PHNOM PENH: Prime Minister Hun Sen has declared that he would not unite or talk to those who insult his family, adding that even if he has to be at war with them, he will. He considers insults such as his wife being someone else's wife, and his child being someone else's child, beyond unacceptable.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Choeung Ek wastewater treatment plant in Phnom Penh on Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Hun Sen said that he could accept any attack but could not accept an attack made against his family.

He said, "You accuse my wife of being the wife of a Vietnamese leader, and my son as the son of a Vietnamese leader. If I do not react, I am not human! So I told some leaders that this one thing, if you say this, you have to compensate me. Even in the next life I will still remember this insult, I will still have to fight against this, I cannot accept such insults! […] Foreign friends must understand Hun Sen does not allow this. Hun Sen does not agree with such insults. I can call the Khmer Rouge to eat at my home with me, but I cannot accept such insults made against me [and my family].”

He told everyone not to unite with him if they are going to insult his family because such a union would be meaningless.

Prime Minister Hun Sen married his wife on 5 January 1976 during the Khmer Rouge era. In order to save the motherland, he was forced to separate from his wife on 20 June 1977, and was only reunited with her on 24 February 1979. The Prime Minister is considered by many as a family man, as he is often seen posting on social media about his family, such as for the celebration of his wife's birthday, posting other pictures of his wife, and writing books about the love he and his wife hold.