F'pec: From chronic disease to terminally-ill symptoms

Nhiek Bun Chhay selected at Funcinpec president

02 April 2011
By Den Ayuthyea
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Soch
Click here to read the original article in Khmer

The Funcinpec held its congress on 02 April 2011.

On 02 April, the Funcinpec held its party congress at its new headquarters located in Bakkheng commune, Russei Keo district, Phnom Penh city. The congress approved a number of amendment change, as well as the separation of responsibility between the party’s legislative branch and the party’s executive branch.

In the results of the congress – which was participated by more than 3,000 party activists – the party approved the nomination of Keo Puth Reaksmey, the former party president, as the party leader, and it also approved the nomination of Nhiek Bun Chhay, the former party secretary-general, to the position of executive president, as well as approving the nomination of Lu Laysreng, the former party no. 1 vice-president, to the position of party honorary president.

Nhiek Bun Chhay, the new Funcinpec executive president, declared with confidence that this party will receive even more support from grassroot party activists, especially during the upcoming 2012 commune election, and the upcoming 2013 general election.

Hun Phoeung's sacking signals more serious internecine split within Funcinpec?

Nhiek Bun Chhay (R) and Lu Laysreng (2nd from R) during the peak of their heyday

General Hun Phoeung

Secretary of state for the ministry of Defense from the Funcinpec quota sacked

Monday 10 May 2010
Rasmei Kampuchea
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

General Hun Phoeung, a high ranking general who is also the secretary of state of the ministry of Defense from the Funcinpec quota, was removed from his position by Hun Xen through the latter’s declaration made during the 07 May 2010 meeting of the Council of Ministers.

Source from the Council of Ministers indicated that during the closed door meeting, Hun Xen announced that 3-golden-star general Hun Phoeung from the Funcinpec party will be removed from his position as secretary of state of the ministry of defense because Hun Xen claimed that this general works with the opposition party.

The same source indicated that during the Council of Ministers meeting, Hun Xen indicated that there are two clans within Funcinpec: the Nhiek Bun Chhay clan which works with the government, and the Lu Laysreng clan which works with the opposition party. Within the Funcinpec, one leg works with the government, whereas the other works with the opposition party. Therefore, the sacking of General Hun Phoeung was made so that he is not too busy (sic!).

Regarding Hun Xen’s decision above, on 08 May, the sacked General Hun Phoeung said that Hun Xen’s decision was made through a request from Funcinpec and he said that his position belongs to the Funcinpec quota, therefore another Funcinpec official will replace him.

Hun Phoeung added that he does not know the real reason why Hun Xen announced his sacking and he does not pay much attention to it.

Hun Phoeung said that, in the past few years, not only has he never work with the opposition party, he also never met with any ordinary members of the opposition party recently, not even a single one.

Regarding the sacking of Hun Phoeung, no comment is provided by the Funcinpec party yet as of 08 May 2010.

Lu Laysreng, the no. 1 vice-president of the Funcinpec party, declined to comment claiming that he did not receive clear information about this sacking yet.

It should be noted that Hun Phoeung’s sacking is the first of its kind since the CPP and Funcinpec consumed their political marriage of convenience on 24 September 2008.

The Funcinpec party led by Nhiek Bun Chhay was authorized by Hun Xen to nominate one secretary of state and one undersecretary of state in each of the ministries in the 4th mandate government (2008-2013).

Funcinpec and the Nationalist Party (formerly the Norodom Ranariddh Party) are currently under negotiation to form an alliance and their agreements will be inked soon to allow them to prepare for the upcoming 2012 commune election and the 2013 general election.

Same old corrupt faces, same old name, same old bought out politicians: The royalist "NEW" movement?

