PHNOM PENH: Prime Minister Hun Sen came out to commemorate the history of the arrests and deaths of two former Prime Ministers during the time of the People's Republic of Kampuchea. He confirmed that Pen Sovann was arrested for treason and disunity, and Chan Sy died of leukemia, not because of a competition between Vietnam and the Soviet Union on human appointment.
The Prime Minister's confirmation came after he saw a commentator on social media describe the history of these two former Prime Ministers differently from what he had experienced in person.
Prime Minister Hun Sen sent a voice message through Telegram, recalling the history of the National Salvation Movement of the Kampuchea (or Khmer) United Front for National Salvation that came from five forces, which included the four sides of Samdech Heng Samrin, Prime Minister Hun Sen, Bun Mey and Chea Soth (whose side was from Vietnam). These four groups came together to form a conference to organize the Khmer people’s National Liberation Front based on the Armed Forces of the Cambodian National Salvation Army, which Prime Minister Hun Sen built on 2 December 1978.
The Prime Minister added that after overthrowing the Khmer Rouge regime and taking back Phnom Penh on 7 January 1979, an interim government was formed the next day on 8 January 1979, which was called the Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Council. Samdech Heng Samrin was appointed Head of State and Prime Minister, Pen Sovann as Vice Chairman of the Council and in charge of National Defense, Samdech Hun Sen was in charge of Foreign Affairs, Samdech Chea Sim was in charge of Interior Affairs, Chan Ven was in in charge of Education, Sokun was in charge of Economy and Livelihoods, Keo Chenda was in charge of Propaganda and Culture, and Nou Beng was in charge of Health.
Later, in 1981, the party convened its fourth National Congress to elect a new government, electing Pen Sovann as Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister), but due to actions of treason and disunity, the party was forced to arrest him and send him to Vietnam, because Pen Sovann had a Vietnamese family, and appointed Chan Sy, the Minister of Defense at the time, as the next Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Hun Sen confirmed the arrest of Pen Sovann in his voice message as follows: "At the beginning of December 1981, Pen Sovann was arrested. We could not save Pen Sovann because at that time, Pen Sovann made many mistakes from 1979 until he checked Chea Sim's house, checked Heng Samrin's house and got ready to check my house. If he came to check my house, there would be a lot of gunfire in the center of the city and he could not win over me because I had four battalions of my own, even though I was not the Minister of Defense, but they were loyal to me. Pen Sovann made too many mistakes, so we were forced to arrest him. Pen Sovann claimed that it was not right to go to prison! Back then, I bought a house, handed over a car, handed over anything, but he still was not satisfied. Now he is dead, they have become homeless ghosts, which the National Rescue Party used to make politics at Wat Than. Now Pen Sovann has disappeared as a homeless ghost because of exploiting politics. Today, no one makes a funeral for him and he has become a homeless ghost."
The Prime Minister further stated that Chan Sy served as Prime Minister from 1982 until 1984, when he fell ill with leukemia and was sent to the Soviet Union for treatment and died there. His death was not a murder by the Soviet Union. He stated: "Chan Si was not killed by the Soviets! Nor was his death the result of a competition between Vietnam and the Soviets on the appointment of people. We do not claim that to propose a wrong history. Pen Sovann made a mistake, the CPP's meeting was held and Pen Sovann was arrested, and we did not know where to keep Pen Sovann. We asked Vietnam to help, and Chan Sy died of leukemia. Because of his efforts to reform small industries and handicrafts at the time, because I was a direct participant and worked directly with them on all of this."
After the arrest of Pen Sovann and the death of Chan Sy in 1984, Prime Minister Hun Sen was temporarily appointed Prime Minister in September 1984, was fully elected into the position on 14 January 1985, and has served as Prime Minister of Cambodia from then until now.
