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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 PHNOM PENH 000361 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS AND H; GENEVA FOR RMA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/24/2016 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM PREL CB
SUBJECT: CAMBODIA'S PRIME MINISTER:  WORKING FOR THE 
NATIONAL INTEREST (FOR NOW) 
 
Classified By: POL/ECON CHIEF MARGARET MCKEAN; REASON:  1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1.  (C)  Summary.  During an hour and one-half February 23 
meeting with Staffdel Grove, PM Hun Sen outlined his vision 
for moving Cambodia forward along the path to democratic 
reform in concert with the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) 
and civil society, claiming that his dramatic turnaround was 
due to the need to work for the national interest.  Grove 
thanked the PM for RGC support in counterterrorism, health 
issues, and POW/MIA collaboration.  The PM requested USG 
support for Cambodian membership in APEC, passage of the 
Trade Act to support Cambodia and other LDCs, and greater 
investment from large U.S. firms.  Grove pressed the PM on 
Burma; Hun Sen responded that ASEAN member states 
increasingly believe the organization is a hostage to Burma 
and said he would support participation of nine ASEAN leaders 
(minus Burma) in the US-ASEAN Summit at the upcoming APEC 
Summit in Hanoi.  On the future of USG interests in Cambodia, 
Grove linked concrete implementation of needed reforms in 
Cambodia and continued RGC engagement with the political 
opposition and civil society to a more promising bilateral 
relationship with the United States.  Grove also expressed 
support for Peace Corps in Cambodia.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (U)  In the February 23 meeting with the PM, the U.S. 
delegation included Paul Grove, Majority Clerk, Senate 
Appropriations Committee; Cindy Chang, H Bureau Senior 
Advisor for Budget and Appropriations; Charge d'Affaires Mark 
Storella, and Pol/Econ Chief Margaret McKean.  Hun Sen was 
accompanied by MFA Secretary of State Ouch Borith, Senior 
Advisor Om Yentieng, and other staff members within the PM's 
cabinet. 
 
Hun Sen:  National Interest is the Priority for CPP and SRP 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
¶3.  (C)  During the February 22-24 visit by Staffdel Grove to 
Cambodia, Senate staff member Paul Grove met with Cambodan 
Prime Minister Hun Sen to discuss recent political 
developments and prospects for an improved bilateral 
relationship.  Grove thanked the Prime Minister for positive 
RGC cooperation on a number of fronts:  counterterrorism, 
health issues (avian influenza and HIV/AIDS), and POW/MIA 
collaboration.  The PM noted that since Grove's tenure in 
Cambodia 10 years earlier, the country had changed 
significantly:  travel throughout Cambodia was now possible 
as the Khmer Rouge were no longer a security factor; 
democracy had opened the political space so that discontented 
citizens had an outlet to express their concerns without 
taking up arms against the government.  The PM added that 
democracy is not yet secure in Cambodia; some have advocated 
rescheduling national elections currently slated for 2008 to 
2009 -- the PM has rejected the idea on legal grounds noting 
that the national election law stipulates the elections take 
place the fourth week of July 2008. 
 
¶4.  (C)  Counterterrorism is not an issue confined to one 
nation or one part of the world, continued Hun Sen, but a 
global problem affecting all nations.  Cambodia is a small 
country but accepts the responsibility to cooperate on 
terrorism and other issues, e.g., HIV/AIDS, that cross-cut 
national boundaries.  As Foreign Minister in 1983, Hun Sen 
said that he was approached by the American director of a 
U.S.-based support organization for families of service 
members lost during the Vietnam conflict.  Although the U.S. 
and Cambodia did not have diplomatic relations at the time, 
Hun Sen said he recognized the need to work on the issue and 
enlist the support of Laos and Vietnam, although the latter 
two countries refused at the time. 
 
