Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday led a huge rally marking the anniversary of the fall of the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime, seizing the opportunity to burnish his image as savior of the nation.
Tens of thousands of people attended the event organized by Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party, which has dominated the nation since it was installed by the Vietnamese forces that toppled Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot on Jan. 7, 1979.
The gathering on “Victory Over Genocide Day” attracted a much larger turnout than in previous years.
Photo: EPA
Hun Sen’s control over Cambodia is stronger than ever following the systematic removal of his rivals before a July election.
The crackdown culminated in the dissolution of the main opposition party in November, a move lambasted by Western democracies as a naked power grab by the strongman, who wishes to extend his 32-year rule.
Speaking before a sea of supporters, Hun Sen took credit for the stability and growth his government has overseen since the Khmer Rouge era.
At least 1.7 million Cambodians died during the regime’s fanatical Maoist rule from 1975 to 1979. Most died through execution, starvation or overwork during the group’s attempts to transform the nation into an agrarian utopia.
Hun Sen, a former Khmer Rouge cadre who later defected and joined the resistance, frequently reminds the public of Cambodia’s horrific past and says that fresh unrest could break out if his government is ousted.
In a lengthy address, Hun Sen also cheered the crushing of the opposition, saying it “evaded a new disaster for the nation and will ensure the growth of democracy, human rights and rule of law in Cambodia.”
Rights groups strongly disagree, saying that the move plunged Cambodia’s democracy into peril.
The US and the EU have withdrawn support for the July election due to the ruling, saying the vote would not be legitimate without the now-dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party.
Hun Sen has responded by ramping up his ultra-nationalist rhetoric, reiterating yesterday that “Cambodia does not bow to external pressure.”
After the speech, Hun Sen and his wife released white doves into the crowd.
Hun Sen’s self-styled reputation as rescuer of the impoverished kingdom was also on display in the past week in a new documentary recording his role in the toppling of the Khmer Rouge.
However, while Hun Sen boasts about the stability and economic growth nurtured during his time in office, critics point to the myriad rights abuses and endemic corruption that have flourished under his watch.
Rainfall is expected to become more widespread and persistent across central and southern Taiwan over the next few days, with the effects of the weather patterns becoming most prominent between last night and tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Independent meteorologist Daniel Wu (吳德榮) said that based on the latest forecast models of the combination of a low-pressure system and southwesterly winds, rainfall and flooding are expected to continue in central and southern Taiwan from today to Sunday. The CWA also warned of flash floods, thunder and lightning, and strong gusts in these areas, as well as landslides and fallen
WAITING GAME: The US has so far only offered a ‘best rate tariff,’ which officials assume is about 15 percent, the same as Japan, a person familiar with the matter said Taiwan and the US have completed “technical consultations” regarding tariffs and a finalized rate is expected to be released soon, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) told a news conference yesterday, as a 90-day pause on US President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs is set to expire today. The two countries have reached a “certain degree of consensus” on issues such as tariffs, nontariff trade barriers, trade facilitation, supply chain resilience and economic security, Lee said. They also discussed opportunities for cooperation, investment and procurement, she said. A joint statement is still being negotiated and would be released once the US government has made
SOUTH CHINA SEA? The Philippine president spoke of adding more classrooms and power plants, while skipping tensions with China over disputed areas Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr yesterday blasted “useless and crumbling” flood control projects in a state of the nation address that focused on domestic issues after a months-long feud with his vice president. Addressing a joint session of congress after days of rain that left at least 31 dead, Marcos repeated his recent warning that the nation faced a climate change-driven “new normal,” while pledging to investigate publicly funded projects that had failed. “Let’s not pretend, the people know that these projects can breed corruption. Kickbacks ... for the boys,” he said, citing houses that were “swept away” by the floods. “Someone has
‘CRUDE’: The potential countermeasure is in response to South Africa renaming Taiwan’s representative offices and the insistence that it move out of Pretoria Taiwan is considering banning exports of semiconductors to South Africa after the latter unilaterally downgraded and changed the names of Taiwan’s two representative offices, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday. On Monday last week, the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation unilaterally released a statement saying that, as of April 1, the Taipei Liaison Offices in Pretoria and Cape Town had been renamed the “Taipei Commercial Office in Johannesburg” and the “Taipei Commercial Office in Cape Town.” Citing UN General Assembly Resolution 2758, it said that South Africa “recognizes the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the sole
RSS