The family reunion party of the Hun family on 27th December, 2009.Op-Ed by Khmerization
2nd January, 2010
The recent family reunion party of the Hun clan played out like the last supper for Prime Minister Hun Sen. To long term political observers of the Cambodian affairs, it seems like the gathering of the faithful and the disciples to listen to Mr. Hun Sen’s last words or, to be exact, his last will.
In the first ever family reunion gathering in the last 31 years, Hun Sen has expressed his concerns about the possible revenge attacks against his family members when he falls from powers. “The things that I worry the most are the irregular actions that have been caused by members of the Hun clan”, he said in the speech during the reunion. He went on to warn his children, nephews and nieces that “the things I worry the most is the issue of them using (my) influence.” Mr. Hun Sen further advised his relatives: “What is important is that, if they cannot do good things to the people, don't just use the influence of the Hun clan to harass the people. The children and the nephews and nieces who don't listen to my advice and who committed bad deeds and when Hun Sen falls from power, don't forget that you are the targets of the attacks".
For nearly 31 years since Mr. Hun Sen is at the helm of Cambodia, he had never thought of organising a family reunion of such a large gathering of his extended family members. But, according to Radio Free Asia, since learning of the alleged Thai plot to hatch a coup to oust him from powers, Mr. Hun Sen seems to realise that he his not immortal.
That seems like a premonition of the waning vanity and prowess of Mr. Hun Sen and the words that he uttered towards his relatives were like a deathbed wish, uttered at the dying days of a reviled and a detested dictator.
Mr. Hun Sen’s advice seems to direct and shift all the blames and grudges and vindictiveness against his family towards the young generations of the Hun clan. Deep down, he probably knew full well that, if there is such revenge attacks against his family when he falls from powers, those attacks would be as a result of his own bad deeds committed while he rules the country and not as a result of the misdeeds or bad deeds committed by the young generations of the Hun clan.
In many democratic countries such as the United States, Australia, the UK, Japan or even Thailand, where leaders are democratically elected by the people, they have never warned of the possible revenge attacks against their relatives when they leave office. Only leaders who came to powers through the barrel of a gun and who committed excesses, worry about such possible revenge attacks on their family members after they fall from powers. Mr. Hun Sen probably realise that he is such one leader who had done many bad things against his own people that could warrant such revenge attacks.
The grenade attacks on 30th March 1997 that killed 19 and wounded 190 people that warranted the American FBI to get involved in the investigations, the July 1997 coup d’etat against Funcinpec Party that saw the killings of more than 100 supporters of Prince Ranariddh, including the tortures and murders of Ministers Mr. Ho Sok and Kruoch Yoeum and numerous other brutalities, are just some examples of Mr. Hun Sen’s implicated crimes and bad deeds.
The criminal acts committed by his nephews, the like of the feared Hun To and Nim Sophea- the son of Nim Chandara and Mrs. Hun Sinath, who in 2003 spayed bullets indiscriminately that killed 3 people and got away scotch free, are the bad deeds that Mr. Hun Sen is also concerned about.
One can foresee that there will be some sorts of justice actions and ramifications being taken against Mr. Hun Sen and his clans after he falls from powers, either through legal channels or through other acts. The family of the slain union leader Chea Vichea, the families of the late Gen. Ho Sok, Gen. Kruoch Yoeum and Gen. Chao Sambath who were tortured and executed during the 1997 coup, the family of actress Pisith Pilika who was allegedly ordered killed by Hun Sen’s wife in 1999 for having an affair with him and the families of other victims of Mr. Hun Sen’s excesses will surely seek justice through judicial or other channels after Mr. Hun Sen falls from powers.
The fates of other dictators like Hitler, Mussolini of war time Italy, Ceaucescu of Romania, Saddam of Iraq and the leaders of war time Japan who were hanged by the Allied Forces after World War II, should give Mr. Hun Sen some insight into his possible fate.
While I don’t expect that actions against the above leaders will be applied against Mr. Hun Sen when he falls from powers, I’m convinced that some sorts of legal remedies through judicial channels will be sought by his victims. These actions, if taken, should not be considered as revenge, but rather as legal remedies to heal the wound in a view of moving toward a reconciliation process.
2nd January, 2010
The recent family reunion party of the Hun clan played out like the last supper for Prime Minister Hun Sen. To long term political observers of the Cambodian affairs, it seems like the gathering of the faithful and the disciples to listen to Mr. Hun Sen’s last words or, to be exact, his last will.
In the first ever family reunion gathering in the last 31 years, Hun Sen has expressed his concerns about the possible revenge attacks against his family members when he falls from powers. “The things that I worry the most are the irregular actions that have been caused by members of the Hun clan”, he said in the speech during the reunion. He went on to warn his children, nephews and nieces that “the things I worry the most is the issue of them using (my) influence.” Mr. Hun Sen further advised his relatives: “What is important is that, if they cannot do good things to the people, don't just use the influence of the Hun clan to harass the people. The children and the nephews and nieces who don't listen to my advice and who committed bad deeds and when Hun Sen falls from power, don't forget that you are the targets of the attacks".
For nearly 31 years since Mr. Hun Sen is at the helm of Cambodia, he had never thought of organising a family reunion of such a large gathering of his extended family members. But, according to Radio Free Asia, since learning of the alleged Thai plot to hatch a coup to oust him from powers, Mr. Hun Sen seems to realise that he his not immortal.
