US embassy cable - 95PHNOMPENH3699

C O N F I D E N T I A L PHNOM PENH 003699 
 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL:  11/06/05 
TAGS:  MCAP, PGOV, PINS, CB 
SUBJECT:  DEFENSE MINISTER GIVEN COMMAND CONTROL 
OVER ARMED FORCES 
 
1.  CLASSIFIED BY ROBERT C. PORTER, DEPUTY CHIEF 
OF MISSION, PHNOM PENH; REASON 1.5 (B). 
DECLASSIFY NOVEMBER 6, 2005. 
 
2.  (C) SUMMARY.  THE RECENT APPOINTMENT OF THE 
CO-DEFENSE MINISTERS AS DEPUTY COMMANDERS-IN-CHIEF 
PLACES THE MILITARY UNDER TIGHTER CIVILIAN 
CONTROL, BUT HAS DISPLEASED CHIEF OF THE GENERAL 
STAFF GEN. KY KIM YAN, WHO UNTIL NOW HAD BEEN ABLE 
TO IGNORE THE DEFENSE MINISTERS WHEN IT SUITED HIS 
PURPOSES.  MORE IMPORTANTLY, HOWEVER, CO-DEFENSE 
MINISTER GEN. TEA BANH, A STRONG SUPPORTER OF 
SECOND PRIME MINISTER HUN SEN, HAS BEEN TAKING AN 
INCREASINGLY ASSERTIVE ROLE VIS-A-VIS THE RCAF. 
TO FOSTER UNITY AND COUNTER ANY BAD FEELINGS, 
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT CHEA SIM INVITED 
SENIOR RCAF, POLICE AND DEFENSE MINISTRY PERSONNEL 
TO A "NATIONAL DAY" BASH TWO WEEKS BEFORE NATIONAL 
DAY.  NONE OF OUR CONTACTS BELIEVES THAT KE KIM 
YAN WILL ACT ON HIS UNHAPPINESS; WE AGREE WITH 
THAT ASSESSMENT.  END SUMMARY. 
 
3.  (C) SEVERAL RCAF CONTACTS HAVE CONFIRMED THAT 
THEN-ACTING CHIEF OF STATE CHEA SIM RECENTLY 
APPROVED A PROPOSAL FROM THE TWO PRIME MINISTERS 
APPOINTING THE CO-MINISTERS OF DEFENSE AS DEPUTY 
COMMANDERS-IN-CHIEF.  THE CHANGE, WHICH IN THEORY 
WENT INTO EFFECT ON OCTOBER 11, PROVIDES THE 
MINISTERS WITH THE AUTHORITY TO GIVE ORDERS TO 
CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF KE KIM YAN, WHO FORMERLY 
REPORTED DIRECTLY TO THE TWO PRIME MINISTERS IN 
THEIR CAPACITY AS COMMANDERS-IN-CHIEF.  THE PRIME 
MINISTERS MADE THE CHANGE IN PART BECAUSE THEY 
WANTED A CIVILIAN TO BE IN COMMAND OF THE MILITARY 
WHEN THEY BOTH TRAVELED ABROAD (AS THEY RECENTLY 
DID DURING THE UNGA). 
 
4.  (C) A VARIETY OF SENIOR CIVILIAN AND MILITARY 
OFFICIALS HAVE TOLD US THAT KE KIM YAN IS UNHAPPY 
WITH THE CHANGE, IN PART BECAUSE HE DOES NOT GET 
ALONG WELL WITH CO-DEFENSE MINISTER GENERAL TEA 
BANH (CPP).  MAKING MATTERS WORSE FOR KIM YAN, 
ACCORDING TO OUR CONTACTS, TEA BANH HAS BECOME 
INCREASINGLY ASSERTIVE IN DEALING WITH THE RCAF IN 
RECENT WEEKS, APPARENTLY BECAUSE OF INCREASED 
BACKING FROM SECOND PRIME MINISTER HUN SEN; 
MEANWHILE, THE FUNCINPEC CO-DEFENSE MINISTER 
GENERAL TEA CHAMRATH HAS GONE INTO REPOSE.  KE KIM 
YAN BELIEVES HE HAS BEEN PUT INTO A DIFFICULT 
POSITION BECAUSE, IN THE PAST, HE WAS ABLE TO 
STRADDLE SUCCESSFULLY THE FENCE BETWEEN THE 
LEADERSHIP OF THE TWO MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES. 
 
5.  (C) WHEN CHEA SIM WAS MADE AWARE OF KE KIM 
YAN'S UNHAPPINESS, HE DECIDED IT WAS TIME FOR A 
PARTY TO SOOTHE HARD FEELINGS AND FOSTER A SENSE 
OF UNITY.  REACHING FOR AN OCCASION TO HONOR THE 
ARMED FORCES, HE HELD A PREMATURE NATIONAL DAY 
CELEBRATION MORE THAN TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE REAL 
EVENT AND INVITED THE TOP MILITARY, POLICE, AND 
DEFENSE MINISTRY LEADERSHIP.  OVER 200 RCAF AND 
POLICE GENERAL OFFICERS ATTENDED, INCLUDING KE KIM 
YAN AND THE CO-MINISTERS OF DEFENSE AND INTERIOR. 
IN HIS SPEECH, CHEA SIM REVIEWED PROGRESS TO DATE 
IN UNIFYING AND RESTRUCTURING THE ARMED FORCES AND 
POLICE AND URGED BOTH THE MILITARY AND POLICE TO 
CONTINUE THEIR COOPERATION. 
 
6.  (C) COMMENT:  THE MOVE IS A WELCOME CHANGE 
BECAUSE IT PUTS THE MILITARY UNDER GREATER 
CIVILIAN CONTROL AND WILL HELP IMPROVE 
COORDINATION BETWEEN THE RCAF GENERAL STAFF AND 
THE DEFENSE MINISTRY, WHICH SOMETIMES HAS BEEN 
LACKING.  NO ONE WITH WHOM WE HAVE SPOKEN BELIEVES 
THAT KE KIM YAN WILL ACT ON HIS UNHAPPINESS IN A 
WAY WHICH WOULD BE POLITICALLY OR OTHERWISE 
DESTABILIZING.  WHAT IT MAY DO, HOWEVER, IS MOVE 
HIM CLOSER TO CO-INTERIOR MINISTER SAR KHENG TO 
WHOM HE HAS BEEN CLOSE PERSONALLY FOR SOME TIME. 
IT IS CURIOUS THAT, THROUGH TEA BANH, PRIME 
MINISTER HUN SEN WOULD TAKE ACTIONS WHICH WOULD 
ALIENATE THE ARMY, FROM WHICH HE HAS FREQUENTLY 
CLAIMED TO DERIVE CONSIDERABLE SUPPORT.  WE WILL 
BE COMMENTING SEPTEL ON HUN SEN'S INCREASING 
RELIANCE ON THE MILITARY POLICE AND HIS INTEREST 
IN CREATING A SPECIAL UNIT TO ACT AS HIS 
BODYGUARDS. 
 
TWINING