Friday, 21 September 2012
By May Titthara
Phnom Penh Post 
Prime Minister Hun Sen pictured during his speech, Sept.20, 2012, in Phnom Penh. Photograph: Pha Lina/Phnom Penh Post
Speaking to a scenario all too familiar in the Kingdom, Prime Minister Hun Sen told provincial governors yesterday that powerful officials and their friends and families must be punished if they fire their guns or wield other weapons in restaurants and other public places. [At the same time as Hun Sen speaking, police has released an official who fired guns in the public. So, do Hun Sen's words have any effects at all?].
Tourism and public safety are at stake, the premier said, if authorities turn a blind eye to shootings and other violence – including “samurai” sword fights – involving high-ranking officials or those around them, such as their “gangster” sons.
“I don’t want to hear from media reports any more that a person who opened fire was not arrested because they have a powerful person behind them,” Hun Sen said during a speech about the Kingdom’s 2012-2020 tourism plan.
“There should be no risk to anyone’s life just because they want to eat something with their family and friends,” he added. “But many have to run and escape from groups of gangsters who open fire.”
The Post has reported a number of incidents this year in which police, other government officials or those with powerful connections have allegedly fire guns in crowded beer gardens or restaurants.
In one instance, a member of the premier’s bodyguard unit was questioned for allegedly firing his weapon in a restaurant in the capital’s Dangkor district.
The government has also come under fire for its handling of other violent incidents allegedly involving officials, including the case involving then-Bavet Town Governor Chhouk Bandith, who has been accused of injuring three garment workers when he fired his gun during a protest in February.
In another incident involving someone close to the premier, Bun Sokha, former deputy chief of staff of Hun Sen’s bodyguard unit, walked free from court in July in ambiguous circumstances after he and three others were filmed beating a man in a hotel in Koh Kong in April.
Political analyst Lao Mong Hay said the prime minister had made numerous calls for such action, but too often his orders were ignored if the accused was a high-ranking official or had connections to powerful people.
“To ensure this directive is effective, authorities at all levels have to cooperate and respect their duties,” he said.
To contact the reporter on this story: May Titthara at titthara.may@phnompenhpost.com
5 comments:
Hun cent is a cronic's lair Psychopath that can't be trusted.Hun cent said that before about illegal logging company this was just before Chut Vuthy got killed,he said if he can't controlled the illegal logging company,he'll cut his head off and drew it away, but he didn't do what he had said.We don't need a crionic's liar like him,don't believe the K.V Hun Cent....He better of not to be borned.....
Sar Kheng another CPP dog also said, the government will not use violent to break up protest.
A few days later, a Khmer girl was killed during a force eviction.
A few days after that, a women lost her unborn babe during another protest.
CPP dogs are all liars and are all uneducated.
I have to agree with Hun Sen with this one...Yes Sir! Stop those gangster people that use their family's power to threaten public....People can't even look at your face in the restaurant? These gansgter people must be get rid from our society immediately...Yes Sir! Agree! Agree!
I want to see policemen have power on these gangster people, because every traffic stop alway involve with powerful family threaten police, spitting on police, curse at policemen....We need to wash these stain for good from our society!!
Insulting public servants like policeman/woman is a crime should be punished to teach these thugs that they are not above the law.Clean up all these kinds of barbaric gangster life style by enforcing strong law to fit the crime.
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