Does Hun Sen want to play in our political sandbox?

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Opinion » Opinion

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• Pete the Handsome

  Discussion 36 : 31/10/2009 at 04:21 PM36

  I like your analysis. It is well informed and deep. It is clear that Hun Sen is not smart as a diplomat. But he may be smart as a head of industrial workers. He was educated in Viet Nam. Thus, his world view is apparently limited. Abhisit is Oxford educated. Like Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, he was admired by his fellows, according to my source near the University of Oxford, Royal Thai Embassy as well as the Samaggi Samakom in London.
  I was overjoyed when I saw Abhisit started to protect the image of Daw Aung San. Abhisit's rhetoric and timely reference made to the case of comparing SUu Kyi to Thaksin by our Southeast Asian leader won my heart and mind.

• Vic

  Discussion 35 : 29/10/2009 at 02:49 PM35

  Tony #34
  I fully agree with you, we should obtain democracy without elections. Thais need to be educated before they can be trusted to vote responsibly. I believe that statement was made already in 1932...
  But seriously, how do you expect Thailand to move towards democracy without allowing for some accidents? It is like a little boy trying to learn to bicycle - every time he falls off, his father takes away his bike. You can not learn democracy in school.

• Tony

  Discussion 34 : 29/10/2009 at 09:10 AM34

  Elections are meaningless in the face of failed education, poverty, and wide spread corruption. If Thailand is mired in corruption, Cambodia has been fossilized in it.
  
  People are waking up from this dreamy fraud we call modern democracy. Its not elections, its education and the innovation and progress that comes from it that builds a democracy. Elections are but a small function in the greater equation and only a cheating charlatan would put them up on a pedestool and proclaim it is the end-all benchmark.
  
  The more you cry "elections!" to vindicate utter clowns like Thaksin and Hun Sen, the more empty your argument begins to look.

• a Khmer in Phnom Penh

  Discussion 33 : 27/10/2009 at 05:59 PM33

  It is quite surprising that Mr. Veera, a former editor, wrote such a very biased article which seriously lacks professionalism and journalism. Much more factual and contextual analysis should have been used. But fair to him, I would take this as his manipulating and fact-twisting-by-writing skill.
  
  I doubt if anyone rejects the fact that the current Thai government was "installed" by the military after military and judicial coups. It is true that Thailand was going through such a political hard time but any means that were used were no democratic at all and all Thai leaders should have the courage to admit it. Suu Kyi or Thaksin, let's face it. Correct me if i'm wrong, it's manu militari. If you all still doubt, take a look at what happens currently in Honduras or Italy.
  
  Hun Sen was no diplomatic to have given the host no face at such an international forum but his playmanship and political skills instantly and blatantly trapped Abhisit, whose government tends to play innocent when things go out of control.
  
  I sincerely admire Mr. Veera's courage to raise the Preah Vihear issue. For better or worse, the internal Thai politics was the cause of what it is today. Treaties that were signed more than a century ago or a MOU signed less than a decade ago just make no sense and never seem to be enough to a handful of self-proclaimed civilized and democratic Thai leaders. Lately and to my big surprise, there is a call from a few parliamentarians to "DELAY SOLUTION TO BORDER CONFLICT" which potentially risks more bloodshed as a sign of protest to HUN SEN!!! BRAVO! they seriously and maybe self-convincingly but after all irresponsibly think that Hun Sen would go to the fighting front in person face-to-face with Abhisit alone.

• seagull

  Discussion 32 : 27/10/2009 at 03:20 PM32

  Be noticed that, PM Hun Sen won the election in a democratic way which acknowledged by International Community. Don't assume that you know Hun Sen more than Cambodian who are the rights holders to choose Hun Sen as the leader.
  
  I'm too, not a fan of PM Hun Sen... but as a Cambodian, I'm happy to be in a current Cambodia with is under a peaceful state with gradual development. Cambodian are optimistically looking to a brighter future through PM Hun Sen leadership.

• Dan

  Discussion 31 : 27/10/2009 at 02:40 PM31

  Some facts well known: Hun Sen was part of the Khmer Rouge until he defected to Vietnam; later he was part of the fight to topple Pol Pot and to stop the Cambodian genocide known as the killing fields.
  
  Some facts not very well known: Pol Pot attacked and murdered thousands of Vietnamese civilians in the border towns; he claimed southern Vietnam as part of Cambodia which was lost to Vietnam in the 18th century (read Brothers' Enemy by Chanda, long-time Southeast Asia correspondent for Far Eastern Economic Review); Vietnamese population living in Cambodia was purposely targeted during the genocide.
  
  
  The average Cambodian deeply distrusts and blames both Vietnam and Thailand for their country's woes both in the past and even now.

• KevinKhmer

  Discussion 30 : 27/10/2009 at 01:19 AM30

  Bob Discussion #24,
  
  Thank you for your history lesson. It is very accurate and factual; however, it is a bit askew. As a survivor of the Communist Khmer Rouges Regime; I do know full well of the atrocities. People kept stating that Prime Minister Hun Sen is a former Khmer Rouge BN Commander in the Easter Zone.
  
  After the Khmer Rouges took over Cambodia in 1975, the top leader, Pol Pot, decided that there were many of their foot Soldiers as well as commanders don’t really conform to the policy of genocide or mass murder of Cambodian people. Some were purged, murdered, and some like Prime Minister Hun Sen, he managed to escape to Vietnam. He was very welcome to Vietnam; knowing that Prime Minister Hun Sen will be useful in future fights against the Khmer Rouges. This came true when the Vietnamese troop invaded Cambodia in late 1978. Along with the Vietnamese troop, there were thousands of ex-Khmer Rouges to include Prime Minster Hun Sen who fought against hardcore Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouges.
  
