Page 11 - ARUBA TODAY

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WORLD NEWS Thursday 2 augusT 2018

Hun Sen plays hardball to keep his grip on Cambodia

By GRANT PECK side parliament, but relied
Associated Press mostly on the country's
BANGKOK (AP) — Deter- tamed courts, mounting le-
mined to extend his 33 years gal cases against the gov-
as Cambodia's strongman ernment's foes to sideline
ruler, Prime Minister Hun them.
Sen was not about to let an The CNRP's two lead-
election derail what he be- ers were forced to stay
lieves is his destiny. abroad because of an old
The 65-year-old leader had defamation conviction,
declared he intends to stay and jailed pending trial for
in office for 10 more years, treason. The far-fetched al-
and Sunday's general elec- legation of plotting regime
tion victory by his Cambo- change with the backing
dian People's Party should of the United States was the
get him halfway to that basis for dissolving their par-
goal. ty, banning more than 100
The walkover win was a of its leaders from political
foregone conclusion, with activity for five years, and
the government-influ- forcing out party members
enced courts having dis- from national and local po-
solved the only credible litical offices. A crackdown
opposition party last year. on the media silenced oth-
In his first public appear- In this Sunday, July 29, 2018, file photo, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen casting his ballot at a er critical voices.
ance since the election, polling station in Takhmua in Kandal province, Cambodia. Associated Press It was no more Mr. Nice Guy
Hun Sen shook hands and for Hun Sen, who had taken
posed for pictures Wednes- left eye in the final battle of bloody fighting in and 2013 election approached. to projecting an avuncular
day while inaugurating for Phnom Penh in 1975. But around the capital. Heightened expectations image, especially on his
a new ferry service be- when a series of purges put With the levers of state among educated city Facebook page where he
tween Phnom Penh and a his own life at risk he fled to power again solely in his dwellers included a desire likes to post selfies of himself
nearby town. Speaking to Vietnam, returning to help hands, Hun Sen began to for a freer society. with other nation's leaders.
reporters, he hailed what oust his former comrades in master electoral democ- That election's results put The opposition showed
he called his government's 1979. racy with Machiavellian the opposition Cambodian its strength again in local
achievement of establish- He rose quickly. By his late skill. His party employed National Rescue Party with- elections last year, and Hun
ing "democracy and the twenties he was installed as violence on occasion, but in striking distance of pow- Sen lashed out at his critics.
process of peace." foreign minister by occupy- tactics such as divide and er, winning 55 seats in the "Your tongue is the reason
Chalk up another success ing Vietnamese forces, and conquer ultimately proved National Assembly against for war. If you still make
for Asia's most durable in 1985, prime minister in a more rewarding. the CPP's 68, and 44 per- insults and threats to kill,
leader and the politics of single-party communist re- As strong economic growth cent of the popular vote to you have to prepare your
guile and ruthlessness. gime. buoyed his control, Hun Sen the CPP's 48 percent. coffin," he said, accord-
"Hun Sen is a born survivor," When he lost a 1993 U.N.- began to assume the man- It was a wake-up call for ing to the Cambodia Daily
said Sebastian Strangio, au- supervised election to bring tle of statesman and pre- Hun Sen, particularly as op- newspaper, since forced
thor of a 2014 biography. in multiparty democracy, pared his sons — appoint- position supporters took to to close. "To protect the
"He has been in power now he threatened war unless ed to important military the streets to back their de- peace for millions of peo-
for more than half his life. he was given a share of positions — to be his politi- mand for a fairer share of ple, if necessary, 100 or 200
He is somebody who ap- power. He got his way. cal successors. A daughter power. must be eliminated. Please
parently has very few hob- The arrangement of having controls the country's most After buying time with listen carefully. ... Who-
bies. He spends most of his two prime ministers proved important private television largely symbolic conces- ever intends to undermine
time in the weighing and unworkable. The partner- station. sions, a methodical cam- peace will receive what
accumulation of power." ship was broken up in 1997 Widespread land grabbing paign was launched to you deserve." Although the
He came from humble by what some termed a by Cambodian cronies break the back of the op- sharp criticisms he referred
roots in the provinces. In coup by Hun Sen, whose and foreign investors trig- position. to were mostly from ran-
the 1970s he joined Pol Pot's forces co-opted, chased gered a tide of popular re- It included the beating of dom social media postings,
Khmer Rouge as it battled into exile or murdered his sentment and occasional two CNRP lawmakers by he pinned the blame on
to seize power. He lost his opponents after a few days violent resistance as the an organized mob out- leaders of the CNRP.q