Phnom Penh (FN), Jun. 13 – Samdech Techo Hun Sen, President of the Senate and former Prime Minister of Cambodia, responded to a report by David Hutt, a journalist at The Diplomat, stating that he has been working with the CIA management since 1997.

Samdech Techo wrote on his social media on the night of 12 June 2024.

Read full response below.

If you do not know Hun Sen well, please do not mess with Hun Sen.

On June 12, 2024, David Hutt wrote in The Diplomat that CIA Director Bill Burns did not meet with Hun Sen, as I mentioned a few days ago that I had spoken to the CIA Director on June 2.

From what Hutt wrote, he thought I was mistaken. I should openly say that I worked with the CIA management since 1997.

The most important meetings were with Director of National Intelligence James Clapper at the Phnom Penh city residence in 2011, CIA Director David Petraeus at the Phnom Penh city residence in 2012, and CIA Director Bill Burns at the Takhmao city residence in 2024.

In the absence of a face-to-face meeting, I sent my representatives to meet the CIA leaders in Washington, including Mike Pompeo, who later became US Secretary of State under President Donald Trump administration.

Our main cooperation is against terrorism, not against any country.

Cambodia also has intelligence cooperation with other countries, as this is the normal course of a sovereign state. When you see calm water, do not think that there are no fish in the water. When Hun Sen does not speak, do not think that Hun Sen does not know how to speak.