Koy's letter to the Post [-Cambodia is not a proxy of our Chinese "master" (sic!!!)]

The Voice of Their Masters: The Three Musketeers

[Hun Xen's] Musketeers all for one

Saturday, January 22, 2011
Bangkok Post

Cambodia's Press and Quick Reaction Unit's key men Phay Siphan and Tith Sothea have joined fellow spokesman Koy Kuong in defending the interests of Cambodia and its premier Hun Sen.

Cambodia's so-called Three Musketeers have been very effective in their swift political responses to whoever picks a fight with their beloved leader.

The unit was established in June 2009 in a sub-decree signed by Hun Sen and comes under the supervision of veteran politician Sok An, minister of the council of ministers.

From the outset, the unit aimed to react to news or any information disseminated by national, international sources and critics that is deemed a threat to Cambodia, its government and its national identity.

The Three Musketeers are part of a modernised and restructured Cambodian administration with veteran politicians, diplomats and brothers-in-arms in place as advisers to the government.

Backflip on UN expulsion

Hor 5 Hong (L) and Khieu Kanharith (R): The prophets of evil on the hellish Hun Xen team?

Sunday, 31 October 2010
Cameron Wells 
The Phnom Penh Post

The government has apparently done an about face on its stance over the closure of the United Nations human rights office in Phnom Penh.

An official has contradicted previous claims that the government had requested the unconditional closure of the office.

In a meeting with visiting UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday, Prime Minister Hun Sen proposed that Christophe Peschoux, the long-time head of the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, resign from his post.

“If Mr Peschoux is not removed, then the UN human rights office in Phnom Penh will be closed,” Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said after the meeting.

Information Minister Khieu Kanharith confirmed later that the office would be closed regardless, quoting Hun Sen as having requested the closure of the OHCHR office on the grounds that “other countries in the world don’t have human rights offices, and Cambodia doesn’t want this office either”.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Koy Kuong has backed away from Khieu Kanharith’s comments, insisting the government would ask the UN to close the office only as a last resort.

“He [Peschoux] is a spokesperson for the opposition party and does not cooperate with the government of Cambodia,” he said.

Koy Kuong said said Peschoux had failed to adhere to the agreement between the government and the UN that established the office.

“We don’t just want to close [it], we just want the UN to replace Christophe Peschoux,” he said. “If they do not replace him, they [the UN] should close down the office.”

He called the OHCHR “unnecessary” and said there were countless human rights groups capable of filling its role, but reiterated that the office’s closure would only come as a last-ditch measure if Peschoux was not removed.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY VONG SOKHENG

Sacrava's Political Cartoon: The Spokesmen

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

Please stop embarrassing Cambodia!

Friday, November 06, 2009
KI-Media

In a tit-for-tat diplomatic row between Thailand and Cambodia, several embarrassing moments are taking place among those who are involved in diplomacy:

We will close that closed border

Following Thailand’s threat to seal border between Thailand and Cambodia in retaliation to Hun Xen’s nomination of Thaksin as his personal advisor and government economic advisor, Koy Kuong, spokesman for Cambodia’s ministry of Foreign Affairs, thought that it would be wise to give a tit-for-tat reply back to Thailand. DAP news quoted Koy Kuong as saying: “If Thailand closes its border with Cambodia, Cambodia will also close its border [with Thailand]”. If Thailand closes its border with Cambodia, do we really need to close that closed border also?

Is she there yet?
(or Follow You Ay’s minute-by-minute trek from Bangkok to Phnom Penh)

Somebody at DAP news may think that it is patriotic to announce Mrs. You Ay’s, Cambodia’s ambassador to Thailand, trek from Bangkok to Phnom Penh, following her recall by Sok An. On Thursday 05 November, DAP announced that Mrs. You Ay arrived at the Phnom Penh airport (http://dap-news.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3988:elakrsi-ekgkaractutexmrrbcamtirkugagkk-anmkdlrblanyntehahehiy&catid=1:dap-news&Itemid=75). However, at 2:57PM on Friday 06 November, DAP announced that You Ay arrived at Banteay Meanchey province after crossing the Poipet international border gate (http://dap-news.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4011:elakrsi-yu-gy-efvidmenirmkcitdlexttatdmbgehiy&catid=1:dap-news&Itemid=75). One hour later, DAP issued another post indicating that You Ay arrived in Pursat province (http://dap-news.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4017:elakrsi-yu-gy-mkdlexttebaft-satehiy&catid=1:dap-news&Itemid=75). It appears that, obviously, Mrs. You Ay had to take a road trip to travel from Bangkok to Phnom Penh. Now, couldn’t the Cambodian government afford to pay her one-way plane ticket back? Short of that, couldn’t Mrs. You Ay, the owner of vast amount of lands – some of them grabbed from poor people – in Kampong Speu, afford to buy a plane ticket for herself? Short of that still, could DAP news stop publishing her embarrassing road trip itinerary? ... Maybe, we should shut our mouth also?!?!

