Thursday, 24 April 2008

Samdech Dekchor Wants to Stop the Use of Royal Language in the Top National Institutions

Posted on 24 April 2008.
The Mirror, Vol. 12, No. 557

Samdech Hun Sen Asks Samdech Euv and Samdech Mae to Advise a Son

Reaction of Mr. Mut Chantha…

“Samdech Akkak Moha Senapadei Dekchor Hun Sen said on 22 April 2008 that he wants to stop the use of royal language in the top national institutions in order to provide justice to all dignitaries in the use of the language for communication.

“Samdech Prime Minister said during the inauguration ceremony of the library at Queen Kossomak High School in Kratie, ‘I also want to have the words “Preah Angk Mchas [“prince” or “princess” not used in the National Assembly, the Senate and the Royal Government, and also not “Toul Bangkum Chea Khnhom [“I” used in communication with members of the royal family], because the use of special royal language in the parliament makes its members already to be not equal.’ Samdech stated that we protect the monarchy, but those who enter politics should not have a different immunity from other people who also entered politics.

“Samdech Prime Minister said with democracy in Cambodia, the politicians, when entering politics, cannot rely on themselves as the prince or princesses can…it should not be necessary to think whether you are a prince or princess.

“Samdech Dekchor Hun Sen is a dignitary who brought back the constitutional monarchy in 1993 - after Field Marshal Mr. Lon Nol had dissolved it through the military coup in 1970 - and he always declares to protect the monarchy by claiming that the monarchy is for all Cambodian citizens, and it does not belong specifically more to some and not to others.

“Samdech Dekchor said that some princes are respectable without entering politics, but some princes who enter politics must have the same rights as other politicians; when a prince hits us once, we must hit back twice to knock them down in order that they will never dare to do it again. Samdech said he used to give orders to princes who were members of the Royal Government, because they have to obey the Prime Minister’s orders.

“While not mentioning the name, Samdech Dekchor Hun Sen called the accusation by Prince Norodom Ranariddh, who said that he cannot return to the country because of Samdech Hun Sen, an absolutely wrong accusation, and Samdech also called on Samdech Euv [the former King, the 'Father King'] and on the King, to advise Prince Norodom Ranariddh.

“Samdech Prime Minister said that the King and Preah Karuna - the father and a brother [of Prince Ranariddh] - to ‘help advise the son.’ This is not Hun Sen’s problem, but it is a problem of Prince Ranariddh himself [the latter is probably a direct quote – but not marked as such – from the Prime Minister's speech].

“Norodom Ranariddh Party president Prince Norodom Ranariddh was sentenced by the Municipal Court in absentia to 18 months imprisonment, and he was fined in addition to pay US$150,000, accused of a break of confidence in the case of selling the Funcinpec headquarters in Phnom Penh, when he was the president of Funcinpec.

“According to some sources, Prince Norodom Ranariddh said during the Khmer New Year, that Samdech Hun Sen had set three conditions for his return to the motherland – first, to write an apology to Samdech Hun Sen, second, to stop entering politics, and third, to return not to be the president of Funcinpec.

“Samdech Dekchor stated, ‘If you are disturbed, please be disturbed alone and don’t make others to be disturbed with you… if it is Hun Sen’s problem, Hun Sen will solve it, and if it is not, don’t put blame on Hun Sen… don’t lift a stone and drop it on Hun Sen’s feet… I would like to say that this dropped stone missed Hun Sen’ feet, and it hit the feet of the one who dropped it; such a strategy is always defeated – it never wins.’

“Samdech Prime Minister said that Samdech Euv and Samdech Mae [the former Queen] should tell Prince Norodom Ranariddh not to bother Samdech Prime Minister, so that Samdech Prime Minister has time to deal with economic issues, and with national security… and in case [Prince Ranariddh] needs anything in the future, he can depend on Samdech Prime Minister for it.

“Separately, the Norodom Ranariddh Party spokesperson Mr. Mut Chantha told Kampuchea Thmey that what Samdech Krom Preah had said is all true and cannot be denied.

“Mr. Mut Chantha also accused Samdech Prime Minister Hun Sen that he is the person who ordered Mr. Nhek Bun Chhay to plan to overthrow Samdech Krom Preah [as president of Funcinpec], and then he ordered the court to try Samdech Krom Preah ahead of the [commune] elections. He went on to say that the preparation of formula for Krom Preah first to enter the country through the Funcinpec entrance, but to stop entering politics, is also Samdech Hun Sen’s plan. A witness who knows the plan is a senior official.”

Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.7, #1622, 23.4.2008

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