US embassy cable - 95PHNOMPENH3751

S E C R E T PHNOM PENH 003751 
 
E.O. 12598:  DECL:  11/14/2025 
TAGS:  PGOV, PINR, CB 
SUBJECT:  FURTHER EVIDENCE OF HUN SEN'S MENTAL 
STATE 
 
REF:  PHNOM PENH 3720 
 
1.  (S) SUMMARY.  SECOND PRIME MINISTER HUN SEN 
HAS CALLED FOR A FORMAL RCG INVESTIGATION INTO A 
REPORT, PUBLISHED BY A LOCAL NEWSPAPER, OF A PLOT 
TO ASSASSINATE HIM.  THE REPORT, SOURCED TO 
FUNCINPEC SECRETARY-GENERAL SIRIVUDH, IS MOST 
LIKELY LITTLE MORE THAN UNFOUNDED RUMOR, POSSIBLY 
FLOATED BY THE SOMETIMES MISCHIEVOUS SIRIVUDH TO 
PROVOKE A REACTION FROM HUN SEN, WHO CONTINUES TO 
SHOW A NEAR-OBSESSION WITH HIS PERSONAL SECURITY 
(REFTEL).  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (U) THE NOVEMBER 11 ISSUE OF "NEW ANGKOR" 
NEWSPAPER CONTAINED A STORY ABOUT A POSSIBLE PLOT 
BY UNNAMED GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TO ASSASSINATE 
SECOND PRIME MINISTER HUN SEN AS HE TRAVELED TO 
THE NEARBY HUN SEN DEVELOPMENT ZONE OR VISITED THE 
ROYAL PALACE (WHERE HIS BODYGUARDS USUALLY REMAIN 
OUTSIDE).  FUNCINPEC PARTY SECRETARY GENERAL AND 
FORMER FOREIGN MINISTER PRINCE NORODOM SIRIVUDH, 
WHO, THE ARTICLE SAID, REVEALED THE PLOT TO THE 
PAPER, SUBSEQUENTLY DENIED THAT HE KNEW ANYTHING 
ABOUT IT.  THREE DAYS LATER, HUN SEN DESCRIBED THE 
ALLEGED PLAN IN A SPEECH AT A MILITARY TRAINING 
CENTER NEAR PHNOM PENH, NOTING THAT THE ATTEMPT 
WOULD OCCUR IN APRIL, 1996.  HE DID NOT SPECULATE 
WHO WAS BEHIND THE PLOT. 
 
3.  (S) CO-INTERIOR MINISTER YOU HOCKRY TOLD THE 
AMBASSADOR DURING A NOVEMBER 14 FAREWELL LUNCH 
THAT HUN SEN WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE REPORT AND 
HAD, WITH FIRST PRIME MINISTER RANARIDDH'S 
CONSENT, REQUESTED A FORMAL RCG INVESTIGATION.  HE 
SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED THAT HOCKRY, RATHER THAN 
HIS CPP COLLEAGUE AND SOMETIMES PERCEIVED RIVAL, 
CO-INTERIOR MINISTER SAR KHENG, HEAD THE 
GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATION COMMITTEE. 
 
4.  (S) HOCKRY ALSO OBSERVED THAT EVEN BEFORE THE 
ASSASSINATION RUMOR HUN SEN HAD BEEN ACTING MORE 
CONCERNED ABOUT HIS SECURITY.  WHEN, FOR EXAMPLE, 
HE TRAVELS IN THE COUNTRYSIDE, HE TAKES ABOUT 60 
BODYGUARDS WITH HIM--MORE THAN ANY OTHER OFFICIAL. 
(BY WAY OF COMPARISON, HOCKRY SAID HE TAKES SIX 
PERSONS AND SAR KHENG UP TO FORTY.)  AFTER "NEW 
ANGKOR" PUBLISHED THE ASSASSINATION STORY, HUN SEN 
CUT SHORT HIS VISIT TO SIEM REAP AND FLEW BACK TO 
PHNOM PENH; IN A DEPARTURE FROM HIS NORMAL 
ROUTINE, HE ASKED THAT HIS HELICOPTER PICK HIM UP 
DIRECTLY FROM HIS HOTEL, ACCORDING TO HOCKRY. 
 
5.  (S) IN A POSSIBLY RELATED MATTER, FOREIGN 
MINISTER UNG HUOT ASKED THE AMBASSADOR AT A 
FAREWELL DINNER ON NOVEMBER 13 WHETHER THE USG HAD 
ANY INFORMATION ABOUT A POSSIBLE ATTEMPT TO 
OVERTHROW THE GOVERNMENT IN THE NEXT MONTH OR TWO. 
HE CLAIMED THAT THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT WAS 
"AWARE" OF THE INFORMATION.  THE AMBASSADOR 
INFORMED HUOT THAT HE KNEW NOTHING OF THE REPORT. 
 
6.  (S) COMMENT:  SIRIVUDH ONCE TOLD THE 
AMBASSADOR THAT HE DELIBERATELY MADE PROVOCATIVE 
STATEMENTS TO THE PRESS IN ORDER TO ELICIT 
REACTIONS FROM PEOPLE AND THEN ASSESS WHERE THEY 
TRULY STAND ON ISSUES.  HE DENIED INFORMING THE 
LOCAL PAPER OF THE ALLEGED ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, 
BUT WE WOULD NOT PUT IT PAST HIM SINCE HE HAS DONE 
SIMILAR THINGS IN THE PAST.  IN ANY EVENT, HUN SEN 
HAS BEEN PROVOKED INTO REACTING, AND HIS REACTION 
IS IN KEEPING WITH HIS INCREASED CONCERN, SOME 
HERE CALL IT PARANOIA, ABOUT HIS PERSONAL SECURITY 
(REFTEL).  IN OUR VIEW, RUMORS SUCH AS THIS ARE 
NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY HERE, AND THE STORY 
PROBABLY HAS LITTLE OR NO BASIS IN FACT. 
 
 
TWINING