នាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី
សម្តេច អគ្គមហាសេនាបតី តេជោ ហ៊ុនសែន
Born on August 5, 1952 (officially on April 4th, 1951) in Peam Koh Sna Commune, Stoeung Trang District of Kampong Cham Province, upon completion of his local primary school, in 1965 Samdech Hun Sen came to Phnom Penh to continue his secondary education in the Lycé Indra Devi. He resided in Neakavoan Pagoda.
In 1970 Cambodia was plunged into war. Responding to the appeal of Prince Sihanouk to Cambodians to join the war against the imperialists, at the age of 18, Samdech Hun Sen joined the struggle movement, which liberated the country on April 17, 1975.
One day before the victory, on April 16, 1975, Samdech Hun Sen was wounded in the left eye. Recovering after months of treatment, he married Bun Rany. Not long afterward, having witnessed the Pol Pot regime’s policy of genocide, in 1977 he left his beloved family again to lead a movement aimed at liberating Cambodia and its people from the genocidal regime. In 1978, Hun Sen became a founding member of the United Front for the National Salvation of Kampuchea (UFNSK). In collaboration with other patriotic movements and with the support of Vietnamese volunteer forces, on January 7, 1979, the UFNSK rescued Cambodia and its people from the genocidal regime of Democratic Kampuchea.
From 1979 to 1993, Samdech Hun Sen held various positions in the Cambodian administrations of the People’s Republic, Kampuchea and then the State of Cambodia. As Foreign Minister in 1979, as Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister from 1981 to 1985, and then as Prime Minister and Foreign Minister from 1985 to 1991, Samdech Hun Sen brought about several remarkable achievements, laying the basis for the implementation of peace, national reconciliation, and the development of Cambodia. Through his willing contribution and efforts, Samdech Hun Sen proved an indispensable architect of the Paris Peace Agreement on Cambodia.
As a result of the implementation of the Agreement and the 1993 national elections, from 1993 to 1998 Samdech Hun Sen served Cambodia as the Co-Premier and then the second Prime Minister of the first coalition government. In this position, he again proved to be an earnest defender of national achievements and of the Paris Peace Agreement. His achievements in this period included fulfilling commitments to the improvement of rural roads, schools, dispensaries and health care centers, and access to clean water.
In July 1998, the general election brought victory to the Cambodian People’s Party, of which Samdech Hun Sen is the Vice President. He became the sole Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, leading the second coalition government of the two major parties, the CPP and FUNCINPEC, and solemnly declared his Government to be an “economy-oriented government.” Under his leadership Cambodia became the 10th member of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN).
For his great efforts and contributions to national reconciliation, peace, and the socio-economic development of Cambodia, Samdech Hun Sen had been awarded the title of “Samdech” by His Majesty the King and a World Peace Award. He has a B.A. in Politics from the Cambodian Tertiary Education, a Ph.D. in Political Science from the National Political Academy in Hanoi (1991), and two Honorary Doctorates — a Ph. D. in Politics from the Southern California University for Professional Studies, USA (1995), and a Ph.D. of Law from IOWA Wesleyan College, USA (1996).
On April 10, 2001, in Seoul, the Awarding Committee of Graduate School of Dankook University in South Korea bestowed the Honorary Doctorate in Political Sciences upon Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen in recognition of contributions to the recovery of peace and stability in Cambodia, the improvement of diplomatic relations between Cambodia and the Republic of Korea, and his efforts towards East-Asian cooperation.
On November 15, 2001, Samdech Hun Sen was bestowed with the Honorary Doctorate Degree of Political Science (Honoris Causa) in the field of Foreign Relations from the University of Ramkhamhaeng, Thailand.
On December 22, 2001, Sri Chinmoy of the International Peace Center presented Samdech Hun Sen with “Lifting Up the World with a Oneness-Heart” Award. It was presented in recognition of achievements scored by Samdech Hun Sen both in quantitative and qualitative terms. Sri Chinmoy refers to Samdech Hun Sen as an instrument selected by the Lord Buddha to save millions of people of Cambodia from deaths, to provide them with education, food and shelters, to build them schools, hospitals and water canals, and to lead Cambodia into ASEAN.
Samdech Hun Sen and Chumteav Bun Rany have three sons and three daughters (one of whom is adopted): Hun Manet, Hun Mana, Hun Manit, Hun Mani, Hun Mali, and Hun Malis.
