“If you find U.S.-made military equipment, just throw it in the warehouse or just destroy it.”
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen continues to hit back at the United States.
Hun Sen said on the 10th that his decision not to adopt U.S. weaponry in 1994 and not to make the U.S. the main supplier of weapons to Cambodia’s national weaponry system “can now prove that my decision back then was very correct,” according to the Cambodia-China Times.
As the top military commander, Hun Sen ordered all armed forces to check the arsenal and collect all U.S.-made weaponry, “and if they find U.S.-made military equipment, throw it in the warehouse or just destroy it,” the report said.
Hun Sen said he observed that many countries or regions using U.S. weaponry are facing “disasters,” such as the adoption of U.S. weaponry by the Lon Nol government in the 1970s, importing large amounts of arms from the United States, resulting in a “black debt” still owed by Cambodia. Hun Sen said that nowadays, some countries or regions still use U.S. weaponry, and Afghanistan was defeated as a result.
Hun Sen said, “I believe more in the courage and fighting spirit of our soldiers to defend our territorial integrity, not just the weapons.”
In addition, Hun Sen again thanked the U.S. government for imposing an arms embargo on Cambodia, “a reminder to the next generation of government successors that if they want defense independence, they should not use U.S. weapons.”
The U.S. Department of Commerce announced on August 8 new restrictions on exports and re-exports of sensitive U.S. items to Cambodia and an arms embargo on Cambodia, citing human rights violations, corruption, and allowing China to expand its military presence in Cambodia.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said at a press conference on the 9th, for a period of time, the U.S. side continues to speculate to discredit the normal interaction and cooperation between China and Cambodia, threatening, pressuring and sanctioning Cambodia, which is typical of hegemony and bullying, and runs counter to the basic norms of international relations, which China firmly opposes.
Hun Sen has recently continued to criticize the United States. At the 9th event, Hun Sen criticized the U.S. for its “long-arm jurisdiction” and accused the U.S. of threatening and intimidating Cambodia, which does not work at all.
On the 3rd of this month, Hun Sen also angrily criticized the U.S. for taking advantage of the situation and announced that the U.S. would no longer be welcome to visit the Cambodian naval base in Phsar Ream.
“I have told (Cambodian) Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Dipan that if someone (meaning the U.S. side) applies to visit the naval base in Phsar Ream, there is no need for them to go. Phsar Ream Naval Base is not a place of crime. What exactly do you want to investigate? I gave you a visit last time and you were still not satisfied, claiming that ‘it is not possible to visit completely’, do you know what visit means? I allowed you to visit, not for you to search, please recognize this.” Hun Sen said so when presiding over the opening ceremony of 37 roads and other infrastructure in Sihanoukville province on the 2nd, revealing in his words his extreme disgust at the constant U.S. rumors of speculation about the naval base in Phsar Ream.