I

would like to respond to the editorial written by The Jakarta Post on July 24 entitled '€œAlarming Hun Sen,'€ which was republished by Asia News Network and The Nation of Thailand on July 25 under the title '€œPressure Hun Sen to Reform.'€

In recent days and weeks, it has appeared that The Nation has been embarking on a political campaign of its own to try to discredit the Royal Government of Cambodia under the wise and legitimate leadership of Samdech Techo Hun Sen. The article is full of lies and manipulations. It is indeed very sad for regional newspapers, such as The Nation and the Post, to have written and published such an article, full of complete political bias and nonsense, without having a clear understanding of the political system and situation in Cambodia. Therefore, to ensure that the public has a more balanced and more neutral perspective on Cambodia, I wish to clarify the following points.

First, we recognize the role of Indonesia, as the copresident of the Cambodian peace process, in helping bring about the Paris Peace Accord in 1991. But at that time there was no full peace in Cambodia because the Khmer Rouge refused to disarm, and it continued fighting until 1998 when the win-win strategy of Samdech Techo Prime Minister Hun Sen ended the Khmer Rouge, both as a political and military organization, thus paving the way for peace, national reconciliation and unity.

Second, for those who have called for Indonesia to engage in '€œdemocratizing Cambodia'€, I think that they should go back and read the ASEAN Charter, especially the section on ASEAN'€™s principles. Moreover, it is an insult to Cambodia to suggest that '€œ... [Samdech Techo] Hun Sen could become a new headache for the regional grouping because he has been in power too long and has an authoritarian governing style.'€

The Constitution of Cambodia does not limit terms of office for the prime minister. How could non-Cambodians want to violate the constitution of the sovereign state of Cambodia by demanding Samdech Techo Hun Sen step down? Samdech Techo Hun Sen was democratically elected by the people of Cambodia. It is the absolute right of the Cambodian people to elect its leaders without any need of foreign advice.

Third, Cambodia is a state of law, not a republic of banana. Every Cambodian leader and politician needs to respect and comply with the constitution and all the laws of the country. How could the leader of an outside nation call for an '€œemergency diplomatic measure'€ for a country whose leaders are regularly and democratically elected by its own people?

Fourth, it is completely disrespectful and a great insult to the Cambodian people, who exercised their democratic right by going to the polls on Sunday, July 28, for newspapers such as the Post and The Nation to have called the Cambodian elections simply '€œa soap opera'€. As a matter of fact, a total of 40,142 national observers and 291 international monitors were registered to observe the Sunday elections.

Fifth, it has been a constant policy of the Cambodian People'€™s Party and Samdech Techo Hun Sen to promote national reconciliation and national unity in Cambodia. The spirit of national reconciliation goes back to 1987 when Samdech Techo Hun Sen began the peace negotiations with His Majesty the late King Father Norodom Sihanouk, resulting in the Paris Peace Accord in 1991.

And it was not the first time this month that Samdech Techo Hun Sen had requested His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni to grant a royal pardon to Sam Rainsy. Thus, how could one call the genuine offer from Samdech Techo Hun Sen '€œmerely a political ploy'€? What Samdech Techo Hun Sen has done is in accordance with the policy of the Cambodian People'€™s Party, which has always acted for the sake of national reconciliation. Significant historical examples include his initiating the peace negotiations with His Majesty the late King Father Norodom Sihanouk in 1987 and the win-win policy of Samdech Techo Hun Sen in 1998.

Sixth, whether Sam Rainsy could stand in the elections on Sunday depends on the law, not on Samdech Techo Hun Sen.

Finally, Cambodia has enough political maturity and sufficient experience to conduct its own national elections.

Koy Kuong
Under Secretary of State
Spokesperson
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cambodia
Phnom Penh