Hun Sen wins praise in Jakarta for negotiation skills which ended war
- nicholastan788
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Jakarta, Indonesia – Cambodia’s Senate President and former Prime Minister Hun Sen garnered acclaim during his visit to Jakarta last week for his negotiation skills, which led to the end of the long-lasting civil war in the Kingdom.
During his official three-day visit to Jakarta, Indonesia, Mr Hun Sen, in what was seen as a rare occasion, gave a lecture on “Views and Experience in Building Peace in Cambodia” at the ERIA (Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia) School of Government. The lecture was a promise he made to ERIA President Tetsuya Watanabe during his visit to Cambodia in late February.
In his address, Mr Hun Sen reflected on Cambodia’s path to national reconciliation, emphasising the importance of dialogue and political settlement for long-term stability and development. He also shared his personal experiences, detailing the struggles encountered in peacebuilding prior to the conclusion of the civil war through the Win-Win policy in 1998.
Prof Nobuhiro Aizawa, Dean and Managing Director of the ERIA School of Government, commended the Cambodian Senate President for the nation’s role in fostering peace and stability in Southeast Asia.
In addition, Indonesian Ambassador to Cambodia, Santo Darmosumarto, said that Mr Hun Sen’s lecture at ERIA provided valuable insights, sharing various behind-the-scenes narratives from Cambodia’s peace process.
In his speech, Aizawa emphasised the collaborative potential of Southeast Asian countries to address regional conflicts and instabilities, asserting that they possess greater resourcefulness than often perceived.
In an exclusive interview with Khmer Times, he characterised Mr Hun Sen as a pragmatic leader whose strategic negotiation skills, rather than military reliance, were pivotal in stabilising Cambodia during the tumultuous period following the Cold War.
“And I think that’s the storyline, right? So, how did he negotiate to convince the Khmer Rouge or Sihanouk and even the partners of Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Japan, and France and the Soviets?” he explained.
“The way he told the story as a negotiation story was very significant. He also believes that he can be convinced of global politics. I think it’s an encouraging statement because you talk about great power competition nowadays. Then, you mirror yourself vis-à-vis the great power, and then the jargon is always neutrality, rather than your interest and how you shape the global environment in a changing structure.
Aizawa underscores Mr Hun Sen’s diplomatic adaptability and strategic acumen, especially in a shifting world order.
“Because the time that he was talking about was the global structure of change, the end of the Cold War in the 1980s to the early 90s,” he said. “So, you know, friends can be foes; foes can be friends. That’s what especially happened during that time.”
Aizawa added that Mr Hun Sen is portrayed as someone who prioritised negotiation over militarism. That choice is credited with bringing long-term stability to Cambodia, and it is implied that this is a model for resolving current conflicts like those in Myanmar or Ukraine.
“It gives a good lesson on what’s happening in Myanmar and what will happen in South Africa now. Or, you know, even if you look at what’s happening between Ukraine and Russia, the principle that he carried, of course, dissatisfied many people,” the Dean stated.
“But, you know, the way he carried through in those moments is proof that, you know, you can survive and reconcile, and you can sustain that for the next 30 years. Because if you don’t negotiate well enough, those agreements can be unsustainable. I think that the history of Cambodia is well taught.”
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