Hun Sen: ‘Strange and rare’ for a country to conduct a poll on an enemy leader
It should be illogical – and indeed laughable – that Thailand’s National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) conducted a poll among its citizens about a Cambodian leader while the two countries are involved in a dispute, noted Senate president Hun Sen.
“It is a strange and rare thing in the world for a country in conflict to conduct a poll about the leader of its enemy. It’s laughable and lacks any rationale, yet Thailand has done such a thing,” he said, via a social media post shared today, July 9, about a recent poll NIDA conducted about him.
He added that the poll, which ostensibly served to gauge Thai public sentiment toward him, showed their significant interest and placed a high value on him. He suggested that Thai people should poll their leaders instead.
“What I fear most is that Thai people love Hun Sen, which could indicate that I am betraying my nation and people. What I want the most is for my enemy to rate me as low as possible, which shows that I am doing the right thing for my country and people,” he added.
Hun Sen’s reaction came after a NIDA poll revealed that over 57 per cent of respondents believed Hun Sen is “untrustworthy”, with more than 44 per cent describing him as “unreliable”.
Over 40 per cent of respondents believed Hun Sen is sowing division in Thailand, but only about 25 per cent thought he wanted Thai territory, according to a July 6 report by The Nation Thailand.
Niem Chheng
The Phnom Penh Post
Asia News Network
