Cambodian strongman Hun Sen is furious over a video circulating online that shows Thais using his portrait as a target in a game at a local fair, condemning the act as “inhumane” and “beneath human dignity.”
Nonetheless, he urged Cambodians to refrain from retaliating or engaging in similar behaviour, calling instead for moral restraint and national unity.
Hun Sen, the former prime minister of Cambodia, called on Cambodians to boycott Thai goods and to stop using the Thai baht in Cambodia to increase the country’s monetary independence.
“Switching from the baht to the riel helps strengthen the financial sovereignty of our nation,” he said.
Referring to the use of his image as a target, Hun Sen asked in a Facebook post, “Is this what we call a civilised nation of high morals, ethics and civilisation? Regardless of whether this video was made by a human or by AI, it clearly displays immoral behaviour.”
Photos of Lt Gen Maly Socheata, spokeswoman for the Cambodian Ministry of National Defence, were also used as targets in the video.
He claimed that some Cambodians had proposed creating similar content featuring images of Thailand’s respected figures but he firmly rejected the idea, saying that Cambodia should not “compete in wrongdoing.”
Hun Sen claimed the incident was intended to provoke him and disrupt “this fragile ceasefire,” warning Cambodians not to fall into the trap of retaliation.
Despite his anger, Hun Sen cautioned against targeting Thai businesses or citizens in Cambodia, saying he believes that most Thais do not wish to be enemies of the Cambodian people.
He also took aim at Thai leaders, accused them of belittling Cambodia’s economy, noting their country (Thailand) benefits from billions of dollars in Cambodian spending each year.
“We know Thailand is wealthier than Cambodia, but you should also acknowledge that we spend money to buy your goods,” he said, adding “This contributes to the incomes of Thai people.”
Hun Sen ended his post by warning citizens, especially those living near the border, to exchange Thai baht for riel or U.S. dollars to avoid potential losses, claiming that the Thai currency could become “a point of vulnerability.”
