Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen warns he will expose Thai ex-PM Thaksin for betraying him
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Former premier Hun Sen delivering a speech during his visit to the Cambodian armed forces stationed along the border with Thailand on June 26.
PHOTO: AFP
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Former Cambodian premier Hun Sen has sent a blunt message to the man who he once described as his “Godbrother” – former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra
However, he noted that he would wait to see Bangkok’s reaction first.
“I’d rather let others betray me first; I don’t betray others first. Now that I’ve been betrayed, I feel I must reveal what the Thaksin family did to betray their nation. This is a warning: You should teach your children, and they should understand their father and others,” he said, as he spoke to displaced Cambodian citizens in the Preah Vihear province on June 26.
He explained that he plans to discuss the ups and downs of Cambodia-Thailand relations more deeply on June 27, for both Cambodian and Thai citizens, who he said all desire peace, to understand the nature of the relationship.
“I never imagined that a family I helped, would rise to become prime minister and cause such issues. One moment they claim to have power, the next they say they don’t. Tomorrow, I will talk about this,” he said, referring to Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the daughter of Mr Thaksin.
He also directed pointed comments at Mr Thaksin.
“If you act arrogantly, I will expose everything you told me, including your insults to your king. Discipline your children. You have a child as prime minister, and I have a child as prime minister. But don’t mistake me for someone you can cross. I owe Thailand nothing,” he said.
He indicated that Mr Thaksin’s family owe him a debt of gratitude, which he does not seek to collect. What he wants is a relationship of equals, without interference.
Mr Hun Sen and Mr Thaksin’s families once shared a close bond. Both Mr Thaksin and his sister Yingluck Shinawatra, also a former Thai prime minister, have stayed at Mr Hun Sen’s home.
The former Cambodian premier shared his hopes that a new Thai prime minister will resolve the current issues with Cambodia, as he is unsure who currently holds the authority to negotiate effectively.
“Right now, we don’t know who to negotiate with or who holds real power. Is it the military, a political party, someone behind the party or the prime minister? We don’t know who has true authority. We understand that only when a new prime minister takes office might there be willingness to resolve these issues,” he said.
“Cambodia doesn’t see Thailand as an enemy. We only see a small group of extremists, some military and some politicians. We will work with Thailand, whether it’s the yellow shirts, red shirts or any other group,” he added. THE PHNOM PENH POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
