Chinese commie meeting with chairman of a sinking party?

Senior CPC official meets Cambodia's Funcinpec Party chairman

BEIJING, May 8 (Xinhua) -- He Guoqiang, a senior Communist Party of China (CPC) official, met with Keo Puth Rasmey, chairman of Cambodia's Funcinpec Party, in Beijing on Tuesday.

He, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, applauded the two countries' traditional friendship, substantial cooperation in all areas and close coordination in international and regional affairs.

President Hu Jintao's visit to Cambodia earlier this year promoted the China-Cambodia comprehensive strategic relationship, as well as relations between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and regional cooperation, said He, who is also secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

F'pec: From chronic disease to terminally-ill symptoms

Nhiek Bun Chhay selected at Funcinpec president

02 April 2011
By Den Ayuthyea
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Soch
Click here to read the original article in Khmer

The Funcinpec held its congress on 02 April 2011.

On 02 April, the Funcinpec held its party congress at its new headquarters located in Bakkheng commune, Russei Keo district, Phnom Penh city. The congress approved a number of amendment change, as well as the separation of responsibility between the party’s legislative branch and the party’s executive branch.

In the results of the congress – which was participated by more than 3,000 party activists – the party approved the nomination of Keo Puth Reaksmey, the former party president, as the party leader, and it also approved the nomination of Nhiek Bun Chhay, the former party secretary-general, to the position of executive president, as well as approving the nomination of Lu Laysreng, the former party no. 1 vice-president, to the position of party honorary president.

Nhiek Bun Chhay, the new Funcinpec executive president, declared with confidence that this party will receive even more support from grassroot party activists, especially during the upcoming 2012 commune election, and the upcoming 2013 general election.

Funcinpec is not kidding when it comes down to the monarchy

Soy Sopheap

16 March 2009
By Ky Soklim
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from French by Tola Ek
Click here to read the article in French

A TV anchor attracted the ire of the royalist party after he criticized the latter for the upcoming election.

Keo Puth Rasmey, Funcinpec president, informed the press about his intention to sue and to organize a demonstration against Soy Sopheap, the star-anchor of the pro-government TV channel CTN. Funcinpec leaders did not appreciate some of the comments made by the anchorman regarding the monarchy and the royalist party.

“Soy Sopheap had seriously criticized my party on TV, and this is not the first time,” Keo Puth Rasmey said over the phone after he was alerted on the issue by Nhiek Bun Chhay, the party secretary-general.

On his end, Soy Sopheap tried to cool down the situation. “They should not link the two issues. I respect the monarchy, but I criticize Funcinpec,” he justified. Soy Sopheap explained that he ridiculed Funcinpec and NRP leaders for holding vote swearing ceremonies [party members are forced to swear that they will only vote for the party candidates] for their parties for the upcoming district and provincial councils. He added that, in the past, the two royalist parties have accused the CPP for the same practice, but that now, they are doing the same thing as the CPP.

King-Father's opinion: Members of the Royal Family and Politics

Translated from French by Luc Sâr

Members of the Royal Family and Politics
By N. Sihanouk

I asked, publicly and openly in front of the Khmer Nation, to the members of the Cambodian Royal Family not to be involved in politics any more.

The reaction in regard to this demand was strong and very negative, even hostile.

A senior Prince said: “to let oneself be fed by the People is to make them even poorer and to “bleed” them.”

Another senior Prince said: “I want to become a common man and get rid of my royal blood which still flow in my veins –sic!–”. And (he said) this to be free to remain politician.

A few years passed.

And now (in August 2008), what do we see?

A senior Princess and her darling husband are in disgrace and dragged down to the mud.

A senior Prince is condemned to jail sentence, and to avoid this jail (sentence), he is forced to live in (not golden) exile, overseas of course.

And the misfortune and humiliations of the Khmer Princes and Princesses who are fanatical about politics are far from being over.

