Universities encouraged to withdraw Sen Hun's diplomas following violence outbreaks
In a series of events, Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen has found himself at the centre of a controversy involving his honorary degrees from Thai universities. The latest development comes after Ramkhamhaeng University revoked Hun Sen's Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy in Political Science due to his involvement in violent actions against Thais during the recent border clashes.
The controversy began when a photo of Senator Nantana Nantavaropas, a former dean of the Political Communication College at Krirk University, and a board member of Krirk University with Hun Sen during a degree presentation in Phnom Penh surfaced online. Sen Nantana has since demanded the Krirk University Council revoke Hun Sen's PhD in Political Communication, which he was awarded in 2019.
Sen Nantana has faced criticism due to her involvement in the degrees debate. She claims she was ordered by the university council to go to Phnom Penh for the degree presentation, and that she resigned from all her positions at Krirk University after being elected senator. She insists she has since held no affiliation with Krirk University.
Asst Prof Rathapong Boonyanuwat, former dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University, has also urged two other Thai universities to revoke Hun Sen's honorary degrees due to his actions being a threat to the state and disrespect for Thai sovereignty. He praised Ramkhamhaeng University Council's move, stating that revoking Hun Sen's honorary degrees would help retain the pride and reputation of both universities and the country.
Bansomdejchaopraya Rajabhat University and Krirk University have not revoked or explicitly announced considering revoking Hun Sen's honorary degrees. The only confirmed revocation reported is by Ramkhamhaeng University. The search results do not provide evidence of any official response from those two universities regarding Hun Sen's honorary degrees amid the allegations and clashes.
Sen Nantana has described the controversy as a "discrediting" attempt. The Cambodian Senate President was also awarded a PhD in Education for Local Development from Bansomdejchaopraya Rajabhat University in 2006.
The photo of Sen Nantana and the board member of Krirk University with Hun Sen was taken six years ago. The Krirk University Council has not yet addressed the issue of revoking Hun Sen's PhD in Political Communication.
Asst Prof Rathapong urged the universities to act swiftly, stating that the revocation of Hun Sen's honorary degrees would send a strong message that such actions against Thai sovereignty are unacceptable.
Senator Nantana Nantavaropas has made a statement on Facebook addressing the controversy, but the specific details of her statement are not available at this time. The situation remains under observation as the Thai and Cambodian academic communities await a response from the two universities.
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The controversy surrounding Hun Sen's honorary degrees from Thai universities, primarily in education-and-self-development and politics, has escalated further due to calls from academics like Asst Prof Rathapong Boonyanuwat, urging Bansomdejchaopraya Rajabhat University and Krirk University to revoke the degrees in light of Hun Sen's involvement in war-and-conflicts that threatened Thai sovereignty. General news outlets are closely following the situation, reporting on the same-named universities' silence amidst the controversy and allegations. Senator Nantana Nantavaropas, who has become a key figure in the controversy, has made a statement regarding the issue on her Facebook page but the details remain unclear. [Source 1], [Source 2]
