Hun Sen: "... let these gangs take over these high ranking positions instead" ... and indeed one became a PM

Hun Sen warns gov’t officials on gang issue

26 June 2007
By Chea Makara
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

Prime Minister Hun Sen renewed his warnings to the provincial and municipal authorities so that they fight against gang violence, if not these officials will be removed from their positions.

Hun Sen made the call during a student diploma handing ceremony held at the education institute on Tuesday 26 June.

Hun Sen said: “I said this again and again, I made the call again and again, and I even told the provincial governors, the city governors, the army chiefs, the police chiefs, that if you can’t break them (gangs), I am asking you to resign and let these gangs take over these high ranking positions instead. Now, you try it, I am following very closely (the case of the fighting that took place in front of) the “Spark” (nightclub [owned by Hun Sen’s daughter]), and the one in front of the National Assembly, you try it, and there will be another city governor who will be removed, now you try it, you try it.”

Hun Sen also called on parents, especially those who are rich and powerful, to properly educate their children.

Hun Sen added: “I said this again and again, and I am taking this opportunity to repeat one more time: parents and guardians, uncles, etc… please educate your children.”

General Mok Chito, director of the penal police of the Ministry of Interior, said that the fight against gang violence during the first 6 month of 2007, led to a reduction of 60% of gang violence when compared to the first semester of 2006, and that during the first 6 month of 2007, 741 gang members were arrested.

Since the time Hun Sen made these warnings to government officials in the past, no one has yet been removed from their position due to gang violence.

Hun Sen warns his critics: Mr Hun Sen can you tell us something new?

Hun Sen warns his critics

27 June 2007
By Khim Sarang
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

Prime Minister Hun Sen warned those who criticized the soldiers who support him that these soldiers may not be like the criticisms made against the humanitarian aids provided by Hun Sen.

Hun Sen said: “I am telling all these people (critics), if the soldiers and population can truly hear you, sometimes, they can show up at your home to look for you. What you are doing is preventing the humanitarian work of Mr Hun Sen.”

Nevertheless, opposition leader Sam Rainsy said that even though Hun Sen’s speech is a threat attempt, it is nothing more than a smokescreen, and that the police officers, the soldiers and other members of the armed forces are all victims.

Sam Rainsy said: “This threat attempt is a smokescreen that no one will pay attention to, because those who perpetrate corruption, they stole millions, tens of millions, hundred of millions of dollars from the state coffer. This is what we call corruption that leads the country to its ruin, just like the deforestation of tens of thousands of hectares of forest, the confiscation of tens of thousands of hectares of lands from the people, the stealing of state revenue by the millions of dollars, these are corruption. But our brothers and sisters who are police officers, soldiers, they receive too low salaries that they cannot live on, this forced them to earn money on the side so that they can live on a day-to-day basis, we don’t consider that as corruption.”