Commentary: Hun Sen,the True Cat - Op-Ed by Kok Sap

Hun Sen,the True Cat (file photo:Reuters)

12 August 2012, by Kok Sap
Originally posted at: http://khamerlogue.wordpress.com/

On 9 August 2012, Hun Sen has become exactly what people have allegedly said of his handling of Khmer –Youn border. At the podium Hun Sen was delirious. Fueled with ego trips of above all men and narcissistic attitude, it took him five hours to deliver his notes. With no patriotic decency, the sentimental fool ran his mouth off with apathetic tone to impress the National Assembly that is filled by men lack moral bone from his party in berating the opposition party as his single obstacle for achieving his pro-Yuon interests and defense.

The truth is the delimitation of 1270 km. long border between Khmer- Yuon has been a lightning rod to not only to his King or opponents but his ex generals, fellow CPP politicians, journalists and CPP voters/land owners whose paddies had befallen under Yuon newly drawn map. With Yuon payment in the amount of $6 million to pay for the granite pillars and installation, Hun Sen made this border demarcation his personal and it must be completed, at his order, in 2012.

Often his arguments relied on old documents dated in 1939 that were drawn up by the colonial French government for the convenience of the colonial administrative then. But yet he proclaims his efforts would result of no loss of land to Yuon. He went to say in the Constitution stated Cambodia size is only 181,035 sq. km but in records the colonial French marked it lesser than 179, 000 sq.km at some points of its rule.

Hun Sen boasted not even one square meter of Cambodia had lost to Yuon yet. He continued to say when he completed the demarcation, Cambodia map will likely be increased to 181,606 sq. km.

As far as the maritime and lost isles, Hun Sen did not specifically say what will happen.

But how comes Meas Srey and Prum Chea lost half of their rice paddies to Yuon? And the result of their protest with the opposition leader participation, these individuals were unjustly victimized and imprisoned without proper due process in defense.

One might wonder, these folks had no human intelligence and not knowing where is their property?

To back track a bit before his mudslinging intensified at his opponents, then his Commander- in-Chief General Ke Kim Yan had submitted written reports to the government and him in pointing out the new Khmer-Yuon border post 1979 Yuon occupation, it was much far deeper inside of Cambodia territory than the previous 1964 UN recognized map.

Also Canal កំពប់តែអុង aliased Vinh Te (constructed from 1819-1824 of 87 km used 80,000 Khmer plus other ethnics) had been altered and extended new length inside and beyond Cambodia old boundary. In the northeastern region both Dak Dam-Snuol and part of Kompong Cham territory remain under Yuon settlements until now.

In Svay Rieng-Chantrea region, land owners Meas Srey and Prum Chea, had not only lost land but had been imprisoned for years on false charges. Because of MP Sam Rainsy showed concerns and participating in exposing evidence of embarrassment and incompetence of his hand-picked minister Var Kim Hong as the head of border committee, the True Cat laid blame on Sam Rainsy as the anti Yuon politics and interests.

Actually Var Kim Hong was not doing any good for Cambodian sovereignty and territorial integrity. Yet he has the nerves to deny his collaboration and conspiracy with Cambodia historical enemies in the attempt to permanently installing pillar 184,186,187 on Cambodia soil with no consent from private owners.

Because of such scheme, Hun Sen was furious with MP Sam Rainsy and ordered the provincial court to convict and sentence him on false charges. For his personal safety sake Sam Rainsy must run for his life. All know well about Hun Sen’s anger toward Sam Rainsy. All started from the incident of the alleged and failed assassination attempt on him in Siem Reap back in 1994. Since then, the True Cat zeroed in on Sam Rainsy and can’t wait to have his hands around Sam Rainsy neck.

Given that, no choice Sam Rainsy must chose to live on in order to fight on the expansion of the neo-dictatorial regime of Pol Pot type in present Cambodia. The assassination attempts might have been a set up to boost Hun Sen ego. Plus it’s the excuse for the True Cat to assign his relative Sok An to raise fund privately aside from the national budget to fund the well fed and equipped with most up to date arms for his entire Body Guard Brigade. This is how the deforestation and land grab and concession to foreign investors become synonymous of the Strongman with Iron Fist power consolidation.

In essence of laws for the sake for the people, by the people and serve the people Hun Sen did otherwise. Obviously, it’s the True Cat that did the stealing and the blaming in this case. This hasn’t slowed down yet.

