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Sam Rainsy’s Remote Control Leadership

Sam Rainsy’s Remote Control Leadership

The imprisonment of the CNRP activists, senior officials and senator, brutal violence against the two CNRP parliamentarians, removal of Kem Sokha from first vice president of national assembly, PM Hun Sen calling opposition leader Sam Rainsy “Son of traitor” and the arrest warrant against Sam Rainsy are a series of unfair, unethical, unlawful and politically motivated events. These events have not only dramatically affected the popularity of PM Hun Sen and the CPP as a whole but also have created sympathy from many rational CPP’s supporters and intellectuals due to the dreadful treatments on the CNRP activists and leaders. The CNRP gained the momentum extraordinarily. 

Print Screen from Sam Rainsy's Facebook Page
 
Then came again the old assignment PM Hun Sen used to test the bravery of Mr. Rainsy who paired the photos of himself and Aung San Suu Kyi on his Facebook page to inspire CHANGE in Cambodia. Mr. Rainsy’s calling for CHANGE and the comparison of CHANGE in Cambodia and Burma made PM Hun Sen strongly frustrated and then posted a video on his Facebook page threatening Mr Rainsy with legal action on November 12. With less than 24 hours, the politically-motivated arrest warrant against Mr. Rainsy was issued by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court on the defamation and incitement case brought by Foreign Minister Hor Namhong in 2008 and this warrant scared Mr. Rainsy and then made him cancel his comeback to Cambodia. 

Although Mr. Rainsy said his return cancellation was to avoid any possible violence between his supporters and authorities and the third-hand thug, yet I am not convinced. Did Mr. Rainsy say he worried about the safety of his supporters when he led half million of protesters in Phnom Penh during 2013 election to demand PM Hun Sen step down, while he knew the violence and the third-hand thug could be any time happening  to disperse the demonstration? Mr. Rainsy at that time kept mobilizing his supporters to fight for change and those supporters slept at the Freedom Park for months.  

Print Screen from Sam Rainsy's Facebook Page

On the contrary, I am doubtful if Mr. Rainsy has really worried about his supporters’ safety or his personal safety? Ok, let assume that he truthfully cares about his supporters’ security, but then will the CNRP contest for the National Election in 2018 for a landslide victory (his dream) while PM Hun Sen has already said that the civil war will happen if his CPP loses the election? Nonetheless, I am sure Mr. Rainsy will come to back to inspire people to fight for change and landslide victory after he makes a deal with PM Hun Sen to ensure his safety while returning.

Back to the arrest warrant against Mr Rainsy who at first did not believe that PM Hun Sen was willingly to arrest him as it would be too bad to do so since a series of bad treatments on the CNRP had already happened. It would be an unwise decision to arrest Mr. Rainsy given the fact that PM Hun Sen normally does not burn a candle at both ends at the same time.  Mr. Rainsy said he for sure, although facing a death threat, will be coming back to Cambodia but in the last minute on 16 November evening he changed his mind because PM Hun Sen behaved so convincing and looked ready to arrest with the well-planned mechanisms like creating committee for the arrest and deploying of police around the airport, helicopters patrolling around and so on.   

As a result, Mr Rainsy broke his promise to his 1.8 million Facebook fans; the return cancellation of Mr. Rainsy has not only made the series of unfair, unethical, unlawful and politically motivated events that I have mentioned in the first paragraph forgotten or deleted from powerful social media agenda but also potentially spoiled the sympathy of the CPP’s supporters (they turned from sympathy to mockery on CNRP) and disappointed many front-line CNRP supporters and perhaps also his colleagues especially those who stay in the prison.     

Politikoffee Debate over Sam Rainsy's Leadership and Personality

As one of the world’s longest-sitting leaders, I think PM Hun Sen is blessed to have the competitor like Sam Rainsy. To my observation, one of the main reasons that CHANGE in Cambodia is not happening is due to Mr. Rainsy’s cowardice. Mr. Rainsy is very good at political rhetoric and diplomatic tours aboard but at home specifically inside the party is messy. He should not go abroad too often but spend time to build the local democratic structure of his party and strong youth wings in provinces. He is not confident to take risk for CHANGE but he is very confident to give speeches and lectures about how to bring about CHANGE.   

I trust Cambodian people including many informed CPP supporters, international communities and media have known very well that the CNRP has been unfairly treated by the pro-CPP court but the CNRP top leader is not brave enough to face only a 2-year jail term. Other CNRP leaders and supporters are much braver than Mr. Rainsy; they are already devoted to stay in prison even up to 17 or 20 years, awaiting the CNRP’s landslide victory. The jailed CNRP officials used to tell Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha not to offer any condition to the CPP that affects the CNRP’s popularity, as an exchange for their releases.    

I have learnt that the leaders who successfully brought about CHANGE like Mahamta Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Lech Walesa and Aung San Suu Kyi took risks for the historic CHANGE but Sam Rainsy who has been calling for CHANGE for some 20 years never dares to take risk.  Mr. Rainsy often takes successful examples of the CHANGE brought by those world’s heroic leaders but he himself fails to fully implement what those leaders did for the CHANGE. To fight for CHANGE, Nelson Mandela served 27 years in prison. Mr Mandela was arrested on several occasions and stood trial four times. Madam Aung San Suukyi was under house arrest in Burma for 15 years. Mahatma Gandhi was arrested and jailed 13 times both in South Africa and India. Mr. Lech Walesa, a former president of Poland and a Nobel Peace Prize Winner, was arrested many times and also put for 11 months of internment. Sorry, taking risk in jail is not in the dictionary of Sam Rainsy’s leadership. Not the first but several times already that Mr. Rainsy has escaped and preferred to stay abroad to use a remote control to inspire his supporters to fight for CHANGE in Cambodia.  

Print Screen from Sam Rainsy's Facebook Page

 Time is very also perhaps too short for those who have been struggling and sacrificing for CHANGE and wishing to see CHANGE such former PM Pen Sovann. I share my condolence with Mr. Kem Sokha and other CNRP activists and leaders that the democratic change in 2018 that you have tirelessly worked for is likely impossible if Mr. Rainsy in his capacity as the most important leader and decision maker in the party does not dare to take risk. Mr. Rainsy is going to repeat what he used to do such as numerous diplomatic tours to pressure PM Hun Sen, to text messages to PM Hun Sen and finally to make a deal with PM Hun Sen with condition in order for his safe political comeback before the national election in 2018.   

By the way, no choice, the CNRP leaders and supporters need be united, no matter what.    

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