‘I was betrayed first': Cambodia's Hun Sen exposes rift with former Thai leader Thaksin in livestream
Cambodia's former leader Hun Sen speaks to soldiers during his visits of armed forces stationed along the Cambodia-Thailand border on June 26. PHOTO: AFP
'I was betrayed first': Cambodia's Hun Sen exposes rift with former Thai leader Thaksin in livestream
BANGKOK - Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen went live on Facebook on June 27 , just a day after warning that he would expose former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Speaking in Khmer, Mr Hun Sen delivered a combative message, claiming betrayal and threatening to reveal damaging information about the Shinawatra family.
'The time has come,' Mr Hun Sen said. 'They have betrayed me. Today, I will speak on eight points.'
He added that further details would be shared with diplomats scheduled to meet him later that day.
'If they want it today, I will expose the Thaksin family.'
Recording was no accident
The Cambodian strongman began with the leaked audio clip, saying it was recorded intentionally.
'I recorded that conversation because I have been betrayed before,' he stated, justifying the leak.
Paetongtarn accused of deception
His second point was an accusation against Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, whom he said deceived him.
'Paetongtarn said it was just part of the negotiation tactic. But clearly, you don't know me at all,' Mr Hun Sen said.
He went on to criticise Mr Thaksin for failing to instill values in his children:
'On 14 June, Thaksin attacked me online. Meanwhile, the Thai Prime Minister disrespects her own military and monarchy. I will reveal the truth today.
'You may insult your own army and monarch – but you cannot do the same to me. It won't work.'
Defiant over audio recordings
Mr Hun Sen rejected any suggestion that his recording was illegal:
'There is no law preventing me from recording conversations. Why is the Thai Prime Minister afraid of a leaked audio clip?'
He closed his speech with defiance:
'If you want to take it to the International Court of Justice, go ahead. I'm in Cambodia. File your 5,000 complaints – I don't care.'
Mr Hun Sen continued his tirade against the Thai leadership, accusing Ms Paetongtarn Shinawatra of using the call centre crackdown as a pretext for hostile action and border aggression.
'As Thai Prime Minister, you shouldn't behave this way,' Mr Hun Sen said.
'You claimed you went to the border to tackle call centre scams, but you ordered the border closed starting on 7 June and extended the shutdown further.'
Cambodia 'deceived under the guise of cooperation'
'You closed the border under the guise of suppressing scams, when in fact your intention was aggression,' he said.
'I have always said that online fraud is far from over — we need cooperation to address it. So why are you using it to attack Cambodia?'
He asserted that Cambodia had exercised patience for the sake of bilateral ties, while suggesting that Thailand had been the one backing criminal groups operating along its borders with Myanmar and Laos. THE NATION/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Iran to hold ‘historic' funeral for slain top military, nuclear figures
Iran will hold what it described as 'historic' funeral proceedings in Tehran on June 28 for the 60 killed in its 12-day war with Israel. PHOTO: AFP – Iran will hold what it described as 'historic' funeral proceedings in Tehran on June 28 for 60 killed in its 12-day war with Israel, including top military commanders and nuclear scientists. The commemorations will begin at 8am local time (12.30pm Singapore time) at Enghelab (Revolution) Square in central Tehran, followed by a funeral procession to Azadi (Freedom) Square, about 11km away. 'A brief ceremony will be held there, then the processions of the martyrs will go towards Azadi Square,' said Mr Mohsen Mahmoudi, head of Tehran's Islamic Development Coordination Council, in a televised interview on June 27. 'Tomorrow will be a historic day for Islamic Iran and the revolution,' he added. Among the dead is General Mohammad Bagheri, a major general in Iran's Revolutionary Guards and the second-in-command of the armed forces after its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He will be buried alongside his wife and daughter, a journalist for a local media outlet, all killed in an Israeli attack. Nuclear scientist Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, also killed in the attacks, will be buried with his wife. Four women and four children are among those to be honoured at the funeral ceremony. The war erupted on June 13 when Israel launched strikes that it said were aimed at halting Iran from developing a nuclear weapon – a charge Tehran denies. Israeli strikes killed at least 30 top commanders of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, according to local media, including its commander-in-chief Hossein Salami and the head of its aerospace forces, Mr Amir Ali Hajizadeh, who oversaw the country's ballistic missile programme. So far, there is no indication that Mr Khamenei will attend the funeral on June 28. He has previously attended ceremonies for high-ranking Iranian authorities, including late president Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in 2024 . The Iranian Health Ministry says at least 627 civilians were killed and nearly 4,900 wounded in the Israeli attacks. Iran's strikes on Israel also killed 28 people, according to Israeli authorities. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Business Times