  There were many ordinary Khmers who joined the revolutionary or the Khmer Rouges believing that their services and sacrifices were noble and patriotic, serving the country and protecting their love one from the B-52. My uncle, cousin, and Prime Minister Hun Sen is the same. Prime Minister is not a murderous Khmer Rouges like most or all of you stated. He was the instrument of warfare. He absorbed the lesson from war, the suffering, the struggle, and his experience to his own advantage.
  
  For the record, there are many former Khmer Rouges Soldiers in Cambodia. We have moved on. We forgave and reconciled. There is no more Khmer Rouges Soldier now in Cambodia.
  
  I am not a fan of Prime Minster Hun Sen; however, I like fair, balance, fact and honest assessment of my country’s leader. This innuendo is nothing but false and ill gasp of the real issue confronting Thailand. The real issue is that Thailand internal politics is out of control and the flame reaches their neighbors.

• Steve

  Discussion 29 : 26/10/2009 at 10:44 PM29

  Mr Burma (#26) provides a very detailed and valuable perspective that exemplifies just some of the many limitations of ASEAN. Looking around the bloc's membership, you struggle to find a participant with much of a reputation for upholding the principles of democracy (to most people's surprise, perhaps Indonesia is starting to emerge as an honourable exception) - and "clean hands" are not much in evidence with most having enough dirty laundry of their own to see the sense of not washing that of another member in public. This approach is enshrined in their "fundamental principles":
  
  1. Mutual respect for the independence, sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity, and national identity of all nations;
  2. The right of every State to lead its national existence free from external interference, subversion or coercion;
  3. Non-interference in the internal affairs of one another;
  4. Settlement of differences or disputes by peaceful manner;
  5. Renunciation of the threat or use of force;
  6. Effective cooperation among themselves.
  
  Given items 1,2 and 3 - one wonders what prospects there are of achieving much of item 6. But, to quote Wikipedia's entry: "The motivations for the birth of ASEAN were so that its members’ governing elite could concentrate on nation building...... free to implement independent policies with the knowledge that neighbours would refrain from interfering in their domestic affairs". Rather puts you in mind of crime syndicates agreeing to respect each others' "turf"..........
  
  No surprise, then, that little (and nothing of any consequence) is said about the situation in Myanmar - never mind the business interests that Thailand, in particular, has there. Mr Burma concentrates on Thaksin's ventures, but I imagine he is also aware of those others which both pre-date Thaksin and continue today. No surprise either that Singapore's foreign ministry came out with such bizarre diplo-speak when commenting favourably on Myanmar's "sovereign prerogative to grant amnesty by halving her [Suu Kyi’s] sentence". Khun Abhisit's version of this is to talk up the benefits of "engagement" with Myanmar - something we can expect to hear much more of when he co-chairs the upcoming US-ASEAN summit in Singapore.

• Billy Budd

  Discussion 28 : 26/10/2009 at 09:13 PM28

  Hun Sen as a practiced revolutionary is laughing at Thailands elite backed "Ruritanian" government and the mire in which it now finds itself. More sympathetic nations are watching open-mouthed or weeping at it's byzantine struggles. As long as open discussion on socio-political aspects of the nation are deemed illegal and sensible discussion has to be carried out in code-words, analogy, fable, rumour and gossip then chaos will thrive. The days of Thailand as an asian tiger have gone as other neighbours have to a greater extent solved their social issues and surged ahead unencumbered. The truth is that for better or worse there are people Thailand who want change and people who don't and those who want change are in the majority.
  Buddhism teaches that change is inevitable, the only question is how you choose to go about it. By compromise, open discussion and inclusion of the polity, or by paramilitary repression, propaganda and manipulation of the judiciary and state.
  It is not for me to tell the Thai people what to choose but from conversations that I have heard but the internet age has bought education to increasing numbers in remote areas and the genie is out of the bottle. It is vital, and I hope, still possible that discussion and compromise between all parties is achieved and Thailand can move forward with it's best traditions intact (and I include a constitutional monarchy in that!)if some of it's uglier ones are removed.
  This will take admission and acceptance that the nation has some less desirable traditions.
  To close with some of the unfortunate allusions that we have to allude to these days: The elephant is in the room and getting bigger each day and the genie is well and truly out of the bottle and cannot be forced back in.
  The fact that I have to use a pseudonym and write cryptically goes to the heart of the problems facing thailand today and I pray that the people responsible can see and understand this and find their way forward in unity not repression. Burmese style democracy is not something to be admired.
  
  and Khun Veera,
  I don't believe you really believe what you write. Please try to offer a less biased perspective and aspire to some journalistic integrity. You have the ability. All that is required is the courage and inclination.
  Perhaps that is my message to all Thai people? politicians, generals, shop owners, construction workers and rice gatherers.
  I would like to finish by emphasising the quotation from the memorial to King Ananda Mahidol which I think deserves to be more widely acknowledged:
  “If all Thai people know they are owners of the nation and each one discharges their duties accordingly and according to right principles, then the difficulties of the nation will pass away"

• Alex

  Discussion 27 : 26/10/2009 at 06:34 PM27

  Thanks Mr. Burma, very useful material for reminding us all about things we should never forget about.

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