Amid escalating tensions with Thailand in June 2025, Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy issued a statement accusing Prime Minister Hun Sen of using anti-Thai rhetoric to mask fears over threats to his regime’s illicit revenue networks near the border and political stability.
The statement is as follows:
June 28, 2025
Statement by Sam Rainsy, Leader of the Cambodian Opposition
Hun Sen’s outburst against Thailand is not an act of patriotism but a personal and political reaction rooted in fear. He is panicking over the potential collapse of a regime deeply entangled with international criminal networks.
Hun Sen’s current fury toward Thailand stems not from national pride, but from the growing threat to the illicit revenue streams that sustain his power-namely, criminal syndicates controlled by the Chinese mafia and operating along Cambodia’s borders. These networks are now facing an unprecedented crackdown by the Thai authorities.
Hun Sen’s anti-Thai rhetoric is nothing more than a political smokescreen. While he presents the dispute as one of historical grievance and national dignity, the real motive behind his indignation is Thailand’s concerted effort to dismantle Chinese-run cyber-scam operations based in border areas operations that have become a vital source of illicit funding for the current Phnom Penh regime.
These scams are estimated to generate over $12 billion annually nearly half of Cambodia’s GDP and are protected by powerful actors within the Cambodian state, including members of Hun Sen’s own family. With traditional sources of revenue such as the exploitation of natural resources and the granting of land concessions depleted by years of systemic corruption, the regime has grown increasingly reliant on these criminal enterprises.
Thailand’s crackdown represents a direct threat to this financial lifeline. In response, Hun Sen is once again using nationalist sentiment to distract the public and rally support.
This tactic is not new. In 2003, Hun Sen inflamed anti-Thai sentiment following a fabricated controversy involving a Thai actress, leading to deadly riots in Phnom Penh. In 2011, he used a border conflict at the Preah Vihear temple to deflect attention from domestic discontent. In both instances, nationalism served as a tool to mask political vulnerability.
His selective outrage is also revealing. While vocally denouncing Thailand, Hun Sen remains conspicuously silent on sensitive territorial issues involving Vietnam-Cambodia’s long-time patron-despite long-standing concerns among the Cambodian people.
In conclusion, Hun Sen’s outburst has nothing to do with protecting Cambodia’s sovereignty. It is about preserving the corrupt financial networks that keep his regime afloat. The international community must support efforts to dismantle these criminal structures, even if doing so disrupts the political status quo in Phnom Penh.
Sam Rainsy
Leader of the Cambodian Opposition
