reader Posted October 14 Share Posted October 14 From Barron's / AFP Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet kept a low profile at the ASEAN summit in Vientiane, holding meetings on the sidelines with fellow leaders but making no public statements to the media. An ex-military man, he marched straight past waiting reporters as he arrived for summit sessions, his most animated moment a jovial conversation with Singapore's foreign minister. More than a year after inheriting power from his father Hun Sen, he has yet to hold an open news conference to explain how he will navigate challenges including balancing China and the West. In contrast, Hun Sen regularly opines on government policy to his millions of social media followers. Analysts say the father remains the power behind the throne in the Southeast Asian nation. Officially, Hun Sen stepped down last year after nearly four decades of iron-fisted rule, passing the baton to his eldest son following a landslide win in national polls held without any significant opposition parties. In February, Hun Sen took over as president of the senate, the country's second-highest ceremonial role after King Norodom Sihamoni, and has since hosted every foreign dignitary visiting the country -- just as he did when prime minister. A few months later, he openly stated his enduring authority. "I have not finished my political life," he told an audience of government officials and foreign dignitaries. "I am the father of the prime minister." Continues at https://www.barrons.com/news/the-son-almost-rises-cambodia-s-hun-sen-the-power-behind-throne-b8bc2b5d ============= From MSN Anti-Vietnam Sentiment Is Raising the Heat on Cambodia's Huns Cambodia is packing it in on a 25-year-old regional agreement with neighboring Laos and Vietnam. In a surprise move, Prime Minister Hun Manet and his father, former Prime Minister Hun Sen-who stepped down a year ago but remains the head of the all-powerful Cambodian People's Party-announced the country's withdrawal from the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Area, or CLV, in late September. The announcement came after a protest movement and subsequent crackdown fueled by fears of Vietnamese encroachment, raising questions about Cambodia's future role in regional affairs. The CLV has long roots. It was first broached in 1999 at an unofficial meeting between the then-leaders of the three countries-including Hun Sen himself-as a way to strengthen stability and trilateral interconnectivity, while also acknowledging that many of the countries' provincial communities have long had transborder cultural, social and business ties. When it was officially launched in 2004, the agreement covered 10 border provinces-four in Vietnam and three each in Laos and Cambodia-with an additional province in each country added in 2009. For nearly two decades, investments and development through the CLV gathered pace without incident. Then, earlier this year, an online movement of Cambodians began objecting en masse to the agreement, citing border security and sovereignty as their key sources of concern. Continues at https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/anti-vietnam-sentiment-is-raising-the-heat-on-cambodia-s-huns/ar-AA1rXKqA tm_nyc, vinapu and bkkmfj2648 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithambrose Posted 5 hours ago Share Posted 5 hours ago On 10/14/2024 at 11:59 AM, reader said: From Barron's / AFP Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet kept a low profile at the ASEAN summit in Vientiane, holding meetings on the sidelines with fellow leaders but making no public statements to the media. An ex-military man, he marched straight past waiting reporters as he arrived for summit sessions, his most animated moment a jovial conversation with Singapore's foreign minister. More than a year after inheriting power from his father Hun Sen, he has yet to hold an open news conference to explain how he will navigate challenges including balancing China and the West. In contrast, Hun Sen regularly opines on government policy to his millions of social media followers. Analysts say the father remains the power behind the throne in the Southeast Asian nation. Officially, Hun Sen stepped down last year after nearly four decades of iron-fisted rule, passing the baton to his eldest son following a landslide win in national polls held without any significant opposition parties. In February, Hun Sen took over as president of the senate, the country's second-highest ceremonial role after King Norodom Sihamoni, and has since hosted every foreign dignitary visiting the country -- just as he did when prime minister. A few months later, he openly stated his enduring authority. "I have not finished my political life," he told an audience of government officials and foreign dignitaries. "I am the father of the prime minister." Continues at https://www.barrons.com/news/the-son-almost-rises-cambodia-s-hun-sen-the-power-behind-throne-b8bc2b5d ============= From MSN Anti-Vietnam Sentiment Is Raising the Heat on Cambodia's Huns Cambodia is packing it in on a 25-year-old regional agreement with neighboring Laos and Vietnam. In a surprise move, Prime Minister Hun Manet and his father, former Prime Minister Hun Sen-who stepped down a year ago but remains the head of the all-powerful Cambodian People's Party-announced the country's withdrawal from the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Area, or CLV, in late September. The announcement came after a protest movement and subsequent crackdown fueled by fears of Vietnamese encroachment, raising questions about Cambodia's future role in regional affairs. The CLV has long roots. It was first broached in 1999 at an unofficial meeting between the then-leaders of the three countries-including Hun Sen himself-as a way to strengthen stability and trilateral interconnectivity, while also acknowledging that many of the countries' provincial communities have long had transborder cultural, social and business ties. When it was officially launched in 2004, the agreement covered 10 border provinces-four in Vietnam and three each in Laos and Cambodia-with an additional province in each country added in 2009. For nearly two decades, investments and development through the CLV gathered pace without incident. Then, earlier this year, an online movement of Cambodians began objecting en masse to the agreement, citing border security and sovereignty as their key sources of concern. Continues at https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/anti-vietnam-sentiment-is-raising-the-heat-on-cambodia-s-huns/ar-AA1rXKqA Clever heading! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
