Editor;
Re: Thai PM to attend ASEAN Summit in Cambodia (PM Thursday, 15 November 2012) – Is Sam Rainsy, the main opposition leader in Cambodia, a coward or a hero? He is afraid to enter Cambodia because he is afraid of arrest or imprison. He stays in France meekly asking Hun Sen, his opponent, to pardon him before he returns to Cambodia.
Sam Rainsy, please be a hero and think of Gandhi Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi. There will be a tremendous amount of political and popular gain to be obtained by Sam Rainsy if he were to take good advice by returning to Cambodia to face the jail sentence during the Asian Summit in Phnom Penh. His political plight will be in broad daylight and his courage would earn him more respect and, of course, votes and trust among the electorate.
Without a doubt his arrival in Phnom Penh unexpectedly at this time would put Hun Sen in a clumsy and precarious position of deciding what to do with Sam Rainsy. More likely than not Hun Sen will arrest him despite strong objection from western leaders, but the negative pressure created on Hun Sen and his government by the imprisonment of Sam Rainsy will have far reaching and more serious consequences for Phnom Penh than the inconvenience of Mr. Sam living in Prey Sar jail.
It is certainly a suggestion to be considered seriously if one wants to play Cambodian politics which are usually dirty and can be deadly. Well, you can’t be a cook if you are not willing to be dirty and get burned every now and then.
Ajeay