That seems like a premonition of the waning vanity and prowess of Mr. Hun Sen and the words that he uttered towards his relatives were like a deathbed wish, uttered at the dying days of a reviled and a detested dictator.
Mr. Hun Sen’s advice seems to direct and shift all the blames and grudges and vindictiveness against his family towards the young generations of the Hun clan. Deep down, he probably knew full well that, if there is such revenge attacks against his family when he falls from powers, those attacks would be as a result of his own bad deeds committed while he rules the country and not as a result of the misdeeds or bad deeds committed by the young generations of the Hun clan.
In many democratic countries such as the United States, Australia, the UK, Japan or even Thailand, where leaders are democratically elected by the people, they have never warned of the possible revenge attacks against their relatives when they leave office. Only leaders who came to powers through the barrel of a gun and who committed excesses, worry about such possible revenge attacks on their family members after they fall from powers. Mr. Hun Sen probably realise that he is such one leader who had done many bad things against his own people that could warrant such revenge attacks.
The grenade attacks on 30th March 1997 that killed 19 and wounded 190 people that warranted the American FBI to get involved in the investigations, the July 1997 coup d’etat against Funcinpec Party that saw the killings of more than 100 supporters of Prince Ranariddh, including the tortures and murders of Ministers Mr. Ho Sok and Kruoch Yoeum and numerous other brutalities, are just some examples of Mr. Hun Sen’s implicated crimes and bad deeds.
The criminal acts committed by his nephews, the like of the feared Hun To and Nim Sophea- the son of Nim Chandara and Mrs. Hun Sinath, who in 2003 spayed bullets indiscriminately that killed 3 people and got away scotch free, are the bad deeds that Mr. Hun Sen is also concerned about.
One can foresee that there will be some sorts of justice actions and ramifications being taken against Mr. Hun Sen and his clans after he falls from powers, either through legal channels or through other acts. The family of the slain union leader Chea Vichea, the families of the late Gen. Ho Sok, Gen. Kruoch Yoeum and Gen. Chao Sambath who were tortured and executed during the 1997 coup, the family of actress Pisith Pilika who was allegedly ordered killed by Hun Sen’s wife in 1999 for having an affair with him and the families of other victims of Mr. Hun Sen’s excesses will surely seek justice through judicial or other channels after Mr. Hun Sen falls from powers.
The fates of other dictators like Hitler, Mussolini of war time Italy, Ceaucescu of Romania, Saddam of Iraq and the leaders of war time Japan who were hanged by the Allied Forces after World War II, should give Mr. Hun Sen some insight into his possible fate.
While I don’t expect that actions against the above leaders will be applied against Mr. Hun Sen when he falls from powers, I’m convinced that some sorts of legal remedies through judicial channels will be sought by his victims. These actions, if taken, should not be considered as revenge, but rather as legal remedies to heal the wound in a view of moving toward a reconciliation process.
5 comments:
I don't think there would be any ramifications for Samdech Hun Sen once he's out of power as he has been bestowed the title of a great general in Camnbodia by the King.
Once you're given this supreme title, isn't it your immortal prestige or your immpunity from trial even though you may have done something outside the rule of law in Cambodia?
4:12 PM, I certain countries, the heads of state are immune from prosecution once they fell from powers because there is a law to protect them. Gen. Augusto Pinochet of Chile who killed thousands of people after he staged a successful coup in 1973, but when he left powers in 1990, 1991, he cannot be prosecuted because the Chilean parliament had enacted a law to protect its head of state from prosecution.
In Cambodia, nothing can protect any heads of state from prosecution because, in Cambodia, the culture of revenge has taken over laws. I means those in powers will take laws into their own hands,as we can see after Sihanouk, Lon Nol and KR Pol Pot fell from powers.
One more thing, Hun Sen is only the head of the government, not the head of state. And there is no laws that say heads of government or heads of state in Cambodia are immune from prosecution.
Also victims of excesses committed by rulers should be afforded and accorded with natural justice. If the leaders committed excesses, they must be equal before the laws.
Hun Sen's word means more for some of his relatives that committed the bad deeds. Khmerization, what Hun Sen will be remembered as will be a future thing as how far Cambodia has come has some part due to him being in power. So time will tell.
Hun Sen and his clans are criminals. people will take their chance to revenge including me if i have one.
Despite internal rift within the CPP fraction, CPP can always sort things out themselves as they know they will be safe that way among themselves, as they are ageing and wish to stay in own country rather be exile in the foreign country.
The only possibility way that PM Hun Sen would fall from power is the outside influence (may be the same way when the Kingdom decided it is time for Republic as in the 1970) and interference.
Don't think that Thailand would act alone if there is a plan to topple the current Phnom Penh administration. Can't see that currrent Washington administration would involve in this either. Thailand may love the out spoken style of SR but don't think they would trust him either as they would not bank that he would be always on their side.
Anyhow time will tell, but my personal view, I can't see it happen in near future as Thailand would wish to see.
Thailand is, would and will drive and test Cambodia in particular the current administration's patient (another word, I will push the button "Intimidate" and see how would you react) as they would not be so sure themselves if they would win.
Declare war with Cambodia is like invite trouble to themselves. The Thailand has more enemy than friend such as Burma, Laos and the enemy within (the other political party and the minority muslim down south to Malaysia border). Thialand aware of all break out war if they dare to touch Cambodia.
Anyhow time will only tell and subject who is behind Thailand.
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