to bring them to his kangaroo court.

Now, let’s look at the investigators’ credentials and their expertise or the lack of it. Meas Sophea and Mol Roeub are army generals who have no experience or expertise in the police investigation. Lek Bun Nhean, a Sam Rainsy Party defector from the countryside, was probably nothing more than an unemployed farmer who is seeking an opportunity to make a fortune from his defection. In an independent judiciary, these three people appointed by Hun Sen’s to investigate an attack of that magnitude would be called a vigilante group because they have no jurisdiction or expertise to investigate such a case, which should fall under the jurisdiction of the police.

One could not comprehend Mr. Hun Sen’s relentless campaign of terror against Mr. Sam Rainsy other than to say that it might be born out of a personal, a political and a vindictive vendetta, as Mr. Sam Rainsy is the only serious contender who could cause Mr. Hun Sen’s political downfall. Apparently, Mr. Hun Sen is building up a case against Sam Rainsy in order to use it against him after the election should the latter chooses to get in the way of his prime ministership. And one could say that a pattern of Mr. Hun Sen’s bellicose behaviours at this stage is reminiscence of the 2005 case when Mr. Sam Rainsy, Mr. Chea Poch and Mr. Cheam Channy were stripped off their parliamentary immunity, arrested and exiled.

Mr Hun Sen’s latest actions has reinforced the belief that he has no intention of relinquishing his grip on power should he loses the election. His campaign of terror cannot ensure a smooth election, let alone a smooth transfer of power should Sam Rainsy wins. The lifting of Rainsy’s parliamentary immunity could see him arrested any time soon and sent to long prison term. Should this scenario is to occur, we would see the darkest episode of Cambodia’s present day politics.

Does Sam Rainsy have any weapons to fight back?

Should the scenario that has been unveiled above is to occur, Sam Rainsy has to exhaust and unleash all options. In a tit-for-tat, Mr. Sam Rainsy should fight back through legal channel. There is a belief that Prime Minister Hun Sen was linked to a range of crimes and a possible war crime. It might be a wishful thinking, however, it is possible that Sam Rainsy can try to request for the FBI to release its investigations into the 1997 grenade attacks in front of the National Assembly which killed 19 people and wounded approximately 190 people, including one American. Victims and their families can lodge a law suit against Mr. Hun Sen in the Cambodian court, if the FBI investigations linked him to that crime. Secondly, Sam Rainsy can request to the Cambodian court to reinvestigate the murder of actress Pisith Pilika, which many people believed was masterminded by Hun Sen’s wife, with him as an accessory. Thirdly, the tortures and executions of Ranariddh’s loyalists after the 1997 coup can constitute a war crime. There is a belief that Prime Minister Hun Sen had ordered their tortures and executions after they surrendered. This crime is prosecutable in the International Criminal Court and is punishable by long prison term. Fourthly, as Mr. Hun Sen was a former Khmer Rouge’s high-ranking cadre, he is a suitable candidate for prosecution by the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, which is currently still in full operation.

Of course, this is just a wishful thinking. With Mr. Hun Sen at his firm grip on power, prosecuting him for any crimes would be hard, if not impossible. But Mr. Sam Rainsy should exhaust all options in order to fight back.

What is the boomerang effect on Mr. Hun Sen’s latest actions?

Mr Hun Sen must realise that no one, including himself, could live forever and therefore, rules forever. Mr. Suharto of Indonesia, with his military might, lasted for 30 years, after his military abandoned him. Mr. Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines lasted 21 years when the people power rose up against him and his military abandoned him. Mr. Augusto Pinochet of Chile lasted 17 years, again, after his military refused to go along with his brutal rule.

Furthermore, Mr. Hun Sen should look around himself and see the fates of other fallen dictators. Many have died a terrible and agonising death. Adolf Hitler was incinerated in a bunker (1945). Mussolini was hanged upside down by his own people (1945). Ceaucescu of Romania was sentenced to death by a firing squad by his own people (1991). Zia Al-Hug of Pakistan died of a plane crash, presumably from an assassination. Laurent Kabila of The Congo also died in a plane crash, presumably from an assassination (2000). Najibula of Afghanistan was hanged upside down by the Taliban(?) in 1989. Last but not least, Saddam Hussein, but not yet Saddam Hun Sen, was hanged by the Iraqi and the Americans soldiers in 2006.

These are just some examples that Mr. Hun Sen needs to reflect on his future fate. He had ruled long enough, amassed more than enough personal fortunes and so he should retire quietly and enjoy his stolen wealth in a foreign country, presumably in Vietnam.