(Signed) N. Sihanouk
--------
KI-Media Notes:

A senior prince who once said that he was willing to get rid of his royal blood to remain a politician

A senior princess and her darling husband who were discarded by Hun Sen following the 2008 election

Funcinpec to lose govt posts in poll aftermath

Happier days: Funcinpec President Keo Puth Rasmey displays his ink-stained finger after voting in the July 27 polls. (Photo: HENG CHIVOAN)

Thursday, 14 August 2008
Written by Cheang Sokha
The Phnom Penh Post

The CPP’s landslide victory means they really could rule alone but they’re still giving a few positions to some – but not all – members of Funcinpec

A fter taking a drubbing at the polls, Funcinpec is now accepting the scraps from the victorious Cambodian People's Party's table with a draft list of potential government appointments released this week suggesting the CPP will offer the royalists a vastly reduced number of positions in their new government.

"The CPP will hold all minister positions in the new mandate," CPP lawmaker Cheam Yeap told the Post on Wednesday.

Every ministerial position formerly held by Funcinpec has been given to the highest ranking CPP secretary of state at the relevant ministry. In the draft list, only 32 Funcinpec members who held posts in the last government were given the position of secretary or undersecretary of state in the new government. Cheam Yeap said that the number could drop.

"As we won a landslide victory in last month's national election, all the minister posts that formerly belonged to Funcinpec will be given to the CPP. The decision to offer more positions to Funcinpec will be made after the swearing in of the National Assembly. The recent list was just a draft," he said.

But when Prime Minister Hun Sen announced last week that the CPP intended to keep its coalition partnership alive, he specified it would only be with the Funcinpec faction led by party secretary general Nhek Bun Chhay.

Nhek Bun Chhay will keep his position as deputy prime minister and some former Funcinpec ministers will be "promoted to the position of senior minister in charge of special missions," Cheam Yeap said.

The Cpp will hold all minister positions in the new mandate.

The five Funcinpec ministers in the last government who have been given this position are Kol Pheng at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports; Minister of Health Nuth Sokhom; Sun Chanthol, minister of Public Works and Transport; Khun Haing, minister of Cults and Religions; and Veng Sereyvuth, minister of Culture and Fine Arts.

Off the list

Conspicuously absent from the list were Funcinpec's President Keo Puth Rasmey, parliamentary candidate Prince Norodom Arun Rasmey, first deputy president Lu Laysreng and second deputy president Prince Sisowath Sirirath, the faction of Funcinpec who allied the party to the opposition immediately after the election and rejected the poll results.

"I am not disappointed despite my not being given a position in the new government," said Lu Laysreng, deputy prime minister and currently Minister of Rural Development, who added that any positions which Funcinpec would receive should be seen as a "gift" from CPP.

His own position has been given to Chea Sophara, former governor of Phnom Penh and currently a secretary of state at the Ministry of Land Management.

"It's a government of the CPP not a coalition government like before," said Koul Panha, executive director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia.

"Every decision, responsibility and all accountability belongs to the CPP."

Keo Puth Rasmey, Lu Laysreng, Sisowath Sirirath, Arunrasmy to be dumped from next Hun Sen's gov't

None of the three Funcinpec leaders above (from L to R: Lu Laysreng, Keo Puth Rasmey, Sisowath Sirirath) will be appointed in the next Hun Sen regime

Funcinpec veterans not expected to hold positions in next govt

Tuesday, 12 August 2008
Written by Meas Sokchea
The Phnom Penh Post

Nhek Bun Chhay to lead fresh group of royalists to fill limited, junior positions as party leaders get squeezed out of holding any senior spots

FOUR of Funcinpec's top officials are not expected to hold positions in Prime Minister Hun Sen's next government, ruling and royalist party officials said Monday.

"There are probably no positions for Funcinpec's president Keo Puth Rasmey; parliamentary candidate Prince Norodom Arun Rasmey; second deputy president Prince Sisowath Sirirath; and first deputy president Lu Laysreng, said CPP spokesman Khieu Kanharith. Instead, he said, Funcinpec secretary general Nhek Bun Chhay and his close colleagues will be given positions.

Keo Puth Rasmey and his colleagues have been warned by Hun Sen not to expect any role in the new government after he accused them of supporting an opposition party rejection of the July 27 poll results.

Instead, a Funcinpec faction led by party secretary general Nhek Bun Chhay is expected to enter into a coalition deal with the CPP.

But Prince Sisowath Sirirath said Monday that Funcinpec is still led by Keo Puth Rasmey, clarifying that Nhek Bun Chhay is not leading a splinter group inside Funcinpec.

