Cambodia PM warns of war if old guard replaced in vote
Hun Sen claims police, military chiefs would take up arms against opposition party if new government were to attempt to replace old guard with its own party faithful
Cambodia's prime minister has warned of a potential insurrection if the opposition were to come to power and replace public sector stalwarts with its own people.
The Cambodia Daily on Tuesday reported a speech delivered by Hun Sen at a school graduation ceremony, during which he said that Royal Cambodian Armed Forces Commander Pol Saroeun and National Police Chief Neth Savoeun would mount an insurrection if high-ranking public servants were to lose their jobs in the wake of an opposition win.
Sen said promises made by Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) leader Sam Rainsy to introduce more of his party faithful into public service -- without axing the jobs of current civil servants -- were simply not viable, and that the jobs of key figures could be at risk.
"If you keep the old, the new ones cannot enter,” he was quoted by the Daily as saying. “Then if they dare to touch Neth Savoeun and Pol Saroeun, these groups will bring in their forces and react."
It’s not the first time that Sen has warned of war in the event of an opposition victory in elections scheduled for 2018.
A CNRP spokesman told Anadolu Agency on Tuesday that Rainsy’s plans had been taken out of context.
"Civil servants are public servants. They do not belong to any political party," Yim Sovann said. "We are not going to replace them or recruit other civil servants. On the contrary; we want to try to professionalise them, make them neutral, not affiliated with any political party."
Political analyst Ou Virak told Anadolu Agency on Tuesday that the remarks are the latest in a bid to stoke tensions among the electorate, but that he doesn’t believe they would ever amount to all-out conflict.
“I don’t believe there will be war. The CNRP cannot afford any armed conflict of any sort. The rhetoric related to war is fear-mongering.”
