Brief: Hun Sen Lands in Europe, Rainsy Calls for Protest

1 min read
Prime Minister Hun Sen arrives in Brussels on December 12, 2022. (Hun Sen’s Facebook page)
[responsivevoice_button voice="US English Female"]

Prime Minister Hun Sen arrived in Europe for a two-country visit as exiled former opposition leader Sam Rainsy called for a protest in Brussels on Wednesday.

Hun Sen arrived in Brussels on Monday, and is scheduled to be hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace, followed by a working dinner. Hun Sen will also attend a conference about “standing with the Ukrainian people.” The prime minister will also have other meetings in France including airport concessionaire Vinci Airports.

The prime minister then has an E.U.-Asean commemorative summit to attend in Brussels to celebrate 45 years of dialogue between the two blocs.

Former CNRP president Sam Rainsy posted on Facebook that Cambodia-origin people living in Belgium should protest against Hun Sen on December 14, claiming this could be the prime minister’s last trip to the region.

“Please, Khmer people who are living in Europe, come to participate in this during Hun Sen’s visit to Europe as this is the last time,” he said on Facebook.

Rainsy, who has been repeatedly convicted of defamation and other charges in Cambodia and now lives in France, speculated that Hun Sen would likely leave the prime ministership in 2023 and could then be arrested by foreign police.

Hun Sen pushed for a party vote at a CPP meeting last December to anoint his son as the next prime minister candidate, but has yet to clarify when he will make the transition.

VOD. No part of this article may be reproduced in print, electronically, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without written permission. VOD is not responsible for any infringement in all forms. The perpetrator may be subject to legal action under Cambodian laws and related laws.