"Whoever said that Funcinpec was led by Nhek Bun Chhay is wrong, Funcinpec is only one not separated as two," Sisowath Sirirath said.

He added, "We have nothing to say about joining the government, but we congratulate our friends."

Lu Laysreng said it wasn't important for him to hold a post in the new government. "For these seats there are no positions for us, so let the young generation do it," he said.

Nhek Bun Chhay noted that the royalists have two positions available to them, albeit lower posts than the royalist veterans have held. Because Keo Puth Rasmey and Lu Laysreng could advance no further than deputy prime minister, posts in which they have already served, it was decided to promote new people, he said.

"We have four senior ministers but there are no minister positions for us, only secretary of state and under secretary of state," Nhek Bun Chhay said.

Sacrava's Political Cartoon: Sharing Bed

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

F'pec ready to climb in CPP bed

Funcinpec ready to partner CPP

Saturday, 02 August 2008
Ly Menghour
The Mekong Times

The Funcinpec Party has announced its final post-election stance – the party is not divided and does not reject the election results. In addition, Funcinpec is prepared to once more join the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) to form a coalition government, Funcinpec President Keo Puth Reasmey and Funcinpec Secretary General Nhiek Bun Chhay said yesterday after a closed-door party meeting.

“The meeting … showed that there is only one Funcinpec,” said Keo Puth Reasmey after the three-hour meeting held at Funcinpec’s Phnom Penh headquarters.

Funcinpec will make no formal complaints and will not lodge a lawsuit concerning the election outcome, Keo Puth Reasmey added.

“Although we are not satisfied with the outcome, we [will] not make a complaint against the election results, which could cause national political instability,” he said.

Nhiek Bun Chhay called the election “free but not fair.”

“[W]e have received news of irregularities,” he said, adding that Funcinpec will form a coalition with the CPP, if invited by the CPP.

“We have cooperated well with the CPP for three mandates … We have contributed a lot to political stability,” Nhiek Bun Chhay said.

The Thursday announcement came a day after rumors of a party division between Nhiek Bun Chhay and Keo Puth Reasmey. Government spokesman Khieu Khanarith announced that the CPP will be forming a coalition government with a Nhiek Bun Chhay-led Funcinpec the same day, though he warned that Keo Puth Reasmey, Prince Sisowath Sirirath and other prominent Funcipec royalists will be barred from government. Khieu Khanarith said this was because of complaints that Sisowath Sirirath had joined the opposition parties to appeal for a re-election.

Funcinpec’s stance on forming the new government with the CPP is to be officially announced after a meeting of the Funcinpec Standing Committee Friday evening.

“We have agreed on everything,” claimed Khieu Khanarith. “The CPP, a virtuous partner, will keep its promise of forming a coalition government with Funcinpec, and Nhiek Bun Chhay has been selected by the party to negotiate the posts with the CPP.”

Khieu Khanarith would give no further statement about forming a government with Funcinpec, and referred further comment to Funcinpec Deputy Secretary General Serei Kosal, who was unavailable for comment yesterday.

Once a CPP minion, always a CPP minion: Funcinpec's fate

F’pec is preparing for an alliance with the CPP

31 July 2008
By Leang Delux
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Unofficial translation from French by Tola Ek
Click here to read the original article in French

Party leaders have cut short rumors of party rift which circulated since the beginning of the week. With two seats at the National Assembly, the party bets its future on the political arena.

Inevitably, the issue of party rift, fed by the declarations by party members during the last few days, was on everyone’s mind. On this topic, Keo Puth Rasmey, Funcinpec president, and Nhiek Bun Chhay, the party secretary-general, said in a single voice that there is no separation in the work. Keo Puth Rasmey asked the audience to act as witness, while saying: “If we were separated, why are we joining this meeting together this morning?”

Several hundreds of party commune and provincial leaders met at party headquarters in Phnom Penh on Thursday morning, following an invitation issued by their leaders. This event was aimed at comforting and motivating the troops again following the party downfall after the election. Funcinpec only received 2 seats at the National Assembly.

