Acting Head of State and Senate President Hun Sen said he is responsible for Cambodia not being fully prepared for the recent conflict with Thailand because he trusted his “good relationship” with former Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, clearing his son, Prime Minister Hun Manet, of “blame”.
“Because of this trust, I, as the former Prime Minister with full powers, did not prepare for any fight. So, when the situation [border conflict] occurred, it was my fault, not the current prime minister’s fault,” Hun Sen told thousands of displaced families at a relocation site in Banteay Meanchey province on Tuesday.
He explained that he and Prayut, Thailand’s prime minister from 2014 to 2023, had worked closely on border affairs, recalling a train ride with him near the Poipet border area to discuss development projects benefiting both countries.
Due to his trust in the Thai side, Cambodia allocated a larger portion of the national budget for social services, especially healthcare and education, instead of the national defense.
“We never thought a war would occur at the border, spreading from the Mom Bei area to the sea,” Hun Sen said during his visit to the relocation site.
Construction for temporary housing finished in March, several months after a ceasefire with Thailand was reached, ending fighting that erupted in July and December along the countries’ shared border measuring 817km (508-mile). Nearly 100 people died while close to a million people were displaced on both sides.
Recently, the Australian government and UN Development Program signed an agreement to support Cambodia’s recovery after the conflict to provide AU$1.5 million (US$1 million) through the Clearing for Results (CfR) Phase V project. It would focus on clearing contaminated land, delivering explosive ordnance risk education, and supporting the livelihoods of affected communities in Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Oddar Meanchey and Preah Vihear provinces.
Since the last ceasefire pact, tensions have remained high along the borders with alleged land encroachment by the Thai military occurring in those regions, which Phnom Penh described as a “seizure of its territory”, a claim Bangkok denies.
During his visit to the temporary housing site, Hun Sen named it Phum Rong Cham, or “Waiting Village” in English.
He said that Cambodia would persist its claims to disputed territories and that it does not recognize the use of force to determine border boundaries.
Earlier today, Hun Manet had an informal discussion with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvrakul prior to the opening of the 3rd ASEAN Future Forum in Hanoi.
Thai media outlet Khaosod quoted Thai government spokesman Ratchada Thanadirek as saying that no bilateral meeting took place, only both leaders exchanging greetings and engaging in casual conversation while waiting for the forum speakers to deliver their remarks.
Back home, government spokesperson Pen Bona said he did not have any details of the meeting between the two premiers.
Political analyst Em Sovannara opined that “merely saying sorry” by a country leader, who was elected by the people, when faced with an issue related to national interests, is not likely to satisfy the public as it does not constitute sufficient political accountability.
“If a politician takes responsibility [admitting mistake], there should be an assessment of the extent to which the public still trusts that person and whether they accept the apology,” Sovannara said.
Referring to the Preah Vihear temple dispute, he said that although the court ruled in Cambodia’s favor, the country still had to rely on military force (to defend the place). In other words, he added, a legal victory alone was not enough.
“The 2008 conflict should already have taught us a lesson. The issue of trust is really a problem for politicians. Regarding the notion of ‘elder and younger brother’ relationship, put simply, [Cambodian] politicians are the ones who cultivated those ties with Thailand. Ordinary citizens can’t criticize this,” said Sovannara.
Meanwhile, Kin Phea, director-general of Institute of International Relations at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, viewed Hun Sen’s public apology as a form of responsibility and an acknowledgment of mistakes, noting that a key leadership quality is their willingness to admit when one is wrong, and that it is the right thing to do.
He added that the apology also serves as an encouragement to current leaders, urging them to develop the national defense sector and prepare for future challenges, while pursuing deeper reforms.
However, Phea said, acknowledging mistakes alone is not sufficient because Cambodia must also address shortcomings and strengthen its defense capabilities.
“The first lesson is not to place complete trust in any neighboring country. If you want peace, you must be prepared for war. Second, in the military sector, we cannot simply assume that others will never fight us,” said Phea.
“We must continue to strengthen our own national defense capabilities. Personal trust should not be used as a basis for assessing relations between countries,” he said.