Heng Samrin's advisor accused of threatening American diplomats with weapon

Deum Ampil newspaper
13th March, 2009
Reported in English by Khmerization

An opposition MP has accused advisor to National Assembly president Heng Samrin (pictured) of threatening American diplomats with a weapon.

In a letter dated 11th March sent to Mr. Heng Samrin, Mr. Son Chhay, an MP for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP), has requested him to launch an investigation into an allegation that one of his more than 100 advisors has used a gun to threaten U.S diplomatic staff in February 2009, while they were jogging along the Phnom Penh roads.

The letter alleged that, on 14th February 2009, while the diplomats were jogging near the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, an armed man had threatened them with a gun. The man was later identified as Ob Sophy, an administrative officer in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who is also an advisor to National Assembly president Heng Samrin.

Mr. Son Chhay cannot confirm whether the allegation was true. However, he appeals to the authority to launch an investigation into this allegation.

Mr. Touch Naroth, Phnom Penh Police Commissioner, told Deum Ampil News on 12th March that the police has launched an investigation and identified the alleged culprit as Ob Sophy. He said: "We have launched an invetigation and found out that he (Mr. Ob Sophy) is head of one of the departments of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but we have turned this case to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to resolve it with the American embassy."

The police Commissioner added: "We have questioned him regarding the allegation and he said that he dropped the gun ( and tried to pick it up). But when we got a complaint from the U.S embassy, we turned the case to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to resolve it with the American embassy."

Mr. Koy Kuong, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that he has not received any information regarding the case, but said that he will launch an investigation into the allegation.

Cambodia to lodge a diplomatic complaint after Thai soldiers fired artillery shells into Cambodian territories

Cambodians soldiers patrolling the borders.

Koh Santepheap newspaper
19th February, 2009
Reported in English by Khmerization

The Cambodian Foreign Ministry said that it will lodge a diplomatic complaint to the shelling of Cambodian territories by Thai troops on 17th February, even if Thailand has apologised.

Mr. Koy Kuong, Foreign Ministry’s Secretary of State, said on the 18th February that the Foreign Ministry has sent military personnel to investigate the shelling to find out of where and how many shells were fired into Cambodian territories.

Mr. Koy Kuong said that he does not know the reasons why the Thai troops fired those artillery shells into Cambodia. The Thai commanders based in the areas has apologised to the Khmer commanders, but Mr. Koy Kuong said that diplomatic protest will still be lodged.

Speaking in an interview with Radio Free Asia, Mr. Koy Kuong said: “We will lodge a diplomatic protest with Thailand in the not too distant future. We only need to wait for enough information first.”

On 17th February, 10 artillery shells fired from Kap Cherng district of Sisaket province landed a few kilometres inside Cambodian territories. The shells landed a near Boss Thmor Daun village and Chup Angkanh village of Kork Kposs commune, Banteay Ampil district in Ouddor Meanchey province. Seven shells exploded and 3 shells did not explode.

Cambodian military sources said that the Thai said that they were doing a military exercise in Andet Mut commune of Kap Cherng district in Sisaket province. The Cambodian military sources said that the artillery shells were probably fired from artillery guns mounted on military tanks.

Mr. Var Kim Hong, chairman of Cambodian Border Committee, said that the Thai shelling are in violation of international laws and Cambodian sovereignty. He added that Thailand has every right to stage a military exercise, but to fire artillery shells into Cambodian territories is a violation of Cambodian sovereignty.

Villagers living in the border areas said that up until now they still hear the sounds of artillery fires on the Thai side of the borders which caused the Cambodian villagers to live in fears.

Sources close to the Cambodian government said that the Cambodian side has been very patient in regard to past border violations from Thailand because Cambodia wants a good neighbourly relationship with Thailand. Cambodia has agreed to engage in many bilateral talks with Thailand in good faith, but it seems that the Thai side has not reciprocated in the same manners as it has repeatedly caused problems by violating Cambodian sovereignty again and again.

Mr. Khieu Kanharith, the government spokesman, cannot be contacted to make any comments, but he has said yesterday that a team of military personnel has been sent to the areas to investigate the Thai shelling. He said that Cambodia will send a diplomatic aide-memoire through the Thai embassy.

A Cambodian military source based near Ta Krabey and Ta Moan Thom temples said that on the afternoon of 18th February, Gen. Kun Kim, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF), has led a team of military personnel to investigate the matter on the spots.

A Cambodian military officer said that the shells landed approximately 1-2 kilometres northeast of Ta Krabey temple inside Cambodian territories.