Cambodian PM Warns Of Internal War If Opposition Wins Polls

PHNOM PENH, April 19 (Bernama) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Friday warned of "an internal war" if opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) wins the general election on July 28, Xinhua news agency reported.

The premier's warning followed the recent announcement of self-exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy that he would convict members of Cambodia's current government accused of Khmer Rouge-era killings if his party won the election.

In a video shown to about 200 supporters gathered at the Choeung Ek Killing Field to mark the fall of Phnom Penh to the Khmer Rouge on Wednesday, Sam Rainsy made references to ministers and deputy prime ministers that were consistent with his statement on April 17 last year.

The 2012 statement saw Sam Rainsy calling for legal action against Prime Minister Hun Sen, Senate President Chea Sim and National Assembly President Heng Samrin.

"He (Sam Rainsy) has not come to power but he dares to use insolent remarks, announcing to convict members of the current government and Hun Sen," the prime minister said during the inauguration of new achievements at a Buddhist pagoda in western Kampong Speu province.

"An internal war will definitely happen if he (Sam Rainsy) wins the election because no one will let the other arrest them easily. People will be fighting back," the premier said.

"We have no wish to stage war, but they threaten to do war (with us) first."

However, Hun Sen said he did not believe that the opposition party could win in the forthcoming election.

"Based on previous results, the opposition party needs to seek at least another 3 million votes to win the Cambodian People's Party (CPP)," he said.

On March 25, Hun Sen predicted CPP would win at least two-thirds majority in the general election this July.

In the last election in 2008, the CPP won 90 seats out of 123 parliamentary seats, while the Sam Rainsy Party won 26 seats, the Human Rights Party three seats, Funcinpec Party two seats and Norodom Ranariddh Party two seats.

Self-exiled Sam Rainsy, 63, is currently leader of the CNRP, a merger between the Sam Rainsy Party and Human Rights Party.

Sam Rainsy fled the country in late 2009 before a Cambodian court sentenced him to 11 years in jail in absentia for two charges -- removing border poles and publishing a false map of the border with Vietnam, and accusing deputy prime minister and foreign minister Hor Namhong of being a member of the Democratic Kampuchea or Khmer Rouge.