S ECOND Prime Minister and CPP leader Hun Sen has said his coalition government with

Funcinpec leader Prince Norodom Ranariddh will last to 1998 and beyond "until

the year 2010".

In a speech at Kompong Speu on Sept 23, later replayed on radio and television, Hun

Sen said of the ruling government that "I will support those who are happy to

cooperate with me".

"Don't be mistaken. Once you knock the heads of Ranariddh, Hun Sen, Chea Sim

[and] Heng Samrin, you cannot ask support from them."

"Don't forget, Hun Sen and Ranariddh will go together until 1998. I'd like to

tell all compatriots that between Ranariddh and Hun Sen, we will go along together

until the year 2010," he said, adding this had already been discussed between

the two leaders.

Hun Sen, 44, pointed out that 2010 was only 15 years away and that "even if

I won't [remain] a PM, I will be a leader of a political party".

On Son Sann's breakaway BLDP congress - held one week after the PM's speech - Hun

Sen said: "Both PMs, the Interior Ministry and other departments... decided

the congress cannot be opened.

The Prime Minister said if permission for the congress had to go before Parliament

"you will be stuck because you knock two heads [Ranariddh and himself] everyday.

He opposed the congress because of security concerns, and of the danger of an "undercover

group acting to throw one or two grenades".

"The first reason is a question of security and social order," he said,

adding that supporters of Ieng Mouly and Son Sann could create a new problem.

"An act of violence could be erected between the same political party with different

supporters... Maybe, there is an undercover group that could throw one or two grenades.

Blame will be put on this person or that person. That is why we cannot allow a new

congress to be organized at all."

The congress could have proceeded provided both factions reunited, he said.

"If our good intentions are not understood... you will face problems if you

come to the congress. Whoever disobeys the Royal Government and the authorities and

causes problems to social order must be responsible," he said.

"We are not intimidating, but we would like to inform them for their own sake

before any difficulties arise," he said.

A number of people were proposing a return to the Pol Pot regime, he said: "All

opponents of the government are allies of Pol Pot - we dare to announce this, they

are absolutely allies of Pol Pot."

Hun Sen described those who opposed the government "animals" and "Pol

Potists".

"Good-intentioned" opponents who offered constructive criticism were democrats,

he said, adding that those "making propaganda... that the death chance outnumbers

the living one [in Cambodia]", both within Cambodia and abroad, were "Pol

Potists".

Opponents had been writing off the government at home and abroad, he said, adding

that living standards now should be compared to the "nothing" that existed

in 1979.

"Now [government opponents] had everything. They publish their newspapers, they

have motorcycles and cars... but it is normal for the opposition and Pol Pot's allies

to contradict the truth."

One year after Sam Rainsy had been ousted "foreign countries continue to assist

Cambodia because Khmer people are very hungry. They need to help ten million people,

not one person".

Under the leadership of King Sihanouk political parties had united, bar the KR, he

said.