Frontline Focus: ‘ Gen Hing Bun Hieng,’ Hun Sen's trusted ally

The Thai army launched Operation “Yuttha Bodin” on July 24, 2025, deploying both ground and air forces to retaliate against Cambodia following heightened tensions along the border.

Later that evening, former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen posted on Facebook to refute Thai media reports claiming he had fled to China.

In his statement, he declared, “I am actively commanding the military through video and other systems alongside the Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, the Commander-in-Chief, and all levels of armed forces to fight back against the invading Thai forces. I have not fled anywhere.”

Hun Sen, Cambodia’s first and only five-star general, asserted his authority and reassured the Cambodian people that he remained firmly in charge of the military operations.

Importantly, Hun Sen is personally overseeing the battle from the Bodyguard Headquarters (BHQ) in Ta Khmau, Kandal Province, a facility near his new mansion, which has also hosted former Thai leaders Thaksin and Yingluck Shinawatra in the past.

Therefore, in this new round of border conflict, attention should be focused on the role of the Bodyguard Headquarters (BHQ), which operates at a brigade-level capacity.

The first signs of gunfire from the Cambodian side began on the morning of July 24, 2025, when the Army Media page of BHQ posted an image of Hun Sen accompanied by the message: “Cambodian soldiers are ready to defend sovereignty.”

Shortly after, the page posted an image of Gen Hing Bun Hieng, Commander of the BHQ, displaying a combat-ready stance and calling for the protection of Cambodian soldiers by their ancestors.

Meanwhile, the Cambodian military’s Information Operations (IO) team shared an infographic featuring Prime Minister Hun Manet and Defence Minister Gen Tea Seiha, rallying Cambodian troops to fight.

The choice to feature Hun Manet and Tea Seiha in the infographic reflects efforts to quell rumours of a rift between the Hun and Tea families, a narrative that has caused unease within Cambodia's elite. This effort indicates the government's intent to mitigate concerns over internal divisions.

While the central military is led by Gen Tea Seiha, Minister of Defence, and Gen Mao So Phan, Commander of the Royal Cambodian Army, the frontlines in the regions of Preah Vihear - Oddar Meanchey are under the control of Hing Bun Hieng and Gen Srey Duk, Deputy Commander of the Royal Cambodian Army.

Hing Bun Hieng and Srey Duk, close allies of Hun Sen, appear to have taken control of the Ministry of Defence from the heirs of General Tea Banh.

Maj Gen Nhea Vong, Commander of the 42nd Infantry Division of the 4th Military Region in Oddar Meanchey, oversees the forces stationed at the Ta Muen Thom and Ta Kwai temples.

Historically, most of the soldiers stationed in Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey were former Khmer Rouge soldiers, battle-hardened from years of conflict. However, after the 2011 Preah Vihear clashes, many key Khmer Rouge commanders were lost, leaving the new generation of officers—who have been directly deployed from Phnom Penh—to lead the offensive on the Ta Muen Thom and Ta Kwai temples on the morning of July 24, 2025.

The BHQ, part of the Supreme Command of the Cambodian Armed Forces, was upgraded from the 70th Infantry Brigade.

On August 14, 2018, Hing Bun Hieng, Commander of the BHQ, revealed for the first time images of his elite troops equipped with advanced weaponry from China.

On May 29, 2025, the BHQ mobilised from its headquarters in Kandal Province towards Preah Vihear. Hing Bun Hieng travelled with his military convoy in a Lexus LM, demonstrating his direct involvement in the mission.

Hing Bun Hieng, a long-time ally of Hun Sen, has been with him since the Khmer Rouge era. Both fled to Vietnam together, where they later led Vietnamese forces to retake Phnom Penh from the Khmer Rouge. When Hun Sen became prime minister, he appointed Hing Bun Hieng as the head of the Prime Minister’s Bodyguard Unit, responsible for protecting him and his family.

During the time when Hun Sen was in fierce political battles with rivals like Prince Norodom Ranariddh and Sam Rainsy, Hing Bun Heang's role was most notably recognised as the enforcer of opposition suppression. Western media often referred to him as Hun Sen’s "secret weapon".

In the 2011 conflict, Hun Sen deployed former Khmer Rouge soldiers, led by Maj Gen Nhea Vong of the 42nd Infantry Division and troops from the 70th Infantry Brigade. 

But the Cambodian forces were decisively defeated by the Thai military’s artillery.

Seeking revenge, Hun Sen turned to his ally Hing Bun Hieng to lead the frontlines with a new generation of troops, challenging the Thai forces and defying the Second Army Area’s three-day operation plan.

Pracha Buraphawithi