Cambodia: THE VIETNAMESE NATIONALS BEHIND THE COUP [FR]

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• published: 28 Sep 2008
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Lt. Gen. Ke Kim Yan, chief of the general staff: born in Battambang province, Ke Kim Yan has made his way up from the head of district military force. He speaks some English and Vietnamese. He has a very strong connection with Chea Sim, CPP president and chairman of the national assembly. He is pretty moderate. In the past, he turned down Hun Sens orders to prepare a military action against gen. Nhiek Bun Chhay and the royalists. It is widely believed he does not posses much power. For instance, during the negotiation with the Khmer Rouge, Ke Kim Yan was left out, and also during the coup of July 5-6, 1997, he did not play a major role. Ke Kim Yan is greatly involved in business deals such as logging contract with the Indonesian military general. Lt. Gen. Tea Banh, Co-minister of defence born in Koh Kong province, Tea Banh joined the communist underground as company commander in the so-called militia unit of Koh Kong province. He was stationed in Koh Kong and along the Cambodian-Thai border until sometimes before the Vietnamese invasion in Cambodia in 1979. He was trained in Hanoi, and is very fluent in Vietnamese. He is also fluent in Thai and still maintains a huge house in Bangna, Bangkok. Most of his relatives have their second houses in Thailand and also hold Thai identification cards. He was a strong connection with Say Phou Thang, the most senior and powerful figure within the CPP. Say Phou Thang is widely believed to directly report and receives orders from the Vietnamese communist party. Tea Banh who speaks Khmer very bad, was interviewed with Radio Free Asia early 2002. If some of us-Khmers didnt learn to speak Khmer properly, we would not understand what he was talking about. Its terrible accent he uses on Radio Free Asia. Lt. Gen. Chay Saing Yun, Co-secretary of state widely believed as a Vietnamese national, Chay Saing Yun rarely appears in public meeting, especially with the press. He does not want to be questioned about his background. He is one of the hard-liners and difficult to deal with. During the so-called aborted coup of July 1994 sin song and prince Chrapong, Chay Saing Yun fled to Vietnam. Lt. Gen. Nuon Sok, Co-undersecretary of state, Nuon Sok said he was sent to Hanoi when he was very young. He went to Vietnam in 1954-55 after Cambodia gained its independence from France. He said he was so naive at the time but he just followed the group when they were recruited to be sent to Vietnam. In North Vietnam, he said that the Khmer children, who were brought there, were placed in Vietnamese villages to get acquainted with the Vietnamese cultural and life, and also to learn the Vietnamese language. He was married to a Vietnamese woman. He said he is very conscious about what the game of nationalism, if played, must be played by all Cambodian leaders, and not him alone. Lt. Gen. Pol Saroeun, Deputy chief of the general staff trained in Vietnam. Pol Saroeun was chief of general staff before Ke Kim Yan. He was also governor of Takeo. He has a good connection with Hun Sen. He talks and reports directly to Hun Sen. Lt. Gen. Meas Sophea, Deputy chief of the general staff widely believed as a Vietnamese national, Meas Sophea has a strong connection with Hun Sen. His father was known to be a north Vietnamese (Vietcong) Colonel. He played a major role during the 5-6 July coup. After the coup, Ke Kim Yan, Pol Saroeun and Meas Sophea were promoted to become advisers to the royal government of Cambodia and of dictatorial leader Hun Sen.