2 hours ago
- Business Times
Cambodia's Hun Sen urges change in Thai leadership over border dispute
[PHNOM PENH] Cambodia's most influential politician called for a leadership change in Thailand, citing doubts about the prime minister's ability to manage a border dispute between the two countries. 'I hope there will be a new prime minister in Thailand who will come out and solve issues with neighbouring countries, especially with Cambodia,' former Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Friday (Jun 27) during a nearly four-hour televised address. With that, 'I don't think we will still be confrontational.' Cambodia's provocations add to the worries of Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, whose government nearly collapsed this month after a leaked call with Hun Sen was released in which she criticised her army, prompting a key coalition ally to defect. Paetongtarn has resisted calls to resign and her coalition allies have pledged to remain for now. On Monday, Thailand's National Anti-Corruption Commission opened a preliminary investigation into the prime minister over the leaked call. Hun Sen, who ruled Cambodia for nearly four decades, is the father of Prime Minister Hun Manet and currently serves as Senate president. On Friday, he threatened to release potentially sensitive content from a private conversation he had with Thaksin Shinawatra, the patriarch of Thailand's ruling party and father of the prime minister. He accused Thaksin of insulting Thailand's king – a crime punishable by prison. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 8.30 am Asean Business Business insights centering on South-east Asia's fast-growing economies. Sign Up Sign Up Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said Hun Sen was trying to stir tensions and urged Thais not to listen to him. 'Regarding current attempts to sow divisions in Thai society through the circulation of inciteful content in social media, the Thai Government would like to reaffirm that it will use only official channels to communicate with the Cambodian Government,' the Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted on its website on Friday. Cambodia has banned imports from Thailand, including fruit, vegetables, electricity, Internet services, and even Thai television dramas and films. Paetongtarn's government responded by restricting border crossings in seven provinces and halted exports, including fuel. Hun Sen's spokesman, Chea Thyrith, clarified the remarks, stating that he wanted to work with a new government in Thailand. 'The current government does not have enough power to make decisions in consensus to represent Thailand in solving border disputes,' he told Bloomberg. 'We are happy to work with every new government that has enough power to represent Thailand.' BLOOMBERG
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Philippines V-P Duterte must go on trial due to severity of charges, prosecutors say
Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte is facing removal from her post and a lifetime ban from office if convicted. PHOTO: REUTERS Philippines V-P Duterte must go on trial due to severity of charges, prosecutors say MANILA - Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte must be tried, and ultimately convicted, over serious charges, including an alleged threat to have the president killed, prosecutors argued in a submission to a Senate impeachment court on June 27. Ms Duterte is facing removal from her post and a lifetime ban from office if convicted. She has denied wrongdoing and maintains her impeachment is politically motivated and the result of an acrimonious falling out between her and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Lower House prosecutors said the weight of the evidence against Ms Duterte justifies a full-blown trial, rejecting her defence that the allegations against her in an impeachment complaint were unsubstantiated. 'The severity of the charges leaves no room for technical evasion. A trial is not only warranted but necessary to reinforce justice, uphold democratic principles, and affirm that no individual, regardless of rank of influence, stands above the law,' they said in their response to Ms Duterte's defence. 'It is obvious from a simple reading of (Ms Duterte's response), which relies on misleading claims and baseless procedural objections, that the only legal strategy of the defence is to have the case dismissed and avoid trial,' the prosecutors said. Ms Duterte, who was impeached by the Lower House in February, has described the impeachment complaint as unconstitutional and 'nothing more than a scrap of paper.' Included in the complaint were allegations that she misused public funds while vice-president and education secretary and had plotted to assassinate Mr Marcos, the First Lady and the House Speaker based on remarks during a November press conference about hiring an assassin. Ms Duterte's impeachment is widely seen in the Philippines as part of a broader power struggle ahead of the 2028 election, which Mr Marcos cannot contest due to a single-term limit for presidents and will likely seek to groom a successor to protect his legacy. Mr Marcos has distanced himself from the impeachment. Ms Duterte, the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, is expected to run for the presidency in 2028 if she survives the impeachment and would be a strong contender. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