Old man Lu Laysreng helped engineer the demise of Funcinpec (Photo: Sovannara, RFI)

The royalists must unite: Lu Laysreng

10 April 2010
By Jean François Tain
Radio France Internationale
Translated from Khmer by Komping Puoy

In response to questions asked byRFI’s Jean François Tain, Lu Laysreng, Funcinpec vice-president, claimed that Funcinpec and the Nationalist Party (formerly Norodom Ranariddh Party) which was a leftover from the disunity within Funcinpec during the 2008 election, must unite with each other. According to Lu Laysreng, following the merger between the two parties, the royalists will call their new political movement “Funcinpec”, its old name.

Click here to listen to the interview in Khmer

Sacrava's Political Cartoon: The 18th Anniversary

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

Hun Sen denounces Lon Nol coup

PM denounces Lon Nol coup

Thursday, 19 March 2009
Written by Sebastian Strangio and Neth Pheaktra
The Phnom Penh Post

ON the 39th anniversary of the 1970 coup d'etat that overthrew Prince Norodom Sihanouk and led to the establishment of a Cambodian republic, Prime Minister Hun Sen blamed the event for unleashing decades of civil war and the 1975 victory of the Khmer Rouge.

"If there was not a coup d'etat on March 18, 1970, dismissing [Sihanouk], the war would not have taken place and the Pol Pot regime would not have been created either," Hun Sen said at the National Institute of Education's annual congress Wednesday.

"If they let Sihanouk lead the country, Cambodia would have developed more and prevented millions of deaths." His comments came amid statements from the US-based Cambodian Action Committee for Justice and Equity expressing "an immense debt of gratitude" to the Lon Nol regime for stopping an "invasion" of Vietnamese communist forces. "If there was no March 18, 1970, Cambodia would end up certainly and completely under Hanoi's yoke, as is Khmer Kampuchea Krom today," the statement said.

But Funcinpec First Deputy President Lu Laysreng said the coup ultimately hastened the onset of civil war. "If there was no coup in 1970 we would not have had over two million people killed by Pol Pot," he said.

Funcinpec to lose govt posts in poll aftermath

Happier days: Funcinpec President Keo Puth Rasmey displays his ink-stained finger after voting in the July 27 polls. (Photo: HENG CHIVOAN)

Thursday, 14 August 2008
Written by Cheang Sokha
The Phnom Penh Post

The CPP’s landslide victory means they really could rule alone but they’re still giving a few positions to some – but not all – members of Funcinpec

A fter taking a drubbing at the polls, Funcinpec is now accepting the scraps from the victorious Cambodian People's Party's table with a draft list of potential government appointments released this week suggesting the CPP will offer the royalists a vastly reduced number of positions in their new government.

"The CPP will hold all minister positions in the new mandate," CPP lawmaker Cheam Yeap told the Post on Wednesday.

Every ministerial position formerly held by Funcinpec has been given to the highest ranking CPP secretary of state at the relevant ministry. In the draft list, only 32 Funcinpec members who held posts in the last government were given the position of secretary or undersecretary of state in the new government. Cheam Yeap said that the number could drop.

"As we won a landslide victory in last month's national election, all the minister posts that formerly belonged to Funcinpec will be given to the CPP. The decision to offer more positions to Funcinpec will be made after the swearing in of the National Assembly. The recent list was just a draft," he said.

But when Prime Minister Hun Sen announced last week that the CPP intended to keep its coalition partnership alive, he specified it would only be with the Funcinpec faction led by party secretary general Nhek Bun Chhay.

Nhek Bun Chhay will keep his position as deputy prime minister and some former Funcinpec ministers will be "promoted to the position of senior minister in charge of special missions," Cheam Yeap said.

The Cpp will hold all minister positions in the new mandate.

The five Funcinpec ministers in the last government who have been given this position are Kol Pheng at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports; Minister of Health Nuth Sokhom; Sun Chanthol, minister of Public Works and Transport; Khun Haing, minister of Cults and Religions; and Veng Sereyvuth, minister of Culture and Fine Arts.

Off the list

Conspicuously absent from the list were Funcinpec's President Keo Puth Rasmey, parliamentary candidate Prince Norodom Arun Rasmey, first deputy president Lu Laysreng and second deputy president Prince Sisowath Sirirath, the faction of Funcinpec who allied the party to the opposition immediately after the election and rejected the poll results.

