Hun Sen (1951– )

Cambodian political leader, co-prime minister 1993–97, and prime minister from 1997. Under his leadership, Cambodia's economy liberalized, but there have been problems of corruption in government. In 1993, multi-party democracy was restored and his Cambodian People's Party (CCP) shared power with the FUNCINPEC party, led by Prince Norodom Ranariddh. In July 1997 he overthrew his co-prime minister in a coup to secure fuller control over Cambodia. But, after a Japanese-brokered peace plan, Ranariddh was allowed to return and formed a coalition government dominated by the CCP, after a general election in November 1998.

Born into a peasant family in the eastern province of Kampang-Cham, Hun Sen joined the Khmer Rouge in 1970. He rose to become a regiment commander, but, disillusioned, defected to the Vietnam-based anti-Khmer Cambodian forces in 1977. On his return to Cambodia after the Vietnamese-backed communist takeover, he served as foreign minister from 1979 and became prime minister in 1985. From 1991 until the United Nations-administered elections in 1993, he ruled the country in conjunction with the UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia and representatives of the warring factions.