Thread: Hun Sen lays into Veg

COWBOY DIPLOMACY
"Abhisit could die from problems"


Published on November 12, 2009




Cambodian PM Hun Sen's recent interview showed no love lost between him and the current Thai government.


Cambodian PM Hun Sen meets the press and following is an excerpt of his conversation.
Problems with the Thai-Cambodia bilateral ties:

The problem with Thai-Cambodia relations is really a problem between myself and Khun Abhisit (Vejjajiva), the prime minister of Thailand. Before anybody speaks about this, they need to understand that I have been working in politics when the Thai prime minister was still a child.

Border closing:

If you want to close the border, close it. Cambodia will take up action in response. Cambodia will close the border, as well as shut out economic activities as well. Even one mouse will not be permitted to cross the border. We can get Thai goods through other countries. In 2008, Thailand exported US$2 billion to Cambodia - but Cambodia exported only US$90 million to Thailand. I don't want to close the border as it would affect the people, but the Thai prime minister is making threats.
Appointing Thaksin Shinawatra as economic adviser:

I want to be clear to all Thai people that the government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is the one making an issue out of this. Cambodia has appointed a number of foreigners as economic advisers in the past, including Koreans and Australians and I don't see what the prime minister is afraid of. I have explained to the Asean meeting in Hua Hin, and I have been very patient about it, but I have been at the receiving end of Thailand's attack. It was Abhisit who went on and invalidated the MoU (on joint development of overlapping territory in the Gulf of Thailand).
Who is really serving whom?

Khun Abhisit is alleging that Thailand's dignity is at stake. But I want to tell you that the "red shirts" support this appointment (of Thaksin) but the "yellow shirts" don't. And there are those who are remaining quiet about this whole thing. These people know that the Hun Sen government is a good administration. My government is not being used by anybody. I think it's Abhisit who has become a tool of Thaksin. Whenever Thaksin opens up on certain issues, it is Abhisit who reacts accordingly and acted without thinking about the interests of the country and its people. He is using personal reasons to cancel cooperation between two countries. Can Thai people live with a leader like this? Can a person like this lead Asean? Asean will eventually become one market and possibly one currency but it's Thailand who is behaving aggressively against Cambodia. During the Angkor civilisation there were accusations that Thailand had lost territory to Cambodia. Study your history and you will see who is the real aggressor.
What can Asean do?

Cambodia is prepared to negotiate any place, any time, in a bilateral or multilateral setting. But it appeared that Thailand has already decided that this is not going to happen. Asean Secretary-General Surin (Pitsuwan) needs to understand that it has to be comprehensive and should include the 19 September 2006 coup (against Thaksin), the overlapping claims along the border, the appointment of Thaksin as economic advisor. You can use whatever mechanism you want, Cambodia is ready. I helped safe Thailand and Abhisit's face by not talking about this at Asean Summit in Hua Hin. You want to solve this problem you should go to the beginning. If this is about appointing Thaksin, then we need to all the way back to the 19 September coup. If Ahisit is so capable, why not dissolve the Parliament and call for a new election. What is he afraid of? I am the prime minister of Cambodia who received two-third of the vote and how much vote did Abhisit received or did he stole his seat from other people? If so how do you expect to respect you?
Insulting Thailand

Abhisit is faced with all kinds of problems. He could die from it. He has problem with all his neighbours, including Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia and Myanmar. Moreover, he has problem with the yellow shirt, the red shirt and the blue shirt and the white shirt. Even the yellow shirt are not united among their own kind. What due respect does Cambodia has to give Thailand? Appointing Thaksin has nothing to do with Thailand? I have told Abhisit that Thaksin is my friend. Friend don't betray friend.
About disrespecting Thailand's judicial system:

There is nothing in the Thai judicial system that is worth respecting. In the past Khieu Samphan, Nuan Chea was residing in Cambodia before they relocate to Cambodia. This was not only a violation of international laws and norms, Thailand even endorse Khmer Rogue and the peace process. I want the Thai people to know that the government don't even respect international law and so how can we even respect Thai judicial system?
On Preah Vihear Temple:

We negotiated with Thailand three times. We agreed to solve the problem peacefully. But the agreement they signed was erased with their feet. Thailand obstructed Thailand's bid (for Unesco World Heritage) and has the nerve to say that it has nothing to do with Cambodia. It's like they are calling us stupid. Thailand has used Preah Vihear as a hostage and used it to take down a government. I have asked Parliament President Chai Chidchob for help but he said the issue has passed the Parliament. Thailand politicised this issue at the expense of prolonging the problem.


Thailand news, Rakesh Saxena , Thaksin , Hun Sen , Cambodia conflict ,15th Asean Summit in Cha Am / Hua Hin , Thai Politics , Bangkok Business, Thailand Tourism, Breaking News - Nationmultimedia.com

He sounds a little crazy to me...

^ I've got a theory about this, not a conspiracy theory, just a theory

He is mirroring what so many posters here have said in the past

In my long experience here this is a calculated step by HS and Toxin to exploit a time of great instability in Thailand at the time of the passing.

^
Absolutely.
The Thai government muppets are out of their depth at this level. They have been fooled by Thaksin using disinformation and destabilization tactics. The name of the game here now should be to stabilize the situation in Thailand but they are to stupid to do that.
If you cannot do something constructive then move onto damage limitation.
But I suppose to much of a loss of face for the Thais.