"I am not disappointed despite my not being given a position in the new government," said Lu Laysreng, deputy prime minister and currently Minister of Rural Development, who added that any positions which Funcinpec would receive should be seen as a "gift" from CPP.

His own position has been given to Chea Sophara, former governor of Phnom Penh and currently a secretary of state at the Ministry of Land Management.

"It's a government of the CPP not a coalition government like before," said Koul Panha, executive director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia.

"Every decision, responsibility and all accountability belongs to the CPP."

Keo Puth Rasmey, Lu Laysreng, Sisowath Sirirath, Arunrasmy to be dumped from next Hun Sen's gov't

None of the three Funcinpec leaders above (from L to R: Lu Laysreng, Keo Puth Rasmey, Sisowath Sirirath) will be appointed in the next Hun Sen regime

Funcinpec veterans not expected to hold positions in next govt

Tuesday, 12 August 2008
Written by Meas Sokchea
The Phnom Penh Post

Nhek Bun Chhay to lead fresh group of royalists to fill limited, junior positions as party leaders get squeezed out of holding any senior spots

FOUR of Funcinpec's top officials are not expected to hold positions in Prime Minister Hun Sen's next government, ruling and royalist party officials said Monday.

"There are probably no positions for Funcinpec's president Keo Puth Rasmey; parliamentary candidate Prince Norodom Arun Rasmey; second deputy president Prince Sisowath Sirirath; and first deputy president Lu Laysreng, said CPP spokesman Khieu Kanharith. Instead, he said, Funcinpec secretary general Nhek Bun Chhay and his close colleagues will be given positions.

Keo Puth Rasmey and his colleagues have been warned by Hun Sen not to expect any role in the new government after he accused them of supporting an opposition party rejection of the July 27 poll results.

Instead, a Funcinpec faction led by party secretary general Nhek Bun Chhay is expected to enter into a coalition deal with the CPP.

But Prince Sisowath Sirirath said Monday that Funcinpec is still led by Keo Puth Rasmey, clarifying that Nhek Bun Chhay is not leading a splinter group inside Funcinpec.

"Whoever said that Funcinpec was led by Nhek Bun Chhay is wrong, Funcinpec is only one not separated as two," Sisowath Sirirath said.

He added, "We have nothing to say about joining the government, but we congratulate our friends."

Lu Laysreng said it wasn't important for him to hold a post in the new government. "For these seats there are no positions for us, so let the young generation do it," he said.

Nhek Bun Chhay noted that the royalists have two positions available to them, albeit lower posts than the royalist veterans have held. Because Keo Puth Rasmey and Lu Laysreng could advance no further than deputy prime minister, posts in which they have already served, it was decided to promote new people, he said.

"We have four senior ministers but there are no minister positions for us, only secretary of state and under secretary of state," Nhek Bun Chhay said.

'A Lot,' But Not Enough Rural Help: Minister

By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Washington
11 July 2008

The government has introduced a number of projects into rural areas, a top official says.

Through work by the government and other non-governmental agencies, Cambodia's rural areas are developing, but much is left to be done, a minister said Thursday.

"I realize we have borrowed money from donors a lot but we have done a lot for people," Minister of Rural Development Lu Laysreng said, as a guest on "Hello VOA."

A number of projects has produced 28,000 kilometers of roads, more than 6,000 bridges, and half a million wells, Lu Laysreng said.

Cambodia receives about $600 million per year in donor aid.

Meanwhile, many in the countryside remain poor despite the development, Boua Chanthou, director for the Partnership for Development in Kampuchea, or Padek, said.

"The need is still tremendous," she said, also as a guest on "Hello VOA."

Lu Laysreng acknowledged that land issues remained a critical problem for people in the countryside.

"I'm suffering over this," he said.

