Koh Santepheap newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Hun Sen, prime minister of Cambodia, strongly reacted by warning that if the ministry of culture and fine arts does not amend its own constitution, this ministry will still remain under the rule of a mistress. Hun Sen issued this reaction in the morning of 31 July during a ceremony where he presided over the distribution of diplomas to bachelor degree students from the University of Fine Arts (URBA) at the Chaktokmouk theater.
Hun Sen added that, as a prime minister, he needed help from people to carry gifts for his child’s wedding … he then asked for help from the University of Fine Arts because it has students who can help carry the gifts, when he made the request to the minister, a woman who is the mistress (of the minister) ordered whatever she wanted to the ministry of culture and fine arts. Hun Sen said that this is a reason to amend the constitution. If there is no amendment, the government will be a government under the influence of a mistress of a former leader whom Hun Sen declined to name. Hun Sen said that, after a while, the university professors will be under the influence of a fox, but that now, this misdeed has been freed already.
Hun Sen revealed that: “I know the feelings of a number of professors and students who are not happy about this issue, but if they did not follow the order (of the mistress), they are afraid they would be removed. They want to gather the artists (from the university of fine arts) and send them to the Olympic stadium, and not until they (artists) were sent to the SEA Game, at the royal palace, the minister (of culture) did not know about this, and if the minister does not known, the prime minister also does not know. In the past, Funcinpec officials, from the ministerial level down to the under-secretary level, they have been nailed down already.”
Regarding this issue, Hun Sen reminded to all institutions that only the husband is the minister, and his wife is not the minister, this is nothing to be confused about … there should not be any case where the husband is a captain and the wife a major. Hun Sen said that he is not just reminding this to the ministry of culture only, but past experience has shown that a leader’s mistress can shake up the ministry of culture, and in particular, the university of fine arts itself and the art department also.
Hun Sen is also reminding all provinces and municipalities that for all soldiers and government officials, if the husband is the district governor, the wife is not the district governor also, she is the wife of the district governor only, and this should not be confused. Hun Sen warned that proper attitude should be adopted, because it look extremely bad for Cambodians, the legal wives are OK, but the mistresses are extremely bad, and this is the reason he is forced to amend the constitution from 2/3 to 50+1 instead, because otherwise, he will still remain a victim, even the various ministers will be victims, and the deputy prime ministers and the ministers can be threatened with removal as they (mistresses) want. Provincial governors, deputy provincial governors, district governors are being threatened with removal by these mistresses, and they (mistresses) can nominate other (replacement officials) in large number.
Hun Sen said this experience should be considered as a general experience, and the husband cannot be a captain while his wife is a major. Cambodia has this saying since long ago, the husbands are OK, but, the wives, they can order (whatever they want). Hun Sen indicated that in various ministries, such cases are encountered.
Hun Sen said that people should read the newspapers sometimes, because these problems are real, and their publications are not wrong, and sometime people don’t look at it and they do not accept their own responsibility for such cases which are occurring. Officials who have a taste for a high-ranking position, should not become too arrogant … they must not, this is Cambodia, and Cambodians hold the power, they do not allow such misdeeds.
Hun Sen added that, as a prime minister, he needed help from people to carry gifts for his child’s wedding … he then asked for help from the University of Fine Arts because it has students who can help carry the gifts, when he made the request to the minister, a woman who is the mistress (of the minister) ordered whatever she wanted to the ministry of culture and fine arts. Hun Sen said that this is a reason to amend the constitution. If there is no amendment, the government will be a government under the influence of a mistress of a former leader whom Hun Sen declined to name. Hun Sen said that, after a while, the university professors will be under the influence of a fox, but that now, this misdeed has been freed already.
Hun Sen revealed that: “I know the feelings of a number of professors and students who are not happy about this issue, but if they did not follow the order (of the mistress), they are afraid they would be removed. They want to gather the artists (from the university of fine arts) and send them to the Olympic stadium, and not until they (artists) were sent to the SEA Game, at the royal palace, the minister (of culture) did not know about this, and if the minister does not known, the prime minister also does not know. In the past, Funcinpec officials, from the ministerial level down to the under-secretary level, they have been nailed down already.”
Regarding this issue, Hun Sen reminded to all institutions that only the husband is the minister, and his wife is not the minister, this is nothing to be confused about … there should not be any case where the husband is a captain and the wife a major. Hun Sen said that he is not just reminding this to the ministry of culture only, but past experience has shown that a leader’s mistress can shake up the ministry of culture, and in particular, the university of fine arts itself and the art department also.
Hun Sen is also reminding all provinces and municipalities that for all soldiers and government officials, if the husband is the district governor, the wife is not the district governor also, she is the wife of the district governor only, and this should not be confused. Hun Sen warned that proper attitude should be adopted, because it look extremely bad for Cambodians, the legal wives are OK, but the mistresses are extremely bad, and this is the reason he is forced to amend the constitution from 2/3 to 50+1 instead, because otherwise, he will still remain a victim, even the various ministers will be victims, and the deputy prime ministers and the ministers can be threatened with removal as they (mistresses) want. Provincial governors, deputy provincial governors, district governors are being threatened with removal by these mistresses, and they (mistresses) can nominate other (replacement officials) in large number.
Hun Sen said this experience should be considered as a general experience, and the husband cannot be a captain while his wife is a major. Cambodia has this saying since long ago, the husbands are OK, but, the wives, they can order (whatever they want). Hun Sen indicated that in various ministries, such cases are encountered.
Hun Sen said that people should read the newspapers sometimes, because these problems are real, and their publications are not wrong, and sometime people don’t look at it and they do not accept their own responsibility for such cases which are occurring. Officials who have a taste for a high-ranking position, should not become too arrogant … they must not, this is Cambodia, and Cambodians hold the power, they do not allow such misdeeds.
