Cambodia's anticorruption chief apologizes for Hun Sen statue plan

Om Yentieng (Photo: Sovannara, RFI)

PHNOM PENH, Jun. 18, 2010 (Kyodo News International) -- The chief of Cambodia's anticorruption commission has apologized for planning to unveil a massive statue of Prime Minister Hun Sen at his commission's headquarters, a letter seen Friday showed.

Om Yin Tieng, one of Hun Sen's personal advisors as well as anticorruption chief, sought ''forgiveness'' in the letter dated Thursday for having a 5-meter statue of the prime minister made and planning to install it at the anticorruption headquarters.

Hun Sen has reportedly banned making statues of himself and other living Cambodians and installing them on public property because it ''goes against Cambodian culture'' and, according to some, because it is attracting strong public criticism of those being ''honored'' for thinking far too highly of themselves.

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