Cambodian Governor Sacked Following Anti-Thai Riots

by Ma Nguyen Tong

20-2-2003

The governor of Phnom Penh was sacked by the Cambodian prime minister, two weeks after the country's capital was ransacked by anti-Thai rioters. Chea Sophara, a senior member of Prime Minister Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party, had been widely seen as a potential successor to the Cambodian leader. Government spokesman Khieu Kanharith gave no direct reason for the dismissal, but he said that Thai intelligence had accused some government officials of being behind the riots. Cambodia was still trying to repair damaged relations with Thailand following the violence, which destroyed the Thai embassy and several Thai-owned businesses.

The riots were sparked by a Thai actress' alleged comment that Cambodia's Angkor Wat temple complex should be given to Thailand.

'Scapegoat'

Mr Sophara was sent to Rangoon as the Cambodian ambassador to Burma. Mr Kanharith said: "There will be more officials who will be disciplined in order to allow the government to investigate the incidents that happened on the January 29, 2003."

Opposition members said that Mr Sophara, seen as a rival to Hun Sen, was being used as a scapegoat by the prime minister as he tried to forge a reconciliation with Thailand.

"This act seems (intended) to satisfy Thailand and to make them see that we have dismissed the people who are also responsible for that event," Princess Norodom Vacheara, MP for the opposition Funcinpec party said.

He was sacked reportedly for failing to control the anti-Thai riots. Sopara was the first high-ranking official sacked as a result of the violence. Prime Minister Hun Sen's government was deliberating taking action against other officials who failed to respond in time to the riots. Thai officials accused Sopara of being a major figure in forging anti-Thai sentiment in Cambodia and of favouring non-Thai foreign investors, especially Vietnamese.Many observers believed his dismissal came about at the request of Thai government in a bid to normalise cross-border relations as soon as possible.

Although the Cambodian police are officially under the command of their director-general General Hok Lundy, Sopara was authorised to deploy them in the event of any unrest in the capital. His dismissal came in spite of his closeness to Hun Sen. But a long-time observer said the link was weaker than that to Lundy, who is related to Hun Sen through the marriage of their children.

Diplomatic moves

Relations between the two countries slowly improved. On February 10, the Thai charge d'affaires returned to Phnom Penh and on Saturday before the Thai-Cambodian border was partially re-opened.

Cambodia offered to pay compensation--which was estimated to amount to $46.7 million for the damage to Thai businesses alone. Officials from both sides said they hoped to put the diplomatic crisis sparked by the incident behind them, but correspondents said Thailand was keen not to be seen to be rushing to restore normal relations, as a way to stress its displeasure.