[Vietnamization: Military] PM Warns on ‘Color Revolution’

Several senior military officials including commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) General Pol Saroeun, his deputy Kun Kim, head of the Bodyguard Unit Hing Bun Heang and deputy prime minister Tea Banh, who is also Defense Minister, have previously pledged to protect the premier and his family on top of ensuring that a color revolution does not take place anywhere in the Kingdom.

Police officers listen to Hun Sen’s speech yesterday. Supplied

PM Warns on ‘Color Revolution’

Khmer Times | 4 November 2016

Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday reminded police and all members of the armed forces to ensure that a color revolution did not break out in Cambodia and urged them to continuously protect the government.

While giving a lecture at Kandal province’s Police Academy of Cambodia on the topic of the management of command forces on various national and international situations, Mr. Hun Sen said the armed forces and police needed to protect the independence and sovereignty of Cambodia.

“All the various kinds of armed forces have to ensure that the color revolution will not occur in Cambodia, which would destroy happiness and peace in the country, and they must also protect the legitimate government,” he said during his speech to National Police trainers and officers, as well as to trainees at the academy.

He added that the police and the armed forces also needed to work towards strengthening domestic security, on top on their ongoing work in ensuring that social problems like human trafficking, drug trafficking and all forms of crime were eradicated.

“They must ensure that terrorism won’t happen in the country so Cambodia can attract more tourists and investors,” he said.

Several senior military officials including commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) General Pol Saroeun, his deputy Kun Kim, head of the Bodyguard Unit Hing Bun Heang and deputy prime minister Tea Banh, who is also Defense Minister, have previously pledged to protect the premier and his family on top of ensuring that a color revolution does not take place anywhere in the Kingdom.

In July, a 25-year-old university student was sentenced to 18 months behind bars for incitement after he called for a color revolution on Facebook. He plans to appeal his sentence to the Supreme Court after his appeal was struck down.

Mr. Hun Sen has repeatedly warned the public against organizing color revolutions, saying on May 10 that freedom of expression should not be “abused” at the expense of others.

He said this after eight activists, all dressed in black, were arrested a week earlier for protesting in Phnom Penh over the jailing of four rights workers and one election official.