Hun Sen (C) greets scouts at a function of his Cambodian People’s Party in Phnom Penh, Jan. 7, 2013.
AFP
AFP
19th April 2013
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen warned Friday that the country
would plunge into civil war if the opposition National Rescue Party wins
the election in July and follows through on pledges to prosecute former
notorious Khmer Rouge members in his government.
His comments followed a statement this week by exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy that if his party wins the July 28 polls, it will bring unnamed members of the current government to justice for their role in the Khmer Rouge regime, which killed millions of Cambodians during its 1975-79 reign of terror.
Speaking at a groundbreaking ceremony in Kompong Speu province, Hun Sen, who is himself ex-Khmer Rouge, warned that he would not be waiting around to be arrested.
"I will not allow anyone to arrest me easily,” he said, adding that he would “respond immediately” to anyone who tried.
He said that a win by the National Rescue Party (NRP) would provoke a civil war and war with Cambodia’s neighbor Vietnam.
“If you accuse the neighboring country of invasion, war within the country and with neighboring countries would be inevitable.”
The Cambodian opposition had also previously pledged to reclaim an island off the country’s southern coast from Vietnam if they won the elections. Phu Quoc Island—known in Khmer as Koh Tral Island—has been administered by Vietnam for the last 150 years.
'We don't provoke war'
NRP spokesman Yim Sovann dismissed Hun Sen’s statement, saying the party supports peace and its policies would not provoke any war, either within the country or with its neighbors.
“The National Rescue Party guarantees that there will be no war,” he told RFA’s Khmer Service, adding Hun Sen’s comments showed he feared losing the election.
“We don't allow anyone to provoke war,” he said.
Khmer Rouge tribunal
Sam Rainsy, in a video address on Wednesday on the anniversary of the Khmer Rouge capture of Phnom Penh in 1975, said former members of the regime now working in the government were “hindering” the U.N.-backed war crimes tribunal trying members of the Khmer Rouge leadership for crimes committed during their bloody rule.
The tribunal, which has so far completed one case and has two elderly former Khmer Rouge leaders on the dock, came under criticism for being slow in processing its cases after the a top Khmer Rouge leader died last month before receiving a conviction.
Sam Rainsy made the address from overseas as he is living in self-imposed exile in France to avoid prison for a string of convictions that critics contend are politically motivated, including a sentence on charges linked to a protest over border demarcation with Vietnam.
In November, the National Election Committee said Sam Rainsy could not stand in the coming elections because of his convictions. He has called Hun Sen a “coward” for barring him from contesting in the polls.
Land titling program
Hun Sen, who has ruled the country since 1985, predicted in the Friday speech that his own Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) will win the election.
He estimated that the NRP could draw fewer than 5 million votes.
CPP officials have said their party has 6 millions supporters and 4 million active members.
Hun Sen also warned voters that a volunteer land titling program he launched in which the youth help villagers register land would be scrapped if his party was not in power.
"To those whose lands have not been measured and those who have not been given land titles, I would like to inform you that the youths can return to work only if the CPP wins the election,” he said.
“If you want the youths to come back, there is only one choice for you: to vote for the CPP.”
Rights groups have expressed concerns about the transparency of Cambodia’s elections and watchdogs say voters are intimidated into supporting the government through restrictions on freedom of expression, rights abuses, and land disputes.
Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (NICFEC) Executive Director Puthea Hang said voters should stay calm in the face of intimidation and vote for the political party that they believe best serve the country.
"Voters should make their own decisions; they should not vote one way or another because they are persuaded or threatened to do so. That is the right of all voters.”
Reported by RFA’s Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Rachel Vandenbrink.
His comments followed a statement this week by exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy that if his party wins the July 28 polls, it will bring unnamed members of the current government to justice for their role in the Khmer Rouge regime, which killed millions of Cambodians during its 1975-79 reign of terror.
Speaking at a groundbreaking ceremony in Kompong Speu province, Hun Sen, who is himself ex-Khmer Rouge, warned that he would not be waiting around to be arrested.
"I will not allow anyone to arrest me easily,” he said, adding that he would “respond immediately” to anyone who tried.
He said that a win by the National Rescue Party (NRP) would provoke a civil war and war with Cambodia’s neighbor Vietnam.
“If you accuse the neighboring country of invasion, war within the country and with neighboring countries would be inevitable.”
The Cambodian opposition had also previously pledged to reclaim an island off the country’s southern coast from Vietnam if they won the elections. Phu Quoc Island—known in Khmer as Koh Tral Island—has been administered by Vietnam for the last 150 years.
