A Change of Guard

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Friday 2 November 2007

North Korea and Cambodia Versus America?

(Photo: Kim Yong Il (L), Hun Sen (R))
North Korea has been an international pariah since its creation in 1945. And in recent years it has been isolated due to its nuclear disputes with the West, particularly with America.It has been looking for some sympathetic countries to be on its side in order to counter American bullying. Now it has found Hun Sen's Cambodia. Cambodia under Hun Sen is looking more and more like Cambodia under Sihanouk in the 1960s when Cambodia was leaning dangerously toward the Communist bloc and was bitterly at odds with America. At the end Cambodia became a battle ground for the war of ideology between the competing powers of the East, representing by China and Russia and the West, representing by America.

Hun Sen is now playing a very dangerous political and diplomatic game. By suppoting North Korea to "avoid pressure from powerful countries" Hun Sen is pitting Cambodia against America. The American pressure over North Korea nuclear issue is driving North Korea to canvass diplomatic support from naive leaders such as Hun Sen so that it can counter the American bully and threat on a diplomatic level. By siding with North Korea to the detriment of our good relationship with America is self-destructive. North Korea will bring no benefit to Cambodia. On the other hand it will drag Cambodia into a deep water and left Cambodia to drown.

North Korea, which has been under a trade embargo for a long time, has nothing to trade with Cambodia and Cambodia, with subsistence economy, has nothing to trade with North Korea. North Korea is using trade in order to hypnotise Cambodia into believing that economic prosperity in on hand. What Cambodia doesn't know is that North Korea is using naive countries such Hun Sen's Cambodia to boost its stance against the American threat. Hun Sen is playing with fire. Close ties with North Korea will bring nothing to Cambodia. Instead it will bring mishap and misfortune to Cambodia. Now Hun Sen has incurred the ire and wrath of America. Watch out Hun Sen! America might get you one day.

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NKorea PM in Cambodia to boost trade
14 hours ago

PHNOM PENH (AFP) — North Korean Prime Minister Kim Yong-Il arrived in Cambodia Thursday under heavy security, starting a rare visit focused on boosting trade between the two impoverished nations.

Kim and Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen later oversaw the signing of the countries' first investment agreement, as well as a deal to increase trade between their sea ports.

"The main topic (of Kim's visit) is economic and trade relations. They would like to buy some more Cambodian products in the future," said Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong.

He added that while the two countries were politically close, trade relations remained very low.

Kim asked that Cambodia and North Korea exchange views on international issues and support each other "to avoid pressure from powerful countries," Cambodian Information Minister Khieu Kanharith told reporters following afternoon talks.

The North's premier blamed the United States, one of Pyongyang's biggest adversaries, for escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula, Khieu Kanharith said.

Kim, the highest-ranking North Korean official to visit Cambodia in six years, was greeted earlier in the day at the airport by Prime Minister Hun Sen and hundreds of flag-waving students.

During his four-day stay he will also call on former king Norodom Sihanouk, a long-time friend of North Korea who frequently stays in a palace in Pyongyang provided to him by the North's first leader, Kim Il-Sung.

"Our current visit will mark a significant occasion in... giving a vital and extensive boost to friendly and cooperative relations in several fields," said a statement from the North's delegation.

Last month Cambodia's Commerce Minister Cham Prasidh said North Korea wanted to build business ties with Cambodia as a way to gain access to world markets largely closed to the communist state by sanctions.

"Through investment, North Korea may see Cambodia as a bridge by which to produce goods and export to bigger countries," he said at the time.

More than 4,000 military and security personnel have deployed throughout the capital Phnom Penh during Kim's visit, the interior ministry said.

Kim visited Vietnam and Malaysia before arriving Cambodia. He will also tour Laos before returning home.

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