Hun Sen’s last will?

The family reunion party of the Hun family on 27th December, 2009.

Op-Ed by Khmerization
2nd January, 2010

The recent family reunion party of the Hun clan played out like the last supper for Prime Minister Hun Sen. To long term political observers of the Cambodian affairs, it seems like the gathering of the faithful and the disciples to listen to Mr. Hun Sen’s last words or, to be exact, his last will.

In the first ever family reunion gathering in the last 31 years, Hun Sen has expressed his concerns about the possible revenge attacks against his family members when he falls from powers. “The things that I worry the most are the irregular actions that have been caused by members of the Hun clan”, he said in the speech during the reunion. He went on to warn his children, nephews and nieces that “the things I worry the most is the issue of them using (my) influence.” Mr. Hun Sen further advised his relatives: “What is important is that, if they cannot do good things to the people, don't just use the influence of the Hun clan to harass the people. The children and the nephews and nieces who don't listen to my advice and who committed bad deeds and when Hun Sen falls from power, don't forget that you are the targets of the attacks".

For nearly 31 years since Mr. Hun Sen is at the helm of Cambodia, he had never thought of organising a family reunion of such a large gathering of his extended family members. But, according to Radio Free Asia, since learning of the alleged Thai plot to hatch a coup to oust him from powers, Mr. Hun Sen seems to realise that he his not immortal.

That seems like a premonition of the waning vanity and prowess of Mr. Hun Sen and the words that he uttered towards his relatives were like a deathbed wish, uttered at the dying days of a reviled and a detested dictator.

Mr. Hun Sen’s advice seems to direct and shift all the blames and grudges and vindictiveness against his family towards the young generations of the Hun clan. Deep down, he probably knew full well that, if there is such revenge attacks against his family when he falls from powers, those attacks would be as a result of his own bad deeds committed while he rules the country and not as a result of the misdeeds or bad deeds committed by the young generations of the Hun clan.

In many democratic countries such as the United States, Australia, the UK, Japan or even Thailand, where leaders are democratically elected by the people, they have never warned of the possible revenge attacks against their relatives when they leave office. Only leaders who came to powers through the barrel of a gun and who committed excesses, worries about such possible revenge attacks on their family members after they fall from powers. Mr. Hun Sen probably realise that he is such one leader who had done many bad things against his own people that could warrant such revenge attacks.

The grenade attacks on 30th March 1997 that killed 19 and wounded 190 people that warranted the American FBI to get involved in the investigations, the July 1997 coup d’etat against Funcinpec Party that saw the killings of more than 100 supporters of Prince Ranariddh, including the tortures and murders of Ministers Mr. Ho Sok and Kruoch Yoeum and numerous other brutalities, are just some examples of Mr. Hun Sen’s implicated crimes and bad deeds.

The criminal acts committed by his nephews, the like of the feared Hun To and Nim Sophea- the son of Nim Chandara and Mrs. Hun Sinath, who in 2003 spayed bullets indiscriminately that killed 3 people and got away scotch free, are the bad deeds that Mr. Hun Sen is also concerned about.

One can foresee that there will be some sorts of justice actions and ramifications being taken against Mr. Hun Sen and his clans after he falls from powers, either through legal channels or through other acts. The family of the slain union leader Chea Vichea, the families of the late Gen. Ho Sok, Gen. Kruoch Yoeum and Gen. Chao Sambath who were tortured and executed during the 1997 coup, the family of actress Pisith Pilika who was allegedly ordered killed by Hun Sen’s wife in 1999 for having an affair with him and the families of other victims of Mr. Hun Sen’s excesses will surely seek justice through judicial or other channels after Mr. Hun Sen falls from powers.

The fates of other dictators like Hitler, Mussolini of war time Italy, Ceaucescu of Romania, Saddam of Iraq and the leaders of war time Japan who were hanged by the Allied Forces after World War II, should give Mr. Hun Sen some insight into his possible fate.

While I don’t expect that actions against the above leaders will be applied against Mr. Hun Sen when he falls from powers, I’m convinced that some sorts of legal remedies through judicial channels will be sought by his victims. These actions, if taken, should not be considered as revenge, but rather as legal remedies to heal the wound in a view of moving toward a reconciliation process.