“I am a puppet with no right to decide”: Hun Xen confessing the truth for once

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)

Hun Xen: “Can’t ask the foreigners to put pressure on Cambodia in opposition leader’s case”

20 Sept 2010
By Ly Hov Cambodia Express News Translated from Khmer by Soy Click here to read the article in Khmer

Phnom Penh – Hun Xen considered the request made by the opposition party to Chea Xim to intervene in the case of the lawsuit brought up against Sam Rainsy as a test on the ruling CPP leaders. Furthermore, Hun Xen insisted that foreign countries cannot apply pressure on Cambodia.

During the inauguration of the Prek Phnov bridge across the Tonle Sap River on 20 September 2010, Hun Xen declared that, during the past few days, they (the opposition party) conducted two tests (on the CPP). The first test consisted of the request made to Chea Xim to intervene for the opposition party. Hun Xen claimed that this is an opposition trick to dump the ball on Chea Xim’s lap, thinking that Chea Xim will throw it to Hun Xen to hold. However, Chea Xim replied that this case (Sam Rainsy’s case) is in the hand of the court. The second test consisted of using the international community, including US President Barak Obama, to apply pressure on the Cambodian government.

Hun Xen issued his advance warning, saying that if in the future, the opposition party will send such request to him, he wants to let them know in advance that he will simply scribble back: “I am a puppet with no right to decide. There not much to talk about, everyday, they curse me as being a puppet.” Hun Xen made this declaration to underscore the fact that the date for his trip to ASEAN-US summit meeting in the US (24 September 2010) is approaching fast. Hun Xen will depart from Cambodia on 22 September and will return back on 26 September 2010.

Kong Korm, SRP standing-party president, indicated that after the powerless Chea Xim was unable to intervene in the lawsuits brought up against Sam Rainsy, the opposition will seek intervention in Sam Rainsy’s case from the International community and from US President Barak Obama in order for Sam Rainsy to return back home, following the latter’s uprooting of border stakes which he claimed that they led to the loss of Cambodian territories.

On this point, Hun Xen reacted violently by saying: “There’s only four days left (until 24 September) before I will meet to dine and confer with US Presdient Barak Obama at the ASEAN-US leaders meeting, what will he tell me? It’s not possible for your party chief to uproot the border post and then asks the foreigners to apply pressure (on the government). He (Sam Rainsy) said that he represented the people. Sorry, to be the representative of the people, you must receive the majority vote. You are not the representative of the people nor representative of the nation. I accept a number of your opinions, but you cannot do anything beyond that.”

In regards to his meeting with Obama during the ASEAN-US meeting, Hun Xen said that he will ask the US to cancel the debt ($300 million) owed by Cambodia dating from the Lon Nol regime era, he said that it was a “dirty” debt that must be canceled.

However, this morning, Hun Xen did not raise the issue of the dispute between Cambodia and Thailand even though he plans to meet with Abhisit Vejaajiva at the end of the ASEAN-US meeting in the US.