PM hits back at criticism of Manet’s royal appeal

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Prime Minister Hun Sen and his son Hun Manet during a courtesy visit to King Norodom Sihamoni and the Queen Mother on January 22.

Prime Minister Hun Sen hit back at anonymous critics who took issue with the recent courtesy visit to King Noromdom Sihamoni, during which he introduced his son Hun Manet as his future successor.

Hun Sen and Manet paid the courtesy visit to King and Queen Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk on the afternoon of January 22.

Speaking while presiding over the inauguration ceremony of a new viaduct in the capital’s Russey Keo district on Jan. 31, Hun Sen said meeting the king and queen mother was an integral part of his duties as Prime Minister. He noted that the King and Queen Mother received both dignitaries and ordinary citizens.

The visit was criticized by analysts who said Manet, currently deputy head of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and commander of the infantry, has no formal accountability to the king.

“I met the King and informed him that when I retire from politics, my son will continue to lead. It was just a normal meeting, but analysts and pundits interpreted it as a matter of discussion. some importance.

“The King and Queen Mother receive not only the Prime Minister but also ordinary people. Why don’t they bother to analyze one of these meetings? Hun Sen asked rhetorically.

The prime minister’s response also mentioned the fact that Manet had already been introduced to the leaders of Vietnam and Myanmar – both in his military role and as a future candidate for prime minister after his retirement.

Manet was officially endorsed by the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) as a candidate for prime minister at the 43rd meeting of the CPP Central Committee in Phnom Penh on December 24.

Khin Phea, director of the Institute of International Relations at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said there was nothing wrong with Hun Sen presenting Manet to the king, saying his succession had been widely announced and made public following the explicit approval of his father.

“There is nothing wrong with the Prime Minister doing so. The King often grants the courtesy of an audience to the people when it suits him. The presentation to the King of the future ruling party candidate for the post of Prime Minister should hardly be seen as controversial and it will give Manet more confidence and help him prepare for the future.

“As we know, although Manet is the son of Prime Minister Hun Sen, he will not simply inherit his father’s post without any opposition. He will have to go through the official selection process by the party and then he will have to run successfully in the national elections,” Phea said.

Hun Sen also responded to those who criticized the lack of a Genocide Victory Day celebration in 2021 and 2022.

The celebrations are meant to mark the end of the Khmer Rouge regime’s rule over Cambodia, but have been canceled for the past two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The lack of celebrations has been interpreted by some political analysts as the CPP’s “withdrawal” or distancing from Vietnam.

“I would like to reaffirm to all doctoral students and experts that there is no chance that the CPP and the Cambodian people who survived until January 7 will never forget this date. We will always remember the victory over the genocidal regime,” he said.

He said he considers January 7 – which was achieved with the help of Vietnam – as the beginning of a new life for the Cambodian people and the nation’s second rebirth.

“Whether you accept it or not is up to you. But the CPP will never forget January 7th. While it is true that Vietnam helped Cambodia a lot, remember that it was Cambodia that reaped the real benefits from our victory that day,” he said.

The prime minister has also defended what some critics call the “iron fist” with which he rules Cambodia and his sometimes strict reactions to criticism.

“If I hadn’t wielded an iron fist, you probably would have witnessed chaos across the country. When you offend the social order, I must use my iron fist. Why? To protect the lives and happiness of all.

“If your little group of 10 or 100 is looking to stir up trouble, turmoil and chaos in Cambodia, then why shouldn’t I use my iron fist?” he asked rhetorically.

Regarding the January 7 public holiday, Phea said it was the cornerstone of the CPP’s political legacy. Liberating the people from the genocidal regime remains the CPP’s greatest achievement, he said, and the party therefore has every right to use the victory in its political message.

“There is no way the CPP will forget the January 7 victory because it is their political legacy. It gives them legitimacy – whether for the leaders of today or the leaders of tomorrow,” he said.

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