SCORES of senior police and military officials, as well as civilians, loyal to the

CPP will be taking home significantly increased salaries following a swathe of promotions,

government officials have confirmed.

Many, but not all of those promoted, were rewarded for their performances during

the fighting of July 5-6 with appointments to the position of advisor to the first

and second prime ministers.

"On every battlefield people who are fighting should be promoted. We have to

promote them for their sacrifices and efforts to help the government against the

anarchic groups," said Interior Ministry spokesman, Khieu Sopheak.

Generals Ke Kim Yan, Pol Saroeun, and Meas Sophea - who hold senior posts on RCAF's

General Staff - and National Police Director Hok Lundy and his deputy Teng Savong

are now advisors to the co-Prime Ministers.

Lundy has also received an extra star, making him a three-star general, to give him

a rank appropriate to his position as the head of the nation's police force, explained

Information Secretary of State (CPP), Khieu Kanharith.

The official said that deputy heads of police departments in the country had also

been promoted to the rank of colonel, a move which ousted First Prime Minister Norodom

Ranariddh had previously blocked.

Separately, the CPP official estimated that Hun Sen and Chea Sim now had over 100

advisors between them - a position which is equivalent in rank to State Secretary

and earns a monthly salary of around 2 million riels (about $650)- although it remained

unclear how many were newly-appointed.

Eighty percent of those promoted to advisor to the Second Prime Minister were already

acting as informal advisors to the CPP leader, said Kanharith.

"Hun Sen wanted to help them financially," he said. The vast majority of

the Prime Ministers advisors were civilian and the new appointments had "nothing

to do with the battlefield", he added.

Hun Sen special envoy Khun Kim, who is also deputy governor of Kandal province, was

promoted to a three-star general, as was Khmer Citizen Party president Nguon Suor,

whose party is allied to the CPP.

"He has helped Hun Sen a lot," explained Kanharith. The CPP official confirmed

that presidents of all parties allied to the CPP were given posts as advisor to Hun

Sen.

Long term advisor to Hun Sen, Prak Sokhon also recieved an unexpected career boost.

Sokkon was away in France and returned to find himself a two-star general.

But the senior Hun Sen aide appeared modest about his new prestige.

"There's no reason to be excited about that," said Sokhon. "I consider

it as fair enough," he added.

Meanwhile, new First Prime Minister Ung Huot is also engaged in appointing his own

advisors, according to Funcinpec Dean, Nady Tan.

"The First Prime Minister is newly appointed and and is in the process of revising

and choosing his new advisors," he said.