The international donors and communities’ pressured Hun Sen to be accountable on his regime mismanaging fund and corruption yearly. The more pressure put on him, the more private loans build up on the future of Cambodia later generations. On the border matter, his strategies and conspiracies are to hang a traitor mark on Sam Rainsy’s neck and to permanently prevent him from arousing voters’ conscience. Future general election without Sam Rainsy is Hun Sen future plan. From Hanoi agendas, Sam Rainsy is the threat to the livelihood of its entrenched patron-client doctrine on Hun Sen regime.

The International sponsored 1991 Paris Peace Agreement first article state, Cambodia must nullify and void all prior Treaties to defend (preserve) its sovereignty.

It turned out as one of the principal signers; the True Cat Hun Sen had openly not complied with the spirit of the Peace Agreement. It was his mission to ratify and reinforce the old treaties signed in 1979, 1982, 1983, and 1985 to remain in effect.

The evidence in 1982 treaty showed Koh Tral, and group of isles associated with Koh Krorchork Ses included 40,000 sq. km of maritime border are already ceded to Yuon annexation. And the supplementary appendixes signed by Hun Sen-Nguyen Co Thach in 1983,1985 indicating the measurement and scale used in mapping varied from 1/100,000 to 1/50,000. This violates the current Constitution. In 1986, on behalf of Cambodians, Singapore lodged a protest to the United Nations Council.

Due to 1997 personal quarrel over the legitimacy of government between Hun Sen and Sihanouk son, Yuon and Siam arbitrarily convened and signed a pact in partitioning maritime and water line without Cambodian knowledge.

From the western border, in adding salt to the old wound in 2010-2011, Siam had provoked war on Cambodia in its protest on Preah Vihear inscription with World Heritage Committee. It disregarded the 1962 International Court of Justice ruling that order Siam to steer clear of Preah Vihear and vicinity. All artifacts removed from Preah Vihear must be returned to Cambodia. The arm clashes in 2010-2011 between Cambodia and Siam had cost dozens of life and property destruction worth millions of dollar on both sides.

With the power of the International court ruling in hands, Hun Sen still fails miserably to re-assert Cambodia sovereignty against Siam belligerence and aggression. In part Siam had knowingly agreed with 1962 International Court of Justice ruling and Siam-French commission 1907 map. But to advance its imperialistic ambition, it insisted on using 1986 Yuon-Siam treaty over Cambodia boundary lines and its map in its defense.

Khmer Preah Vihear temple and boundaryline from Satellite view

 Such legal fluke and inconsistence is not that Siam later governments unaware of, but it carries on its contempt for Cambodia because it has no respect for Hun Sen, as a legitimate head of Cambodian government from the get going. Besides his ineptitude in world politics and diplomacy reaped more insults from Siam.

To spite Siam’s Abhisit government, he forced the King to appoint Siam ex Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra as his personal economic expert. This was an act of treason and personal insults to Cambodians who had been shot to death along the border by the very Siam armed forces. In this, Hun Sen did nothing to call attention of ICC or Human Rights Group in defending the victims. As it saw fit in gaining no advantage, Siam and its politicians did not stop its citizens who took matter, at will, in own hands to raid Cambodian territory along the border.

For the Cambodian rights, people wanted to rally and conduct street protest against Siam aggression, but Hun Sen forbade and threatened them with public disorderly conducts and arrest. In contrast, Siam government grinned from ear to ear in seeing its people took matter and dispute over Preah Vihear world heritage site inscription to the street, press and mass media throughout the nation.

Presently the two international border violators, Veera and Ratree from Siam, are held in Cambodian prison. For Siam, in spite of political philosophy and difference, its government would do its best to defend citizens who committed criminal acts against Cambodia.

To date Siam current Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has asked a favor from Hun Sen to pardon and return them to their homeland. This is the truth behind the curtain as long as Hun Sen occupies the prime minister office, all Siam people will have no respect for Cambodia sovereignty and its inhabitants to date.

In 2004 under duress and harmful threats to his life and family, King Sihanouk was forced to validate and sign those treaties into effect.

