Mr Rainsy was granted a royal pardon and arrived in Phnom Penh to a hero's welcome from thousands of cheering supporters who lined the streets. Mr Rainsy and the CNRP - supported by reports of widespread irregularities from local and international election monitors - cried foul and rejected the results.
They led a protest movement for nearly a year, including mass street rallies and a large sit-in at a park in Phnom Penh. It was the most significant challenge to Hun Sen's rule in more than a decade, and eventually he ordered the security forces to end the protests.
He and Mr Rainsy reached a deal to work together under a "culture of dialogue" but this eventually broke down, with opposition party members and activists jailed. Sam Rainsy again fled abroad after a historic prison sentence was resurrected.
In , a government crackdown against perceived dissidents escalated, ahead of local elections in In July, a prominent political analyst and government critic, Kem Ley, was assassinated in broad daylight, supposedly over a debt dispute. In September, Kem Sokha, the new leader, was arrested on treason charges and several other senior politicians fled into exile.
Hun Sen is facing calls for sanctions against his inner circle, but appears to be pushing ahead to consolidate control. Analysts say he is grooming his three sons - all of whom are in powerful positions either in the party, military or government - to take the reins when he eventually steps down.
Hun Sen, seen in the late s L and this year R , has been in power for more than three decades. Political deals. Warnings of war. His achievements in this period included fulfilling commitments to the improvement of rural roads, schools, dispensaries and health care centers, and access to clean water. He has a B. For his great efforts and contributions to national reconciliation, peace, and the socio-economic development of Cambodia , Hun Sen had been awarded the title of "Samdech" by His Majesty the King.
It was presented in recognition of achievements scored by Samdech Hun Sen both in quantitative and qualitative terms. Sri Chinmoy refers to Samdech Hun Sen as an instrument selected by the Lord Buddha to save millions of people of Cambodia from deaths, to provide them with education, food and shelters, to build them schools, hospitals and water canals, and to lead Cambodia into ASEAN.
On August 6, , Samdech Hun Sen was admitted as a member the Academy of Natural Sciences of the Russian Federation and was conferred with a medal in recognition of his leadership in bringing peace, stability and socio-economic development for Cambodia.
This is to recognize his national consciousness and leadership ability in ending civil war, carrying all-field rehabilitation and development, and giving opportunity to Cambodian engineers to take part in the process of national reconstruction and development. On July 09, , in recognition of his contribution to and achievements in the defense, construction and development of Cambodia, his proven leadership with advanced political sciences, of reforms in all fields, especially in high education, and in maintaining the national reconciliation, stability, peace and regional integration, the University of Cambodia grants Samdech Hun Sen the Honorary Doctorate Degree in Political Sciences.
On March 21, , during the official visit to the Republic of Korea, the Soon Chun Hyang University in Seoul conferred Samdech Hun Sen an Honorary Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science to signify his leading contribution in the reconstruction of and devoting physical and spiritual efforts for peace and prosperity in Cambodia and South East Asia as a whole, and particularly in promoting friendly relations with the Republic of Korea.
On June 28, , in appreciation and tribute to Samdech Hun Sen's various important contributions to the world of education, his reassuring determination for the well being of his people and the vast improvement of Cambodia-Thailand relations, the Council of Bansomdejchaopraya Rajabhat University unanimously resolved to confer on HE Samdech Hun Sen the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education for Locality Development in recognition of his role in developing the country through education and in contributing to strengthen the good relations between the two countries.
In January , as the age of 33, Hun Sen was he was elected Chairman of the Council of Ministers and Prime Minister, after the death of Chairman Chan Sy until , with a brief interruption from until He was not considered a complete puppet however and the record shows that he differed with the Vietnamese on many issues.
After the Vietnamese left, few people thought that Hun Sen would remain a player in Cambodian politics but he did. Hun Sen is married to Bun Rany. He met her im The following year they were married. The youngest, Malis was adopted. Hun Sen said they adopted their third daughter in the mid '80s when she was 18 days old. She has carried his family name, Hun, just like his biological children.
Hun Sen reportedly had an affair with an actress who was murdered. In July , the popular actress Piseth Peaklica was killed when two gun man opened fire on her while she was shopping at a market in Phnom Penh with her 7-year-old niece.
The year-old was dancer in the Royal Ballet was best known for her leading role in Shadow of Darkness , a film made by King Sihanouk. Huge crowds gathered outside the hospital to wish her well.
Some offered to donate their blood. She hung on for a week before she died. There were rumors that she was assassinated because of an affair with the Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. A concerned police chief warned the actress to break off the affair. Hun Sen is a very crafty, manipulative and wily politician. He knows how to play the international community. Nothing seems to below him: cheating, betrayal, killing. When confronted by the foreign press he either does not answer the question and gives a rosy scenario.
Hun Sen reportedly is a chain smoker and likes to drink green tea. He also enjoys playing golf and has studied English with a tutor. Hun Sen enjoys writing songs and sometimes sets his speeches to music. Many of the songs are linked with popular melodies and played on the government radio station. Cassettes versions are sold in the markets. One cassette vendor told the New York Times, "We displayed one once, but we took it down when the cover started to turn yellow.
In July , WikiLeaks released its small cache of Cambodia-related dispatches. The cables from the US Embassy in Phnom Penh span the period from to , nearly the entire life of democratic Cambodia. It describes a leader who "continues to show a near-obsession with his personal security" and would not travel outside the city unless accompanied by a retinue of around 60 bodyguards. In later years, Hun Sen showed signs of "increasing maturity", according to a cable 08PHNOMPENH signed by outgoing US ambassador Joseph Mussomeli, who cited the government's "restrained" reaction to provocations from Thailand on contested border territory and apparent commitment to democratic reform.
Overwhelmingly, however, the cables paint a picture of a leader adept at flattering and cajoling US officials while playing his own cards close to his chest. Ahead of the Cambodian national election, however, another cable 09PHNOMPENH described Hun Sen as also presiding over an "autocratic nip-and-tuck" and a "sophisticated, rules-based campaign to chip away at free speech".
According to another leaked cable, Cambodia's leading businessmen are linked to Hun Sen and the political leadership in a tight mesh of personal relationships and economic accommodations. Hun Sen enjoys a "mutually beneficial" relationship with the country's oligarchs who donate money towards the CPP in exchange for his personal backing in their business ventures. This economic in-breeding, the cable concludes, acts to "reinforce the culture of impunity and limit progress on reforms such as Hun Sen's self-declared 'war on corruption'.
I'm quite disappointed,'' Hun Sen said. He made the rare revelation about his closely guarded family life during a public speech at a student graduation ceremony. Hun Sen said he plans to file a civil court case to disown his adopted daughter so that she cannot claim any inheritance from his family. However, he appealed to society to show respect for gay people, saying "Most of them are good people and are not doing alcohol, drugs or racing vehicles.
He said he had heard requests from gay Cambodians that they be able to enjoy the same rights and freedoms as others. Gay rights is not a major issue in Cambodia, and Hun Sen seemed to have been inspired by discussions of the subject on International Human Rights Day on Monday, including on local television.
0コメント