Profile of the First Woman, Mrs. Pech Chanmony, Wife of Prime Minister Hun Manet
Pech Chanmony became Cambodia's first woman after her husband, Hun Manet, was appointed by his father, Hun Sen, to continue in office. As Prime Minister in August 2023.
What is the background of Ms. Pech Chanmony or this first woman ?
What the public is seeing now is the first woman, Pech Chanmony, a woman with a high educational background from his country. Serey is an expert in humanitarian and health work.In this case, the women of social and political activism want to see the first woman not to follow the example of the first woman, Bun Rany, the mother-in-law.
Boeung Kak Lake land rights activist and winner of the Vital Voices Women Leadership Award's Tep Vanny wants his wife Mr. Hun Manet, or the first woman, kept a true humanitarian heart, helping the victims, especially women, without discrimination. In addition, do not follow the example of Hun Manet's mother, who often overlooked the persecution of women who fought against rape. Women's rights and land issues, although they occur in public places, and women's groups Any help. Vanny continued that if the first woman had a kind heart, she would understand the pain and grief of the same woman.
" So I hope that the wife of Prime Minister Hun Manet, he is not indifferent and does not have the heart to call a black heart. When we see the same woman suffering and we know we hear and we do not help each other, it is too dark It's too inhumane and too brutal, because we are the same women, we know when women are insulted, beaten, arrested Imprisonment or encroachment on the land that we women need to have a home to take care of our children and family? How painful. ”
However, Ms. Tep Vanny can accept some of the humanitarian work that Ms. Pech Chanmony did, especially during Kovid Outbreak - 19.
Covid - 19 disease (Covid-19) is a prominent opportunity
Ms. Pech Chanmony appeared during the Kovid - 19 epidemic, and also when Mr. Hun Sen took the opportunity to release Mr. Hun Manet. It is seen that there are achievements before the 2023 national election, and that is the bridge that Hun Sen built for his children to cross Prime Minister.
Mr. Hun Sen chose this rare opportunity for the Samdech Techo Association of Volunteer Youth Doctors, which Mr. Hun Sen initiated and supported since 2012. There is a big action. The association has Mr. Hun Manet as the Chairman and Ms. Pech Chanmony as the Vice Chairman. Mr. Hun Sen even assigned another influential role to Ms. Pech Chanmony to lead the opposition Samdech Techo Kovid - 19 at once. At that time, Mr. Hun Manet and Ms. Pech Chanmony had the authority to manage all kinds of work in the military and health on behalf of Mr. Hun Sen.
Hun Sen's case of using the epidemic has also been criticized for undermining the role of the Ministry of Health and for political gain. For clan rule.
Son of a senior official studying abroad
Author Pov Sok's book " Influential eldest son " describes Pech Chanmony as the son of Pech Sophoan, a key CPP official. Cambodia is the Secretary of State for the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training and the Deputy Prime Minister and mother of Mok Poponrith. She holds a Bachelor of Medicine in Medicine from the University of Health Sciences, a Master's Degree in Public Health in the United States, and a Ph.D. England. According to the same source, she has a love story with Hun Manet since she was a student at Preah Sisowath High School. They were married in 2006 and have three children, two daughters and a son, Hun Pech Monivleak, Hun Pech Monilina and Hun Pech Monirithsith.
Influential eldest son, episode 10, " Love and Marriage " - Ministry of Information (information.gov.kh)
Relationships and business
The first woman to appear in top Cambodian politics less than a year, of course, but she has a history and Many hand-held businesses are not inferior to children and family members.
Global Witness released an investigative report in 2016 on his family's takeover of Cambodia. Prime Minister Hun Sen at the time ( the corporate empire of the ruling family in Cambodia ) . According to the report, Pech Chanmony owns two companies and chairs the boards of six other companies. Those companies include
Among these companies, Ms. Pech Chanmony has many public activities with the exclusive importer of electronic products from Korea, Mark LG. (LG) The company has always been involved in humanitarian work with the Association of Young Volunteer Doctors.
These companies are among the more than 100 companies that Global Witness found to be secretly owned or held by their children. Mr. Hun Sen and their relatives. Global Venus Reveals Cambodia's Major Economic Holdings as a Network That Can Be Involved in Corruption, Power Violation, Conflict of Interest and Violation of Rights People to protect Hun Sen's power.
RFA has not been able to contact Pech Chanmony to confirm this.
However, in this case, Mr. Hun Manet used to post a message on Facebook in response to this report that Global Witness (Global Witness) created a story. Strange to accuse and attack his father and family before the election.
CPP spokesman Sok Eysan also defended Pech Chanmony from suspicion of being involved in a conflict of interest between his wife. The Prime Minister will have a company in hand. He claims that the CPP does not encourage the wives or relatives of party members to interfere in the work of spouses as officials or No government leaders.No, he respects his role, sometimes he only has a name. I do not know how much he shares, but he just has shares, he does not have an active role in the board. "There is no right. Decisions are up to the collective board of the company."
In this regard, Prime Minister Hun Manet is likely to learn from his father, taking a public forum to claim that Ms. Pich Chanmony never interfered in work or wanted What did she say when she was accused of being involved in bribery to extend the retirement age of key officials? Some are close to Hun Sen, such as Kun Nhim, director general of customs and excise, and Aun Porn Moniroth, the Minister of Economy and Finance.
" He did not want to see the picture that I have to go to your place all the time, I have a job, I ask. He is not easy to enter, not to mention human intervention for me to sign.
However, these are just the statements of the Prime Minister in power, without any independent body being able to confirm. That this is still true, while the report of the international organization still finds that corruption and sectarianism Popularity in Cambodia is getting worse from year to year. The main reason is that the government is not willing to fight corruption and ineffectively prosecute corrupt officials.
Transparency International Cambodia » Corruption Perceptions Index 2023 (ticambodia.org)
In addition, Ms. Pech Chanmony also has a role in a number of other humanitarian organizations, such as the Honorary President of the Kantha Bopha Foundation of Cambodia and the General Commissioner of the Association. Cambodian female scouts. She is currently the Permanent Vice President of the Cambodian Red Cross, as is her custom in the future to succeed Bun Rany's mother-in-law.
On International Women's Day, March 8, the first woman spoke about promoting education for women and girls in all areas, especially in Digital Technology.
" We all promote the participation of women and girls in digital, the use of technology, science education, technology, engineering, creative arts and Mathematics.
However, observers of Cambodian society still see that the implementation of discriminatory policies does not open up full opportunities for citizens, including Girls exercise fundamental freedoms, freedom of expression, social and political participation, as the government is doing, women and girls will There are few opportunities to benefit from this policy.
President of the Khmer Movement for Democracy, Mu Sochua, former Minister of Women's Affairs, said that the first woman will be honored When he uses his role for the benefit of the general public, especially all women, without discrimination.
" A woman who shows that she is not only close to her husband, the prime minister, but also to the people. "Generally speaking, we see some of the first women involved in corruption, such as Malaysia, the Philippines, which makes our women very embarrassed."
Both women victims of land disputes and social observers still have high hopes for the future of the first woman, Pech Chanmony, to be educated. High sutras from Mr. Serey will use the knowledge and influence in Cambodian politics to help solve the problems that people face. What the government has failed to address in the past has been effective and responsible.