Kandal (FN), Feb. 11 – Cambodian Senate President, Samdech Techo Hun Sen revealed that a year ago, David Whitehouse, a journalist for The Diplomat magazine, travelled to the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom to search for the thesis of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet. However, the university denied his request, stating that he did not have the right to access it.

Regarding Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet’s doctoral thesis in economics, the journalist repeatedly contacted the University of Bristol to request a copy after Samdech Thipadei became Prime Minister. Despite being refused permission several times, he persisted in seeking access to the thesis.

Samdech Techo spoke on Tuesday (Feb. 11) during the inauguration of various achievements on the premises of Wat Preah Int Samki Thorma in Kandal province.

"Last year, a journalist went to the University of Bristol to find Hun Manet’s thesis. The university informed him that he had no right to obtain the thesis of any doctoral candidate. However, some opponents continue to use this issue as a tool to attack Hun Manet’s qualifications," Samdech Techo underscored.

Samdech Techo emphasised that the opposition was not only mistaken in questioning Samdech Thipadei’s academic qualifications but also attempted to discredit the United States Military Academy West Point by falsely claiming that it issued only a second-level or associate degree.

He further noted that certain opposition groups had exploited the issue of Samdech Thipadei’s academic credentials for political gain.

Addressing the repeated accusations about his eldest son's academic background, Samdech Techo recounted that, to put an end to speculation and confirm the legitimacy of his son’s degrees, he had asked Samdech Thipadei to disclose his thesis. In response, Samdech Thipadei publicly released both his master’s thesis from New York University and his doctoral thesis from the University of Bristol, effectively ending the controversy.

"When the thesis was released, everything went silent. There were two key points. First, those who claimed that Hun Manet was not a doctor—if he were not a doctor, how could they have reviewed his doctoral thesis? Second, even if someone holds a doctorate, that does not grant them the right to critique Hun Manet’s thesis," Samdech Techo added.

He added that if anyone were to challenge Samdech Thipadei’s thesis, it would be tantamount to questioning the credibility of the professors and the University of Bristol itself.

It is worth noting that on 8 November 2023, Samdech Thipadei publicly presented his master’s and doctoral theses in economics, which he completed at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom.
=FRESH NEWS