The issue of an upcoming alliance with the CPP, the largest winner of the election, remains to be resolved. On Friday, the party permanent committee consisting of 13 members are planned to meet. However, the suspense is short lived, Keo Puth Rasmey did not hide the fact that the decision ahs already been made: “There wouldn’t be any surprise, we work with the CPP since the beginning.”

Keo Puth Rasmey sacked for trying to withdraw F'pec lawsuit against Ranariddh?

Government sweep

30 July 2008
By Pen Bona and Leang Delux Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from French by Luc Sâr

Khieu Kanharith, the minister of Information and government spokesman, declared during a press conference held in the morning of 30 July in Phnom Penh, that “the CPP will pursue its coalition government with Funcinpec, but with the Funcinpec of Nhiek Bun Chhay…”

“Very soon, the government will sack Keo Puth Rasmey, the current president of the royalist party and vice-prime minister, and Prince Sisowath Sirirath, the current government advisor,” Khieu Kanharith added.

Prince Sisowath announced on Monday, the day after the election, that he joined the SRP, the HRP and the NRP, in a coalition to protest the election results.

When asked by CSH, the prince declared that he did not have any reaction about this news, “as long as he does not receive the confirmation from prime minister Hun Sen.”

In the morning of Wednesday 30 July, a rumor circulated in which Keo Puth Rasmey would have written a letter to the Phnom Penh municipal court asking for the withdrawal of the Funcinpec lawsuit against Prince Norodom Ranariddh who is currently in exile in Malaysia, in order to allow the latter to return back home. Keo Puth Rasmey could not be contacted for confirm or deny this rumor. Nhiek Bun Chhay, Funcinpec secretary-general, would be elected in Banteay Meanchey according to the preliminary results by the CPP.

Moribund F’pec hopes to get seats in the upcoming election

Tuesday, June 23, 2008
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

Keo Puth Reasmey, the Funcinpec leaders, expressed his hope that his party will receive seats at the National Assembly (NA) during the upcoming general election. In an interview with The Mekong Times, Keo puth Reasmey said that the reason his party hopes to get seats at the NA is because of the internal reforms undertaken by the party in the past two years. He said that following the reforms, the party received more support because people start to understand the reason for the party reforms. Keo Puth Reasmey placed all the blames on Prince Norodom Ranariddh for dragging down Funcinpec’s popularity, but he said that since Funcinpec acquired its new image and new leadership structure, he believes that Funcinpec will receive seats at the NA because of the dynamic growth in the party support. This is opposite to the past commune election. Keo Puth Reasmey added that, based on the number of votes during the commune election, Funcinpec wouldn’t even obtain a single seat at the NA, this is because the party just held its extraordinary congress on 18 October 2006, this congress led to a disintegration of the party force. He said, that, however, for the general election, the situation is different, and he believed that his party will obtain seats at the NA.

Nhiek Bun Chhay Said To Be Discarded by Hun Sen in Next Government for Bad Record

05 Apr 08
"Today's Comment"
Samleng Yuveakchon Khmer
Translated from Khmer by Anonymous

The FUNCINPEC [National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, and Peaceful Cambodia] Party of Nhiek Bun Chhay and Keo Put Reaksmei is breaking up and, at the last moment that these phony politicians are grasping for their last breath, they still engage in mutual fighting that in Cambodian society is described as the poor men's fight to the grave. This is the nature of the opportunist politicians who smell the stink of death because of their betrayal in the coup de parti that they stupidly waged at the instigation of an outsider to overthrow their own leader and benefactor.

Nhiek Bun Chhay, Keo Put Reaksmei, Sisowath Sirirat, and Lu Lay Sreng said that allowing Serei Kosal, Ok Socheat, and Kim Vien to join their FUNCINPEC Party might somehow benefit their populist policy to fool the people. In the end, however, this decision is not different from using these adventurer-cum-politicians to burn their party. In such a snafu, Nhiek Bun Chhay should not blame Kev Put Reaksmei in order to show that it is not his fault; and Kev Put Reaksmei, too, should not feel sorry or disappointed because of the seething internal dispute that is plaguing the party, for all of this is an unavoidable retribution because of the coup-de-party and betrayal against Prince Norodom Ranariddh.

