Sacrava's Political Cartoon: The 18th Anniversary

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

Hero-King: Hun Sen will win the 2008 election; Arunrasmy and her husband has no intention of seriously competing against Hun Sen

Hero-King: In Cambodia, people like to joke around the premiership candidacy

Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Rasmei Kampuchea Newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Hero-King Norodom Sihanouk said on 06 November that in Cambodia, people like to consider the premiership game as a joke, even though they know that Samdach Prime minister Hun Sen will win the 2008 election.

In an annotated comment to a French article published by Cambodge Soir on 06 November, King-Father said that Princess Arunrasmy and Keo Puth Reasmey, her husband who is also the current Funcinpec party president, have no intention of competing against Samdach Akkak Moha Sena Bat Dey Dek Cho Hun Sen who will win the upcoming 2008 election. The 86-year-old monarch added that, however, in Cambodia currently, people are happy to act as if they want to become the prime minister.

Based on the Hero-King’s comment, one can understand that the former monarch believes that Keo Puth Reasmey and his wife, Princess Arunrasmy, are people who hasve no inclination in opposing Hun Sen. King-Father also commented that he gave the entire Funcinpec party to Prince Ranariddh in 1991.

King-Father gave out these comments at a time when the Funcinpec party permanent committee plans to meet on Thursday. The agenda of the meeting will include the reflection on the discipline to impose on Prince Sisowath Thomico who criticized Funcinpec. Nouv Sovathero, the secretary of state at the Ministry of Information and F’pec spokesman, said that the party permanent committee includes 13 members, and it plans to meet on Thursday. The committee could review the discipline imposed on Prince Thomico. However, this issue is not clear yet.

According to Nouv Sovathero, Prince Thomico could face three types of discipline based on the review of his mistake. The lowest discipline could be a verbal and written warning. The second level of discipline would be imposed if the prince does not back down, and he could face being kicked out from the party temporarily. The most severe discipline could be his permanent dismissal from the party.

Prince Thomico, on his side, said that he did not commit any serious mistake, and whatever he said were reported in the newspapers or were raised by the civil society already. He said also that he only asks the party not to discipline King-Father who, in the past, criticized the Funcinpec party leadership.

When asked about King-Father’s comments, Nouv Sovathero said these are merely King-Father’s annotations reminiscing on the information published in his BMD information bulletin No. 24, dated 30 October only. The (F’pec) party president (Keo Puth Reasmey) knew that King-Father does not want to leave anything vague. This issue ended long ago, therefore there is no negative impact on the Funcinpec party at all.

Hun Sen to join Malaysian independence fete ... is it because of Malaysia help in Heng Pov's deportation?

Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Cambodian prime minister to join Malaysian independence fete

Phnom Penh (dpa) - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen is scheduled to fly to Malaysia to join that nation's 50th anniversary independence celebrations, a spokesman said Wednesday.

Hun Sen's spokesman Sry Thamrong said the delegation will include senior Foreign Ministry officials and royalist Funcinpec Party leader Keo Puth Rasmei.

Then called Malaya, the country established independence from Britain in 1957. It became known as Malaysia in 1961.

Cambodia's co-ruling Funcinpec expects Prince Ranariddh's return before September

July 23, 2007

Prince Norodom Ranariddh still has chance to go back to the co-ruling Funcinpec Party before September, as the party plans to conduct its national congress at that time in anticipation of the general election in July 2008, party official said on Monday.

Ranariddh has to go back to Funcinpec which he used to lead before October 2006 in order to strengthen the royalist force for the general election, and Funcinpec still opens the door for him, Prince Sisowath Thomico, adviser for Funcinpec President Keo Puth Rasmey, told reporters a day before leaving for France for health check-up.

"I am optimistic that the prince''s Norodom Ranariddh Party ( NRP) and the Funcinpec Party, which are sister parties, could merge," he said.

"In the past, I couldn''t compromise between NRP and Funcinpec, because the members had individualism and wanted to guard their personal interests. But now, they have to think about the benefit of the country in the general election in 2008," said Thomico, who left NRP last week to join Funcinpec.

Local reports said that he will meet Ranariddh in Paris to find the road map for his return to Cambodia.

F’pec “royal” soap opera redux: Ranariddh asked to return back as F’pec party president

Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

One day after Prince Thomico decided to join the Funcinpec, on Thuesday, this party called on Prince Norodom Ranariddh, its former president, to return back to his former position. The Cambodia Daily reported that vice-prime minister Lu Laysreng, Funcinpec party first vice-president, will convene a congress to accept Prince Ranariddh back as its president, but that the prince must first accept his title as party historical president. Lu Laysreng told The Cambodia Daily by phone that all Funcinpec party members want the prince to be the party president. He went on to compare the rupture of Funcinpec and the prince to a divorce between a husband and wife, but that such divorce can be reconciled. Keo Puth Rasmey, current Funcinpec president, said that the party’s door is open for the prince. Muth Chantha, NRP spokesman, said that his party does not accept a dishonorable resolution, but if there is a good resolution, the prince will think about it.

F'pec uncommitted to commemorate party leaders slained during Hun Sen's 1997 coup d'état; SRP to commemorate the event

Keo Puth Rasmey, left, who was elected as the new leader of the royalist Funcinpec party speaks to party members at the party's headquarters in the capital Phnom Penh.

Funcinpec Unlikely to Commemorate 1997 Coup

Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
03/07/2007

"SRP always remembers that day as a bad day for democracy in Cambodia" - SRP MP Son Chhay

Top officials of the government coalition partner Funcinpec, who saw many of their leaders murdered and lost much of their power in the 1997 coup d'etat, said Tuesday they were unsure about holding ceremonies to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the fighting.

Prime Minister Hun Sen and forces loyal to his Cambodian People's Party wrested power from contentious Funcinpec, led by Prince Norodom Ranariddh, in a violent coup July 5 and July 6, 1997.

Current Funcinpec President Keo Puth Reaksmey said the party had no plans to commemorate the fighting but would probably be meeting on that day. Funcinpec was busy with preparations for the 2008 national elections, he added.

"I cannot assure you, because if I do, it might be wrong," Keo Puth Reaksmey said. "If we go ahead and do it, it will not be a problem. We have time and the budget for it. The members are going to the provinces and towns and maybe no one is thinking about this yet."

The coup, which saw executions and disappearances, led to plummeting foreign investment, the loss of government positions by Funcinpec members and a CPP seizure of control.

In past years, under Prince Ranariddh, the party marked the day.

Opposition Sam Rainsy Party members said they had plans to commemorate the violence.

"SRP always remembers that day as a bad day for democracy in Cambodia," opposition lawmaker Son Chhay said.