PHNOM PENH, May 17 (FN) A book on Samdech Kittipritthbindit Bun Rany Hu Sen, President of the Cambodian Red Cross and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen’s wife is launched on Saturday by a veteran journalist for foreign readers.

Chhay Sophal, the book author, said the book titled “BUN RANY – Cambodia’s Strongman’s Wife” is translated from the Khmer version published last December.

The book focuses on the life and career of the First Lady since she was young in the 1970s and with the most recent update of her mother’s funeral last week.

“My Khmer book on Samdech Kittipritthbindit Bun Rany Hun Sen was launched on December 10, 2019 but after receiving messages through e-mail and Facebook from some foreigners, I decided to make the book in English,” Chhay Sophal said, adding that the book was translated by an academic group and edited by Americans.

“It is not so easy to write and print a book, but I do not know what to do since I have fallen into news and book writing,” Sophal told journalists.

Chhay Sophal started work as a journalist since the early 1990s. With the career, he worked as a correspondent for Reuters, freelancer for AP TV Crew, for Japan Newspaper, for Korean News Online, and for Indonesia Radio in English programme, as well as with UN bodies.

Mr. Sophal so far has already written 10 books in Khmer, mostly related to politics, power, and profiles of Cambodian politicians.

According to the author, he will print another book on the 3 sons of Prime Minister Hun Sen in English and Chinese next month; and the book on Prime Minister Hun Sen will be available in English in September this year. The two books have already been published in Khmer versions.