Opposition figures in Cambodia have condemned recent revelations by Senate President Hun Sen about his past ties with Thailand’s Shinawatra family, calling them a serious breach of diplomatic ethics. They warn the move could undermine confidence between Cambodia and Thailand, and damage Phnom Penh’s relations with other regional partners.
In an interview with The Cambodia Daily on June 29, Cambodia National Rescue Party lawmaker Um Sam An said that territorial disputes with Thailand should be resolved through international legal mechanisms. He argued there is no need to bring personal relationships into sensitive border matters, which could risk escalating the situation unnecessarily.
Um Sam An said Hun Sen’s remarks appear aimed at gaining political advantage for his son, Prime Minister Hun Manet, rather than genuinely defending Cambodian sovereignty. He accused Hun Sen of using the border dispute as a political tool to boost domestic popularity.
He added that if Hun Sen were truly committed to defending Cambodian land, he would also have encouraged protests against Vietnamese encroachment. Instead, Um Sam An claimed, Hun Sen has promoted gratitude toward Vietnam, while stirring nationalism against Thailand.
He urged Hun Sen to conduct himself in a manner that protects Cambodia’s image and national interests, instead of using foreign policy disputes to benefit the ruling Cambodian People’s Party and his own family.
The controversy stems from Hun Sen’s comments during a recent live broadcast, in which he addressed current Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and the wider Shinawatra family. In the broadcast, Hun Sen said that while previous Thai governments had not relied on Cambodia, the Shinawatra administrations had sought his support for their domestic political struggles.
Hun Sen claimed he had helped former Thai leaders Thaksin Shinawatra and Yingluck Shinawatra. According to him, Thaksin once stayed in his personal residence, while Yingluck was assisted in fleeing Thailand through Cambodia en route to a third country. Hun Sen also said he issued Yingluck a Cambodian passport to facilitate her departure.
Development and policy analyst Sek Socheat told The Cambodia Daily that publicly disclosing such personal connections during a tense border dispute was highly inappropriate. He warned that the revelations could erode trust, not only with future Thai governments, but also with other international partners.
Sek Socheat said few would have expected the Cambodia-Thailand border issue to be entwined with longstanding personal ties between Hun Sen and the Shinawatra family. He added that this could further complicate efforts to peacefully resolve the dispute.
Senior opposition figure Hing Soksan also criticized the disclosures, arguing that they serve no national interest and only tarnish Cambodia’s reputation. He warned the comments could damage Cambodia’s standing in the international community, particularly within ASEAN, where member states are bound by a principle of non-interference in each other’s internal affairs.
