Hun Sen Visits Thaksin, Invites His Daughter to Cambodia

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From Thai News Agency 

Cambodia’s Supreme Privy Council President Hun Sen today visited his long-time friend former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra at his residence in Bangkok, marking an important visit as the first significant guest to visit Thaksin since he was released on parole on February 18 after serving half of a one-year sentence.

The text accompanying the photos is in Khmer and translates to Thai as: “I came to visit my brother Thaksin in Bangkok. Despite being unwell, he warmly welcomed me. Ung Ing, his youngest daughter and the leader of the Pheu Thai Party was also there to join us.

“To strengthen our close relationship, I invited Ung Ing to visit Cambodia on March 14-15.”

Dating back to 1992, the relationship between Thaksin and Samdech Hun Sen began before Thaksin became Prime Minister. Thaksin once said that Hun Sen is like a brother and that Cambodia is like another home during difficult times. Meanwhile, Hun Sen stated that Thaksin is like an elder brother to him. During the period when Thaksin lived abroad in self-exile, Hun Sen appointed him as his personal advisor and economic advisor to the Cambodian government.

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NOTE — I find it difficult to follow the family ever-expanding grip on the control of the Cambodia government. And I’m not ant all sure this article makes it any more clear.

From AFP

Phnom Penh, Cambodia – Cambodia’s parliament on Wednesday approved ex-ruler Hun Sen’s youngest son as a deputy prime minister, the latest member of the family to be promoted since the former leader handed the reins to his eldest son Hun Manet.

Hun Sen stepped down in August after nearly four decades of ruling Cambodia with an iron fist, handing power to Hun Manet following a landslide win in national polls held without any significant opposition parties.

The government, formed by Hun Manet last year, now includes a number of relatives, with several children of Hun Sen’s allies also holding top jobs.

All 120 lawmakers, including Hun Sen, endorsed 41-year-old civil service minister Hun Many as a deputy PM on Wednesday at the request of Hun Manet. There are ten other deputy PMs already serving.

Hun Manet told lawmakers the promotion of his youngest brother was in line with the need to achieve the “highest efficiency of the government’s policy”, with his goal to turn Cambodia into a high-income country by 2050.

Among the ten other deputy PMs is Hun Sen’s nephew Neth Savoeun, a former national police chief.

Hun Sen’s second son Hun Manith, 42, is the head of the defence ministry’s military intelligence unit and a deputy commander of the Royal Cambodian Army.

After coming to power in 1985, Hun Sen helped modernise a country devastated by civil war and genocide.

Critics say his rule has also been marked by environmental destruction, entrenched graft and the elimination of nearly all political rivals.