Hun Sen

The Prime Minister who governed Cambodia for nearly forty years.

Life

Son of a farming family

Hun Sen came from a farming family in Kampong Cham. He joined the Khmer Rouge in 1970 and fled to Vietnam in 1977. When the Vietnamese-backed People's Republic of Kampuchea was founded in 1979, he became foreign minister, and in 1985 he became Prime Minister at just 33.

Prime Minister at 33

The Paris Peace Accords were signed in 1991; after the 1993 election he served as co-Prime Minister with Prince Ranariddh, and from 1998 he became sole Prime Minister. Under his rule Cambodia's economy grew rapidly and its ties with China were close; he was also criticized for suppressing the opposition.

Long rule

In 2023 he handed the premiership to his eldest son, Hun Manet, and became President of the Senate himself.

Legacy

Hun Sen is one of the world's longest-serving heads of government and led Cambodia's postwar reconstruction.

Did you know? He lost his left eye in the war.

Key dates

• 1977Fled to Vietnam
• 1979Became Foreign Minister
• 1985Became Prime Minister
• 1993Became Second Prime Minister
• 1998Became sole Prime Minister
• 2023Handed power to his eldest son