CAMBODIA Hun Sen changes his birthday to be born in the year of the dragon

The prime minister said that at the time his date of birth was registered the country was in upheaval. According to critics, it is nothing more than superstition, fueled by the recent death of his brother Hun Neng.

Phnom Penh ( / Agencies) – Prime Minister Hun Sen is a year younger after changing his date of birth from April 4, 1951 to August 5, 1952, stating that at the time it was registered, in 1977 , the country was convulsed by civil conflict. Critics claim that the change is actually related to the Chinese zodiac: in this way the first changes from the sign of the rabbit to the dragon, which is considered a good omen.

Hun Sen was part of the Khmer Rouge when he fled in 1977 to escape a political purge. He then returned in 1979 as the leader of the Vietnam-sponsored rebel army and became head of state in 1985.

It is not uncommon for people over the age of 50 to be in Cambodia for another year. During the Khmer Rouge regime between 1975 and 1979, many official documents were lost or destroyed. Some may have altered their dates of birth to avoid military service in the 1980s, when there was still armed fighting in the country.

Hun Sen announced his decision in early May, just days after the death of his older brother Hun Neng. According to Wion News, the prime minister suspected that it was his own inauspicious date of birth that caused the death of his brother.

The president of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, Taing Sunlay, certified the new birthday by publishing a decree that requires civil authorities to modify official records.

Man Nath, president of the Norway-based Cambodian Monitoring Council, wrote on Facebook that the change shows Hun Sen’s superstitious nature: “His superstition dominates his leadership. If he is a good leader, after death he will become a ghost and be worshiped for decades to come.” Exiled political analyst Kim Sok told Radio Free Asia that Hun Sen should deal with more important issues: “He should be serving the interests of the people, protecting territorial integrity and national honor, but he puts his own interests and those of his family first.”