Saritdet Marukatat
Bangkok Post
COMMENTARY
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has made the right decision to eagerly see his friend in exile Thaksin Shinawatra as his economic adviser. In fact, Thaksin has more than just economic nous on offer for the Cambodian leader.
With six years in power as the government leader before being unseated by the military coup, Thaksin has lots of experience under his belt to help him advise the Cambodian strongman. Hun Sen has held power longer than Thaksin. But his Thai friend could impress him with the way he and his now defunct Thai Rak Thai Party administered Thailand.
If appointed as adviser, Thaksin can show Hun Sen how to zigzag around government budgets to make sure the prime minister keeps full control of government coffers.
The former prime minister is well versed in that already. His government at the time juggled most of the taxpayer money so it stayed in the central budget, leaving pocket change for the ministries and other government agencies. By doing so, he put himself in direct command of the budget to serve his policies and popularity.
Thaksin can give Hun Sen tips on how a government leader can reduce cabinet members to mere good listeners.
The ministers under the Thaksin premiership were known for turning his orders into practice. In cabinet meetings, they were told what to do. Debate and arguments were rare and those who dared to do that opened themselves up to trouble. The same situation was applied to government officials in all agencies. If they wanted to survive, they had to keep their arguments to themselves or air their frustrations with colleagues only.
Is Hun Sen worried about the role of independent organisations to annoy him? No problem. Thaksin can easily help him out there. The solution to make them inactive is not that difficult. Simply putting your own men in neutral bodies is the answer.
Thaksin is also an expert on land deals. If Hun Sen wants tips on this issue, he will be ready. Just look at the Ratchadaphisek case. He knew how to make sure that the deal for that prime land would go to his wife at the time, Khunying Potjaman.
But this issue has to be carefully handled. Thaksin learned his lesson as he was sentenced to two years in jail for abuse of authority by the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions.
Once Thaksin is appointed adviser to Hun Sen, other countries can expect Cambodia to be the centre stage of Asia. One thing Thaksin failed to get going when he was at Government House was the Asia Cooperation Dialogue.
The forum was to bring together Asian countries to join hands for prosperity for Asia. Buoyed by pressmen calling him a new leader in Asia, Thaksin overestimated Thailand's clout to do that. It turned out only a few countries were keen on the idea.
Thaksin can convince Hun Sen to follow up on it.
The most precious advice Thaksin can give to Hun Sen is not to trust the military top brass even though they were handpicked in each arm of the forces. Another thing is, don't leave the country if it's not necessary.
Military leaders always guarantee their loyalty to you when they meet you and even ensure that staging a coup against you is impossible. But once you are away from the country, they can act quite differently.
Thaksin knows this lesson well. He left for the United Nations in September 2006 as prime minister to address the UN General Assembly. The address in New York never happened. Instead, he had to redirect his route from Bangkok to London and return to Bangkok later as an ousted premier.
And ''as a friend from afar'' Hun Sen should have some suggestions to Thaksin, too, if he decides to take the Cambodian leader's offer of a temporary house in Cambodia and a new job as an economic adviser.
The Cambodian leader should strongly recommend to Thaksin that on his way from Dubai to Phnom Penh not to forget to make a two-year stopover in Thailand first.
Saritdet Marukatat is News Editor, Bangkok Post
17 comments:
Saridet's sarcasm won't pass Hun Sen's cleaverness. He already has plenty of smart foreigners's advisors.
Now, the US is in an akward position.
Whhere does the US stand now?
CPP Traitor
The author has tried to tell that Hun Sen can learn a lots from Thaksin..I think what the author are arguing is what Hun Sen has already done for 20 years+.
Author should know Hun sen style in advance before writing this article. Thaksin's role as advisor is a pawn that Hun Sen use to attack the youngster Abhisit...Wake up Abhisit, you need a training course before you play with Hun Sen...
Saritdet Marukatat is attacking in a so call educated person.....i fell like wanna throw up but in fact your nothing then a aphishit ass kisser.
HUN SEN should learn how to keep his mouth shut.He should learn how to differentiate between private feeling and the affair of the country.By abrogating the extradite treaty ,he is now becoming an untrustworthy individual.Personal friendship is one thing ,the affair of the state is another.
PM Hun Sen will get rid off Ah Chor PraShit, oldfuck KanChas Kiet Chhon, he will replaced Thaksin to be his economy advisor instead, Ah Pi Nek Niss Ot banKa...Te! oldfuck Kanchas Kiet Chhon, Ah Chor Prashit head...
More foreigners read KI because of Hun Sen slabbed Abhisit with words.
Thai:
Please stop don't look on us Khmer as second class people.
You wanted so much to tell the world, that you are the Khmer descent not us the Khmer from Cambodia. You call Bangkok as "Krong Thep Mohanorkorn" or new name of the Bangkok airport as "Sowannaphoum". My understand you wanted very bad to share Prasath Preah Vihear with Cambodia.
All your behaviors towards to the Khmers, to the Kingdom of Cambodia not always friendly. You don't deserve to be our brothers and we don't want to have that kind of friends.
