Sdech Krom Khun Sirivudh and an assassination plot against Samdech Hun Sen

A fter the terrible event of the assassination of the Israeli Prime Minister, who

is the winner of the Nobel Prize, on November 5, which caused the whole world to

reconsider the security protection for the leaders of their own countries. In Cambodia

where political stability has not existed 100 percent and while all political party

members who used to fight each other so far, have been mingled together, it has become

very difficult for them to safeguard the national security and social order. Robberies

and murders have happened nearly every week and have claimed the lives of hundreds

of innocent people.

Particularly, the political murders have still continued to happen after the formation

of the new government, such as the killing of newspaper editor Mr. Non Chan [editor-in-chief

of Voice of the Khmer Youth in 1994] near Wat Phnom.

There have also been some plots to assassinate politicians, but none have yet been

implemented.

Recently, Angkor Thmei has received information on a plot that a group of special

armed forces planned to attack and to assassinate the Second Prime Minister, Samdech

Hun Sen, but were effectively obstructed by Sdech Krom Khun Norodom Sirivudh, former

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and Secretary General of

Funcinpec.

Sdech Krom Khun said that there was a group of special armed forces who had asked

permission from him in order to destroy the convoys of the vehicles escorting Samdech

Hun Sen. Their plot was as follows: The group of armed forces armed with B-40 rocket

launchers would ambush the convoy in between Samdech Hun Sen's house to Kraingyov

development area where Samdech Prime Minister Hun Sen often travels in order to visit

people and to help them to develop the area. The special armed forces would shoot

at the vehicles suspected of containing the Second Prime Minister and they would

destroy both the vehicles and the bodyguards of the Second Prime Minister. They are

the groups who are unhappy with the CPP led by Samdech Hun Sen. Therefore, they expected

the plot to assassinate Mr. Hun Sen would "change the pages of history".

Sdech Krom Khun Norodom Sirivudh has also said that there are also high-ranking government

officials from those groups who want to assassinate Samdech Hun Sen in the Royal

Palace. They believe that, as they are high-ranking officials, no one would dare

to check their weapons before going into the Palace. So they would bring along guns

and place them in their vests. When they got close to the Second Prime Minister,

they would attack and shoot him right away in order "to change the pages of

history".

Angkor Thmei would like to apologize to Sdech Krom Khun Sirivudh for revealing the

above secret information contained in this excerpt of Sdech Krom Khun's speech, because

Angkor Thmei is absolutely against any plot to assassinate any person. It is the

most cowardly act.

In a statement of US President Bill Clinton as well as those of other leaders in

the world, such acts have been strongly condemned, especially the assassination of

the leaders of a country.

Angkor Thmei believes that this publication will be dangerous for us, because those

hidden forces will get very angry with us. In order to prevent such a danger, we

have informed our friends that if there will be any danger to any staff of Angkor

Thmei, names of persons who take responsibility of the above assassination plot will

be printed widely in all newspapers.

The attempt to assassinate Samdech Hun Sen reminds us of the event in August 1959

when the enemies of King Norodom Sihanouk could not do anything to change "Khmer

history pages", they decided to prepare a bomb attack against the King. Because

of the sacred things which always help the sacred persons, King Norodom Sihanouk

could escape from that cowardly plot. At that time, a hand grenade was exploded in

the Royal Palace and could only hurt Prince Vakryvan, head of Protocol of the Royal

Cabinet.

Angkor Thmei would like to take this opportunity to express our great and deep appreciation

for Sdech Krom Khun Norodom Sirivudh who could obstruct this assassination attempt

because if he was still angry with Samdech Hun Sen and offered the "green light"

to those groups, such a horrible assassination attempt could really occur, whether

it would be successful or not.

The Angkor Thmei News would like to respectfully suggest that the King, who hates

and who used to be the victim of such a most cowardly assassination attempt, grant

his Royal advice to the masterminds not to have any problems solved through such

an assassination of the leaders of the country.

The assassination of the Israeli Prime Minister in the bitter model of the history

of over 47 years is giving a very practical lesson to the Khmer people.

- (The above is a unofficial translation from the Angkor Thmei (New Angkor) newspaper

dated November 11, 1995.)