Just as Hun Sen told Nhiek Bun Chhay and Keo Put Reaksmei, the Cambodian People's Party [CPP] does not want them to join the next government if they could not help themselves and try only to cling to other people to get high positions and gains. Keo Put Reaksmei, Arunrasmy, Nhiek Bun Chhay, and their followers need not worry and do not have to go around lying to the Cambodian voters, for even Neou Sovatthero, who kept repeating like a parrot that the in-depth 18 October 2006 reform made the FUNCINPEC Party stronger, could not help but deserting Nhiek Bun Chhay's FUNCINPEC Party and defecting to Hun Sen's CPP.

After the 27 July 2008 election if Hun Sen's CPP wins again, which will be a cowardly victory achieved when the people's spirit is weakened, Nhiek Bun Chhay and Keo Put Reaksmei should not dream of getting from Hun Sen even the posts of state secretaries, let alone having the posts of deputy prime ministers, senior ministers, or ministers that they used to get from Prince Norodom Ranariddh. The best that could be expected is that Hun Sen would give scraps of positions such as state undersecretaries to Nhiek Bun Chhay and Kev Put Reaksmei because this is proportionate to the personal values and knowledge level of Nhiek Bun Chhay and to the behaviors of these people who did not hesitate to betray their own leader for the sake of a position as someone else's bootlickers.

To put it more bluntly, Nhiek Bun Chhay should learn to control his feelings right now so that he would not be too surprised or too hurt when Hun Sen accepts a fragment of the FUNCINPEC Party after the elections. When this happens, it is not the group of Nhiek Bun Chhay but that of Kev Put Reaksmei that will be chosen. At that time, allow us to warn that Nhiek Bun Chhay and Serei Kosal should not blurt out that Kev Put Reaksmei betrays the resistance fighters because the term resistance fighters uttered from the mouths of Nhiek Bun Chhay and Serei Kosal just belies the real resistance fighters, and Hun Sen does not know the meaning of resistance fighters, who were led by the King Father and later on by Prince Norodom Ranariddh in the fight to drive the Vietnamese aggressor troops out of the country.

Besides, Nhiek Bun Chhay and Serei Kosal should never dream that Hun Sen wants to hear the phrase "real FUNCINPEC resistance fighters" who are not the fighters of the current FUNCINPEC Party of Nhiek Bun Chhay. Hun Sen's desire to let go of Nhiek Bun Chhay and abandon him to his fate has many reasons, including the fact that normally the reputation of the Prime Minister's party is already not very good but it could get worse when there is rumor that he is leading Cambodia into confusion and involvement with the narcotic crime, the trafficking in person, and so on. This is because Nhiek Bun Chhay has a bad record. He used to have a close relationship with a Chinese named Chea Chung, who later on was found to be a drug lord together with the late Um Chhay, former adviser to Heng Samrin, concerning the several tons of narcotics in Treng Troyeung, Kampong Speu province. With all of this, do you think that Hun Sen wants Nhiek Bun Chhay near him? Like it or not, even if you do not like thinking or are not good at thinking, you would not mistake that Hun Sen now has no need for Nhiek Bun Chhay. This is reminiscent of the time when this CPP vice president duped the group of Tun Chay, Duong Khem, Ung Phan, Toek Ngoy, and so on before kicking them away. And since Nhiek Bun Chhay used to have an adviser who became a major drug criminal in Kampong Spoe, Nhiek Bun Chhay's chance of winning Hun Sen's favor and joining the next government is very slim.

Nhiek Bun Chhay, Keo Puth Reaksmei, Sisowath Sirirat, and Lu Laysreng were of course well aware of all these facts, but they could do nothing because they were fooled. Once they understood that they were duped into toppling Prince Norodom Ranariddh, they tried hard to beg the prince to return and lead the FUNCINPEC Party again. But the prince did not want to save these corrupt opportunists. He wanted to listen to the people and to help the people. When Nhiek Bun Chhay, Keo Puth Reaksmei, Sisowath Sirirat, and Lu Laysreng went out of their way to beg Prince Norodom Ranariddh to help lead and save the FUNCINPEC Party like in the past, their main concern was to keep the FUNCINPEC Party from dying in their hands, which would earn them condemnation by the people. Besides, they thought that if the prince could help to revive the FUNCINPEC Party, they would have a chance to implore the prince for posts and perks. It is because of this issue that Prince Norodom Ranariddh refused to come to the rescue of the Nhiek Bun Chhay-Keo Puth Reaksmei FUNCINPEC Party. Now these gentlemen are quarrelling over the last shred of assets left behind by the FUNCINPEC Party on its death bed.

