According to a decree issued Monday, August 7, Cambodia’s King Norodom Sihamoni officially appointed Hun Manet as prime minister, succeeding his father Hun Sen, who ruled the country with an iron fist for 38 years. It now remains for Hun Manet and his government the formality of obtaining, on August 22, a vote of confidence in Parliament, dominated by the ruling party.
Days after a landslide victory in July’s controversial legislative elections, 70-year-old Hun Sen announced he was stepping down as prime minister in favor of his 45-year-old son. Hun Manet, a four-star general, trained in Britain and at the American military academy at West Point. He had led the Cambodian army since 2018.
Hun Sen asserts that this dynastic succession, comparable to the North Korean regime, is done to keep the peace and avoid “bloodshed” should he die in office.
Notable rapprochement with China
Hun Sen had been talking about handing over power to his eldest son, who played a leading role in the July legislative campaign, for more than a year. But Hun Sen has made it clear that he intends to exert influence even after his departure, ruling out any change of direction. He will now serve as President of the Senate, number two in protocol after King Norodom Sihamoni, whom he will replace as Head of State when the latter is abroad.
Under the reign of Hun Sen, Cambodia made a notable rapprochement with China. The ex-Khmer Rouge, who came to power in 1985, is accused of having rolled back fundamental freedoms and used the judicial system to muzzle his opponents, thrown by the dozens into prison during his terms of office. In March, opposition leader Kem Sokha was sentenced to 27 years in prison and placed under house arrest for treason.
Sebastian Strangio, author of a book on Cambodia under Hun Sen, believes that Hun Manet has “little demonstrated that he was going to make more than cosmetic changes to the current political system”. Without his father’s support, he’s not sure he could bring about change even if he wanted to.
He has not yet rubbed shoulders with the political arena, also noted this month the analyst Ou Virak, judging that the future leader, married and father of two girls and a boy, was mainly raised with a spoon. , and that it was golden.