Much ado about almost nothing: Hun Sen will stop using the royal language

Hun Sen will stop using the royal language

Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Prime minister Hun Sen announced that he will eliminate the use of the word “Preah Ang Mchas” (Prince/Princess) from the official government use. In a speech he gave on Monday to about 7,000 factory workers, and for the second time in a week, Hun Sen attacked the use of the royal language. Hun Sen said that he will stop using the word “Preah Ang Mchas” both at the Council of Ministers and at the National Assembly. On 22 April, Hun Sen declared that he will raise the issue of toning down the use of the royal language at the National Assembly and the Senate. Lu Laysreng, the minister of Rural Development and Funcinpec vice-president No. 1, said that the ban of the use of the word “Preah Ang Mchas” in the government is not proper for his party. He said that if one person does not want to use this word, others still want to use it. In the past few years, Hun Sen made several attempts to set up a law preventing royal family members from being involved in politics, and if they still want to be involved in politics, they must abandon their royal prerogatives.

Nhiek Bun Chhay Said To Be Discarded by Hun Sen in Next Government for Bad Record

05 Apr 08
"Today's Comment"
Samleng Yuveakchon Khmer
Translated from Khmer by Anonymous

The FUNCINPEC [National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, and Peaceful Cambodia] Party of Nhiek Bun Chhay and Keo Put Reaksmei is breaking up and, at the last moment that these phony politicians are grasping for their last breath, they still engage in mutual fighting that in Cambodian society is described as the poor men's fight to the grave. This is the nature of the opportunist politicians who smell the stink of death because of their betrayal in the coup de parti that they stupidly waged at the instigation of an outsider to overthrow their own leader and benefactor.

Nhiek Bun Chhay, Keo Put Reaksmei, Sisowath Sirirat, and Lu Lay Sreng said that allowing Serei Kosal, Ok Socheat, and Kim Vien to join their FUNCINPEC Party might somehow benefit their populist policy to fool the people. In the end, however, this decision is not different from using these adventurer-cum-politicians to burn their party. In such a snafu, Nhiek Bun Chhay should not blame Kev Put Reaksmei in order to show that it is not his fault; and Kev Put Reaksmei, too, should not feel sorry or disappointed because of the seething internal dispute that is plaguing the party, for all of this is an unavoidable retribution because of the coup-de-party and betrayal against Prince Norodom Ranariddh.

Just as Hun Sen told Nhiek Bun Chhay and Keo Put Reaksmei, the Cambodian People's Party [CPP] does not want them to join the next government if they could not help themselves and try only to cling to other people to get high positions and gains. Keo Put Reaksmei, Arunrasmy, Nhiek Bun Chhay, and their followers need not worry and do not have to go around lying to the Cambodian voters, for even Neou Sovatthero, who kept repeating like a parrot that the in-depth 18 October 2006 reform made the FUNCINPEC Party stronger, could not help but deserting Nhiek Bun Chhay's FUNCINPEC Party and defecting to Hun Sen's CPP.

After the 27 July 2008 election if Hun Sen's CPP wins again, which will be a cowardly victory achieved when the people's spirit is weakened, Nhiek Bun Chhay and Keo Put Reaksmei should not dream of getting from Hun Sen even the posts of state secretaries, let alone having the posts of deputy prime ministers, senior ministers, or ministers that they used to get from Prince Norodom Ranariddh. The best that could be expected is that Hun Sen would give scraps of positions such as state undersecretaries to Nhiek Bun Chhay and Kev Put Reaksmei because this is proportionate to the personal values and knowledge level of Nhiek Bun Chhay and to the behaviors of these people who did not hesitate to betray their own leader for the sake of a position as someone else's bootlickers.

To put it more bluntly, Nhiek Bun Chhay should learn to control his feelings right now so that he would not be too surprised or too hurt when Hun Sen accepts a fragment of the FUNCINPEC Party after the elections. When this happens, it is not the group of Nhiek Bun Chhay but that of Kev Put Reaksmei that will be chosen. At that time, allow us to warn that Nhiek Bun Chhay and Serei Kosal should not blurt out that Kev Put Reaksmei betrays the resistance fighters because the term resistance fighters uttered from the mouths of Nhiek Bun Chhay and Serei Kosal just belies the real resistance fighters, and Hun Sen does not know the meaning of resistance fighters, who were led by the King Father and later on by Prince Norodom Ranariddh in the fight to drive the Vietnamese aggressor troops out of the country.

