General calls on RCAF to stop change in government

Editorial by Khmer Circle: 

Who will dare to change? The people do when enough of them realise change is the only option left!

No one should be surprised by this and previous noises coming from the Cambodian generals against the possibility of [democratic] change given that the generals themselves are invariably political appointees and are under constant pressure to reiterate their loyalty to the CPP and Hun Sen, unless they are, perhaps, of the other non-Hun Sen factions. 

The Cambodian military itself operates in a single-party political climate and are not immune to rivalries, clashes of personality, jealousy, power struggle as well as premeditated rumours aimed at creating paranoia and distrust within the ranks. There had been quite a few casualties of this nature so far with Ke Kim Yan and lately, Nhek Bun Chhay among high-profile victims, even if the latter's military muscle and influence was more negligible than substantial within the armed forces. 

Just as civil society activists and members of political opposition parties are placed under constant surveillance, members of the armed forces are not exempted from this strict watch from the CPP hierarchy. Perhaps, just like their bosses in the party, however, these generals and commanders are all capable of switching sides when the tides turn in their favour or against them despite, of course, their frequent verbal public pledges of political loyalty to the ruling party.

At the same time, apologists and supporters of the CPP should note that the generals' statements to this effect would be considered a clear and serious breach of their military 'oath' committing them to the defence of the nation and or its interests as a whole rather than endorsing a given political party or faction operating as constitutional equals who are ultimately answerable to the electorate as their bosses. In any functioning democracy such a breach would therefore be deemed unconstitutional, leading to the swift removal of the person[s] in question.  

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RCAF General Hul Sam Aun (front left) in a speech on Monday said the military would work to prevent ‘change’ in an apparent reference to an opposition victory. Facebook

Thu, 6 July 2017

Mech Dara

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The commander of the Defence Ministry’s logistics brigade said on Monday that if the military commits to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s government, the opposition will never be able to come to power, rhetorically asking: “When the army does not allow change, who will dare to change?”

Speaking at the opening of a training course on heavy military vehicles in Phnom Penh on Monday, Hul Sam Aun, who was added to the Cambodian People’s Party’s central committee at its 2015 congress, told his transport and logistics soldiers to defend the government.

“Protect the legitimate government, do not allow a colour revolution and do not allow change – and when the army does not allow change, who will dare to change?” Sam Aun said, explaining that he could not understand why anyone would wish to see change in Cambodia.

“I want to ask, who wants change?” Sam Aun said. “If anyone wants to announce to ‘change’ or ‘rescue’, why do you want to rescue? The country is comfortable.”

Using an honorific reserved for the CPP’s most senior leaders, royals and senior monks, and in apparent reference to Hun Sen, Sam Aun said that his brigade would not allow change in Cambodia and were willing to die for the cause.

“On behalf of the soldiers in the brigade, we commit to defend Samdech, and we will not allow change, and when the army and armed forces do not allow, who dares to change? I want to ask this,” he said. “The army is the one who commits not to change, and volunteers to die.”

In an apparent challenge to former opposition leader Sam Rainsy, who lives in Paris to avoid a slew of politically tinged convictions and charges and often criticises Hun Sen on Facebook, he added: “If you dare, come and say it in Cambodia. Why have you said it from abroad?”

Cheam Channy, a lawmaker for the Cambodia National Rescue Party who heads the opposition party’s “assembly group” committee for defence and interior, said Sam Aun was speaking out of line.

“A change of government and its leaders is not the army’s business; it is the people’s business, because we are a democratic society, and so we take elections and the people’s decisions as the main thing,” Channy said.

“Such an announcement is a warning against the will of the people,” he said. “We cannot accept it.”

CPP spokesman Sok Eysan, however, said he saw no issue with the remarks and that they were being misinterpreted.

“There is no problem, and this does not break the law,” Eysan said, denying the comments were a threat to not respect election results.

“He just talked about his commitment to protect the legitimate government and the head of the government who has come from the election.”