Hun Sen tells opposition leader not to take revenge after he steps down

Hun Sen tells opposition leader not to take revenge after he steps down

     

KUALA LUMPUR, April 25, Kyodo - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Saturday told opposition leader Sam Rainsy not to take revenge on him after he is out of power, while the two were attending the same event in Kuala Lumpur.

It is the first time that Hun Sen made such a statement, although he did not reveal when he will seek to step down.

     

"Now I'm still prime minister and everyone can live with me, but let's say at one point in time Sam Rainsy becomes prime minister, for example," Hun Sen said as he spent nearly two hours meeting with about 300 Cambodian laborers and students working and studying in Malaysia.

If Sam Rainsy were to take action that would put him in harm and not let him live in peace, then Hun Sen said he will have no choice but to retaliate and prevent his rival from staying in power peacefully.

The prime minister said it is "enough" in terms of infighting in Cambodia, noting that the country now has a smaller territory resulting from the historical split, revenge, separation and conflict among Khmers.

     

He urged all Khmers to be united and work together for the country's peace and prosperity, adding that despite differences in political background or party affiliation, the concept of regarding the other side as "enemies" should be rejected.

"Cambodian territory is ours. It belongs to neither Hun Sen nor Sam Rainsy nor any other individual but to all Cambodians," he added.

Hun Sen was in Kuala Lumpur to attend the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, while Sam Rainsy was in the Malaysian capital for a meeting with his colleagues from the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats.

In January this year, Hun Sen, 64, marked 30 years in power and is said to be the longest serving prime minister in Asia. He has never indicated when he will retire but his statement in Malaysia may be a hint that he is considering when to step down.

In recent weeks, political observers have speculated that Hun Sen may be thinking of a proper time to step down and suggested that Sar Kheng, current deputy prime minister and minister of interior, may be his interim successor before handing the post to Hun Sen's eldest son, Hun Manet, who graduated in 1999 from the United States Military Academy at West Point.