Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - PM likens CYP leader to Pol Pot

PM likens CYP leader to Pol Pot

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
CYP President Pich Sros speaks to the press about his lawsuit against Kem Sokha last year outside Phnom Penh court. Pha Lina

PM likens CYP leader to Pol Pot

Prime Minister Hun Sen denounced the Cambodian Youth Party (CYP) on Wednesday for its “extremist” position on immigration in the Kingdom, even comparing the party’s president, Pich Sros, to Pol Pot.

Sros had previously held the national spotlight for initiating the lawsuit that eventually led to the dissolution of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), and additionally suing three activists for allegedly embezzling funds meant for slain political analyst Kem Ley’s funeral stupa.

However, in a speech at the Royal Academy of Cambodia last month, he declared he would deport illegal immigrants from the Kingdom within eight hours if his party won the July 29 national elections.

“People who live here illegally, you need to go out. And don’t say eight hours is not enough time for even preparing documentation. Illegal immigrants don’t have any documents at all.

“If you came by boats, you will go out by boats. If you come by airplanes, you need to leave by airplanes. If you came by trucks, you can get out on trucks,” Sros said.

Speaking at a meeting with garment workers in Kampong Cham province’s Choeung Prey district, Hun Sen strongly condemned the policy, although he did not directly name Sros when he labelled the CYP’s position as “extremist”.

Mistakenly switching the figure to eight days instead of hours, the CPP leader compared Sros to Khmer Rouge leaders who oversaw the killing of Vietnamese immigrants while in power from 1975-1979.

“Some person says he will need only eight days to dismiss all immigrants from Cambodia. Eight days will not be enough unless they shoot them all.

“But even if you had enough guns, you won’t have a chance to kill them. So don’t talk about such extreme measures or the math formula used by Pol Pot,” Hun Sen said.

In reply, Sros told The Post on Wednesday that the prime minister had the right to speak as a politician, and that the CYP had strategies to execute its policy, provided it wins the election.

“When I become prime minister, we have the will to clean all illegal immigration. I want to make sure that this applies only to illegal immigrants. It will not apply to all immigrants.

“Therefore, for illegal immigrants, eight hours is not too short a time. Eight hours is enough time to force them out of Cambodia because we need order like other countries,” he said.

Pointing Hun Sen’s comments back to his government, Sros claimed that it showed the government had no intention to force out illegal immigrants.

Young Analyst Group headHang Vitou called Sros’s policy “demagogy” rather than a real solution.

“Which mechanics should we use to solve that problem? If [removals are done] in eight hours, it will be by force like during the Lon Nol regime or Pol Pot regime. Diplomatic and other problems would occur.

“Today, it is difficult to differentiate between Vietnamese and Khmer. I see Sros’s statement as politically motivated rather than offering a practical solution to the problem,” Vitou said.

Based on a report last year from the Ministry of Interior’s General Department of Immigration, around 70,000 “illegal” citizens, mostly ethnic Vietnamese, reside in Cambodia.

In February this year, the government said it was opening a path to citizenship for those with “irregular” documents, many of whom had resided in the Kingdom for generations. Rights advocates said the move effectively rendered many stateless when their documents were revoked.

MOST VIEWED

  • Ministry orders all schools, public and private, to close for SEA Games

    From April 20 to May 18, all public and private educational institutions will be closed to maintain order and support Cambodia's hosting of the 32nd SEA Games and 12th ASEAN Para Games, said a directive from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport. Cambodia will host the

  • Almost 9K tourists see equinox sunrise at Angkor Wat

    Nearly 9,000 visitors – including 2,226 international tourists – gathered at Angkor Wat on March 21 to view the spring equinox sunrise, according to a senior official of the Siem Reap provinical tourism department. Ngov Seng Kak, director of the department, said a total of 8,726 people visited Angkor Wat to

  • Angkor Beer strengthens national pride with golden new look and fresher taste

    Angkor Beer – the "Gold of Angkor" – has a new look, one that is more stylish and carries a premium appeal, as well as a fresher taste and smoother flavour, making it the perfect choice for any gathering. Angkor Beer recently launched its new design, one

  • Water supply authority assures public shortages over early ‘24

    The Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority (PPWSA) asked for understanding from Phnom Penh residents in some communes where water pressure is weak. They assured residents that all supply issues will be resolved by early 2024, but have suggested that residents use water sparingly in the meantime.

  • Khmer ballet documentary debuts April 1

    A new documentary, The Perfect Motion, or Tep Hattha in Khmer, will premiere to the public on April 1. The documentary film follows two intertwined storylines: the creation of a show called Metamorphosis by the late Princess Norodom Buppha Devi (her very last production) and the

  • EU’s Sokha resolution ‘a sovereign rights breach’

    The National Assembly (NA) said the European Parliament (EP) did not respect the Kingdom’s independence and sovereignty when it passed a resolution strongly critical of the recent conviction and sentencing of former opposition leader Kem Sokha for “treason”. On March 16, the EP issued a