Hun Sen's Calculated Gambit: Khmer Rouge Role in Renewed Border Tensions With Thailand

A Flashback to 1997: Cambodia's premier leverages historic divisions to stoke nationalism amidst fresh Thai military confrontations

 

Twenty-eight years ago today (July 6), Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen executed a masterstroke of political cunning that earned him the moniker "Fox of Phnom Penh." 

 

Now, as border tensions with Thailand resurface, observers are noting a calculated strategy to leverage historical allegiances, particularly involving former Khmer Rouge elements, to fuel nationalistic fervour.

 

Recent skirmishes and provocative acts along the Thai-Cambodian frontier, notably near Chong Bok and the Preah Vihear temple, have brought into sharp focus the composition of Cambodian forces involved.

 

Many of these soldiers, some aged 40 and above, are reportedly veterans of the Khmer Rouge who pledged loyalty to Hun Sen following the 1997 coup.

 

Fresh News, a prominent Cambodian outlet often seen as a mouthpiece for the Prime Minister, ran a special report on July 5, 2025, commemorating Hun Sen's "victory" over the FUNCINPEC party's army and elements of the Khmer Rouge that day. 

 

This narrative underscores a pivotal moment when the defeat of FUNCINPEC led former Khmer Rouge cadres in provinces like Preah Vihear, Oddar Meanchey, and Pailin to defect to Hun Sen's side, driven by a desire for their families' survival.
 

  

Information Warfare and Viral Provocation

On July 4, 2025, Fresh News further intensified the narrative by reporting a heated verbal clash between Cambodian soldiers and Thai troops, alleging a Thai incursion near Phu Phi in Preah Vihear. 

 

A widely circulated video, disseminated by Fresh News, captured the exchange. It controversially featured an elderly Cambodian soldier, identified as a 72-year-old sergeant (though Fresh News initially named him as Lt. Col. Ukia), brandishing an RPG launcher and appearing ready to engage Thai rangers.

 



 

This viral footage, portraying the veteran soldier as a fierce patriot, has been heavily promoted on Cambodian social media to bolster nationalist sentiment.

 

In response, Thailand's Second Army Region issued a swift clarification, stating that their Ranger Company 2304 patrol unit merely approached Cambodian military movements near the Phu Phi viewpoint in Sisaket province to seek understanding. 

 

Sources within the Thai military have suggested that the incident was a deliberate "information operation" (IO) by Cambodia, with the video being "staged" to provoke and showcase Cambodian military resolve.

 

 

 

The 1997 Coup: A Strategic Betrayal

The current dynamics are deeply rooted in the events of July 5, 1997, a turning point that saw elements of the Khmer Rouge switch allegiance to Hun Sen's faction.

 

The backdrop was the 1991 Paris Peace Accords, which aimed to end Cambodia's civil war by uniting four political groups: Sihanouk's Khmer, Heng Samrin's Khmer, the Khmer Rouge, and the Khmer Serei.

 

In 1993, UNTAC orchestrated elections, but the Khmer Rouge largely abstained, refusing to disarm or allow voting in their strongholds.
  

Prince Norodom Ranariddh's FUNCINPEC party unexpectedly triumphed over Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party (CPP) in the elections, securing 58 of 120 seats to the CPP's 51. 

The CPP, refusing to accept the outcome, declared eastern Cambodian provinces an independent territory. Prince Norodom Chakrapong, Ranariddh's half-brother, even rallied support in Svay Rieng, hoping for Hun Sen's aid to overthrow Ranariddh.

However, in a calculated twist, Hun Sen's faction betrayed Chakrapong, instead aligning with Prince Ranariddh to quash the rebellion. 

This led to the formation of a coalition government with Ranariddh as First Prime Minister and Hun Sen as Second Prime Minister. 

During this period, Ranariddh empowered General Nhek Bun Chhay to establish the FUNCINPEC army and sought cooperation with the Khmer Rouge factions of Khieu Samphan and Ta Mok, based in Anlong Veng.

Hun Sen, meanwhile, turned to Vietnam for military training and arms, establishing the "70th Brigade" in eastern Cambodia.

Then, on July 5, 1997, Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered the 70th Brigade to seize Phnom Penh. His justification was to "protect the elected government" against an alleged coup plot by Prince Ranariddh, who was accused of conspiring with the Khmer Rouge.

Hun Sen's forces prevailed. Prince Ranariddh fled to exile in France, and FUNCINPEC soldiers were killed or captured. In the aftermath, key Khmer Rouge leaders and their soldiers formally defected to Hun Sen's faction, exchanging their uniforms for those of the Cambodian National Armed Forces.

This historical context, particularly the absorption of former Khmer Rouge elements into the Cambodian military, provides a chilling backdrop to current border tensions, suggesting a calculated strategy by Hun Sen to harness past allegiances for present-day political and nationalist ends.

(2025/07/06-00:00)