Thread by @RainsySam

Thank you to Dr. Mahathir Mohamad for the precious advice he gave to our leaders andpeople during his visit to #Cambodia.
The following seven valuable pieces of advice are clear from the diplomatic statements that Dr. Mahathir made during his visit. #SamRainsy

1/7 Cambodia must embrace, not reject, the Western-model of liberal and pluralist democracy.

2/7 Cambodia must be prepared for a democratic change in government (just like Malaysia in 2018).

3/7 Cambodia needs an independent, fair judiciary, avoiding arbitrarily prolonged detention. “It is our duty to ensure that our citizens get a fair trial and if there is no case, they should be released speedily.” There is possible allusion here to the Kem Sokha case.

4/7 Cambodia should pay more attention to education, which is key to development but remains too weak under the Hun Sen regime. Contrary to the highly educated and progressive leadership that Malaysia enjoys, Hun Sen seems to have no vision for Cambodia.

5/7 Cambodia under Hun Sen has taken a dangerous turn by becoming too heavily dependent on investments from China because we must “avoid one-country dominance on FDI.”

6/7 In the ongoing confrontation between China and the US, it is not wise for Cambodia to side with either of these superpowers, with a clear allusion here to China.

7/7 Cambodia should not weaken ASEAN by siding with China. On the contrary, it should help to strengthen solidarity among ASEAN member states.

I made a three-day visit to Kuala Lumpur from August 14 to 16 and met with several Members of Parliament from the ruling coalition and could see a vibrant democracy functioning in #Malaysia.

All Cambodians should take advantage of Dr. Mahathir’s unparalleled experience and wisdom by valuing his advice and pushing for its translation into effective policies for the benefit of our country. #SamRainsy #Cambodia

@threadreaderapp unroll please