Thursday, May 11, 2006

Hun Sen Hits Back at Critics of Khmer Rouge Trial Judges Appointment

Hun Sen, the allower-in-chief in Cambodia, to NGOs: "You cannot do whatever you want. I allow you only to keep an eye, but not to exert control."

Phnom Penh, Television Kampuchea (TVK)
11 May 06


Speech by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen at the Phnom Penh Royal Administration School's graduation ceremony on 11 May.

Cambodian Government-run Phnom Penh Television Kampuchea in Cambodian at 0544 GMT on 11 May carries, following its midday newscast, an 80-minute recorded report on Prime Minister Hun Sen presiding over a ceremony to confer diplomas on a group of new graduate judges and court clerks at the Royal Administration School in Phnom Penh on the morning of 11 May.

At the ceremony, after reading a prepared speech giving a lecture on the important roles of judges in society and offering them advice, Hun Sen opens brackets to launch a tirade against local NGOs that criticized the Cambodia government-appointed judges for the Extraordinary Chambers in the Cambodian Courts of Cambodia [ECCC] for the Prosecution of former Khmer Rouge [KR] leaders.

Hun Sen says that those who picked up only something that happened in 2006 to talk about are "animals." A meeting was held yesterday to inform foreign diplomats of the "progress in the KR trial," he adds, and the NGOs should also talk about the need for the trial of the KR. Otherwise they are "animals."

He also says, "Some people take themselves for jurists. How can they be jurists since they know nothing about Cambodia's laws? They even wanted to question the Supreme Council of Magistracy [SCM] about its appointment of this or that person. Why do they need to question the SCM as they have already regarded themselves as doctors of law? What the SCM has appointed is the appointment and the SCM meeting was also chaired by the king. One should not joke about this issue. This morning, The Cambodia Daily published that this person used to try that person and that person used to try this person. As such, there is no need to decree the appointment. The person is only an NGO official, but he even wants to question the SCM. This is what they call a monster lost in the sky; he cannot be called a deity."

Hun Sen also says that the source of power is the people, the voters, but they do "not respect this power." A few of them have "instead set up an NGO and even wanted to control the SCM, the National Assembly, and the Royal Government. You cannot do whatever you want. I allow you only to keep an eye, but not to exert control. Maybe, they do not know the value of democracy clearly. I wish to announce that I am able to organize 5,000 NGOs a month. It is not difficult at all."

Elaborating on the swearing in of the ECCC Cambodian and foreign judges, Hun Sen says the Cambodian side planned to have the judges "sworn in on 8 June." However, as the UN side said that it needed "time for foreign judges to look for assistants, this will be "delayed a bit further." As such, "if a delay occurs, it will not be from the Cambodian side," he points out. He also says he has already "written to [UN Secretary General] Kofi Annan" informing him of this issue. So, "if a delay occurs, never ever comment that it is from the Cambodian side."

Commenting on the expected KR trial, Hun Sen says since the KR has destroyed almost everything in Cambodia, why do you need to begin by saying "the Cambodian court is inept. If it is inept, why do you need to live in Cambodia? What for? As you have already been in Toronto, you should remain there forever."

Moreover, Hun Sen asks that the outcomes of the KR trial not be evaluated "too early," saying, "Now we have not yet even started to try the KR, but one has already claimed that it is unjust."

Returning to the issue of NGOs criticizing the appointment of the ECCC Cambodian judges, Hun Sen says if they do not know "where the Cambodians are from" and what their "destination" is, they are "animals completely." Some Cambodians and some foreigners, he adds, are also "animals, because they do not know what is the truth." "My remarks are a bit contemptuous, but I need to offer them some lessons, preventing them from looking down on Cambodians and their nation overmuch." "If we are real human beings, not animals," we should know our history, at least from 1970 to the present; we should "not pick out only what have happened in 2005 and 2006" for comments, he points out.

Discussing the power in Cambodia, Hun Sen says the power is "not either falling from the sky or self-appointed, and it is "not from using foreign funds to organize NGOs to criticize their own government. It is not that kind of power." He then criticizes a few people who have received "financial assistance from foreign countries to set up NGOs" and "behave smartly." He says he "welcomes right views." But they accuse the government of "abusing" the power while they "abuse it themselves," he concludes.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Hun Sen! I know, what's you said may be thrue and of what you feel, but you get it wrong, you are still thinking the communist way and Cambodia supose not to be communist any more, and that why you get financial aid! don't you know?

In real Democracy world we vote fairly no cheating!

And no one should have absolute power, because no body know every thing all the time. And Poeple still have the right to say and complain even we give the reigne to a good government! For you we have to yell!!!!

We all are animal to nature that why we try to protect forest and endanger spices of animal.

You are animal too, but it is from the wrong kind from us, Cambodian who care about our Country, Cambodia.

About creating NGO, YES we know you can do it, you did it at the last 2 elections ( by OM Yin Teing)to stole the votes. Don't have to take off your pans, we know how small and urgly your thing is. Don't be stupid than you realy is.

About history, I know you can not read, plaese ask your sons to read for you, and go back a litle farether than 1970. By the way let your son read your 100 times more about history from 1970 to present, I hope you may get some thing out of it. Oh! make sure you use the one educated in USA to read for you not the one from Viet Name or maried to a Viet Namese.

Oh! by the way go back to school like those Funsupec. (they may get smarter than you!)the diplomas you get from Viet Name or Korea or from Chang Song all are faked.

YOU HAVE TO GO TO SCHOOL TO LEARN DONT YOUR FARTHER EVER TELL YOU THAT? ASK YOU SON IF YOUR FATHER DON'T WANT TO TALK TO YOU.

Get real Man, don't be so STUPID!
or stop call your self Cambodian, I shame of you.

Anonymous said...

First comment, you're good. I like everyting you've said about Hun Sen. All he uses is his greedy power and anger over any people who has better vision or criticism over his Vietnam controll policies. I hope one of these day, when all Khmer People stand up to over throw him out of power or maybe American will take him out like they did to Sodam Hussan.

Dooo MAAA aaa Hun Sen!!!

Anonymous said...

$5 for a granade buy them and throw them at his thugs if you see them around. If you see hun sen throw about 5 grnades incase you miss him. Ah kwark ning is stupid who's like to talk to peasants who knew very little about Cambodian history and they buy it. Hey ah kwark when are you going to die.
Also if you think Cambodia is so good under your regime why need to sent all your childrens overseas? Stupid ah kwark bo back to hanoi....

Anonymous said...

Interpretation of hun sen speech and reaction:

Up yours NGO, my palm have small written notes and I'm spitting at the microphone again.

Anonymous said...

if you all wanted to know more about the trial or the khmer rouge, please go to Cambodia information center at cambodia.org
and click on editoral page, after you read, please re-distrute to others thanks....eeyore!

TJ Magsakay said...

Thai, Cambodian, etc. Newspapers looks like Korean/Japanese Tabloids. Some headline relating to Current Events have all similarities.