PM: Would-Be Rebels Should ‘Prepare Coffins’

Prime Minister Hun Sen on Sat­ur­day warned an overseas “Siso­wath royalist” and would-be rebels to “prepare coffins” because he will not arrest but “smash” them if they try to use the border encroachment issue to try to weaken his power.

Speaking at a ceremony in Pur­sat province Saturday, Hun Sen said he had been warned by Na­tional As­sembly President Prince Norodom Ra­nariddh that a member of the Si­so­wath royal family had informed of a “big rebellion over border issues.”

“They should prepare coffins and say their wills to their wives before they rebel,” Hun Sen said in a speech broadcast on Apsara TV on Sat­urday and rebroadcast on TVK Sun­day.

No arrests would be made, Hun Sen warned, because he would “smash the whole nest (family) and finish it.”

Hun Sen did not name the Siso­wath, adding that he had is­sued his warning “to avoid Khmer bloodshed.”

Chiding those who wanted to take power while he was busy de­veloping the nation, Hun Sen said he had not destroyed all the country’s weapons in the European Union-backed small arms reduction program and still had tanks and other weapons to crack down on “traitors.”

“When I am in power, I will not let anyone stage a coup,” he said, adding that if a rebellion occurs there would be no amnesty and he would close all airports and border checkpoints.

And in a thinly veiled attack, Hun Sen blasted the US for meddling in Cambodian affairs.

“Father of democracy, human rights. I don’t need to name this country,” he said. “Killing people every day is respecting human rights?”

The prime minister also accused his critics of being US lackeys who dance to the tune of aid money.

“They are servants,” he said, ad­ding that they curse their own na­tion in order to receive US aid.

Last week Hun Sen warned against public forums that criticize him and also stated that no power would be given to the recently formed Supreme National Council on border affairs, which is headed by retired King Norodom Siha­nouk.

Pang Sokhoeun, president of the Students’ Movement for Demo­cra­cy, which has sent reports of border en­croachment to the SNC, said the prime minister was overreaching his power and that he was not cowed by arrest threats. “I am not afraid of being arrested,” he said.

Buth Raksmei Kongkea, president of the Khmer Borders Pro­tection Organization, said he has re­ceived several threats but that he, too, was unconcerned.