Current Chaos in Cambodia:
THE much talked-about political figure in Cambodian politics at present is Hun Sen, the Cambodian Premier. He has a chequered political career. A Khemer Rouge guerrilla in the 1970s, he defected in 1977 and became the premier of the Vietnam-backed regime in Cambodia for much of the 1980s. He then reinvented himself as a "democratic" politician in the early 1990s. Now the 47-year old Cambodian prime minister is trying to remake his image abroad, particularly the United States, by taking the stance that he's the best hope for stability in his violence-scarred country.
The problem is Hun Sen hasn't been able to convince the US Congress about his "democratic" image. In early October last, the House of Representatives voted unanimously on a resolution calling for Hun Sen to be held culpable for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Cambodia after 1978, the year the Vietnamese invaded Cambodia. A similar resolution has been submitted to the Senate for consideration during the current month. If the Senate also passes the resolution, all hopes of reinstating US economic aid to Cambodia - suspended in July 1997 after Hun Sen ousted co-Prime Minister Norodom Ranaridh - would quickly disappear.
Many Cambodians in touch with current developments in foreign affairs are now aware that at least part of the most powerful legislative body in the world, meaning the US Congress, think their elected leader is a war criminal.
This has been a most disconcerting message for Hun Sen. He is reportedly trying now to burnish his image in Washington in an effort to stave off a Senate resolution. He has engaged a well-known public relations firm and two leading law firms in US to lobby extensively against the resolution. They are all reported to be pursuing Hun Sen's case with various influential congressmen, as well as with the State Department.
It is, however, not yet certain what the final outcome of the resolution will be. But there are some aspects of the case, such as violation and intimidation during the last Cambodian elections that many legislators in Washington associate with Hun Sen's regime. They are concerned in particular with his alleged role in some 1000 killings before and after the general elections held in July last year. It is, however felt that the supporters of Hun Sen may adopt a strategy of positioning the Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party (CPP) to the forefront as a measure of beefing up his image, in the campaign for bringing some members of the Khemer Rouge before an international war crimes tribunal.
Many critics in Washington see such posturing as a tactic to detract attention from Hun Sen's own human rights abuses. And, of course, any indictment of Khemer Rouge members for war crimes would be highly selective, since virtually all have already sworn allegiance to Hun Sen's government. Most of his ministers and the half of his security forces are ex-Khemer Rouge. Although Cambodia's elections last July were marred by allegations of intimidation and fraud, the US administration was quick to endorse the polls too quickly, critics say. Those elections produced a new government in November last, with Hun Sen as premier. Then last month, that is December, the US supported Cambodia's immediate accession to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, diplomats say. "The US administration wants the Cambodian issue papered over as quickly as possible so that they can get back to business as usual" says a spokesman of the CPP.
Observers noted that the US State Department pressed Prince Ranaridh to accept a political compromise so that a new government could be formed. Alleging electoral fraud, Ranariddh's Funcinpece party had denied Hun Sen the two-thirds vote in parliament necessary to approve a government. But the Prince folded as the US State Department was understood to have said: "We will support Hun Sen with or without the Prince. "In November last, Ranaridh agreed to join a coalition accepting the position of president of the national assembly and half the posts in the cabinet for his party. The CPP, however, retained control of the most powerful ministries.
The US was reported to have used the strong-arm tactic because" it along with ASEAN and Japan believed that the elections in Cambodia should not be squandered. There was an obvious need to cut a deal so that the government could get back to building Cambodia."
Even with such help, though, it was felt that Hun Sen would be a hard sell on Capitol Hill. Changing his strongman image would require more than a facelift. But as remarked by some observers, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder and to the Clinton administration it appears Hun Sen looks good enough."
Lately some new developments have taken place which cloud the political scene. Two top Khemer Rouge leaders long wanted for genocide were greeted with handshakes and smiles by Prime Minister Hun Sen at a military base in Phonh after he defied growing pressure and pledged not to put them on trial. Hun Sen met Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea, part of the inner circle of the late Pol Pot after cementing their defection - in essence surrender - with public pledges not to try them for genocide. At a hostile news conference later, they faced questions whether they felt any remorse for causing the deaths of as many as 2 million of their countrymen. The two elderly revolutionaries said they were sorry for their brutal rule during the 1970s and asked their countrymen "to let bygones be bygones."
Khieu Samphan indicated there would be no trial especially one abroad by an international tribunal. The United Nations recently sent a team of experts to weigh the possibility of such a court. In the past two years, granting pardons to Khemer Rouge leaders broke the back of their guerrilla war and gave Cambodians its best hope in decades of rebuilding. But now calls are rising for someone to be held accountable.
After a week of feting two Khemer Rouge defectors around the country, Prime Minister Hun Sen made a surprise turnaround and announced they must be tried for helping draw up the movement's genocide policies. Hun Sen said that local and international preparations for a tribunal would proceed, but he would allow the two guerrilla leaders to remain free until a warrant is issued for their arrest.
The special treatment the two ex-Khemer Rouge leaders received and their blithe calls to "let bygones be bygones" have outraged local and international human rights groups. King Norodom Sihanouk said he would refuse to grant them or any other Khemer Rouge leaders amnesty. While Sihanouk is a figurehead, he is popular among Cambodians and his move would have delegitimatised the amnesty by Hun Sen in the eye of many.
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