Hun Sen

Childhood & Early life

Kampong Cham on map of Cambodia

Childhood & Early life

• A year before graduation, he abandoned his studies and joined the Khmer Rouge a year later.
• Changing his name to Hun Sen

Career

• 1970, he joined 'Khmer Rouge' after Cambodian military ousted Prince Narodom Sihanouk
• Two weeks of training, he was appointed as platoon leader

Career

• 1971, he became a member of the 'Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK) Youth League'

Career

• Growing rift with 'Pol Pot' who demanded more self-destructive attacks on Vietnamese villages
• Hun Sen and eastern zone leaders fled to Vietnam in 1977
• They escaped internal purges in Khmer Rouge

Career

• 1979, after the 'Khmer Rouge' regime was overthrown, he became Foreign Minister in the Vietnamese-installed 'People's Republic of Kampuchea/State of Cambodia'
• 1985, he was elected Chairman of the 'Council of Minister's and subsequently the Prime Minister

Career

• 1993, he was named Second Prime Minister
• He launched the violent '1997 Cambodian Coup' in which he deposed Prince Ranariddh and replaced him with Ung Hout as first Prime Minister
• 1998, Hun Sen won election, again becoming Cambodia's sole Prime Minister

Career

• 2008, after winning the general elections, he re-elected as Prime Minister for the next five-year term
• 2013, he declared his attention to rule Cambodia until he's 74
• The decision stirred up dissent

Career

• Following the national leader's declaration stating his unwillingness to part with his authority, the 'Cambodian National Rescue Party' along with other protest groups organized peaceful rallies in Phnom Penh

Career

• They demanded re-elections because allegedly the July 28, 2013 elections were unfair. The protests garnered the attention of United Nations which condemned Sen's use of power to dissipate the peaceful protestors

Awards & Achievemments

• 1996, the 'World Peace Academy' presented him as three titles:
• 'Human Cultural Asset'
• 'Roving Ambassador for Peace'
• 'World Peace Congressman'

Awards & Achievements

• 2005, 'Sri Chinmoy Centers International' presented him with its highest award, the 'U Thant Peace Award,' for his role in the progression of Cambodia and the entire 'ASEAN' nations

Personal life & Legacy

• 1975, he married Bun Rany, a public health official and director of a Khmer Rouge hospital. The couple has 6 children

Personal life & Legacy

Hun Sen, his wife and chidren