១១ ឧសភា ២០២៥ / 11 June 2025
របបចោរាធិបតេយ្យ នៅកម្ពុជា ក្រោមគ្រួសារ ហ៊ុន សែន
Cambodia under Hun Sen: A Case of Kleptocracy?
The term kleptocracy — meaning “rule by thieves” — is often used to describe regimes where state power is exploited for personal and familial enrichment. Many international observers, NGOs, and investigative journalists argue that Cambodia under Prime Minister Hun Sen, in power since 1985, fits this definition.
1. Centralization of Power
Hun Sen has maintained tight control over all branches of government — executive, legislative, judicial, and military — effectively neutralizing any checks and balances. This consolidation has created an environment where corruption thrives.
2. Family Wealth and Business Empire
Reports, particularly by Global Witness (e.g., Hostile Takeover, 2016), reveal that Hun Sen’s extended family controls or holds stakes in over 100 companies across key sectors: real estate, banking, mining, telecom, infrastructure, and casinos. The scale of this wealth accumulation is vastly disproportionate to official state salaries.
3. Systemic Corruption
Cambodia ranks among the most corrupt countries globally according to Transparency International. Public services, land deals, and government contracts are often governed by patronage and bribery, benefiting elite networks loyal to Hun Sen.
4. Institutional Capture
The judiciary is widely seen as politically subservient, used to protect the ruling family and silence critics. Independent media and civil society face constant harassment, closures, or co-optation.
5. Repression of Opposition
The main opposition party (CNRP) was dissolved by the courts in 2017. Prominent opposition leaders have been exiled, imprisoned, or barred from politics. NGOs and journalists face surveillance and criminal charges for exposing corruption.
Conclusion
By most definitions and based on extensive documentation, Cambodia under Hun Sen exhibits the core features of a kleptocracy:
An authoritarian regime where wealth and power are concentrated in the hands of a ruling family and its associates, enabled by corruption, repression, and institutional decay.
https://chatgpt.com/.../684914ab-b04c-8000-826f-af493c455da2
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