Besides, Nhiek Bun Chhay and Serei Kosal should never dream that Hun Sen wants to hear the phrase "real FUNCINPEC resistance fighters" who are not the fighters of the current FUNCINPEC Party of Nhiek Bun Chhay. Hun Sen's desire to let go of Nhiek Bun Chhay and abandon him to his fate has many reasons, including the fact that normally the reputation of the Prime Minister's party is already not very good but it could get worse when there is rumor that he is leading Cambodia into confusion and involvement with the narcotic crime, the trafficking in person, and so on. This is because Nhiek Bun Chhay has a bad record. He used to have a close relationship with a Chinese named Chea Chung, who later on was found to be a drug lord together with the late Um Chhay, former adviser to Heng Samrin, concerning the several tons of narcotics in Treng Troyeung, Kampong Speu province. With all of this, do you think that Hun Sen wants Nhiek Bun Chhay near him? Like it or not, even if you do not like thinking or are not good at thinking, you would not mistake that Hun Sen now has no need for Nhiek Bun Chhay. This is reminiscent of the time when this CPP vice president duped the group of Tun Chay, Duong Khem, Ung Phan, Toek Ngoy, and so on before kicking them away. And since Nhiek Bun Chhay used to have an adviser who became a major drug criminal in Kampong Spoe, Nhiek Bun Chhay's chance of winning Hun Sen's favor and joining the next government is very slim.

Nhiek Bun Chhay, Keo Puth Reaksmei, Sisowath Sirirat, and Lu Laysreng were of course well aware of all these facts, but they could do nothing because they were fooled. Once they understood that they were duped into toppling Prince Norodom Ranariddh, they tried hard to beg the prince to return and lead the FUNCINPEC Party again. But the prince did not want to save these corrupt opportunists. He wanted to listen to the people and to help the people. When Nhiek Bun Chhay, Keo Puth Reaksmei, Sisowath Sirirat, and Lu Laysreng went out of their way to beg Prince Norodom Ranariddh to help lead and save the FUNCINPEC Party like in the past, their main concern was to keep the FUNCINPEC Party from dying in their hands, which would earn them condemnation by the people. Besides, they thought that if the prince could help to revive the FUNCINPEC Party, they would have a chance to implore the prince for posts and perks. It is because of this issue that Prince Norodom Ranariddh refused to come to the rescue of the Nhiek Bun Chhay-Keo Puth Reaksmei FUNCINPEC Party. Now these gentlemen are quarrelling over the last shred of assets left behind by the FUNCINPEC Party on its death bed.

Lu Laysreng: Funcinpec will be dissolved if it can’t obtain a single seat

Lu Lay Sreng giving press conference at his office (Photo: Koh Santepheap)

Wednesday, March 11, 2008
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

One Funcinpec party leader declared that this party – which was an achievement by King-Father Norodom Sihanouk who spurned away from it – will be dissolved if it will not obtain a single seat during the upcoming July 2008 election. Lu Laysreng, Funcinpec party vice-president No. 1, told The Mekong Times during in an interview that he is officially announcing that, if Funcinpec will not receive any seat in the upcoming election, “we, Lu Laysreng, Keo Puth Rasmey, Sisowath Sirirath, and Nhiek Bun Chhay will ask the Funcinpec national advisory committee to dissolve this party, and it will not be preserved so as not to lose face.” Lu Laysreng added that if the party is not dissolved, he will ask to walk out from the party because he is the most senior party member. He said that under Keo Puth Rasmey and his leadership, if Funcinpec cannot get any seat, how could he continue such leadership? However, he said that he cannot fathom the idea that Funcinpec could not get any seat at all.

