ad info




Asiaweek
 home
 intelligence
 web features
 magazine archive
 technology
 newsmap
 customer service
 subscribe
 TIMEASIA.COM
 CNN.COM
  east asia
  southeast asia
  south asia
  central asia
  australasia
 BUSINESS
 SPORTS
 SHOWBIZ
 ASIA WEATHER
 ASIA TRAVEL


Web-only Exclusives
November 30, 2000

From Our Correspondent: Hirohito and the War
A conversation with biographer Herbert Bix

From Our Correspondent: A Rough Road Ahead
Bad news for the Philippines - and some others

From Our Correspondent: Making Enemies
Indonesia needs friends. So why is it picking fights?

Asiaweek Time Asia Now Asiaweek story

CAMBODIA

Premier Power Plays
Hidden tensions between the prime ministers flare


AN ACCOMPLISHED CHESS PLAYER, Cambodia's Second Premier Hun Sen prefers a patient strategy. He probes his opponent's defenses carefully looking for weaknesses. When he finds one, he has the reputation for attacking swiftly and aggressively. One of his targets these days is the royalist FUNCINPEC party of First Premier Prince Norodom Ranariddh. Seemingly frustrated at being unable to stop Hun Sen's creeping advances, Ranariddh fired a rare public salvo that sent Hun Sen into a defensive crouch. At a recent FUNCINPEC meeting, the prince angrily charged that Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party was not sharing power with FUNCINPEC as promised after the 1993 U.N.-sponsored elections. Ranariddh further threatened to dissolve the ruling coalition, complaining: "Being a puppet is not so good."

The prince's attack briefly revealed a potential rift that lurks beneath the unquiet surface of Cambodian politics. Since first becoming premier in the 1980s, Hun Sen has been slowly but surely consolidating his power base despite a few setbacks. After losing the 1993 poll, he finagled FUNCINPEC into a power-sharing coalition. His party nonetheless still dominates the army, police, civil service and judiciary. And Hun Sen has attempted to muzzle two of his sterner critics. Former FUNCINPEC member Sam Rainsy continues to snipe, but from the sidelines. And Prince Norodom Sirivudh accepted exile in France rather than face trial for allegedly plotting to assassinate Hun Sen. He was sentenced in absentia to 10 years in prison.

After Ranariddh's accusatory speech, Hun Sen made another of his tactical maneuvers by, in his own words, retreating down a "crab hole." No doubt, he won't stay there longer than he has to. Last week, there were signs Hun Sen was back in play, as he hinted at a ploy similar to the one that removed Sirivudh. The co-premier announced he had uncovered evidence of a new assassination plot, though he didn't reveal who was behind it.

-- Reported by Dominic Faulder / Bangkok


This edition's table of contents | Asiaweek home

AsiaNow


   LATEST HEADLINES:

WASHINGTON
U.S. secretary of state says China should be 'tolerant'

MANILA
Philippine government denies Estrada's claim to presidency

ALLAHABAD
Faith, madness, magic mix at sacred Hindu festival

COLOMBO
Land mine explosion kills 11 Sri Lankan soldiers

TOKYO
Japan claims StarLink found in U.S. corn sample

BANGKOK
Thai party announces first coalition partner



TIME:

COVER: President Joseph Estrada gives in to the chanting crowds on the streets of Manila and agrees to make room for his Vice President

THAILAND: Twin teenage warriors turn themselves in to Bangkok officials

CHINA: Despite official vilification, hip Chinese dig Lamaist culture

PHOTO ESSAY: Estrada Calls Snap Election

WEB-ONLY INTERVIEW: Jimmy Lai on feeling lucky -- and why he's committed to the island state



ASIAWEEK:

COVER: The DoCoMo generation - Japan's leading mobile phone company goes global

Bandwidth Boom: Racing to wire - how underseas cable systems may yet fall short

TAIWAN: Party intrigues add to Chen Shui-bian's woes

JAPAN: Japan's ruling party crushes a rebel ì at a cost

SINGAPORE: Singaporeans need to have more babies. But success breeds selfishness


Launch CNN's Desktop Ticker and get the latest news, delivered right on your desktop!

Today on CNN
 Search

Back to the top   © 2000 Asiaweek. All Rights Reserved.
Terms under which this service is provided to you.
Read our privacy guidelines.

ÿ