Hun Sen maintains control during a border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand
In the ongoing border conflict between Cambodia and Thailand, former Prime Minister Hun Sen has taken an outsized role, using the situation to reinforce his political power and influence both domestically and regionally.
Hun Sen, a wily survivor of Cambodian politics, was born to rice farmers in a province heavily bombed during the secret US war in Cambodia and Laos. He defected from the Khmer Rouge in 1977 and returned as foreign minister, eventually rising to become prime minister, presiding over an economic boom in Cambodia.
Despite passing on the premiership to his eldest son, Hun Manet, in 2023, Hun Sen has not stepped back from the political stage. During the recent border conflict, which escalated in May following a skirmish that resulted in the killing of a Cambodian soldier, Hun Sen has been strategically maneuvering behind the scenes.
In contrast, Hun Manet remained more muted on social media in the early days of the conflict. However, he did announce government decisions during the crisis. Hun Sen, on the other hand, has used social media to rally his people and criticize Thailand, sharing a flurry of posts on Facebook and even posting a photo of himself in combat fatigues.
Hun Sen has also been actively involved in the logistics of the conflict, with Lim Menghour, a Cambodia government official, stating that Hun Sen acted as the main logistics commander for troops on the frontline. Photographs show Hun Sen at a long table with military officers, poring over detailed maps, and with a radio set in hand and a cup of Starbucks coffee within arms reach.
The border conflict has made Hun Sen's clout more apparent, and there has been an outpouring of support for the government on social media amid a wave of nationalism. A Cambodia-based diplomat stated that Hun Sen goes to great lengths to create the optics of being in charge during the conflict.
The Thai premier, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, sought to diffuse the situation when she spoke directly with Hun Sen on June 15. However, a partial recording of the call was leaked, causing a political crisis in Thailand. In the recording, Paetongtarn is seen criticizing a Thai general and kowtowing to Hun Sen.
The Thai army accused Hun Sen of being behind "appalling attacks" during the five-day conflict. However, Hun Sen openly rebuked Paetongtarn for her handling of the border row and attacked her father, former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, in a rambling three-hour televised speech in late June.
In one photograph he posted, Hun Sen is seen in a video conference call with a dozen people, including several soldiers. The border conflict has shown that everyone knew Hun Sen was in charge, according to a Cambodia-based diplomat.
The border conflict has become a platform for Hun Sen to foster nationalistic support and galvanize political loyalty at home, thereby reviving his power in Cambodian politics despite official foreign policy statements being issued by government officials such as Hun Manet and other agencies.
In context, on June 22, 2025, Hun Manet announced closures of key Cambodia-Thailand border checkpoints and a halt to fuel and gas imports from Thailand, escalating the border conflict dynamics. Meanwhile, Thailand responded with increased security and border controls, citing transnational crime concerns linked to Cambodia.
In summary, Hun Sen remains a key and influential figure in the border conflict crisis by using the confrontation to assert his political position and influence Cambodian domestic and regional affairs, even as his son currently holds more visible formal government roles.
- In a strategic move, the border conflict between Cambodia and Thailand has provided Hun Sen with an opportunity to showcase his leadership in both domestic and regional politics, reviving his political power.
- Despite the official foreign policy statements being issued by government officials like Hun Manet, Hun Sen's involvement in the border conflict has become a platform for fostering nationalistic support and galvanizing political loyalty at home.
- The published photograph showed Hun Sen, armed with a radio set, immersed in logistics discussions during the border conflict, highlighting his active role in Cambodia's business of war-and-conflicts. This situation further reinforces the intersection of politics, policy-and-legislation, and general news.
