Prime Minister Hun Manet received the honorific title Samdech on Saturday via Royal decree. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The new National Assembly president Khuon Sudary was also granted the Samdech honorific in a separate royal decree on the same day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last month, Manet was appointed prime minister<\/a> and one day later received the Royal Academy\u2019s highest title, \u201cKitti Tesaphibal Pundit\u201d, by royal decree<\/a>. Now, he is also \u201cSamdech Moha Borvor Thipadei\u201d and his Facebook<\/a> has already been updated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Political analyst Lao Mong Hay said that during the sweeping succession<\/a> across the government it is important for new leaders across the government to hold an equal rank to their predecessors or risk undermining their status in new positions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRight from the beginning, all prime ministers and all presidents of the Parliament are Samdechs. Perhaps there is a need to uphold this tradition,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The title \u201cSamdech\u201d translates to lord and is bestowed by King Sihamoni on individuals deemed to have made significant contributions to the nation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Manet\u2019s father Hun Sen, who served nearly 40 years as prime minister, has held the \u201cSamdech Akka Moha Senapadei Techo\u201dsince 2007<\/a>. Current Senate president Say Chhum and former National Assembly president Heng Samrin are also Samdechs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Other members of the Samdech club include former Interior Minister Sar Kheng, Minister of Royal Palace Kong Sam Ol, former Defense minister Tea Banh, and Hun Sen\u2019s wife Bun Rany.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Government spokesperson Pen Bona said that the title Samdech is \u201cvery suitable\u201d for Manet, stating that Hun Sen\u2019s eldest son has achieved a lot of accomplishments during his time in the military, where he served as a Royal Cambodian Armed Forces deputy commander and Royal Cambodian Army commander.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe has led military jobs and done a lot there, I can\u2019t describe it all, and he has reformed the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, and he contributed to society,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEspecially during the Covid-19 [pandemic] as we have seen together his [Hun Manet] sacrificing to protect people\u2019s lives, and recently after becoming the prime minister he has managed jobs very well with his team of successors,\u201d Bona added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As an example, Bona cited Manet\u2019s role in leading the \u201c80 hour<\/a>\u201d policy in which the army was tasked<\/a> with preparing hotels and hospitals to treat Covid-19 patients in March 2021, following a major Covid-19 outbreak. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c[We] looked at his\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b capacity and his education, and [others] have overwhelmingly congratulated him, you should have a balance. There some people have criticized [title Samdech] through Facebook but there were congratulations too,\u201d Bona said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt is very suitable for granting the title as \u2018Samdech\u2019 to the prime minister Hun Manet, that civil servants and armed forces have congratulated nationwide,\u201d Bona added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Association for Supporting Khmer Literature and Culture director Touch Kim Sreang said that the word \u201cSamdech\u201d has seven meanings, including those who have a lot of high virtue, those who have a lot of merit or power, and those who have great compassion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAs a principle, \u2018Samdech\u2019 refers to those who have a lot of good deeds, high morals and great power in any position,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some have criticized the widespread use and practice of honorific titles across Cambodian society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The President of the Cambodian Institute for Democracy, Pa Chanroeun, said that in many developed countries with liberal democracies, like the United States and Australia, titles of nobility have been eliminated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe formal title is the legacy of a feudal system that creates high class divisions and inequalities in society, as opposed to a democracy in which everyone has equal rights,\u201d Chanroeun said. \u201cGiving titles to politicians can lead to political corruption, discrimination and political inequality in democratic political competition.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n An analysis of public records by database Kamnotra found that more than 24,000 medals<\/a> had been awarded in a six month period last year, tied to individual donations reaching into the tens of thousands of dollars. <\/p>\n\n\n\n