Not one, but two high-ranking CPP officials croaked

Sin Pin Sen

21 October 2008
By Ung Chamroeun
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from French by Luc Sâr

On the very same day, Monday 20 October, two CPP members died of natural causes.

Sin Pin Sen, secretary of state at the Ministry of Interior (MoI) and four-star general, died on Monday evening at the Calmette Hospital in Phnom Penh, following a stomach puncture. Under the name of Sin Sen, he was a former defector from the CPP to Funcinpec in the 90s, he supported Prince Chakrapong in 1994 in an aborted coup d’état attempt. Jailed for two years, he was freed by a royal pardon. He returned to the CPP since he was freed and he had since become a secretary of state at the MoI, his rank was that of a four-star general. According to his family, he visited Vietnam on several occasions for medical consultations from stomach pain.

On the same day, in Pailin, Sam San, a CPP MP elected during the latest elections, died from high blood pressure problems. According to those closed to him, he was found in coma after he hit his car on the fence of his house. Sam San died shortly after he was transferred to the hospital.

CPP official croaked ... most likely went to join Ho Chi Minh's communist heaven (in hell)

Sin Sen, General of Failed Coup, Dies at 60

By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
21 October 2008

Click here to listen to the Khmer audio program

Gen. Sin Sen, a political and military leader who participated in a failed 1994 coup, died Monday, due to stomach complications and illness, police and family said.

"He vomited with blood, and he did not let me as the wife know about his sickness," said Meas Vy.

Sin Sen, who was 60, was once the national police chief and belonged to the ruling Cambodian People's Party. He joined a coup attempt led by Sin Son, the former Minister of Interior, and Prince Norodom Chakrapong, which failed to topple the government following UN-organized elections.

Sin Sen was later pardoned by King Norodom Sihanouk for the attempt, and he went on to hold key government positions, including parliamentarian, for Funcinpec. He left his position as secretary of state in the Ministry of Interior following July's election.

Sin Sen leaves behind four children and a wife. He was 60. His remains will be cremated on Thursday under the supervision of Interior Minister Sar Kheng.

Sin Pin Sen, another prostitute-politician and current CPP high-ranking official, dies

High-ranking official dies

Tuesday, 21 October 2008
Written by Vong Sokheng
The Phnom Penh Post

Sin Pinsen, a 62-year-old newly elected secretary of state of the Ministry of Interior, died of stomach disease in Calmette Hospital Monday. Sin Pinsen, also known as Sin Sen, participated in the coup to set up an autonomous zone near the Mekong River just one year after Untac sponsored national elections in 1993. Khieu Kanharith, information minister and government spokesman, expressed sympathy over the death. "Sin Pinsen was not only a man that opposed Pol Pot but also knew real stories of Cambodia, so his death is a huge loss for the nation," he said.

Officials from 2 parties are defecting

Saturday, February 02, 2008
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by KI-Media

2 officials from the Funcinpec party and one from the SRP defected their parties to join Hun Sen’s CPP. The Koh Santepheap newspaper reported that Sin Pin Sen and So Victor, both high-ranking Funcinpec officials, have decided to leave their party to join the CPP. Ahmed Yahya, SRP MP, also defected from the SRP to join the CPP also. Mrs. Mu Sochua, SRP Deputy Secretary-general, told Koh Santepheap that indeed, Ahmed Yahya left the SRP. She said that this was his decision, and there should be no problem within the SRP. Prince Sisowath Thomico blamed the defection of high ranking Funcinpec officials on the bad governance of current Funcinpec party leaders. The prince said that, in the past, people criticized the weak leadership of Prince Ranariddh, but he said that now, (the new party leaders) could not even stop the party bleeding.

F’pec denies information published in local media about impending party sacking

13 May 2007
By Sophorn
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

Funcinpec spokesman denies the information about an alleged number of high-ranking Funcinpec officials will be sacked from the National Assembly. Nouv Sovathero, Funcinpec spokesman, claimed that the information published by the local media about the impending sacking of high-ranking Funcinpec party officials, is not true.

He added that all party members still believe in the Funcinpec leadership, and the party still supports and encourages all its party officials. Nouv Sovathero said: “I saw in the past week, there were numerous publications reporting that Funcinpec plans to sack high-raking officials from the party. I want to confirm again that, up to now, Funcinpec has no intention of sacking anybody, but we did hold discussion on how to help all our MPs, irrespective of their region, we are pushing and encouraging these MPs to visit their constituents often.”

Recently, local newspapers have reported that Funcinpec will remove You Hockry, Kompong Cham MP, Sin Pin Sen, Prey Veng MP, and Princess Norodom Vacheara, Phnom Penh MP. The three are accused of leaning towards the Norodom Ranariddh party.

However, according to Nouv Sovathero, only Ly Thuch, the Pursat MP, sent a resignation letter to the party on 9 May 2007. The current Funcinpec MP replacing Ly Thuch, is Say Mongkol.