A Change of Guard

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Saturday 13 March 2010

Prime Minister Hun Sen's sworn enemy promoted to 4-star general


By Khmerization
Source: Kampuchea Thmey

A former resistance fighter and sworn enemy of Prime Minister Hun Sen has been promoted to a 4-star general by a royal decree signed by King Sihamoni on 5th March 2010, reports Kampuchea Thmey.

Gen. Serey Kosal (pictured), one of the most loyal former resistance commanders from the Funcinpec faction and a bitter enemy of Prime Minister Hun Sen until he defected to the ruling Cambodian People's Party in 2008, has been recommended by Mr. Hun Sen for promotion to a 4-star general.

Gen. Serey Kosal, currently a senior government minister and Deputy Minister of Urbanisation, said he is surprised and honoured by the unexpected promotion. "I am very proud and very surprised that the government has recommended for my promotion as a 4-star general without informing me beforehand. I've just received the royal decree of my appointment yesterday, the 12th of March, that makes me very surprised", he said.

Gen. Serey Kosal was a fierce resistance commander fighting against the Vietnamese occupation in the 1980s. After the royalist Funcinpec Party won the 1993 election, he was appointed Deputy Governor of Battambang province. He came to prominence in 1995 when his personal troops fought a brief battle with troops loyal to Mr. Oung Samy, the Cambodian People's Party-appointed Governor, after a personal feud over power struggle. He gained the upper hand and threatened to cut off the province from a central administration in Phnom Penh. Mr. Hun Sen then forced First Prime Minister Prince Ranariddh to temporarily summon both Gen. Serey Kosal and Mr. Oung Samy to Phnom Penh where he remained until Mr. Hun Sen staged a coup d'etat against Prince Ranariddh on 5th July 1997. On the first day of the coup, Gen. Serey Kosal was driven to Pochentong Airport under heavy armed guard. He boarded a plane heading to Battambang in an attempt to organise a counterattack in the province, but his plane was attacked when it landed at Veal Baek Chan Airport. He barely escaped capture by walking days and nights across the fields to the Khmer-Thai border when he was picked up by forces loyal to Gen. Lay Virak, another Funcinpec loyal commander, and taken to O'Smach and Bangkok. He returned to Cambodia in 1998 and served in various ministerial positions under the Funcinpec Party. When Gen. Nhek Bunchhay, the Funcinpec military strongman, deposed Prince Ranariddh in 2006, Gen. Serey Kosal followed the prince to form his own party called Norodom Ranariddh Party. During the internal squabbling and fighting within the Norodom Ranariddh Party in 2007, Gen. Serey Kosal re-defected to Funcinpec Party. Just before the 2008 election, he defected to the ruling Cambodian People's Party and was appointed a senior government minister until today.

Gen. Serey Kosal's appointment was coincided with the appointments of other 4 generals to 4-star generals a week earlier.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Obviously he is not strong enough to stand against Hanois Dog servant. Because of his power hungry, he's willing to bow down to Hun Sen for a high position. This is what exactly what the Hanoi master want by bribe him with power. Now he served his master(Youn Yeak Cong). How so ironic...

Anonymous said...

Wow, after all that fighting against the Vietnamese occupation in Cambodia. Now he is serving for the Viets party regime. How sad...Som tae pourk youn merl ngeay mane. The Vietnamese officials said that the Cambodian people are stupid, easy to control with bribery. They are willing to give up their pride for power and wealth. It is so right with Khmer people. We have history of fighting with each other in order to serve the Foreigners.

Anonymous said...

Kosal was very loyal to Ranariddh to the end. He only defected after he had an internal fighting with other Ranariddh's loyalists. Now, everybody run to Hun Sen because Hun Sen is the winner. Everybody needs to survive, but there are good soldiers and politicians who did not betray their conscience and joined Rainsy instead. Obviously, those who joined Hun Sen are the power-hungry ones who has no conscience.

Anonymous said...

I'm one of his old friend back to 1979-1982. He is not strong in the sense of fighting agaist the comminist regime. He is a man power hunger that's all. that is why he sold his soul to Hun Sen, that si Vietname poppet.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

Hun Sen has used state money to buy off opposition people to defect to his party. This is criminal and corrupt action. I think the new anti-corruption must be used to punish this kind of corruption. If the law is applied properly and correctly, Hun Sen will be the first to be convicted of corruption and sent to jail.