"As long as there is Lu Lay Sreng in F'pec, this party will not go anywhere": No wonder F'pec is not going anywhere at all nowadays

Funcinpec vows not to merge with the CPP

Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

“Don’t trust the sky, don’t trust the stars,
Don’t trust the wife who claims to have no lover,
Don’t trust your mother who claims to have no debt”
- Old Khmer saying

Even though numerous high-ranking Funcinpec party officials defected to join the CPP, Funcinpec party leaders still claim that this party will absolutely not merge with the CPP. Lu lay Sreng, No. 1 Funcinpec party vice-president, told The Mekong Times that his party will not merge with the CPP. He said that Funcinpec has a very clear identity, and the defection of party members will not shake the party. He stressed: “As long as there is Lu Lay Sreng in Funcinpec, this party will not go anywhere.” Serey Kosal, the party deputy secretary-general, also indicated that the past defection of Funcinpec officials cannot force this party to merge with the CPP. He said that, now and in the future, Funcinpec is and will not be a satellite nor a lackey of the CPP, but that it is the CPP partner only, there is no time to merge Funcinpec with any other party.

NRP officials: Lu Laysreng’s letter to Ranariddh was a sign of reconciliation attempt

Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

The recent sending of a birthday wish letter by Lu Laysreng, Funcinpec No. 1 vice-president, to Prince Norodom Ranarridh for his 65th birthday, is considered by high-ranking NRP officials as a sign of reconciliation attempt and a past error admission. Noranaridh Anandayath, special advisor to the prince, told RFA on Monday that: “this is an attempt made to reach a reconciliation and an absolution of the errors committed.” Noranaridh Anandayath said that the prince already received the letter and he plans to send back a reply. However, Lu Laysreng commented about this letter, saying that he sent it in the name of friendship dated from 20 years ago, as well as from one of the prince’s former underlings, in addition to his capacity as a private citizen. On 31 December 2007, Lu Laysreng sent a birthday well-wishing letter and a video cassette to the prince. This sending created a stir among the journalists who commented on this letter.

Just to be on the safe side, Lu Laysreng sent birthday wishes to Prince Ranariddh anyway

Lu Laysreng sent birthday wishes to Prince Ranariddh

Friday, January 4, 2008
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

What was noticeable and caused a stir during the 65th birthday celebration for Prince Ranariddh, on 02 January, was the fact that Lu Laysreng – vice-prime minister and No. 1 deputy secretary-general of the Funcinpec party, who is known as one of the important leaders who fomented the coup de party to remove Prince Ranariddh from Funcinpec – sent a well-wishing birthday letter to the prince, as well as a video tape showing the activities which took place during the resistance period near the Thai border. The Samleng Yuveakchun Khmer (Voice of Khmer Youth) newspaper which supports the NRP party, reported that the prince already received Lu Laysreng’s letter and video, and he even showed them to the more than 100 NRP officials who flew to Malaysia to participate in the prince’s birthday bash. The Voice of Khmer Youth said that it is unknown about what Lu Laysreng wanted to show to the prince and the high-ranking NRP party officials, and that attempts made to obtain clarification from Lu Laysreng was unsuccessful.

Benefit to one of Hun Sen's cronies at the expense of one of Hun Sen's allies

Riverbank erosion causes landslide near Lu Lay Sreng’s house

Friday, December 07, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

A panic took place, forcing people to flee out of their houses in the middle of the night, when several tens of meters of landslide took away riverbanks on Koh Norea village, Niroth commune, Meanchey district, Phnom Penh city, in the evening of 05 December. During the landslide, two houses fell into the water, but the incident did not cause accident to anyone. However, the homeowners were very horrified and they started to move their belongings to the national road nearby. The riverbank landslide progresses close to the house of Lu Lay Sreng, the vice-prime minister and minister of rural development, and it causes panic among Lu Lay Sreng’s family members. Villagers blamed the landslide on the erosion of the riverbank stemming from a company contracted by Sok Kong (one of Hun Sen’s cronies) to dredge sand from the riverbed. Right now, Lu Lay Sreng’s house is still threatened as the landslide now approaches his fence. The landslide woke up several high-ranking government officials, and brought them to the spot of the incident. Among these officials were Lim Kean Hor, the minister of water resources and meteorology, and Nhim Vanda, the first deputy chairman of the national committee for disaster management.

