Gunfire crackles, trucks explode and a shooting star announces the birth of a future ruler in an 80-episode dramatisation of Cambodian leader Hun Sen’s life, now airing three days a week in the run-up to one-sided national elections.
Cambodia goes to the polls on July 23, with the 70-year-old prime minister effectively running unopposed as he seeks to cement his legacy and prepares to hand the reins to son Hun Manet.
One of the world’s longest-serving leaders, Hun Sen has shored up his nearly four-decade rule by playing the West’s desire for democratic reforms against China’s push to build influence in Southeast Asia, collecting copious development aid and foreign investment from both sides over the years.
In full: https://www.barrons.com/news/a-story-about-me-cambodian-tv-epic-grows-cult-of-hun-sen-2de7c022
