Border-Related Crackdown Spreads

Border issues could break any ruling government, so the prime minister’s response has been to try and crush anyone who disagrees with his new agreement with Vietnam.

Hun Sen would have trouble selling any border agreement (fair or not) to the Cambodian people. He was among the Cambodians who worked with the Vietnamese during the 1980s occupation. He did positive things during that time, but his role hurt his credibility with many in the country. Cambodians also felt that the Vietnamese at that time forced Cambodia into unfair border agreements.

Unless Hun Sen got all of Kampuchea Krom back, Cambodians from the Mondolkiri to Long Beach would criticize him.

But everything that has happened since the agreement undermines Hun Sen’s credibility. It also suggests that, for the first time, his party could face serious problems during future elections. Former king has called it illegal (pdf) as are other members of the royal family (pdf).

Plus, Hun Sen’s own actions send the signal this agreement is bogus. Critics are getting death threats, other are being sued, some jailed (all pdfs).