Hun Sen’s countless advisors

Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

King Sihamoni recently signed a decree to nominate 17 as Prime minister Hun Sen’s personal advisors, in addition to the current occupation of these advisors. Among these advisors, one holds a rank equivalent to that of a senior minister, 16 hold the rank of minister. In addition, 7 other advisors were nominated with the rank of secretary of state, and 1 with the rank of deputy secretary of state. The advisor with the rank of senior minister is no other than General Pol Saroeun, the RAF chief. Those who were nominated as advisors with the rank of minister were: Moeung Samphon: the secretary-general of the Ministry of Defense, Mam Bun Neang, Kep Chuktema, Y Chhean: the former KR and current governor of Pailin city, Has Sareth, Touch Marim: the governor of Kamping Chhnang, Nam Tum, Thach Khon: the governor of Kampot, Yuth Puthang: the governor of Koh Kong, Srey Ben, Kang Heang, An Sum: the governor of Banteay Meanchey, Pech Sokhin, Chhay Sareth, Preab Tan: the governor of Preah Vihear, and Muong Poy. Those nominated as advisors with the rank of secretary of state were: Sbong Sarath, Sok Sareth, Khoy Khun Huor, Pav Ham Phan, Kem Kunavath: the TVK director, and Prak Phally. Srun Saroeun was nominated as Hun Sen’s advisor with the rank of deputy secretary of state.

Cambodia Police Generals, Hun Sen's Close Aides, Said Still in Confrontation

National Police Chief Gen. Hok Lundy(L) and Police Gen. Dul Koeun (R)

Dul Koeun and Hok Lundy Are Still in Confrontation

13 Feb 08
By Ratanak
Sralanh Khmer newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Anonymous

Dul Koeun, deputy commissioner of the National Police and director general of the Logistics Department, is again being in confrontation with Hok Lundy, commissioner of the National Police at the time when Prime Minister Hun Sen entrusts Dul Koeun with more works to do.

An official at the Interior Ministry disclosed that lately, Hun Sen had assigned Dul Koeun to be in charge of receiving officials from other parties who joined and worked with the Cambodian People's Party [CPP]. While the process proceeded, Dul Koeun was being in the spotlight. He behaved cockily and his underlings at the [Logistics] department, too, showed arrogance toward their colleagues in the party.

The official also disclosed that Hok Lundy did not really dare challenge Dul Koeun as before, because he also confronted Sok An, deputy prime minister and minister of the Council of Ministers Office. Besides, Dul Koeun also had good relationship with four-golden-star Gen. Kon Kim, a deputy commander in chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, and Hing Bun-heang, Hun Sen's chief bodyguard. Therefore, Hok Lundy dared not strongly confront Dul Koeun as previously, despite the haughtiness displayed by Dul Koeun's subordinates.

The source further disclosed that last year, the conflict between Hok Lundy and Dul Koeun was extremely tense due to Hok Lundy's objection to the establishment of the Interior Ministry's Logistics Department, which permits Dul Koeun to spend money without the need of going through the national police commissioner. However, after Hun Sen mediated, it subsided for a while.

Moreover, the interior ministry official disclosed that lately, Dul Koeun was much more recognized than Hok Lundy, because he had managed to persuade officials of other parties to join the CPP. Hok Lundy was not impressed as before by the head of the government since the story about Heng Peou, former deputy commissioner of the National Police and adviser to Prime Minister Hun Sen, broke out.

Nevertheless, Hun Sen still considered Hok Lundy his right-hand man, because the national police chief had led some 400 military police officers to surround Senate Chairman Chea Sim's residence in the night of 12 July 2004, forcing the latter to sign the constitutional appendix on the formation of the packaged government and National Assembly. As such, Hun Sen had only appreciated Dul Koeun to an extent that does not cause Hok Lundy to lose face too much.

The interior ministry official also disclosed that if Prime Minister Hun Sen did not take action in time, the confrontation between Dul Koeun and Hok Lundy might erupt on the eve of the election.

Support for Hun Sen in his warning of ministers' wives

Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

Prime minister Hun Sen warned a number of unnamed ministers on Tuesday that he will remove them from their positions, if they let their wives continue to interfere in the government work. Muth Chantha, NRP spokesman, declined to comment on Hun Sen’s speech in which the latter was alluding to Uk Phalla, the latest wife of Prince Norodom Ranaridh, but he agreed that a number of ministries are currently under the administration of family members of officials in these ministries. Muth Chantha told The Cambodia Daily that some ministries are governed by nepotism, while others are clannish, and that almost all ministries are currently administered by family members (of the ministers). SRP MP Yim Sovann, said that he agreed with Hun Sen’s speech, and that corruptions are usually initiated by the ministers’ wives. Yim Sovann said that the ministers’ wives are large company shareholders, and they use their husbands’ power to obtain agreements. Yim Sovann said that he strongly supports Hun Sen’s speech but he wants to see these words becoming reality, and that they will be forever executed.