New Prime Minister of Cambodia is following his father’s path

17-01-20224

Yasemin Beyza Uçar

South and East Asia Human Rights Researcher

Global Human Rights Defence

The Cambodian Prime Minister transferred his power over to his son, Hun Manet, on the 22nd of August 2023, after ruling Cambodia for nearly four decades (since 1985). There are ongoing thoughts about the new Prime Minister's goals and achievements, as there have yet to be any positive changes regarding human rights in the country. In 2023, the human rights situation in Cambodia deteriorated as the ruling Cambodian People’s Party took strict measures against the judiciary and other state institutions, banned the main opposition party from participation, turned down independent media channels, and targeted critics with harassment, imprisonment, and abuse.

There are some expectations that Hun Manet will follow a more liberal path than his father since he got his education in the United Kingdom and the United States. He also met some world leaders, such as Xi Jinping, the leader of the world’s most populated country and second-largest economy.

It is important to remember that Hun Sen still holds a certain amount of control and power. This gives room to the idea that Hun Sen and Hun Manet share responsibilities and serve as co-prime ministers, which would be of historical significance.

For the past 30 years, Hun Sen has reconsidered the meaning of human rights and democracy and shaped it to his own needs and gains. To keep international support and any external tension on track, Hun Sen established good ties with other political leaders from various backgrounds across the ideological spectrum.

Hun Manet’s first term will be overwhelming as there is much private debt. Cambodia is currently drowning in debt since it received money from Chinese investments and microfinance loans for years. Cambodia has the highest percentage of private debt in all of  Southeast Asia. This economic situation is one of the struggles awaiting Hun Manet in 2024.

Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, stated that this transition reflects the famous saying of putting ‘old wine in a new bottle’ concerning human rights and democratic freedoms in Cambodia. Clear messages are needed to assess whether genuine efforts are going to be provided to improve the human rights situation in Cambodia.

Sources and further readings:

Human Rights Watch, ‘Cambodia: New Prime Minister But No Improvements’. Human Rights Watch (11 January 2024) https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/01/11/cambodia-new-prime-minister-no-improvements accessed 17 January 2024.

News Wires, ‘Cambodian king appoints Hun Sen's son as new prime minister’. France 24 (7 August 2023) https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20230807-cambodian-king-appoints-hun-sen-s-son-as-new-prime-minister accessed 17 January 2024.

Will Brehm, ‘Hun Manet faces his father’s uneven economic legacy’. East Asia Forum (12 January 2024) https://www.eastasiaforum.org/2024/01/12/hun-manet-faces-his-fathers-uneven-economic-legacy/ accessed 17 January 2024.

Al Jazeera, ‘Cambodia parliament elects Hun Sen’s son, Hun Manet, as new PM’. Aljazeera (22 August 2023) https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/8/22/cambodian-parliamentarians-elect-hun-sens-son-hun-manet-as-new-pm accessed 17 January 2024.