PHNOM PENH: Prime Minister Hun Sen made a posted on his social media page on Monday night, 21 August, directed at analysts, saying that their knowledge is still limited, but they still try to speak to the public.
Prime Minister Hun Sen posted a message on his official Facebook page saying that visiting senior officials from other countries can be welcomed and greeted by the President or the Prime Minister of the host country.
The Prime Minister’s post was made in response to a number of analysts who spoke of the recent visit of the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, Lt. Gen. Hun Manet, to Vietnam, and how he was received by the Vietnamese President and other high-ranking Vietnamese officials.
Prime Minister Hun Sen stated that Lt. Gen. Hun Manet has been received by not only the President of Vietnam, but also the Prime Ministers of Singapore and Japan during his official visits. He added that in other countries, he has been greeted by the Ministers of Defense or Deputy Prime Ministers.
"As a counterpart of the army commanders in various countries, as usual, there is a protocol for there to always be a ceremony when visiting other countries, also when they come to visit our country," he wrote.
According to the Prime Minister, these cases are not a problem, and what matters is the opinions expressed by analysts.
While speaking at the graduation ceremony for students at the Asia Euro University on Tuesday morning, 22 August, Prime Minister Hun Sen expressed regret that the analysts did not remark on Lt. Gen. Hun Manet’s visit to Japan in early 2022, because the level of reception he received, as well as the number of meetings he had, were all large and of a high level.
“These analysts only know how to make problems regarding our relations with Vietnam. So I say that war in Cambodia is inevitable, if the CPP is not in power, war will break out. I dare say so," he said.
Prime Minister Hun Sen also further explained international relations protocol to the analysts, saying that they should study these matters carefully before speaking.
He added, “If you do not understand the work and make analyses arbitrarily, you cannot call yourself an analyst. You only create distractions and incitement, and make me feel cautious with you.”
Prime Minister Hun Sen first took office as the Foreign Minister of Cambodia in 1979 at the age of 27. He became Prime Minister in 1985, and has held the position until the present date, making him one of the longest-serving Prime Ministers in the world.
