"[Sam Rainsy] called the US to fire a missile to Tuol Krasaing": Hun Xen

During a speech given yesterday for the 30th anniversary of the National Bank of Cambodia, Hun Sen once again raised the issue of opposition leader Sam Rainsy calling the US to fire a missile on his house in 1998. “In 1998, H.E. Sam Rainsy called on the US to fire a missile to Tuol Krasaing, Takhmao city,” Hun Sen was quoted by The Cambodia Daily as saying. He also added: “Don’t be mistaken, the US missile fired into Cambodia, it will not be just Hun Sen who will die, and he called on the US to invade Cambodia… it is not a small thing for a Cambodian to call a foreigner to fire on our country and it is not a normal thing… It means that he called a foreigner to invade our country in order to shoot Hun Sen to death.” In his speech, Hun Sen also warned a man, whom he declined to name, who urged police and soldiers to “turn their weapons on the government.”

The Cambodia Daily also received an email clarification from opposition leader Sam Rainsy who indicated that Hun Xen was taking out of context the remarks he made in 1998, following the grenade attack on Sam Rainsy and peaceful protesters in front of the National Assembly. “At a public meeting a few days after the Aug 20, 1998, incident at the Interior Ministry, I said that terrorists in any country should not feel safe and happy because there will be no impunity for them. I was referring to the US reprisals against terrorist groups in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks [on US embassies] in East Africa… Therefore, what I said… was a warning to Cambodian leaders, especially Hun Sen, that they should stop supporting state terrorism,” The Cambodia Daily quoted Sam Rainsy’s email.

In regards to the unnamed man mentioned by Hun Sen, The Cambodia Daily reported that in 1998, Sam Rainsy called on government troops “to rise up together and turn your gun point to get Hun Sen to step down from his position.”

Hun Sen’s mention of the issues above comes at a time when opposition MPs are criticizing the draft criminal law during debates on the National Assembly floor. In his speech, Hun Sen stressed that the behavior he mentioned above should be changed, if there is anything, a talk should be initiated and the court system should be used. However, he said that when he uses the court, he is accused of dismissing rights. Hun Sen said that he did not use bullets or handcuffs, he only used the court system to sentence them (his opponents), while the latter called on others to fire on Cambodia and that these people have not been dealt with yet.