Sam Rainsy’s Interview With The Cambodia Daily

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy (Photo: Sovannara, RFI)

5 January 2010

SAM RAINSY’S INTERVIEW WITH THE CAMBODIA DAILY

On 3 January 2010, the following questions from The Cambodia Daily (Q) were answered by Sam Rainsy (A).
Q. Can you explain why you choose to remain abroad and not return to Cambodia? And why you have done so in the past? What do you hope to gain (or prevent) by staying overseas?
A. To make it short, I am awaiting two answers: one from Hanoi, and one from Phnom Penh.

- From Hanoi: See my offer in the 21 December 2009 statement “The Real Court Is in Hanoi” at http://tinyurl.com/y99gv8w
- From Phnom Penh: See my offer in the 2 January 2010 Cambodia Daily’s article “Rainsy Says Will Return When Prisoners Freed” and other press reports such as the one from Radio France Internationale at http://tinyurl.com/yzqq5nn

I must give the two governments some time to respond to my consistent and legitimate offers.

I hope they will answer in one way or another. But, in the present circumstances, no answer is also an answer, a telling answer. The Cambodian people and Friends of Cambodia all over the world will be able to judge.

After that, I will consult with my colleagues in Cambodia and abroad to decide on the next step.

Q. Does your absence hurt the SRP in its operations or its public image?

A. By past experiences, I can say it affects the SRP only to a limited and manageable extent, but my “absence” from Cambodia gives us many opportunities elsewhere.

I am proud of, and blessed by, the permanent presence on the spot of countless competent and dedicated colleagues at all levels who are capable of adjusting to any situation like the one in 2005-2006 when I was “absent” for a whole year. The first subsequent polls (commune elections) in early 2007 were a big and unprecedented success for the SRP, proving that the SRP had not been that “affected” by my “absence.”

In the present world and with modern technologies, the word “absence” in the political field does not have the same meaning as only ten years ago. Look at Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra [the fugitive former Thai prime minister]: In spite of his self-imposed exile, he is very “present” in Thailand. Just a few days ago, I took part in a radio call-in show broadcast live from Phnom Penh. Was I really “absent” from Cambodia?