Photos from riverbank landslide and Lu Laysreng's majestic villa

Lu Lay Sreng's villa (seen in the background) is now located next to the new riverbank (Photo: Koh Santepheap newspaper)
Left: Lu Lay Sreng explains the situation to Nhim Vanda
Right: Lim Kean Hor and the district governor visiting the site in the middle of the night (Photos: Chauk Chey, Koh Santepheap newspaper)
Alleged sand dredging equipment that caused the disaster. The dredging operation was performed as a contract to Sok Kong (Photo: Chauk Chey, Koh Santepheap newspaper)

Lu Lay Sreng:Thomico is a "useless royal" (Sdech Choal-msiet) who talks nonsense

Thomico’s accusation met with Lu Lay Sreng’s rage

Friday, November 02, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Prince Sisowath Thomico criticized the Funcinpec party, and considered this party of no longer being Sihanoukist anymore. The prince’s accusation was met with Lu Lay Sreng’s rage, and the latter ended up calling the prince “a useless royal.” Lu Lay Sreng’s reaction published in the Friday’s edition of the Kampuchea Thmei newspaper which quoted him telling others not to be concerned with a person who is at a deadend. Lu Lay Sreng considers the prince as a useless royal who talks nonsense. He said that in the past, he said again and again not to let this royal join (Funcinpec) because he will bring difficulties (to the party), at the end, it turns out the way he predicted. Lu Lay Sreng added that he is not replying to this useless royal, and that he will let the royals cuss each other.

"HE" Lu Laysreng predicts that by 2020, Cambodia will be "a major donor instead of a beggar" -sic!-

"His Excellency The Patriot" Lu Laysreng (L) proudly stands next to his colleagues after removing Prince Ranariddh, their boss, from the Funcinpec

Cambodian leader welcomed back with gratitude

09/25/2007
By Samantha Gonzaga, Staff writer
Long Beach Press Telegram

LONG BEACH - When Lu Lay Sreng left Long Beach in 1979 to fight the Vietnamese in Cambodia, the farewell to his three children seemed final.

"I said goodbye to my children and thought I wasn't coming back," said Sreng. "I thought I was going to die. I thought I would not return. But I thought then we should try (to fight), and that's why I left."

The 70-year-old recently returned to Long Beach, a city with which he still retains ties. At a private party Friday in Hak Heang Restaurant in Long Beach, some 450 Cambodian business leaders and their families dined with a man addressed these days as "His Excellency."

Sreng is one of Cambodia's seven deputy prime ministers and the Minister of Rural Development.

The Cal State Long Beach graduate and former businessman visited tables followed by a news camera, shaking hands, posing for photographs and engaging in brief conversations over the din of live entertainment.

It's a long way from his days as a CSULB industrial arts and mathematics student in the 1960s, and as a restaurant and grocery store owner. Sreng arrived in Long Beach in September 1962 as a 25-year-old, and one of his first jobs in this country, he said, was servicing a Press-Telegram newspaper route through the Ximeno, Redondo and Fourth Street neighborhoods.

"This is just to show how much love there is out there to support him," said Rathana Ung, who organized Sreng's appreciation dinner with her parents, Lim Eang and Monirath Ung. The Ungs run an income-tax business and frequently do charity work in Cambodia.

Sreng said his 20-day trip to America was a personal one - plans include visiting his three adult children - as well as for health reasons.

According to his government biography, Sreng from 1982 to 1991 fought against the Vietnamese occupation. From the mid-1990s to 2003, he was Minister of Information, spending August 1998 working with the Cambodia People's Party to restore Cambodia's government.

"I'm so proud of myself," Sreng said. "My sacrifice and efforts have paid off."