Keo Puth Rasmey and F'pec delegation in China ... to visit King-Father also?

Senior CPC official meets Cambodian guests

BEIJING, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- Senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Wang Gang met here Sunday with a delegation from Cambodia's Funcinpec Party led by Chairman Keo Puth Rasmey.

Describing China and Cambodia as good neighbors, good friends and good partners, Wang said the two countries have maintained frequent high-level visits in recent years, and expanded exchanges and cooperation in various areas.

Since the CPC and the Funcinpec Party established inter-party relations in 1995, they have witnessed a rapid increase of exchanges and deepening of cooperation, Wang said.

He told Rasmey, who is also deputy prime minister of Cambodia, that the CPC treasures its relations with the Funcinpec Party, and is ready to further beef up bilateral cooperation and make greater contribution to cementing China-Cambodia all-round cooperative partnership.

Wang also briefed Rasmey about the 17th CPC National Congress as well as China's economic and social development.

Funcinpec will not attack back its critics

Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Keo Puth Rasmey, Funcinpec party president, said, recently, that a number of political parties and some people who departed from Funcinpec had attacked the Funcinpec party. During a meeting with Funcinpec party members in Kampot province on 08 January 2008, Keo Puth Rasmey said that: “In spite of attacks on Funcinpec, the Funcinpec party leaders will not counter-attack back because we are following the path of national reconciliation.” Even though, Keo Puth Rasmey did not reveal the name of these attackers, it is believed that he was designating Prince Norodom Ranariddh, because among those who left the party, Prince Ranariddh was one of them also. The prince usually verbally attacked Funcinpec and, in particular, vice-prime minister Nhiek Bun Chhay.

Leaders of 3 parties pledge to abide by the election results

29 November 2007
By Mondul Keo
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

The leaders of the 3 parties holding seats at the National Assembly have agreed to abide by the election results for the upcoming July 2008 general election.

This agreement took place when the leaders of the 3 parties met each other during the departure of King-Father, Queen-Monther, and the king to Beijing.

Keo Puth Rasmei, Funcinpec president, said that during the meeting which took place this morning, prime minister Hun Sen, who is also the CPP vice-president, said that the CPP will abide by the results of the election, irrespective of the party which will win the election.

Keo Puth Rasmei said: “Samdach prime minister clearly said, just like H.E. Sam Rainsy (did also), I heard them saying that if H.E. Sam Rainsy’s party win the election, Samdach prime minister will respect the democracy and he will turn over the helm of the country to the election winner. H.E. Sam Rainsy also said that regardless of the winner, all the Cambodian parties will still assist one another.”

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy also said that the discussion was done in the name of a single Cambodian family, and it shows that democracy in Cambodia has reached maturity.

Sam Rainsy said: “We greeted each other among us Cambodians, among people who are responsible to the nation. This shows that democracy in our country has reached a maturity level where we can talk to each other.”

On 28 November, during the accompanying of the king and his parents to the airport where they are departing to Beijing, the 3 party leaders met and talked with each other for a long period of time under the scorching sun at the Phnom Penh International Airport.

Keo Puth Rasmei indicated that the departure of the king and his parents to Beijing was for their medical checkup and health care, as prescribed by their Chinese doctors.

Keo Puth Rasmei added: “The real goal of the Chinese is to check the health condition of King-Father. The king takes this opportunity, during his stay in China, to have his health checked also.”

In the past, following each election, the losing parties always held demonstration to protest the election results, accusing the election of being rigged and unfair. Furthermore, all party leaders asked for the presence of the king and the Hero-King in the country so that they serve as a cool shade for the nation, especially during the election period.

