Hun Sen slams burning of Thai goods as ‘extreme fanaticism’
Hun Sen expressed disappointment over a viral video showing Cambodians burning Thai goods, calling the act extreme and urging an end to such behaviour.
Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen had expressed disappointment and disapproval over a viral video showing a group burning Thai-made products in protest.
In a message posted on his social media account on Monday (October 20), Hun Sen said he was “deeply disappointed” by the footage, which ran for over eight minutes and featured individuals calling for a boycott of Thai goods.
“I am really disappointed by the inappropriate actions of these brothers,” he wrote. “Burning Thai goods and cursing those who sell them is an act beyond patriotism and an extreme form of fanaticism.”
Hun Sen noted that nearly all Cambodians, both inside the country and abroad, appeared to be avoiding Thai products amid rising nationalist sentiment. However, he questioned what traders should do with leftover Thai goods.
“If they still have Thai products in stock, should they burn them or continue selling them to earn a living?” he asked. “If the group has money, they should buy the remaining goods and feed them to animals, rather than burning them like in the video. If people will not eat them, it is better to give them to animals than to destroy them.”
Hun Sen urged those involved to “stop this foolish activity immediately” and instead help promote national culture, morality, virtue and dignity.
