PHNOM PENH: Speaking at the graduation ceremony for the Vanda Institute on the morning of 22 March 2023, Prime Minister Hun Sen recalled the struggle for the reform of Cambodia's politics and economy within his party during the overthrow of the Khmer Rouge regime.

The Prime Minister stated that during the 1980s, after the fall of Democratic Kampuchea, the country faced two problems: the establishment of peace and economic recovery. He added that because Cambodia was a socialist country at the time and relied on collective ownership, the people had no ambition to work. The political solution at the time was to refuse to negotiate with the Khmer Rouge.

The Prime Minister added: "At the time, the internal party did not comprehend a solution to end the war because it did not understand the free market economy."

The Prime Minister added that in order to carry out the reforms he had to face many challenges, especially within his own party, while the country endured aid cuts from the Soviet Union. The Prime Minister has successfully implemented the reforms to date.