Ok Socheat, Cambodian ambassador to the Philippines could be removed from his position, possibly under the current framework set by prime minister Hun Sen to replace the majority of officials from his junior coalition partner, the Funcinpec party, with CPP officials.02 April 2006
By Rithy
Kampuchea Thmey Newspaper
Translated from Khmer by KI-Media
Phnom Penh: Ok Socheat, the Cambodia ambassador in the Philippines from the Funcinpec party may be recalled back home.
According to an unofficial source within the government, it was learned that Mr. Ok Socheat who is currently the Cambodian ambassador to the Philippines may be recalled back home. This news information occurred after Mr. Ok Socheat provided his comment on Cambodian history during an interview on radio station FM 90MHz. The unofficial source indicated that the removal of this ambassador is already in the work.
This source claimed that this removal is in line with the work reform and the candidate change is done to provide efficiency. This source also indicated that this change is similar to the recent replacements of [Funcinpec] provincial and city government officials [by CPP officials].
Through a phone conversation with Kampuchea Thmey, Mr. Ok Socheat said on the afternoon of 01 April that he did not receive the information regarding his removal yet, he is not sure whether his removal will actually happen or not.
The ambassador said that he came from Cambodia [to the Philippines] on 25 June [2005], and he is planning to return back to Cambodia on 02 April. Mr. Ok Socheat said that the fact he was raising historical issues [in his radio interview] because he wanted to defend the monarchy against the accusation made by Mr. Sam Rainsy who claimed that the ambassador’s group [the Funcinpec party] is a fake monarchist group. The ambassador said that he has no intention of saying anything which would be construed as an attack on the government, he was only providing explanations against the attack made by the Sam Rainsy Party on the monarchy.
Mr. Ok Socheat said that [during the interview] he claimed that Son Ngoc Thanh, Sam Sary (Sam Rainsy’s father who disappeared in the late 60s and believed to have died long before the 1970 event recounted by ambassador Ok Socheat) and Leuk Sam Oeun were behind the firing on the protesters in 1970. The ambassador said that he did not accuse Sam Sary of being the perpetrator, he just wanted to say that Sam Sary’s group was behind [the killing]. Currently Leun Sam Oeun has adopted the name of “Phkay Preuk” (Morning Star), and no one knows who Leuk Sam Oeun is. In 1975, Leuk Sam Oeun was a colonel in Siemreap. Therefore, the historical events raised by the ambassador were done only to provide some explanation so that another political party (SRP) can take advantage of, and criticize the monarchy.
Regarding the news that the government is planning to remove him from his position, the ambassador claims that it is still a rumor and it has not happened yet. Currently, the ambassador is working for the government, and if he were to commit errors [in his duty], then it is a different issue. However, should the government remove him for other cause [than him making mistakes], then it will be the government prerogative.
A number of senior Funcinpec officials indicated that the successive removal of government officials from the Funcinpec quota is a political issue, and it is not related to any mistakes committed by the officials removed. One senior Funcinpec official claimed that the news on the removal of [Funcinpec] government officials is just a ordinary matter, Funcinpec no longer worries about these removals.
With the successive removals of government officials from the Funcinpec quota, the latter had accused the CPP of being too selective in their choice. Samdech Krom Preah Norodom Ranariddh, president of Funcinpec, is currently not residing inside the country, and it is not known when he will return back home.
As for Mr. Sam Rainsy, the opposition leader, he left Cambodia for France on 30 March. SRP members indicated that Mr. Sam Rainsy left for a meeting with European Union [officials]. Mr. Sam Rainsy is planning to return back on 10 April. Therefore, it is not possible to tell whether the recent political situation is a [political] game or reality.
Even though diverging opinions came from different groups, nevertheless, the removal of government officials from the Funcinpec quota is going unabated. As for the government, it is busy with the reform on the civil governance for a proper and transparent government leading towards prosperity. Prime minister Hun Sen had pledged with the people to bring reform on the current hot land issues.
According to an unofficial source within the government, it was learned that Mr. Ok Socheat who is currently the Cambodian ambassador to the Philippines may be recalled back home. This news information occurred after Mr. Ok Socheat provided his comment on Cambodian history during an interview on radio station FM 90MHz. The unofficial source indicated that the removal of this ambassador is already in the work.
This source claimed that this removal is in line with the work reform and the candidate change is done to provide efficiency. This source also indicated that this change is similar to the recent replacements of [Funcinpec] provincial and city government officials [by CPP officials].
Through a phone conversation with Kampuchea Thmey, Mr. Ok Socheat said on the afternoon of 01 April that he did not receive the information regarding his removal yet, he is not sure whether his removal will actually happen or not.
The ambassador said that he came from Cambodia [to the Philippines] on 25 June [2005], and he is planning to return back to Cambodia on 02 April. Mr. Ok Socheat said that the fact he was raising historical issues [in his radio interview] because he wanted to defend the monarchy against the accusation made by Mr. Sam Rainsy who claimed that the ambassador’s group [the Funcinpec party] is a fake monarchist group. The ambassador said that he has no intention of saying anything which would be construed as an attack on the government, he was only providing explanations against the attack made by the Sam Rainsy Party on the monarchy.
Mr. Ok Socheat said that [during the interview] he claimed that Son Ngoc Thanh, Sam Sary (Sam Rainsy’s father who disappeared in the late 60s and believed to have died long before the 1970 event recounted by ambassador Ok Socheat) and Leuk Sam Oeun were behind the firing on the protesters in 1970. The ambassador said that he did not accuse Sam Sary of being the perpetrator, he just wanted to say that Sam Sary’s group was behind [the killing]. Currently Leun Sam Oeun has adopted the name of “Phkay Preuk” (Morning Star), and no one knows who Leuk Sam Oeun is. In 1975, Leuk Sam Oeun was a colonel in Siemreap. Therefore, the historical events raised by the ambassador were done only to provide some explanation so that another political party (SRP) can take advantage of, and criticize the monarchy.
Regarding the news that the government is planning to remove him from his position, the ambassador claims that it is still a rumor and it has not happened yet. Currently, the ambassador is working for the government, and if he were to commit errors [in his duty], then it is a different issue. However, should the government remove him for other cause [than him making mistakes], then it will be the government prerogative.
A number of senior Funcinpec officials indicated that the successive removal of government officials from the Funcinpec quota is a political issue, and it is not related to any mistakes committed by the officials removed. One senior Funcinpec official claimed that the news on the removal of [Funcinpec] government officials is just a ordinary matter, Funcinpec no longer worries about these removals.
With the successive removals of government officials from the Funcinpec quota, the latter had accused the CPP of being too selective in their choice. Samdech Krom Preah Norodom Ranariddh, president of Funcinpec, is currently not residing inside the country, and it is not known when he will return back home.
As for Mr. Sam Rainsy, the opposition leader, he left Cambodia for France on 30 March. SRP members indicated that Mr. Sam Rainsy left for a meeting with European Union [officials]. Mr. Sam Rainsy is planning to return back on 10 April. Therefore, it is not possible to tell whether the recent political situation is a [political] game or reality.
Even though diverging opinions came from different groups, nevertheless, the removal of government officials from the Funcinpec quota is going unabated. As for the government, it is busy with the reform on the civil governance for a proper and transparent government leading towards prosperity. Prime minister Hun Sen had pledged with the people to bring reform on the current hot land issues.
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