asianews

I am writing to you as a response to the editorial of your newspaper on October 25, concerning Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia. After reading your editorial, I must say that your newspaper has become a junky and vulgar newspaper. It has completely lost its value as a newspaper of a civilised country.

I wish to draw your attention to the following points, where your editorial committed the most serious mistakes which could not be forgiven:

First, what kind of a statement is it, when you said "You can take the man out of the jungle but you cannot take the jungle out of the man..." This is a great insult to our great leader, Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen. It is a gangster-like statement. By insulting a leader of a neighbouring country, you have become a tool for escalating tensions between the two countries..

Second, when you stated that the "...Cambodia premier thought he was still leading some Khmer Rouge faction ..." You are absolutely dead wrong. It was Samdech Techo Hun Sen, who struggled and brought the demise of the Khmer Rouge. Prime Minister Hun Sen could have done it much earlier, if a neighouring country had not given shelter to the Khmer Rouge. It was also Samdech Techo Hun Sen who brought the Khmer Rouge leaders to the Extraordinary Chamber of Courts of Cambodia (ECCC).

Third, Prime Minister Hun Sen is very much a humble and gentleman leader, who is a virtuous and moral man, especially vis-a-vis his friend. By doing so, he does not interfere in the internal affairs of any country, and does not in any, engage in " ... rubbing more salt on open wounds". The politics should be solved by the Thais themselves.

Fourth, Prime Minister Hun Sen did not permit "... himself to be part of a cheap ploy by ... Thaksin to steal the spotlight from a major international event", as you have wrongly alleged. You need to better learn about Samdech Techo Hun Sen. He does not need to appear in the Thai media. He only wants to be clear to everyone on what he will do.

Fifth, Prime Minister Hun Sen does not need any attention or recognition at all during the 15th Asean Summit. He came to Hua Hin with good will and sincerity to contribute to making the Asean Summit and related meetings a great success. Prime Minister Hun Sen has been in power for a long time now. Prime Minister Hun Sen was elected to power once again, with more than two-thirds of the votes, and with full backing of his own political party, the Cambodian People's Party (CPP).

Sixth, Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong rightly stated at the East Asian Summit in Hua Hin, on October 25, that the new members of Asean have been making great progress. And you said that the development of Cambodia "... would not count for much in terms of achievement in this day and age". Reading your editorial, most readers would think how ignorant you are. I think that you would not want to contradict the prime minister of Singapore.

Seventh, to state that "... Cambodia continues to be one of the most corrupt countries in the world" is to essentially engage in this politics of finger-pointing. One for Cambodia, three for ... For sure, Cambodia has less corruption than in its neighbouring country. Even an idiot knows this fact.

Eight, again, here is another dead wrong or manipulated fact of this cheap newspaper editorial. To be politically correct, it was Prime Minister Hun Sen who wanted the Khmer Rouge tribunal to be set up by signing the agreement with the United Nations, which brought the former Khmer Rogue leaders to trial under the current ECCC. And it was him who ordered the arrest of the Khmer Rouge leaders who are now put on trial.

Ninth, Prime Minister Hun Sen does not resent Asean at all, as he is being accused of by your vulgar newspaper. On the contrary, since joining Asean in April 1999, Cambodia, under the wise leadership of Samdech Techo Hun Sen, has made tremendous contributions to Asean. Everyone in Asean knows quite well the role and contributions of Cambodia to Asean.

Finally, by allowing His Excellency Thaksin to come into Cambodia, Samdech Techo Hun Sen only keeps his spirit of virtue and loyalty to his friend under any circumstances that his friend is in. But this is not only for His Excellency Thaksin, and is also not by "mutual admiration" and "twisted minds thinking alike", as you have falsely alleged.