TV footage of the meeting between Sam Rainsy, Hun Sen and Keo Puth Rasmei at the Phnom Penh airport

Sam Rainsy: Ranariddh wants to negotiate with Hun Sen

Thursday, November 29, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy said that Prince Norodom Ranariddh, NRP president, wants to negotiate with Hun Sen. Sam Rainsy told The Cambodia Daily over the phone, on Wednesday, that Hun Sen showed him a letter sent to him by Ranariddh. In the letter, Ranariddh stated that he will assign You Hockry, the NRP secretary-general, as the negotiator with the CPP. Sam Rainsy said that Hun Sen couldn’t believe the prince would stir up this issue. Sam Rainsy added that Hun Sen told him that he did not propose any negotiations, and he has no interest in dealing with the prince. Muth Chantha, NRP spokesman, denied that Prince Ranariddh wrote any letter to Hun Sen, and he demanded that Hun Sen shows the content of this letter to the public.
------
KI-Media Note: The Cambodia Daily also reported that Keo Puth Rasmei, Funcinpec president, who was also present at the discussions between Hun Sen and Sam Rainsy at the airport on Wednesday, confirmed that he also saw the letter and the content as described by Sam Rainsy.

Now he’s expelled, now he’s not: The tale of the flip-flop party and the flip-flop prince

Thursday, November 15, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

On 08 November 2007, the Funcinpec party announced, through its spokesman, the expulsion of Prince Sisowath Thomico from the party after he was accused of insulting the party leadership. However, now it is learnt that the party no longer expels the prince from its rank anymore.

The Rasmei Kampuchea newspaper reported in today’s edition that Funcinpec has decided to stop expelling Prince Thomico and it even agreed to let the prince negotiate to seek a resolution for the unification between Funcinpec and the NRP.

Rasmei Kampuchea reported that Funcinpec change of position took place during a two-hour meeting between Keo Puth Reasmey, Funcinpec president, and Prince Thomico on 14 November 2007. Prince Thonmico confirmed to the newspaper by phone that he did meet with Keo Puth Reasmey, and that during the meeting, he and Keo Puth Reasmey agreed that Funcinpec must continue its stance of looking for a resolution in order to unite the NRP with Funcinpec.

Prince Thomico indicated that Keo Puth Reasmey gave him the green light to work on the unity between Prince Ranariddh and Funcinpec. The prince said that he plans to travel to meet Prince Ranariddh overseas also, should Prince Ranariddh allow him to meet.

During the meeting between Keo Puth Reasmey and Thomico, Keo Puth Reasmey told the prince that he did not sign the letter to expel the prince from Funcinpec yet, therefore, Thomico is still a Funcinpec party member.

On his end, Muth Chantha, NRP spokesman, told the Rasmei Kampuchea newspaper that the issue with Funcinpec was ended long ago. The current position adopted by Prince Ranariddh is to have all his party members put their efforts to work (for the party). Prince Ranariddh considers that negotiations with Funcinpec lead to an unclear situation for the party members. Prince Ranariddh wants party members to know that the NRP has a clear position.

Thomico: “I did not topple Prince Ranariddh to take over the F’pec party presidence, in order to provide the opportunity to my wife ..."

Thomico continues his “ayay”; F’pec considers him a horseshoe crab politician

Monday, November 05, 2007
Koh Santepheap Newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

On 03 November 2007, Prince Thomico issued a statement claiming that it is his response to the Funcinpec spokesman and leadership by saying: “I believe that the royalist force is the most important force for the preservation of peace and stability for all of us.” This is why the prince rejected the path set by the F’pec leadership which wants to lead the party into the future, especially for the upcoming 2008 general election, and the prince considers that “this path will destroy the royalist force.”

Prince Thomico does not see that he committed any error for F’pec to kick him out of the party, or pushing him to resign from F’pec at all. The prince added: “to the contrary, I claimed that the action of opposing one of King-Father’s sons against one of King-Father’s daughters constitutes a breakup of the royal family and of the royalists,” on this issue, Lu Lay Sreng, F’pec No. 1 vice-president, confessed that this was his strategy.

The prince added Lu Lay Sreng recognized that he was the one who invited Princess Arunrasmy in, in order to make the royals cuss at each other. Furthermore, the prince said that he did not accuse any individual at all, in spite of the fact that, on 01 November, he criticized both Lu Lay Sreng and Nhiek Bun Chhay of being incompetent.

