Bilateral Talks, and Their Two Interpretations
Two polarizing narratives emerged after the Monday night discussion between U.S. President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Hun Sen, with the U.S. claiming it had been “tense,” while Cambodia insisted the talks were cordial. When it came to agenda, Mr. Obama put human rights, electoral and land issues firmly on the table. Mr. Hun Sen, on the other hand, served up a platter of responses, the main ingredient being that Mr. Obama had a right to say what he liked, but that the human rights situation in Cambodia has been overblown. …