¶5.  (C)  Acknowledging that the U.S. and Cambodia may not 
always agree, the PM stated that he is dedicated to working 
for the national interest and the future generations of 
Cambodians.  He expressed support for the continuing growth 
of democracy in Cambodia and the need for a credible 
opposition.  Recent events have opened the way forward for a 
bright future, he said, adding that he does not want the 
mistakes of the past to be repeated.  Opposition party leader 
Sam Rainsy agrees with this approach to dialogue and 
engagement for the national interest, said Hun Sen, and the 
two political leaders spent more than three hours discussing 
the way forward to achieving a better future for the country 
on Rainsy's return to Cambodia.  Hun Sen allowed that he 
could not speak for FUNCINPEC or Prince Norodom Ranariddh, 
but CPP clearly supports SRP representation within National 
Assembly commissions that mirrors the party's electoral 
results in 2003.  The PM said that he discussed the proposal 
with Rainsy, and after obtaining the opposition leader's 
 
PHNOM PENH 00000361  002 OF 003 
 
 
consent, sent a letter to Ranariddh proposing the new 
formulation.  Under the new proposal, the SRP would receive 
the chairmanships of two of the nine National Assembly 
commissions as well as two seats in each of the nine 
commissions.  CPP would hold five chairs and five member 
slots in each commission, while FUNCINPEC would have two 
chairs and two members in each commission -- the same as the 
SRP.  The PM added that if approved by the National Assembly, 
the proposal would likely be voted following National 
Assembly action to amend the Constitution allowing any party 
that receives a 50 plus 1 majority to form a government. 
 
¶6.  (C)  Noting that Cambodia has entered a new political 
environment, Hun Sen said that FUNCINPEC is unhappy with his 
outreach to Sam Rainsy, as the royalist party feels that they 
were not consulted during the PM's negotiations with the SRP 
leader.  There have been efforts to characterize SRP as a 
destructive influence if the opposition party should join the 
government, he said.  Hun Sen defended his actions, saying 
that SRP is only receiving their just due based on the 2003 
election results and their reflected popular support.  The PM 
reiterated his public statement that if the CPP wins the 2008 
elections, the SRP is welcome to join the government.  He 
pointed to the recently announced SRP proposal to resolve the 
country's land disputes through the establishment of a new 
National Authority comprised of representatives of the three 
political parties, the National Assembly, as well as NGOs. 
Another example of the country's new political direction is 
the decriminalization of defamation, which the PM has agreed 
should be removed from the criminal code and transferred to 
the civil code.  Hun Sun underscored that he and Rainsy 
concur that the national interest should take priority over 
the long term, and that was the genesis of their agreement to 
end their disputes. 
 
¶7.  (C)  Grove expressed his support for the PM's new 
relationship with Rainsy, noting that the spate of lawsuits 
that kept Cambodia's political leaders in conflict was 
unhelpful.  There are new opportunities to move the country 
forward on the path to reform, and that will benefit the 
Cambodian people, he added.  Grove urged the PM to remain in 
contact with Rainsy, even though the two leaders may disagree 
over issues in the future.  Hun Sen agreed, and promised that 
if Rainsy wins the 2008 elections, he would not obstruct the 
transfer of power from CPP to SRP.  The PM intimated that 
FUNCINPEC preferred to keep Rainsy out of the country in 
order to weaken the party and gain its party members through 
defections.  Hun Sen said that Cambodia needs strong, fair 
competition in order for the country to grow and strengthen. 
 
Burma and ASEAN 
--------------- 
 
¶8.  (C)  Grove turned to Burma, noting the high priority the 
USG places on democratic change in Burma, including the 
release of Aung San Suu Kyi.  He requested Hun Sen to engage 
with ASEAN counterparts to push reform in Burma.  Hun Sen 
offered that Burma had created "headaches" for ASEAN and that 
during the recent ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, he had 
suggested a visit to Burma by the ASEAN Troika.  (Note:  The 
Troika would consist of Laos (past ASEAN Chair), Malaysia 
(present Chair), and the Philippines (future Chair).  End 
Note.)  Malaysia, however, indicated that the ASEAN chair 
should first visit Rangoon, followed perhaps by a visit by 
the ASEAN Troika.  Hun Sen noted, however, that ASEAN did not 
expect that the Malaysian FM's proposed visit would continue 
to be postponed.  He said that Burma should not be an 
obstacle to the development of ASEAN.  If Burma is not 
invited to the September 2006 ASEAN-Europe meetings in 
Finland, he added, the other nine ASEAN states need to decide 
if they will attend or if they will be continue to be held 
hostage by Burma.  Hun Sen said that in his opinion, the nine 
ASEAN member states should go; if Burma reforms then they can 
attend as well; but if not, they deserve to be excluded. 
 