Mr.T has really moved on a gear its like a Ferrari up against a Fiat Uno. These people have no concept of how to bring stability back to the country because everyones snout is in the government trough.

Pretty much everything they all do and say is a "calculated step". Its the nature of politics.

The PAD backed elite class/military oligarchy has been trying to stir up nationalistic fervor with their "illegal" border land grab at the temple site as a diversion from domestic political issues.
As most Thais look down their nose at the Cambodians it probably seemed like a good idea to stir up some trouble with them at the time.

Now Hun Sen has turned the tables on Abhisit and moved the central focus of the issue back to the illegal 2006 Thai military coup which removed the countries democratically elected government and allowed the military to install their own defacto government.

The more Abhisit huffs and puffs about Thaksin the more he is dancing to Hun Sen and Thaksins tune. And the more Abhisit rants and keeps this issue on the front page, the more support he rallies for Thaksin over the injustice of the military removing the peoples choice in favour of his own illegitimate government.

Hun Sen and Thaksin are playing Abhisit and Co like a fish.
All this tough talk by the present Thai government is going to back fire in their faces when they finally have to face the people in an election.

^
I believe you are a lot closer to the truth than most on here.
As I said before Mr. T is in for the long haul he can afford to wait.

Originally Posted by Panda

Hun Sen and Thaksin are playing Abhisit and Co like a fish.

Good post, Panda, total agreement . . . but how does one play a fish?

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

He sounds a little crazy to me...

Remembering that he kept unstable company during his days. Crazy is as crazy does. As a fox..

Originally Posted by Muadib

Very shrewd of Hun Sen to go on the offensive and chastise Abhisit & the Thai government for their seemingly childish behavior... Rock them back on their heals while insinuating that the 2006 coup and ouster of Thaksin has left the people without an elected government...

Seemingly ? Thai government behavior is childish.
Insinuating ? The 2006 coup did deprive the Thai people of its elected government.

Originally Posted by madasafish

In my long experience here this is a calculated step by HS and Toxin to exploit a time of great instability in Thailand at the time of the passing.

Which was, IMO, the reason for the coup in the first place.

They are all jostling for space at the captain's table.

There is nothing in the Thai judicial system that is worth respecting.
My compliments to Hun Sen for having spoken what every nation in the world thinks about Thai judicial clowns but until now were too polite to say.

I bet the Cambodian Justice System is examplary, much better than Thailand

Cambodian is the beacon of light of democracy in SE Asia, followed closely by Myanmar and Laos

Of course appoiting a "friend" as economic advisor is standard procedure in Cambodian, further proof that the system is based on equality and competence

This whole debacle has nothing to do with the temple thing,

Originally Posted by BKKBoet

Moreover, he has problem with the yellow shirt, the red shirt and the blue shirt and the white shirt. Even the yellow shirt are not united among their own kind.

Abhisit should make a new law......


Guaranteed vote winner all round
Also banning coloured shirts in public

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The Joker and all the villains gather in Cambodia...

<Thaksin?

^ For a second there I though I was reading a Mr. R Sole post.

Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest

Thaksins credentials as an astute financial manager are well established and acknowledged by friend and foe alike in Thailand.

The pro and anti Thaksin camps are well established as well with not too many undecided on the middle ground.

Abhisit's petty antics, (a) will not force Cambodia to hand over Thaksin, (b) will not force Cambodia to boot Thaksin out of Cambo, and (c) will not swing the Thai Thaksin supporters over to Abhisit on a wave of anti-Cambodian nationalism.

Thailands poor are undergoing tough economic times as a result of the world economic downturn. The people remember how Thaksin brought their country back to relative prosperity after the Asian economic meltdown of the late '90s.
Now we have a situation where an unpopular Thai government, which rose to power on the back of a military coup, has handed the peoples best hope of regaining a proven economic manager to a country next door. Thats like throwing petrol on a fire. But in this case the fire will be under Abhisits own arse.

Hun Sen is not playing to the Thai audience. He doesn't need to. Abhisit is doing a great job of that for him. He is playing to a much wider audience, -- that being the ASEAN community of countries which will surely try to intervene and mediate as Abhisit continues his dummy spit and ramps up the heat with more war talk.
Consider the quote from Hun Sens speech below, ---

"Cambodia is prepared to negotiate any place, any time, in a bilateral or multilateral setting. But it appeared that Thailand has already decided that this is not going to happen. Asean Secretary-General Surin (Pitsuwan) needs to understand that it has to be comprehensive and should include the 19 September 2006 coup (against Thaksin), the overlapping claims along the border, the appointment of Thaksin as economic advisor. You can use whatever mechanism you want, Cambodia is ready. I helped safe Thailand and Abhisit's face by not talking about this at Asean Summit in Hua Hin. You want to solve this problem you should go to the beginning. If this is about appointing Thaksin, then we need to all the way back to the 19 September coup. If Ahisit is so capable, why not dissolve the Parliament and call for a new election. What is he afraid of? I am the prime minister of Cambodia who received two-third of the vote and how much vote did Abhisit received or did he stole his seat from other people? If so how do you expect to respect you?"

That's all well and good and I agree with your points, but I just don't see anyone here giving a shit about it.

Lots of posturing, but Thaksin isn't in Thailand and he has little actual clout. He can flit about, trying to create divisions, but whatever he and Hun Sen say, the ruling elite here isn't going to care. They have the power here, he doesn't. End of.