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 Hun Xen claimed that Keo Remy (above) arranged the meetings between him and Kem Sokha |
06 June 2011
By Tin Zakarya
Source: Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Soch for Ki-Media
Click here to read the original article in Khmer
Once again, Hun Xen revealed that there are many more documents linking him to Kem Sokha. At the same time, Hun Xen also announced that he has an old secret document linking to opposition leader Sam Rainsy as well.
Verbal disputes between party leaders always take place prior to the election in order to attract political support from the voters.
With the upcoming 2012 commune election fast approaching, Hun Xen, whose party won the largest number of votes, is starting to attack the opposition party once again. He accused the opposition party leader of contacting him in secret.
On 06 June, during a ceremony to distribute diplomas to students, Hun Xen warned two opposition parties – the HRP and the SRP – saying that leaders from both partied used to contact him on many occasions.
Hun Xen announced that he will have many more documents discussing about secret relations between him and Kem Sokha, HRP president. Hun Xen said that Keo Remy, the former vice-president of the HRP who defected to the CPP, was the one who arranged the meetings.
Regarding this issue, Keo Remy, who is currently the spokesman for the Anti-Corruption Unit and who used to criticize the government leader [Hun Xen] as being bad, confirmed Hun Xen’s claim.
On the other hand, Kem Sokha clarified that he did not know about the plan set up by Hun Xen so that Keo Remy would defect from the SRP to join his HRP party at all.
Kem Sokha said that he is not surprised by Hun Xen’s plan and claim that he has many secret documents in his sleeve. However, Kem Sokha claimed that he contacted Hun Xen to talk about national issues only, such as human rights violations, land violations etc… and that there was no secret to them.
Kem Sokha claimed again that Hun Xen’s goal is political so that the SRP will lose confidence in the HRP, because Hun Xen does not want to see an alliance between the SRP and the HRP.
The new announcement made by Hun Xen regarding this relationship with Kem Sokha came after a CPP supporter leaked a tape recording of the conversation between Kem Sokha and Hun Xen. The revelation was posted by a local newspaper on 29 May 2011. The discussion talked about the organization of the HRP congress that took place in 2007.
In addition to his relationship with Kem Sokha, Hun Xen also announced that he also used to get in touch with opposition leader Sam Rainsy as well. Hun Xen discussed about his meeting with Sam Rainsy in Takhmao, as well as phone conversations with the latter regarding the amendment to the constitution, the nomination of the National Assembly vice president, and the 50+1 formula for the setup of the government.
Yim Sovann, SRP spokesman, responded by saying that Sam Rainsy did meet with Hun Xen, but these meetings were not secret. All meetings between Hun Xen and Sam Rainsy were common knowledge, like the meetings that took place in 1998 and 2006. In all these meetings, Sam Rainsy pushed Hun Xen to resolve national problems, such as border problem, illegal immigrations and poverty problems, etc…
Regarding the amendment to the constitution, Yim Sovan explained that the SRP did not obey Hun Xen’s order, i.e., the opposition wanted to change issues that it think could be detrimental to the nation.
Independent political analysts view Hun Xen’s attack on opposition leaders as an indication that he is following the same political tactics used by the current Thai government leaders.
Hang Chhaya, executive director of the Khmer Institute for Democracy, explained that Hun Xen seems to following a campaign strategy instead. He indicated that, at a time when Cambodians are attracted to the border problems with Thailand, Vietnam and Laos, Hun Xen is trying to steal the attention of the public and direct them on a different issue altogether.
Hang Chhaya added that Hun Xen should not play a political game by attacking others, but he should concentrate on resolving more pressing issues such as poverty instead.
Five political parties won seats at the National Assembly during the 2008 election: the CPP won 90 seats, the SRP 26 seats, the HRP 3, the Funcinpec 2 and the Nationalist party – now renamed the Norodom Ranariddh party – won 2.
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