The prince’s statement indicated also that it was the F’pec leadership which slandered him by claiming that he wanted to reap benefits. The prince added: “I am reminding that, to the opposite of Mr. Lu Lay Sreng, I never prostrated in front of Prince Ranariddh to ask for a position at all.”

Prince Thomico indicated also that it was when Prince Ranariddh was F’pec president, that he nominated Keo Puth Rasmey as Cambodia’s ambassador to Germany, and his wife (Princess Arunrasmy) as ambassador to Malaysia. Prince Thomico claimed: “I did not topple Prince Ranariddh to take over the F’pec party presidence, in order to provide the opportunity to my wife to become the party’s premiership candidate.”

The prince accused the F’pec leadership of falsifying F’pec history by claiming that the party was not formed by the hands of the Hero-King himself. This claim is contrary to what the society has recognized, and if the party leadership has to falsify the party history, what is there for the public to trust in the claim that “F’pec can preserve the heritage of the Hero-King, and it can preserve the Cambodian national identity” any more?

Nouv Sovathero, Funcinpec spokesman, when reached by phone on 04 November 2007, declined to comment on the prince’s statement. However he said: “I don’t want to reply to him, it’s always the same story.” Nov Sovathero added: “He is already a horseshoe crab politician.”
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KI-Media notes:
1- Ayay: Ditty Cambodian folk songs.
2- Comparing someone to a horseshoe crab (Prolaing Kas) is a very serious insult, as this term refers to a man who is very jealous of his wife and would follow her constantly.

Royalists out of touch with voters, say analysts [-The public secret is out now even though Prince Sirirath still denies it]

By Vong Sokheng
Phnom Penh Post, Issue 16 / 22, November 2 - 15, 2007

As leaders of Funcinpec and the Norodom Ranariddh Party continued to trade insults last week, political analysts said the fight does not bode well for the July 2008 national elections.

Local election-monitoring NGOs told the Post that the royalist vote will either be split between the two parties or their supporters won't bother to vote at all.

Koul Panha, executive director of Comfrel, said the two parties' infighting over personal issues has nothing to do with what voters care about, and will harm both parties.

"I think that members of the royal families within NRP and Funcinpec have expressed their personal anger to the public, which is a bad message for their voters in the upcoming national elections," Panha said. "Funcinpec won the UNTAC-sponsored election in 1993 because of its struggle to fight for sovereignty and territorial integrity and to fight against illegal immigration and corruption."

Panha said that Cambodian people now have a more sophisticated understanding about what the country needs, and they won't vote for a political party unless they believe it can improve society.

"There is no law to prohibit members of the royalist families from political affairs, but the division within royal families has left the royalist political parties at more risk in the upcoming national elections," Panha said, adding that if party leaders allow their political image to decline, they'll have to get out of politics.

Pahna made his comments in reaction to Prince Norodom Ranariddh's public remarks regarding nepotism inside Funcinpec and his younger sister Princess Arun Rasmey, who is the Funcinpec candidate for prime minister in the upcoming elections.

Ranariddh, the president of NRP, blasted his 52-year-old sister Arun Rasmey in remarks made by phone from Mayalsia to supporters in Prey Veng province on October 18.

Muth Chantha, spokesman of the NRP, said the prince was just trying to explain the differences between Funcinpec and NRP.

"The prince's message just explained to his supporters about the family leadership and nepotism within Funcinpec. It was not defamation," Chantha said.

He said that the prince recounted how Arun Rasmey is Funcinpec's candidate for prime minister; her husband Keo Puthrasmey is the president of Funcinpec; and Prince Sisowath Sirirath is second deputy president of Funcinpec and also is the former husband of Arun Rasmey.

Sirirath told the Post that Ranariddh's comments demonstrate his attitude towards Khmer women.

"Ranariddh does not have a good heart. He is jealous of his younger sister in a leadership role of Funcinpec," Sirirath said.

Sirirath said that there is no division among the royalists because all the royalists who hold government positions are in Funcinpec, not NRP.

Funcinpec ousted Ranariddh from the party last October.

An official of the Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Election in Cambodia also said both parties are in trouble.

"The result of [commune] elections indicates that the royalist political party is weaker," said Puthea Hang, executive director of NICFEC. "The monarchists are losing confidence with their leaderships."