'We don't provoke war'
NRP spokesman Yim Sovann dismissed Hun Sen’s statement, saying the party supports peace and its policies would not provoke any war, either within the country or with its neighbors.
“The National Rescue Party guarantees that there will be no war,” he told RFA’s Khmer Service, adding Hun Sen’s comments showed he feared losing the election.
“We don't allow anyone to provoke war,” he said.
Khmer Rouge tribunal
Sam Rainsy, in a video address on Wednesday on the anniversary of the Khmer Rouge capture of Phnom Penh in 1975, said former members of the regime now working in the government were “hindering” the U.N.-backed war crimes tribunal trying members of the Khmer Rouge leadership for crimes committed during their bloody rule.
The tribunal, which has so far completed one case and has two elderly former Khmer Rouge leaders on the dock, came under criticism for being slow in processing its cases after the a top Khmer Rouge leader died last month before receiving a conviction.
Sam Rainsy made the address from overseas as he is living in self-imposed exile in France to avoid prison for a string of convictions that critics contend are politically motivated, including a sentence on charges linked to a protest over border demarcation with Vietnam.
In November, the National Election Committee said Sam Rainsy could not stand in the coming elections because of his convictions. He has called Hun Sen a “coward” for barring him from contesting in the polls.
Land titling program
Hun Sen, who has ruled the country since 1985, predicted in the Friday speech that his own Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) will win the election.
He estimated that the NRP could draw fewer than 5 million votes.
CPP officials have said their party has 6 millions supporters and 4 million active members.
Hun Sen also warned voters that a volunteer land titling program he launched in which the youth help villagers register land would be scrapped if his party was not in power.
"To those whose lands have not been measured and those who have not been given land titles, I would like to inform you that the youths can return to work only if the CPP wins the election,” he said.
“If you want the youths to come back, there is only one choice for you: to vote for the CPP.”
Rights groups have expressed concerns about the transparency of Cambodia’s elections and watchdogs say voters are intimidated into supporting the government through restrictions on freedom of expression, rights abuses, and land disputes.
Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (NICFEC) Executive Director Puthea Hang said voters should stay calm in the face of intimidation and vote for the political party that they believe best serve the country.
"Voters should make their own decisions; they should not vote one way or another because they are persuaded or threatened to do so. That is the right of all voters.”
Reported by RFA’s Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Rachel Vandenbrink.
6 comments:
Hanoi instructed Hun to say that !!!
no one could colaborate with childish spoiled kid Sy samram. ssanondo. kem sokckot Kha and mo sochou . they just very weird. no principle no blue print. no discipline. how you expect all this cheater to lead.? they cant lead. dont they ?. these guy only good at imoraly oportunist and spread hatred and divide Khmer from time to time. wasnt it true ?. every nigh befor bed time Sy samram kem chkotkha spent all nigh long to search. and analize all garbage negative past dirty expereinces to make giant lounched attack on Khmer leader. wasnt it true.? guy you brains only do one thing at a time. if you load your.brain Sy samram with garbage. right ? how you be able to to do any good things for the hope of people.?. you cant? right? how they recue Khmer. do they have strength? have the right tools for us to truth on. nothing right?. Mike
Hun Sen is very concern, losing fate with the people because his party and lesdership have not serve the people but only abuse its power and abuse the citizens. Hun Sen knows people don't want him and his family to lead cambodia, he is becoming more paranoid as the election getting close. More threaths and intimindations is expected from the prime minister thug hun sen as the election is drawing near.
Koh Tral was under the Vietnamese administration for 150 years? This article is wrong.
Koh Tral was under the French administration, while under the French administration Koh Tral was used as a prison for the convicted Vietnamese criminals.
One can see that Koh Tral belongs to the Cambodian people as well as Southern Cambodia.
This article should be corrected. This is why many Vietnamese are taught that we Khmer are the invader and land encroaches into the Vietnamese border.
In 2008 Hun Sen said the same, threatening with war if he loses the election. Now he threatened the voters again. Just think like this, Hun Sen controls all the military, the police, the court, the bureaucracy and everything and the opposition only has their bare hands, so how can they start a war? The fact is Hun Sen is sending a message to the voters, the oppositions and the international community that if he loses he will not step down and the oppositions will have to kick him out by force.
Hai Phuc or Hun Sen fought for Vietnam . Do Mike think that Vietnam is stupid enough
to wage war against International community just to save his useless slave ?
Vietnam will throw Hai Phuc away just like a rotten dust rag .
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