Hun Xen’s generals: They are embezzler, can’t read map, incompetent and thief of state properties

Hun Xen unmasks four 3-golden-star generals during an army seminar

Thursday 28 Jan 2010
DAP news
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Hun Xen issued strong warnings while revealing bad and illegal deeds perpetrated by a number of high ranking generals, some of whom were involved in cheating the army. During the closing of an army seminar held in the afternoon of 28 January 2010, Hun Xen warned that the action taken by 4 generals led to the decline of the army.

The direct warning issued by Hun Xen to 4 famous high-ranking army generals was done with the aim of erasing corruption and irregularities so as to bring progress to the army.

The 4 generals named by Hun Xen are: (1) 3-star general Chhoeun Chan Thorn, aka Mao, who is the commander of Chea Xim’s bodyguard unit; (2) 3-star general Sum Somnang, the director of the supply and finance of the ministry of Defense; (3) 3-star general Chao Phirun, the technical director of the ministry of Defense; and (4) 3-star general Ung Samkhan, the former navy chief of staff and currently the RCAF deputy chief of staff.

During the closing of the seminar summarizing the work completed by the RCAF for the past 5 years and setting the direction of the upcoming 5 years, held in on 28 January 2010, Hun Xen issued strong warnings to the 4 generals who were involved in embezzling soldiers’ salary, incompetent management of armaments, sale of army facilities and lands, backing up contraband to evade tax, etc…

The first general that Hun Xen hammered was Chhoeun Chan Thorn, aka Mao. Hun Xen warned: “Now, you demand to be the RCAF deputy chief of staff. The other day, I told you: ‘How many years are you really in the army?’ I wrote back to [Tea] Banh: ‘He does not have sufficient ability. Ah [derogative] Mao does not even know how to read a map, how can I let him become the deputy chief of staff. Also, he is climbing beyond his rank and he is using other people’s rank and even their names. This cannot be done, let’s make it clear.”

During that occasion, Hun Xen also told the minister of Defense and the RCAF chief of staff that any troops movements information must be transmitted to him because in the past, this information was not passed on to him in advance. On this issue, Hun Xen said: “The minister of Defense and the RCAF chief of Staff, when there is troop movement from one location to another, you must let me know, you cannot just do it. In the long run, you take all the troops from their bases to put elsewhere and the PM does not know about it. But, the PM is here, I am telling you: the PM rules the army, I’m no puppet PM.”

Hun Xen also cited as an example the transfer of army unit 31 to the navy, in this case, the decision requires a sub-decree from him. Therefore, including all these problems, Hun Xen told the minister of defense and the army chief of staff that they must inform him in advance.

The second general hammered by Hun Xen was Sum Somnang, the director of army supply and finance, because the latter embezzled 2,500 riels ($0.63) from each soldier when Hun Xen provided them with a 5,000 riels ($1.25) food stipend during their training period. Hun Xen said: “Sum Somnang, what did you do when I gave out money for training? At midnight, Tea Banh went [to meet you] and you denied, but Tea Banh can’t grasp it. I gave out additional food stipend of 5,000 riels ($1.25) for each soldier during training , Sum Somnang you gave them only 2,500 riels each. That day, if it were not for Tea Banh begging me I would have taken you out already.” Hun Xen added: “Then you went on to say that it was for reserve, your duty is not to set the reserve, it is my duty to set the reserve, or it is the ministry of defense’s duty. This is not your duty.”

At the same time, Hun Xen also ordered the elimination of the RCAF army supply department and merge it with the ministry of defense’s supply department instead, in order to avoid deep work confusion.

On this point, Hun Xen indicated that: “The accountings are overlapping, the work is duplicated, the ministry of Defense has this department and the chief of staff has this also, so, for this case, merge them both together to end it. There will be one document and the story ends there, there is no need to review much because the more you review, the more problem there is.”

The 3rd general blasted by Hun Xen is General Chao Phirun, the technical director of the ministry of Defense. Hun Xen warned him by saying: “Chao Phirun, about your warehouse: after the latest visit, how is it? The ammunitions that can be fixed, the rifles that can be fixed, they are left to waste in the warehouse besides those that were burnt down in Battambang province.” Regarding this issue, Hun Xen explained that, lately, he is in direct charge of supplying armaments, money and uniforms to soldiers, because in the past, he provided funds in US dollars, a lot of dollars, but the commanders and the fund administrators did not use the funds for the right reason, they went out and bought useless stuff and they did not serve the actual goal.

The fourth general hammered by Hun Xen was General Ung Samkhan, the former navy chief of staff and the current RCAF deputy chief of staff. Hun Xen scolded the general because he was involved in the sale of the navy headquarter, however, the documents [for the sale] were destroyed by Hun Xen. Regarding this general, Hun Xen said: “Ah [derogative] navy chief of staff who was inaugurated last Monday, he almost disappeared, and it was the work of Ah Mao [General Chhoeun Chan Thorn] again. But, I smashed those documents and I called Ah Khan [General Ung Samkhan], telling him: ‘Ah Khan, do you want to be the soldier anymore or not?’ He used the pretext that there is no KR anymore. Oh Mother! The headquarter existed since the French [colonial] era, even if there is no KR anymore, this headquarter is still very good.”

At the same time, Hun Xen also took the opportunity to publicly announce that anyone who uses the Hun family name, including his name, that of his wife, children, and children-in-law, with the aim of conducting illegal activities, Hun Xen ordered them to be arrested first because in the past, there were people who used the Hun family name in violation.

Hun Xen added: “I am telling you, whoever it is that use the Hun family name, or my children’s name or my children-in-law’s name, arrest them first. I am asking you to help arrest them first, because in the past, there was even a case of [river] sand dredging involving my children’s subordinates.

[To be continued ...]