Hun Sen Has Lung Cancer

(Photo: Reuters)

 

BREAKING NEWS

Reliable sources in Beijing, Singapore and Phnom Penh indicate that Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, a heavy smoker, is suffering from fast-evolving lung cancer.

The information comes from medical, diplomatic and private sources based in the three capital cities.

Hun Sen has been recently seen in hospitals in Singapore and Beijing at a time when there was no announcement of any trip abroad in the prime minister’s schedule.

In the second half of June 2010 Hun Sen disappeared for ten days, which prevented him from receiving UN envoy Surya Subedi, attending a meeting of the Council of Ministers and, more importantly, taking part in the ceremony commemorating the 59th anniversary of the ruling CPP on June 28 in Phnom Penh. The reason clumsily invoked for Hun Sen’s disappearance was “swine flu” but nobody in Cambodia believes in the official explanation. Five other Cabinet members, who had allegedly also caught the strange disease, knew nothing about it.

Never believe Hun Xen's promise: He even lied to his own children

Hun Sen promises to quit smoking

Friday, 05 February 2010
Sam Rith
The Phnom Penh Post

AFTER surviving the turmoil of Cambodian politics for two and a half decades, Prime Minister Hun Sen has announced that he is ready to tackle a more personal challenge – quitting smoking.

“For those who don’t smoke already, it’s better not to start … I also plan to stop smoking,” he said during the inauguration of the new Ministry of Commerce building in Phnom Penh on Thursday.

“When my children got married, [I] promised that I would stop smoking when I had grandchildren,” he said.

“But now my grandchild is one year and seven days old, and I still haven’t stopped.”

However, the prime minister says he’s already cut down on his smoking habit significantly, and that he does not suffer from nicotine withdrawal symptoms.

“I don’t smoke during flights or when participating in other international meetings,” he added.

Tobacco Law Urged on International Day

By Chiep Mony, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
01 June 2008

Health workers urged the Cambodian government to adopt a law on tobacco control, as the country observed World No Tobacco Day Tuesday.

“Please approve the draft law on tobacco control as soon as possible to fulfill [Cambodia’s] duty as a country that has signed or that is a member of the tobacco control treaty,” said Mom Kong, executive director of the Cambodia Movement for Health. “The approval of this draft law is also an aspiration of the Cambodian people.”

The law on tobacco was drafted in 2003, but it has not been passed by the Council of Ministers.

Health Minster Nuth Sokhom said that even though the law has not been passed, the ministry had taken measures to help people through education at schools, ministries and places of work.

However, Cambodia cannot put strong conditions on cigarette imports without a law, he said.

Cambodians spend about $69.5 million each year on cigarettes, he said.