By Chhay Channyda
Phnom Penh Post
Prime Minister Hun Sen (L) and Phnom Penh Governor Kep Chuktema (3rd R)
take part in an inauguration ceremony for a new flyover in the capital
in 2011. Photograph: Heng Chivoan/Phnom Penh Post
Prime
Minister Hun Sen seemingly came to the rescue of Phnom Penh governor Kep
Chuktema yesterday, reiterating a controversial assertion of Chuktema’s
that the late King-Father’s legacy had been all but destroyed by the
tumult of the Khmer Rouge.
Without naming Chuktema directly, the
premier endorsed the governor’s assertion that all of former King
Norodom Sihanouk’s physical legacy, in the form of roads, bridges and
economic development, were irreparably destroyed under the Khmer Rouge –
an opinion that has drawn fire ever since it was broadcast in a
televised interview on October 16.
In a speech at a graduation
ceremony in the Phnom Penh yesterday, Hun Sen said that after the
Democratic Kampuchea regime, the current government was left to start
the rebuilding process with “empty hands”.
“Most of the
achievements in the Sangkum Reastre Niyum era were destroyed – like the
paper factory in Chhloung district was damaged, and some bridges were
also destroyed, including Chrouy Changvar Bridge, but it was rebuilt for
use in 1993 or 1994,” Hun Sen said, noting that even the buildings that
were still standing were no longer salvageable.
In his
remarks, Hun Sen added that had it not been for the Khmer Rouge,
Cambodia would be a much more developed country by now, pointing to his
regime’s decades of work rebuilding the country.
The remarks were almost identical to those made nearly two weeks ago by Chuktema.
“The
works that [Sihanouk] tried to build were completely destroyed by Pol
Pot – like Phnom Penh, which became a ghost city, and we rebuilt it,”
Chuktema said. “Everything that the king built was ruined by the Pol Pot
regime, but since 1979, we have tried to build it up to this day.”
Commentators
immediately took to social media to slam the governor’s remarks,
accusing him of slandering the late King Father’s achievements in the
interest of aggrandizing those of his own Cambodian People’s Party.
On
the page of a popular Facebook community called “I Love Cambodia”, a
photo illustration was posted of the late king surrounded by, among
other things, Olympic Stadium and the Royal University of Phnom Penh.
The
image was followed by an outpouring of support for Sihanouk, and at
least one admonishment to Chuktema to “open your eye[s]”.
Under a
video of Chuktema’s interview, posted on YouTube under the name “Kep
Chutema’s [sic] Blunder”, comments were uniformly negative, with many
laced with profanity.
Independent political analyst Lao Mong Hay
yesterday also took issue with the government’s claim that they had
rebuilt the country from scratch, saying that many of Sihanouk’s public
works still remained.
However, he added, every current leader blames the last one for not doing enough.
“Even
the King Father’s regime blamed French colonial regime for having left
nothing for Cambodia, or very little,” he said. “The Lol Nol regime
blamed [Sihanouk’s regime] for doing nothing, and the latest government
claimed it started with ‘empty hands’.”
To contact the reporter on this story: Chhay Channyda at channyda.chhay@phnompenhpost.com
3 comments:
Start with empty hand by begging other to survive.
most of the money to build country is coming from foreign supports.
Does he have any shame???
Japanese entered into world war II and got 2 nuclear bombs and still be a economic superpower.
German went to world war I and II and was destroyed by the US allies now, still be a superpower within 20 years.
What about Cambodia?
After 33 years, Cambodia is still a beggar and one of the most poorest country in South East Asia.
Just remind those gangster government, be cautious...Now, Myanmar grows very fast. Maybe Myanmar in the future might grow faster than Cambodia. Then, This government should wipe their faces with their feces.
Agreed with you 100%, that's the point I'd like to express.
All the achievements of Hun Sen after 1979, most of them have been built such as luxury houses and big Villas for only the corrupt officials. Haven't they?
hun sen forgot that the boulevards in phnom penh, the many universities in phnom penh and in the provinces which he had changed the names, the old building in phnom penh, the railway, the sihanoukville port, the airports and son on and so on.. were built during sihanouk's sangkum reastr niyum regime.
most of things were built by khmer money, not borrowed money from china like what hun sen did now. And there were no land grabbing, no evictions, no deforestation, no destruction of natural resources....
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