PHNOM PENH: Prime Minister Hun Sen has said that he never dreamt of becoming a high profile leader when he was young, but that his childhood dream was to become a teacher.

Speaking at the Closing Ceremony of the 2022 Training Course and Opening Ceremony of the 2023 Training Course of the Royal School of Administration on Thursday morning, 27 April 2023, Prime Minister Hun Sen stated that he never expected to lead Cambodia for almost four decades.

"You can compete in football, volleyball, golf or any other game, but you cannot compete with the game of destiny!” said the Prime Minister. “I had never intended to be a district governor, a provincial governor, a minister, a prime minister, I had never intended for this. My original intention was to become a teacher.”

Responding to criticisms of his leadership, Prime Minister Hun Sen said that he is only bad to people who wish to destroy Cambodia. He even considers himself to be an enemy to these people.

"I am not good for the bad guys, but I am good in the eyes of those who do good,” he said. “ I am the enemy of those who want to destroy the nation because I am the one who suppresses them. [Pol Pot] also cursed me, he hated me because I was the one who defeated him; his political party and [Khmer Rouge] military organization was disolved at the hands of Hun Sen, with the support of all operatives.”

Prime Minister Hun Sen, 69, first assumed office as the Foreign Minister of Cambodia in 1979 at the age of 27. He has been the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia since 1985, and is one of the longest serving Prime Ministers in the world.