We Khmer young generation knew very well, who are our Khmer brothers and sisters blood.
- Your internal problem is not ours.
- Your today government is not good or bad than our. Only our Khmer government was elected by the Khmer people. Yours ????
In case Mr. Thaksin was guilty ? Why the Thai government are not able to ask those government, where Mr. Thaksin now lives to send him back to Thailand. This is a stupid question.
Khmer descent from "Surin Reacheah Seima"
Let Bangkok Post publish what it's ordered. It's a pitty that one can't express their own pure understanding and feeling.
It will be interesting to see who's the pawn of whom. But I can see that Thai people are now kidnapped by small group of advisers of Thai King. I don't believe that it's the King's idea but those adviser's.
I am very happy about the whole things. I am very please to see Hun Sen stands up for our country and not being afraid to challenge with all sort of obstacles. I think it is great to have Mr Thaksin to help Hun Sen to run our country because he is very well educated person with a wealth of knowledge, skills and experiences. Having him as a co-worker along side with Mr Hun Sen is excellent!. The more we employ the educated people the better. I can see that Thai gov't has lost one of their valuable assets and is very deeply regrettable. This can be a lesson for Thai gov't to learn and re-check before they can make another accusation against one of their own political leaders. To lose someone with a wealth of knowledge is a big loss. You cannot put any value on such profession. Mr Abhisit on the other hand wanting to eliminate Mr Thaksin because he knows that Mr Thaksin is a very intelligent man and could get his job back from him very easily ( a lot of Thai people are in favour with Mr Thaksin from 50-60%), so Mr Abhisit tries to request for Mr Thaksin to be extradited so that he can be eliminated for good. However, no political leader would give in without a fight. As long as Mr Thaksin still alive Mr Abhisit won’t sleep in peace but again what goes around will come around. I have some questions to ask Mr Abhisit, who you think you are to judge others base on their profession? And who will judge you? The entire good Thai people of cause! And when you take your armies to fight with the “unarm poor Khmer civilian”, what will the world think of you when you join with the human right agreement? I want you to think carefully while you are having your good seat, so do good or “karma” will get you, Mr Abhisit. Rule number 1) respect your neighbour’s boundary and nothing will happen to you and your people, Rule number 2) treat others just like you want to be treated and love others just like you want to be loved. I know that you still young and still have a lot to learn yet but if you have a good heart if really love humanity as should be than you can do anything. Aust
Ah Kwack has bullshit to Cambodian for too long now let the international community teste it!!!!!!!
5:37 PM
Hey, let naturalize him as Khmer citizen, and give him the whole Khos Kong province. Hey, let the guy evict all the Khmer people who live in Khos Kong, so he can built his empire with his pal, Hun Sen. Do you really think the guy will betray his country and be with his presumed body, Hun, in Cambodia. Perhaps this is not such a clever idea.
Fuck his experience. Fuck his wealth of knowledge or know-how. Fuck his educaitonal background. Who give a fuck. In the end, these two fuckers will benefit, while thousands of Khmer people famine while these two fucking clowns feast on our natural resources.
I hope the Thai general will piss enough, so he can carry out his operations and go after his compoun in Ta Khmao.
What I see here is a win-win game with these clowns, and a lose-lose game for Cambodia.
We should not be too excited about this event.
If the former Thai premier stays in Cambodia long enough, he'll be hung when he returns to his native country, and unfortunately, we can do any shit with Hun Sen.
Also, the recent event will not quiet the Burmese general, so does the US. Of course, the Thai general is not pleased with the sitting Thai premier either.
We'll wait and see what will bring for the Thai and Cambodian for the near future.
Thank you Samdech Hun Sen:
Your Excellency, you have made the right choice by allowing Mr. Thaksin to remain in Cambodia. In addition, Your Excellency also made the right decision to offer Mr. Thaksin a position in your government. There is an english proverb, " To catch a thief one must you use a thief." Having said that, in order to counter the Thai and her politics no one knows better than Mr. Thaksin himself. Thus, by offering him a position, Your Excellency may have a clearer picture to defend Cambodia from a Thai perspective while maintaining peacefull resolutions through diplomacy with Thailand. Cambodia must maintain the right attitude through understanding the calamity between Cambodia and Thailand. War is and will always be the last resort, but at this present time as a nation, one must use all aspects of diplomacies before entering and committing any future warfare between the two countries.
Whatever tha case maybe, I rest assure that Your Excellency will find a way out from having to place our country into another turmoil with the neighbors. I trusted that Your Excellency is a great Chess player, so I do not think Your Excellency would have any problem of solving these issues with Thailand.
With great respect and words to the wise, I bet you peace and a long life to you Your Excellency.
I thank you.
ST
Hun Sen just wants to be a billionaire too.
12:12 AM
Shut the fuck up, Ah fucking Tito.
of course, cambodia could learn from mr. thaksin. welcome to cambodia, mr. thaksin!
12:59 AM
Shut the fuck up, Ah fucking otiT.
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