Army Commander Hun Manet asked troops to be wary of opposition groups attempting to sow dissent among the ranks in an attempt to destroy peace, which is a thinly-veiled reference to Sam Rainsy’s past calls for the military to disobey orders if asked to kill Cambodian citizens.
The deputy commander of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, and Prime Minister Hun Sen’s eldest son, was speaking at an anniversary celebration for the Bodyguard Unit in Kandal province, which is tasked with protecting the prime minister.
Hun Manet said outside forces were trying to break up the military by trying to plant and exploit internal dissent. He took umbrage to accusations that the armed forces were being used as a “tool to destroy democracy.”