All above is the root and responsibility that the MPs from the opposing party took to heart and conscience in demanding for transparency and a public explanation. In a prior concerted effort and straightaway order to suppress challenge ahead, Hun Sen ordered the office of the Assembly President ”no question allowed” from the floor. Cleverly, the actual President Heng Samrin who had his hands on all illegal treaties was conveniently absence from such usurper delivered address. MP Nguon Nhel was assuming the role in fear of Hun Sen, the True Cat, to preside over this show off drama.

During his long and diatribe presentation, no question from the floor allowed included MP Son Chhay, the original initiator who had timely requested the PM appearance before the National Assembly men. Nguon Nhel was adamant and forbade Son Chhay from re- reading his original written questions for the rest of MPs awareness and public records.

ព្រែកកំពប់តែអុង
ខ្មែរជីកពី ១៨១៩ ទល់ ១៨២៤

This is a grave historical matter that countless Cambodians from all stripes of ideology and regimes had died for since 1954 Geneva Conference in its defense. For unknown logic Hun Sen treated it as his own adventure and an experiment in testing his public speech skill.

To his own admission, Cambodia is not belonged to one family or any party. But sure enough he made it clear to the Cambodians that the Khmer –Yuon border matter is none of others but his private business. He forgot his appearance before the Assembly wasn’t voluntarily. It was the opposing party MP Son Chhay who repeatedly demanded the explanation over land losses from the government ministers.

However tactically, PM Hun Sen took it upon himself to shut off the critics and land owners from raising problems in next election, once and for all. He wasn’t just defensive but so unbecoming of Khmer leader. His behavior and choice of words were apparent that he was not mature as a statesman yet. His performance before the Assembly brought to mind of the Singaporean couple, Harrish and Julie Mehta, who authored and published ‘Hun Sen Strongman of Cambodia ‘sugar-coated biography in 1999, summation as they saw a tiger in Hun Sen person.

Unfortunately in Khmer folklores, Tiger was representing evil power or inhumane character. Since Angkor time, the elders have continued on to advise the young,” not to raise (domesticate) a tiger cub which in time it will grow strong then want to mull its master head for a meal.”

The authors put,” this tiger (Hun Sen) holds the distinction of being a true (wild) cat having survived more than nine brushes with death. It was his steak of luck, plus a canny sense of strategy and the will to survive that had made Hun Sen a seemingly invincible power and kept him on top of the heap of Cambodian politics for two decades.” This is not an exaggeration.

To the intelligence, the twist of irony is Hun Sen personal traits and temper is too tiger like. People like Pen Sovan, Chan Sy, Ung Phan, actress Piseth Pilika, Sihanouk and Heng Pov knew firsthand experience how Hun Sen can easily turn against them. Until now the know ones believe Chan Sy, Piseth Pilika, Chea Vichea, and Hok Lundi death was no accident. These folks were once either Hun Sen intimate confidante or intimate companion and serious adversary. But when comes to the threat of his face and name, Hun Sen showed no qualm of whom he made example of.

Indeed, not too long after the signing of Paris Peace Accords in 1991, Sihanouk embraced this little cat and bestowed upon him the honorary title, Samdech that is loosely comparable to Lord in the European style. Yet Hun Sen bullied and chastised King Sihanouk to endorse all of the supposedly nullified and voided treaties with Yuon dated back to the 80’s. This exacted how canny and manipulative of this little cat has been.

Hun Sen, the True Cat, publicly humiliated opposition MP Son Chhay for daring to put him before the National Assembly.

Over 90 seats are belonged to the ruling party, Cambodian People Party but none of them had courage to displease Hun Sen. Clearly they unheard of several villages and hundreds of hectares of land are annexed to Yuon control. Historical records show both Siam and Yuon make it a national agenda to gain more land and sea from Cambodia control whether by peaceful negotiation or violence.

In this rarest pronounced drama of so called public clarification of his border committee achievements, Hun Sen went all out to insult people and his voters who lost land to foreigners at the government abatement. Obviously he hadn’t learned history, how many Khmers living in Siam or Cochinchine nowadays felt and suffered the consequences from Cambodia Kings negligence in responsibilities and allowed Cambodia hereditary enemies to take hold of their children lives.

To end, another Khmer saying warned, don’t do cat manner (កុំធ្វើមារយាទដូចឆ្មា). For this, Hun Sen is the True Cat in politics and manners. He is the first peasant turned dictator to be remembered by later generations as the nation leader who has repeated the same treacherous acts against Cambodia and its people interests the same as those gullible Kings in the past.