TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The former member of Cambodia parliament from the opposition party, Mu Sochua, stated that Cambodia Prime Minister Hun Sen is currently in huge debt to China, Asian Development Bank (ADB) and World Bank. The money was said to be used for backing Hun Sen’s ascendant.

“The current regime is depending on only one person, Hun Sen. China starts to consider his lifetime, if Hun Sen dies, this administration will likely unstable. Meanwhile, ADB has no longer willing to lend the money for Cambodia,” said Sochua in her visit to Tempo office, Jakarta, Monday, April 16.

The exiled leader of Cambodian opposition Sam Rainsy, a former chairman of CNRP which the party has been dissolved by the government, confirmed the statement. Rainsy stated Cambodian people is longing to be independent because Hun Sen solely depended to external parties such as China; not his own people.

Read: Sam Rainsy: Cambodia in Uncertainty State Without Opposition

Rainsy expressed his concern about Cambodia administration. He compared it to other ASEAN leaders such as Lee Kuan Yew from Singapore, Mahathir Mohammad from Malaysia, and Indonesia government in the reign of President Soeharto. He deemed those leaders succeeded to improve the state economy. However, the Cambodia economy did not make any improvement for the last 30-year of the leadership under Hun Sen.

Hun Sen who is a low-educated leader controls the economy. In addition, the health system in Cambodia has low quality, as well as the employees’ work which caused Cambodia difficult to compete in the global.

The young people preferred to migrate to Thailand or Malaysia since the government did not provide employment opportunity. Rainsy further mentioned that Hun Sen overlooks the economy in Cambodia.

SUCI SEKARWATI