Cambodian Acting Head of State, Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, has called on his compatriots to uphold dignity and strong moral values, stressing that even though Cambodia is a small country with a modest economy, its people must not be weak in morality.
Samdech Techo Hun Sen made the appeal following the circulation of a video showing Thai individuals shooting at his portrait and those of other Cambodian leaders as part of a game to win prizes.
“Is this what we call a civilised nation with high morality, ethics, and civilisation?” he asked in a Facebook post this noon, urging all Cambodian compatriots not to engage in such disgraceful acts, which are inhumane and even worse than those of animals.
Regardless of whether this video was made by humans or AI, it clearly displays immoral behaviour regardless of nationality or group, he added.
He revealed that recently some of his compatriots asked him to create content featuring photos or portraits of the Thai King, where participants would shoot at the images to win prizes, just as some Thai nationals have been doing. “I responded that if we believe their actions are wrong, then we should not compete in wrongdoing. There is no value in replicating such inhumane behaviour, which is worse than what animals would do,” he said.
The Acting Head of State further explained that their intention is to provoke him, to cause him to lose patience during this fragile ceasefire, or at the very least, to incite some Cambodian military forces and people to retaliate and stir conflict.
“I sincerely appeal to all our compatriots not to use the portrait of the Thai King or images of any Thai leader in any inappropriate or disrespectful manner,” he said. “Although our country is small, our population limited, and our economy weak, we must not be weak in morality. We must remain a dignified nation with high moral values.”
He continued, “If you are hurt by or unhappy with Thailand, please refrain from purchasing Thai goods and stop using the Thai baht in Cambodia to strengthen our national monetary independence.”
Samdech Techo Hun Sen once again appealed to his compatriots not to take any actions that would affect Thai companies or Thai citizens who are living and working in Cambodia. “I still believe that the majority of Thai people do not want to be enemies of the Cambodian people,” he said.
According to Samdech Techo, some people in Thailand, including some Thai leaders, are making inaccurate assessments of Cambodia’s economy, saying the country is facing hardship following the Thai border closures due to a lack of consumer goods. He thanked the Thai leaders for unintentionally doing Cambodia a favour. Cambodia has spent no less than five billion U.S. dollars annually to purchase Thai products. Redirecting this spending to local products would provide a market and opportunity to strengthen the Cambodian economy.
“We never asked for Thai products to be sold in our markets. We paid for them. Thai leaders must not misunderstand or continue to belittle Cambodia. We know Thailand is wealthier than Cambodia, but you should also acknowledge that we spend money to buy your goods, which contributes to income for the Thai people,” he stressed. “To Thai sellers who used to trade in Cambodia, please do not be upset at losing a major customer. This is not Cambodia’s fault.”
Finally, Samdech Techo Hun Sen advised Cambodians, especially those living near the Thai border, to urgently exchange Thai baht for riel or U.S. dollars to avoid potential losses. He warned that the baht could become a point of vulnerability, used for pressure, just as Cambodia has seen in past situations involving electricity, internet, and fuel.
“Switching from the baht to the riel helps strengthen the financial sovereignty of our nation,” he underlined.