Ung described Sreng as a patriot, crediting him with helping facilitate charity work by Cambodians in America to help those in Cambodia's poorest areas.

Some of those projects have included upgrading the thatched-roof homes in impoverished villages to large tin-roof houses, and a yearlong palm tree preservation effort in Kompong Speu Province. Ung said villagers were taking cuttings of the national tree to sell for $2 apiece.

Ung also said Sreng brought food donations gathered by the Ungs to the northeastern province of Ratanakiri where summer floods made travel impossible.

Sreng is hoping his name will inspire confidence from Cambodians and Cambodian-Americans.

"What I'm trying to do is help and trying to push for my name to be well-known," he said. "I let history dictate itself. At the same time, I really appreciate the Khmer community in Long Beach that comes together every year to help Cambodia."

But food relief isn't enough, Sreng said.

The solution for predominantly agricultural Cambodia is to be self-sustaining. Sreng said he plans to jumpstart a water sanitation program and an investment-heavy project called the Cambodian Business Initiative Rural Development. CBIRD would pair manufacturers with villages with ready labor.

The government's reputation for corruption makes investors hesitant, he said.

The region also has ongoing issues with deforestation and land grabbing. In a 2006 report by the Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission, land grabbing has increased in recent years, going from 148 complaints in 2003 to 356 the next year. The poor are typically the victims, the group said. Sreng said the laws are "loose," that NGOs and news organizations don't see the full picture:

With growth in jobs, he projected a different Cambodia by 2020, predicting that resources would make it "a major donor instead of a beggar."

Funcinpec welcomes its former defectors with open arms

07-09-2007
By Leang Delux
Cambodge Soir
Translated from French by Luc Sâr

The fight for influence among the royalist supporters by the two royalist parties gave the opportunity to Funcinpec to show its attraction might during a public reconciliation ceremony.

Funcinpec organized a welcome ceremony in honor of the return of its former comrades, under the presence of Prince Sisowath Sirirath, first party vice-president, and Lu Lay Sreng, the second party vice-president.

These dissidents jumped from the Norodom Ranariddh Party (NRP). A dozen of these repentant defectors were NRP officials from various cities and provinces, and members of the NRP permanent committee and party directors: Kim Vien, Sam Sun Doeun, Bin Heng Pol, etc…

Kim Vien, the representative of the new members during the ceremony, explained the reason of their return to Funcinpec which “undertook a deep reform which pleases us.” He also ridiculed Prince Ranariddh. “Prince Norodom Ranariddh did not apply the principles which we wrote together in Malaysia,” Kim Vien revealed. Malaysia was the location where the NRP founders discussed about the creation of this new party, as well as its political policy.

Lu Lay Sreng, while welcoming the return of his colleagues from “the old House,” called on the NRP members to come along with him “to restart the work within the Funcinpec.”

Return of the defectors to the once-defected party

Funcinpec Welcomes Three NRP Defectors

Seng Ratana, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
17 July 2007

Funcinpec officials held a ceremony Tuesday to welcome three defectors from the Norodom Ranariddh Party, but whether the prince himself would come back to Cambodia went unspoken.

The ceremony rang in the defections of Prince Sisowath Thomico, Serei Kosal and Ok Socheat.

Funcinpec First Vice President Lu Laysreng said the ceremony was like the return to an old home, claiming rifts between royalists as a reason Funcinpec showed so poorly in local elections earlier this year.

"We would like to put aside the issue of Prince Ranariddh's return or not return," he said. "We are welcoming our relatives who are re-uniting."

Serei Kosal, former NRP deputy secretary, said his defection was not a betrayal of Prince Ranariddh.

"I have only one direction, and that is for Prince Ranariddh to return to Cambodia, to lead the party, [either] doing politics or not doing politics," he said.

Ok Socheat, a former adviser to the prince, said in order for the royalists not to face oblivion, they would have to reunite.

"In order to avoid the dissolution of the monarchy, there should be a unification," he said.