Don't depend on the king ... if you are not from the ruling CPP party?!?!

Friction between the opposition and the royal palace

23 January 2010
By Pen Bona
Radio France Internationale
Editorial
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Click here to read the article in Khmer

The monarchy institution expressed its extreme displeasure towards Cambodia’s opposition party. This displeasure was shown in two letters sent by Prince Sisowath Thomico, the advisor attached to the king’s office, to the SRP which was seeking royal intervention from King-Father in the border stakes uprooting lawsuit case in Svay Rieng province. The content of these two letters showed the friction that exists between the royal palace and the SRP.

Relationship between Cambodia’s opposition party and the royal palace shows that an intense friction is taking place between the two parties, a situation that was never seen in the past. The friction is observed through two major events:

1. King-Father turned down the intervention request in the border stakes uprooting lawsuit against Sam Rainsy. The request was made by Kong Korm, the SRP party vice-president, on 05 January. It was accompanied with a 232-page long petition gathered by the SRP from its supporters. According to Thomico’s letter dated 18 January, King-Father would have refused to intervene in Sam Rainsy’s case, based on three points: (1) he already retired since October 2004; (2) Sam Rainsy’s case is a political case and therefore, King-Father cannot get involved with it; and (3) the case is currently in the hand of the court, therefore, nobody can interfere with it.
2. On 22 December 2009, opposition leader Sam Rainsy sent a request to the royal cabinet asking for a private audience with King-Father. His request was not welcomed by the royal palace, in order to avoid showing any involvement of the monarchy with Sam Rainsy’s lawsuit case. Not only that, an angry Thomico also scolded Sam Rainsy in very strong terms, telling Sam Rainsy that he was looking down the monarchy, as well as claiming that Sam Rainsy lacks respect for the monarchy. Thomico’s letter content, filled with friction, clearly shows the seriousness of the problem between the opposition and the royal palace.

In the eyes of political observers in Cambodia, this rupture stems from the use of the royal pardon. It is true that the Cambodian Constitution allows the king to pardon jailed convicts. However, what is noticeable is the fact that in major cases involving politicians or in very sensitive cases, the king had never used his rights to issue pardon without first obtaining the consent from the government. The king adopted this attitude in order to avoid locking horns with the government.

Therefore, each time that there is a pardon request made, the king always forward these requests to the prime minister and the ministry involved to review them. However, in this latest case, the royal palace decided to provide a direct reply to the opposition party. Such direct response is viewed as a warning from the monarchy telling politicians not to pester the monarchy anymore.

In summary, what has happened lately truly shows the friction that exists between the opposition and the royal palace. However, this problem does not carry any negative impact on the general political situation, it is only a first warning letter from the royal palace to politicians. Politicians tend to seek royal intervention from the king when they have problems, even though they know beforehand that the king can never help them.

Sacrava's Political Cartoon: The Father

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Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)

A loaded political agenda for King-Father in November

King-Father (L) and his adopted son (R)

04 Oct 2008
By Pen Bona
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from French by Luc Sâr
Click here to read the original article in French

Norodom Sihanouk will receive, one after another, the visits of the prime minister and the leader of the opposition party in his royal residence in Beijing.

In a letter dated 19 September, Sam Rainsy solicited for a courtesy audience with King-Father. The latter indicated that he could not receive him until the third week of November because he is currently busy with medical exams. According to Mu Sochua, the SRP deputy Secretary-general, Sam Rainsy’s visit is only a courtesy visit without any political motive.

At a speech given during the return to school, Hun Sen also let it be known that he will visit for the former monarch soon. While Hun Sen indicated that he would be received by King-Father before Sam Rainsy, he did not say what subjects he will raise during this royal meeting.

It is not random that the two men, one after another, had solicited a meeting with King-Father. Even before the announce was made, the former monarch congratulated Hun Sen, by mail sent from Beijing, who was just re-elected as prime minister on 24 September. “In the name of my wife and in myself, we wish to congratulate you for this nomination to a position worthy of your name,” Norodom Sihanouk wrote, while adding that Hun Sen is a “prestigious great leader” who did so much for Cambodia.

On the other hand, Hun Sen who considers Norodom Sihanouk as his “own father,” indicated in his letter that the words dispensed by the former monarch are “useful for encouraging him in his work.”

The display of love (between Sihanouk and Hun Sen) punches a hole right through Sam Rainsy’s speech, who shortly after the election, called on the former monarch to lead a royal crusade to “save the country,” which in Sam Rainsy’s eyes, is actually in danger, in particular due to poverty, election rigging, and the invasion of foreigners.