¶9.  (C)  Hun Sen proposed that Cambodia and Laos be included 
in the ASEAN-U.S. Summit meeting in Hanoi, that will be held 
in conjunction with the APEC Summit later this year.  Hun Sen 
noted that he has discussed the issue with FM Hor Namhong and 
said Cambodia should go -- an ASEAN Summit should not include 
only seven leaders.  The PM understands that the USG cannot 
accept Burma's attendance, but Cambodia and Laos should be 
permitted to join.  If Burma is excluded, it sends a signal 
that Burma needs to make real reforms.  Hun Sen said he will 
go; Laos will need to make up its own mind and the exclusion 
of Burma is not an issue for Cambodia. 
 
U.S.-Cambodian Relations 
 
PHNOM PENH 00000361  003 OF 003 
 
 
------------------------ 
 
¶10.  (C)   Hun Sen expressed his support for an expansion of 
existing bilateral cooperation.  He said that Cambodia would 
welcome passage of the Trade Act, which is important not only 
to Cambodia but to other LDCs.  Other priorities for Cambodia 
are greater U.S. investment by large companies (e.g., 
Chevron), increased trade and tourism.  Hun Sen noted that 
U.S. tourists rank number three in numbers of the visitors to 
Cambodia.  Cambodia is grateful for USG support for Cambodian 
membership in the WTO.  Cambodia would like to join APEC, and 
the PM requested USG support for Cambodian membership once 
the moratorium on adding new members is lifted.  Cambodia 
would also like the United States to join the East Asian 
Summit.  As Asian countries continue to form an East Asian 
Community of nations, Cambodia would welcome U.S. 
participation, assuming ASEAN consensus. 
 
¶11.  (C)  The Prime Minister said that U.S.-Cambodian 
relations have often been bitter, with a number of 
interruptions in diplomatic ties.  The inauguration of the 
new embassy building is a symbol of a solid bilateral 
relationship and continued USG interest in Cambodia.  The PM 
said that Cambodia, unlike other countries in SE Asia, 
provides a secure environment for the U.S. mission and 
expressed again his support for CT cooperation. 
 
¶12.  (C)  Grove indicated that USG-Cambodian bilateral 
relations would continue to grow and strengthen with the 
continued strengthening of Cambodian democracy.  He noted his 
optimism over the current political situation and discussions 
between the PM and Rainsy.  With further successes in 
restoring parliamentary immunity and opposition party 
participation in the commissions, broadening of the National 
Election Commission, passage of strong anti-corruption 
legislation, Cambodian democracy will improve and grow. 
Grove noted that the PM has assumed the responsibility of 
realizing these commitments.  Dialogue and reform proposals 
make for great headlines, but implementation and creating 
results will be the difficult task ahead. 
 
¶13.  (C)  Hun Sen observed that sometimes his vision for 
reform exceeds that proposed by the opposition and the NGO 
community, but government officials often are afraid to 
provide him with the true facts.  The PM has come to realize 
that the opposition and NGO community can assist him in that 
regard, and a partnership is in the interests of all 
concerned.  The PM admitted that he has used non-governmental 
information sources to get to the truth surrounding some 
issues, as members of his own government are not always 
forthcoming.  This new form of cooperation between 
government, the opposition and civil society may be in the 
interests of the USG, but Hun Sen underscored that his 
motivation is for the good of the Cambodian people.  If human 
resources and expertise from outside the government can help 
Cambodia, then the PM is prepared to make use of them.  By 
doing so, the PM emphasized that he wants to bring Cambodians 
together to work for the good of the nation, rather than 
oppose one another -- Cambodian history is replete with 
examples of internal conflict that only destroyed the country 
rather than improving it.  As the meeting ended, the PM 
mentioned the Peace Corps; Grove indicated that he supported 
a Peace Corps program in Cambodia. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶14.  (C)  The PM was on a charm offensive that encompassed an 
hour and a half of discussion peppered with jokes, historical 
references, and talking points that played to issues of USG 
interest.  Hun Sen was prepared with a list of deliverables 
of interest to his government but offered little insight into 
the motivation for his dramatic political turnaround over the 
past month.  Regardless of Hun Sen's political calculus, we 
believe there is an opening to press the government to live 
up to its commitments vis-a-vis democratic reform, which is 
supported by the political opposition and Cambodian civil 
society and which -- if implemented -- will help strengthen 
and institutionalize Cambodian democracy over the long run. 
The PM's willingness and patience to continue this newfound 
partnership remains to be seen, but at the moment, we should 
continue to encourage all sides to move forward.  End 
Comment. 
 
¶15.  (U)  Staffdel Grove cleared this message before 
departure. 
Storella