Eye on China, Hun Sen tightens his military control

Cambodian leader steers children’s military promotions in move that may disrupt China’s two-track diplomacy with the defense ministry.

As Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen’s plan to hand power to his eldest son gathers pace, the long-ruling premier is consolidating his control over a fractious defense ministry that some observers believe was running parallel but separate diplomatic channels to China.

Tea Banh, the defense minister since the 1980s, is believed to have been the last of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) grandees to support the nomination of Hun Manet as the party’s future prime ministerial candidate in late 2021.

On March 17, Hun Manet, deputy commander-in-chief of the military and commander of the army, was promoted to a four-star general. The same day, the prime minister’s second-eldest son, Hun Manith, the current head of military intelligence, was promoted to deputy army commander.

In full: https://asiatimes.com/2023/03/eye-on-china-hun-sen-tightens-his-military-control/

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