PHNOM PENH, Oct 6 — Cambodia’s powerful former leader Hun Sen on Monday blasted a social media video of a man shooting at his image during a carnival in Thailand, amid simmering tensions over the nations’ disputed border.
Territorial tensions spiralled in July into the deadliest military clashes between Cambodia and Thailand in decades, killing more than 40 people and forcing around 300,000 to flee their homes.
The two countries agreed to a ceasefire after five days of fighting, and have since repeatedly traded accusations of truce violations.
On Monday, Hun Sen, who led Cambodia for nearly four decades until his son took over as prime minister in 2023, lambasted a video he said showed a “Thai national (who) displayed my photo to shoot at in order to win prizes”.
In the video, which Hun Sen posted on social media alongside his statement, a man in a khaki uniform is seen raising an air rifle and firing at a paper target with the politician’s portrait, inside a carnival booth with hanging plushie prizes.
The former premier urged Cambodians not to respond in kind, calling the carnival game, with “WANTED” written above his picture, “disgraceful” and “immoral behavior”.
“Please do not take any actions that would affect Thai companies or Thai citizens who are living and working in Cambodia,” Hun Sen added.
“I still believe that the majority of Thai people do not want to be enemies of the Cambodian people.”
But he also called on Cambodians who are “hurt by or unhappy with Thailand” to stop purchasing goods from the country and using Thai currency.
Cambodia banned imports of Thai fruit, vegetables and fuel earlier this year, while its neighbour restricted border crossings, but Cambodian officials had not previously called for a boycott.
Thai media reported in August on a fair in Thailand’s southern Krabi province where patrons could shoot air guns at paper targets with Hun Sen’s portrait, similar to the ones in the video shared by him on Monday. — AFP
Cambodia’s ex-premier Hun Sen condemns Thai carnival for using his image as target
