Three topics in Sam Rainsy’s interview with Radio France Internationale (RFI)

February 4, 2012

THREE TOPICS IN SAM RAINSY’S INTERVIEW WITH RADIO FRANCE INTERNATIONALE (RFI)

In an interview with Radio France Internationale (RFI) broadcast on
February 4, 2012 opposition leader Sam Rainsy elaborated on three main
topics:

-       Senatorial elections: The opposition’s remarkable gains (from two to
11 seats) at the January 29 Senate elections represented a victory of
the human spirit over intimidation and the power of money. The ruling
CPP lamentably failed to weaken the opposition SRP, which appears
stronger than ever and stands as the only force capable of challenging
Hun Sen’s anachronistic regime and bringing back dignity to the Khmer
people.

-       Triangular relations between Cambodia, China and Vietnam: It is in
the interest of Cambodia to support the legitimate sovereignty right
of China over the Xisha (or Paracel) Islands and the Nansha (or
Spratly) Islands in the South China Sea. The Cambodian people should
gratefully remember China’s punitive military intervention against
Vietnam in February 1979 following the invasion and occupation of
Cambodia by the Vietnamese army the previous month. In the future,
only China can effectively help Cambodia defend its national
sovereignty and territorial integrity against expansionist Vietnam.

-       Role of Cambodia as the new ASEAN president: Among other tasks,
Cambodia should help Myanmar (or Burma) move further toward democracy.
But ironically enough, whereas in Myanmar opposition leader Aung San
Suu Kyi has just been released from house arrest and allowed to run at
coming national elections, in Cambodia the opposition leader has been
forced into exile and prevented from running at coming national
elections. Therefore Cambodia has shamefully become worse than Myanmar
and cannot pretend to be a leader of any sort.

Listen to Sam Rainsy’s 10-minute interview in Khmer at http://tinyurl.com/6wpyhed

SRP Cabinet