Opposition leader says Hun Sen fears collapse of ‘criminal' regime

Bangkok Post

4 hours ago

Thailand is not rooted in patriotism but in fear of the potential collapse of a regime 'deeply entangled with international criminal networks', says exiled Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy.
'Hun Sen's current fury toward Thailand stems not from national pride, but from the growing threat to the illicit revenue streams that sustain his power — namely, criminal syndicates controlled by the Chinese mafia and operating along Cambodia's borders. These networks are now facing an unprecedented crackdown by the Thai authorities,' Sam Rainsy wrote in a statement posted on his X account.
He was responding to a series of statements by the former Cambodian premier, which culminated in a three-hour televised tirade on Friday against Thailand and what he called 'betrayal' by the family of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
'Hun Sen's anti-Thai rhetoric is nothing more than a political smokescreen,' he said. 'While he presents the dispute as one of historical grievance and national dignity, the real motive behind his indignation is Thailand's concerted effort to dismantle Chinese-run cyber-scam operations based in border areas — operations that have become a vital source of illicit funding for the current Phnom Penh regime.'
Previous investigations — by Reuters in 2019 and Global Witness in 2016 — have documented how the Hun family and its associates have amassed vast personal fortunes to the detriment of the country's population. (Story continues below)
A co-founder of the now-dissolved Cambodian National Rescue Party, Sam Rainsy has lived in self-exile in Paris since 2015. He attempted to return to Cambodia in 2019 but was barred from boarding a flight from Paris because Thai authorities would not let him transit through Bangkok.
In his statement on Saturday, Sam Rainsy said the scam industry was estimated to generate at least $12 billion annually — nearly half of Cambodia's GDP.
'With traditional sources of revenue such as the exploitation of natural resources and the granting of land concessions depleted by years of systemic corruption, the regime has grown increasingly reliant on these criminal enterprises. Thailand's crackdown represents a direct threat to this financial lifeline,' he said.
Hun Sen has used nationalist sentiment to distract the public and rally support before, the opposition figure said, pointing to a 'fabricated controversy' involving a Thai actress that led to deadly riots in Phnom Penh in 2003.
'In 2011, he used a border conflict at the Preah Vihear temple to deflect attention from domestic discontent. In both instances, nationalism served as a tool to mask political vulnerability,' he wrote.
Hun Sen's fury on Thailand stems from the Thai determination to defeat the organized crime in #Cambodia which sustains his regime. His nationalist rhetoric is designed to distract the public. #SamRainsy
— Rainsy Sam (@RainsySam) June 28, 2025