Is it the beginning of the Hun's Dynasty or a prelude to an end of Hun's rule?

Time to tango or time to waltz out of the scene?

Friday, February 04, 2011
Op-Ed by Heng Heng

Recent uprising in Tunisia, Egypt, and in other part of northern Africa have created fear among dictators and oppressors alike, ones who planned to build their own dynasty. All of those strong and power-hungry individuals, have groomed their sons to be their successors as they are aging. In Cambodia, Mr. Hun Sen has employed the exact strategy hoping to keep Cambodia under Hun's family, creating a dynasty that he hope will last much longer than any emperors in the past. Recent appointment of his elder son, Mr. Hun Manet to the new commanding post is indicative to what the PM has set out to do - aligning his son to take over just like North Korea, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, the list goes on. The Hun's dynasty is in the making and what is happening today across the arab world could be a prelude to a down fall of the Hun's regime, if Mr. Hun Sen don't learn. Dictators, no matter where, each and everyone has to face its own exit door. It's a question of how and in what capacity? In the case of Mr. Hun Sen who has not yet seen the final curtain, given his self-delusional attitude, might find it rather traumatic. History does not move in a linear line but rather in a circular motion. Can the PM declare to the Cambodian people that his son will not be his next successor? It would be interesting to hear what he reply would be.

The government of Cambodia has gotten away with murder. Why? Because of our Cambodia's tragic past: the killing fields, starvation, political repression and a long protracted civil war, By comparing today's turtle-pace development to the Khmer rouge painful past, and the threat of bringing them back to that compounded with daily political intimidation and persecution, the government has succeeded big time. People are willing to take the lies for fear of that bitter past even when their economic living condition have turned south for the worse, most of them who only focusing on surviving on a day to day. We are used to hardship and our ability to survive tough times can not be measured by any standard. We are the best when it comes to survival skills.

Yes, the country has enjoyed much cash from abroad, donors in thousand of millions, free money at least for now. What happened when it's no longer there? Selling more lands, and who would be on the moving list? A new plan to lease fertile farming land to Bangladesh to secure food supply for that nation will affect who and how many? While Cambodian are being driven out of their farming lands and the country, the government has many great plans to seize more people's lands. Mr. Hun Sen and his cronies enjoyed lucrative land deals, profiting from deforestation, exploration contracts and the list goes on. They have managed to consolidate not only political power but amass personal wealth, business ventures, TVs, Bank, owner of Koh Pich island and development that goes with it while many Cambodians were forced out of their land without giving proper compensation to begin with, but through coercion and forces. Yes, there are new buildings, hotels, and soon to be some high rises. But there are still much abandoned villages all over the country, lots of land surrounded by fences, properties belongs to the elites even some 30 odds year after the war, i.e. Kep. Then there are thousands of people risking lives crossing border looking for works, peanuts and just for the sake of survival. Recent video clip in KI-Media by the victim of Dey Krahom is something can not be taken for granted. It's indicative to what can happen in Cambodia, if things does not change as the water keep boiling up underneath the surface. My recent trip to Cambodia has highlight all the ingredients a country can face and history has shown many times over, again and again, it can certainly happen.

The recent threat in public by the PM concerning any popular discontentment or mass strike would invoke him to close the country's door and beating the dogs.

What else does the PM meant? Will he seal the country like he did back in the early 80s under Vietnam's protectorate and start persecuting anyone, any groups that he deemed against the state? The Cambodian people should demand what exactly does the PM meant when he said, "I'll close the door and beat up the dogs." Is our PM fearful of what going on around the world given a second wave of mass protest is in the making after the fall of the USSR and its Eastern European allies? There are too many similarities in ways the PM has positioned his son, his family and closed associates. The removal of the top military brass, Mr. Ke Kim Yan is not only strategic, but to ensure a smooth transition of his son and those who are most trusted to him. It intended to prevent any possible uprising by the military given Mr. Ke Kim Yan is a possible threat. More than that, Mr. Ke has known where Cambodian territories are being compromised as laid out in the papers submitted to the PM. This move was probably orchestrated by Hanoi, the same way it has ordered Mr. Hun Sen to implement K5 plans in order to eliminate internal threat from capable young Khmers who could rise up against the repressive regime and the occupation at the time.

It's an international joke and a major insult to all Koun Khmers, myself included, to think or even accept a nation that only Hun Sen and his son, including those whom he has chosen can lead the country for eternity. It's a dead-end thinking in a culture that goes back to the old age, in the same way, people have thought that King is God-sent. Unfortunately, the King has left his people for Peking along time ago, leaving them and his faithful followers behind with pools of blood and tears till these days. Many suffer and continue to suffer while the King was quite contented with the deal he made with Samdach Hun Sen, the palace and the preservation of the Monarchy so long Samdach Hun Sen can tolerate the royal's behaviours and its ceremonial role and affairs. Cambodian can probably accept that as well, but they need to be realistic in this modern age, and keep the leeches out of politics. What have they done for you, for your country so far? Learned and do not repeat that mistakes over and over.

Cambodians needs to snap out of their fearful past and to become sophisticated in politics, it's their affairs and their country's. Just to vote smart and vote for change, would be a good start for them, their families and the country. Otherwise, they are at the mercy of this possible Hun's dynasty and the local lords whom they have no defend against except to pray and beg for mercy whenever unpleasant situation arrived. Cambodia needs not have to go through social uprising like Tunisia or Egypt if avoidable, but political repression and economic desperation always has its own patience and limitation. Jordan has taken a drastic move to reform the entire country's institution to be more pluralistic and inclusive, and Saudi Arabia is next, so is Syria. Has Mr. Hun Sen learnt anything from this beside threatening people, opposition leaders and their supporters of violence and fear? I hope and pray that he will be a fast learner, in a positive way, although I am not at all too optimistic given his bloody records and self-delusional aspect. He has forgotten his past and he has become worst than what he initially went into the jungle to try to bring justice to the poor. He had been poor and not only he did not want to understand the poor, but to keep on pilling up his wealth and defend it at all costs. Still, everything in life, especially when we talk about karma, politics, events or what not, in Cambodian case it tends to move in circle. Watch out Mr. PM better be good than be sorry. Your country doesn't need a strong man, your son or any of your appointees, but a truly strong national institutions where the rule of law shines, always among all individuals. Take appropriate steps to reform, economic, judicial as well electoral, and open up to the oppositions to be more inclusive, bi-partisanship. How do you want to exit that final door when the end come? That is something you should plan, plan quickly and wisely. I hope you sleep well knowing that Cambodian people can take your lies and then do the same in return. Treat them well because so far, you haven't.