Rainsy: I will return when the people rise up against Hun Sen

SAM Rainsy, t he “acting president” of the Supreme Court-dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Part y (CNRP), said on Saturday t hat he would return to the Kingdom when people rose up against Prime Minister Hun Sen in the aftermath of t he loss of significant export agreements.

Currently living in France to avoid

a s le w of c onv ic t ion s , R a i n s y told Radio Free Asia (RFA) of t he “favourable time” to end the “dictatorship” in Cambodia a nd wit h it “nepotism”.

He said Hun Sen had lied to the people when he sa id China’s help would solve any problems the Kingdom faced should the EU withdraw Ca mbodia’s access to it s “Ever ything But Arms” (EBA) agreement.

He said if the EU were to withdraw EBA access and the US did the same w it h it s Genera l i s e d Sy stem of Preferences (GSP) programme, Hun Sen would be responsible.

H e c l a i m e d t h a t o t h e r powers would support the deposing of Hun Sen bec au se of h i s t i l t towards China and his allow ing the Asian giant to allegedly build a naval base in Cambodia.

He said this would affect the intere s t s of ot her power s a nd t he Kingdom’s neig hbours, especia l ly r e g a rd i ng ongoi ng t en s ion s i n the South China Sea.

“That’s when people have to rise up a nd t hat’s when Sa m Ra i nsy returns to Cambodia. That’s when factories close their doors and workers get a ngr y a nd curse Hun Sen, ask i ng why he had dissolved t he CNRP and why he had arrested Kem Sok ha.

“When he was told to release Kem Sok ha a nd a l low t he CNR P to operate aga i n to avoid sa nct ions, Hun Sen ig nored t he c a l l s a nd let Cambodia suffer.

“He thought that the people were happy, especially workers, but [they] sa id: ‘No, ever y t hing [we a re now facing] is because of Hun Sen.’

“To solve these problems, the only way is to depose Hun Sen. This is the favourable time when I will return to Cambodia – when t he workers rise up, when people who have lost their land rise up, when people who

are in debt rise up, when jobless students rise up, when t he militar y who get low sa laries but are exploited by their commanders rise up,” he said.

He said any such uprising would receive support from the internationa l communit y because it would be monitoring his return.

“That’s when we will see the armed forces and [foreign] countries push for change in Cambodia,” he said.

Rainsy claimed there were movements inside the countr y that would persuade the militar y to support them direct ly and indirect ly against t he “dictatorship”.

Analysts said t hey regarded Rainsy’s remarks as purely politica l because t he situation he described would not ta ke place i n the near f uture.

Socia l analyst Meas Nee said Rainsy could only return to Cambodia when he had strong support from inside the countr y. He said he could not see t he government being toppled at present.

“The government is doing its utmost to stop t his k ind of psychologica l warfare.

"I think the government is afraid of Rainsy’s return, even though there is only a small possibility of this happening,” he said.

Nee said Rainsy wanted to see an uprising similar to what had happened in Venezuela, where t he leader of the opposition had returned home and was welcomed by a large number of people.

But he said t he situation in Venezuela was different from that of Cambodia, where the opposition part y needed f urt her str uggle.

He queried whether t he more than three million supporters of the former CNRP were f ully united.

Politica l analyst Em Sovannara said Rainsy’s ta lk of an uprising would not have any effect for now because CNRP support inside t he countr y had been restricted and weakened.

“If action is ta ken against Cambodia by means of the withdrawal of EBA or GSP, or by other methods, in five to 10 years’ time something li ke t hat [uprising] may be feasible.

“But for now or in one to t wo years, such an occurrence won’t ta ke place. [Rainsy] has just said he won’t return at t his time,” Sovannara said.

Rainsy’s comments were purely intended to raise t he spirits of his supporters and cause concern among members of the government, he added.

Nee said any uprising by the people would lead to bloodshed, and any change born of bloodshed should be avoided.

Government spokesperson Phay Siphan said Rainsy’s comments showed he was “a coward and an opportunist”.

“They mean he wants to portray himself as the one behind any uprising and t his is cowardice. It is a lso a message say ing that he is not brave enough to return.

“Any uprising is impossible i n Cambodia because the government was formed from landslide support [in t he last elections],” Siphan stressed.

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