Cambodian PM leads massive rally on anniversary of fall of the Khmer Rouge

Cambodian premier Hun Sen led a huge rally on Sunday marking the anniversary of the fall of the genocidal Khmer Rouge government, seizing the opportunity to burnish his reputation as saviour of the nation.

Tens of thousands of people attended the event organised by Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodia People’s Party (CPP), which has dominated the country since it was installed by the Vietnamese forces which toppled Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot on January 7, 1979.

The gathering – which had a much larger turnout than in previous years – comes as Hun Sen’s control over Cambodia is firmer than ever following the systematic removal of his rivals before a July election.

The crackdown culminated in the dissolution of the main opposition party in November – a move lambasted by Western democracies as a naked power grab by the strongman, who is determined to extend his 32-year rule.

Speaking before a sea of supporters, Hun Sen took credit for the stability and growth his government has overseen since the Khmer Rouge era. At least 1.7 million Cambodians died during the government’s fanatical Maoist rule from 1975-79.

Most died through execution, starvation or overwork during the group’s attempts to transform the country into an agrarian utopia.