Samdech Techo Hun Sen condemns ‘extremist’ act of burning Thai goods
[Senate President Hun Sen tells Cambodians to buy locally made goods to support the country’s economic growth. Senate]
Synopsis: Senate President urges KO1 to stop his inappropriate actions, saying any remaining Thai imports should be sold off but not restocked amid a ban on goods from across the border.
Senate President Hun Sen has denounced the actions of KO1, a prominent figure in the real estate sector, calling his campaign to burn Thai goods “unpatriotic and extremist.”
His remarks followed KO1’s organisation of protests at PTT gas stations in Cambodia, where he and his group collected and burned Thai goods, posting the act on social media.
In a statement posted on social media on Monday, Mr Hun Sen expressed personal disappointment in KO1’s actions, describing them as inappropriate and harmful to national values.
“Burning Thai goods and insulting sellers who still have Thai stock is not patriotism—it’s extremism,” Mr Hun Sen wrote.
He noted that many Cambodians in and out of the country are already boycotting Thai products.
“The question is, what should traders do with leftover Thai products? Burn them or try to sell them to recover their capital? If KO1 has money, you should buy those goods and turn them into animal feed. If people won’t consume them, let the animals. That would be better,” he said sarcastically.
Mr Hun Sen urged KO1 to stop his activities and instead practise ethics, morality, virtue, and dignity.
He added that remaining Thai goods should be sold off but not restocked.
“Please don’t claim that all goods are old while importing new products to deceive consumers. Buyers must check for themselves whether goods are old or newly imported. Products have expiration dates. We must work together to promote and purchase locally made products to support Cambodia’s economic growth,” he said.
He advised KO1 to join campaigns that promote local goods rather than destroy foreign products.
Yang Peou, Secretary-General of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, did not directly comment on KO1’s campaign or Mr Hun Sen’s reaction but spoke more broadly about Cambodia-Thailand relations and the import of Thai goods.
He noted that Cambodia and Thailand share a land border of over 800 kilometres, which is currently closed.
“This raises the question—how are Thai goods still reaching the Cambodian market? If the land border is closed, they must be coming in through other channels, possibly via ports,” he said.
Peou said that while boycotting Thai products is an individual right and may reflect patriotic sentiment, the real solution lies in stopping illegal imports, improving the quality of Cambodian products, and strengthening domestic production chains.
“Now is the time for people to start supporting national and locally made goods. This is an opportunity to boost local production. But if we ignore these factors, the impact will be negative,” he warned.
Peou added that illegal imports result in lost customs revenue and weaken public morale in supporting local products.
He urged authorities to investigate and identify where illegal imports are occurring—whether through the land border, which is currently closed, or possibly through borders with Laos—and enforce regulations strictly to protect national interests.
On the Cambodia-Thailand border dispute, Peou said resolution of the long-standing issue requires unity, trust, and cooperation between the government and the people.
-Khmer Times-
