Hun Manet, Prime Minister of Cambodia
General Hun Manet is the Prime Minister of Cambodia, in office since 22 August 2023, and vice-president of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP). He is the eldest son of former prime minister Hun Sen, who stepped aside after 38 years in office (1985–2023) in a carefully managed dynastic handover endorsed by the CPP Central Committee on 24 July 2023. Hun Manet previously served as deputy commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and commander of the Royal Cambodian Army from 2018 to 2023.
His tenure has seen the 2023 general election deliver the CPP 120 of 125 National Assembly seats, Cambodia’s continuing slide toward one-party rule, tight alignment with Beijing (including the Ream Naval Base expansion partly funded by China), and the 2024–2025 border crisis with Thailand that briefly escalated into armed skirmishes around the Preah Vihear and Ta Moan temple complexes.
Early life and education
Hun Manet was born on 20 October 1977 in Memot, Kampong Cham Province, then part of Democratic Kampuchea. He is the second child (eldest son) of Hun Sen and Bun Rany. He grew up largely in Phnom Penh and joined the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces in 1995. That same year he was admitted to the United States Military Academy at West Point, becoming the first Cambodian to graduate from the academy in 1999. He earned a master’s degree from New York University and a PhD in economics from the University of Bristol (2008).
Military career
After West Point, Hun Manet rose rapidly through the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces. He commanded the Prime Minister’s Bodyguard Unit (a nominally military but politically central force), then served as deputy commander-in-chief of the RCAF and commander of the Royal Cambodian Army from 2018 until his resignation from active military duty upon becoming PM. He holds the rank of General.
The 2023 succession and general election
In December 2021 the CPP Central Committee formally endorsed Hun Manet as Hun Sen’s eventual successor. The July 2023 general election was held with the main opposition Candlelight Party disqualified; the CPP won 120 of 125 National Assembly seats. Hun Sen announced his resignation on 26 July 2023, three days after the CPP’s formal nomination. Hun Manet was sworn in by King Norodom Sihamoni on 22 August 2023 as Cambodia’s 37th prime minister.
Hun Sen’s continuing role
Hun Sen did not retire from power. He has served as President of the Senate since April 2024 — the second-ranking position in Cambodia’s ceremonial hierarchy — and remains President of the CPP. He retains wide de facto influence over cabinet appointments and strategic decisions. Cambodia-watchers commonly describe the arrangement as tandem rule, with Hun Sen setting strategic direction and Hun Manet managing execution and international optics.
Thailand border crisis (2024–2025)
A dispute over the demarcation of the 800 km Thailand–Cambodia border — including the Preah Vihear temple — flared into armed skirmishes in 2024 and 2025. At least 30 soldiers on both sides were killed. A May 2025 ASEAN-mediated ceasefire stabilised the frontier but formal demarcation remains unfinished. The crisis contributed to the resignation of Thai PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
Human rights and foreign relations
Freedom House rates Cambodia “Not Free.” The government has continued detentions of Candlelight Party figures, union leaders, and journalists; the independent Voice of Democracy outlet was shut in 2023. Hun Manet has expanded ties with China — the Ream Naval Base received upgrades widely understood to include Chinese naval access — while quietly re-engaging with Washington following a 2024 human-rights review that marginally eased some US sanctions on members of the Hun family.
| Full name | Hun Manet |
|---|---|
| Born | 20 October 1977 · Memot, Kampong Cham, Cambodia (age 48) |
| Office | Prime Minister of Cambodia (37th) |
| In office since | 22 August 2023 |
| Predecessor | Hun Sen (1985–2023, his father) |
| Monarch | Norodom Sihamoni |
| Party | Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) |
| Spouse | Pich Chanmony (m. 2002) |
| Children | 3 |
| Rank | General (Royal Cambodian Army, resigned 2023) |
| Education | West Point (BS, 1999) · NYU (MA) · University of Bristol (PhD economics) |
| CPP role | Vice-President (his father Hun Sen is CPP President) |
| Human rights rating | Freedom House: Not Free |
Frequently asked questions
Who is the current Prime Minister of Cambodia in 2026?
General Hun Manet has been Prime Minister of Cambodia since 22 August 2023, when he succeeded his father Hun Sen after the July 2023 general election.
How old is Hun Manet?
Hun Manet was born on 20 October 1977 in Memot, Kampong Cham, and is 48 years old as of April 2026.
How did Hun Manet become Prime Minister?
The CPP Central Committee formally endorsed him as Hun Sen’s successor in December 2021. After the CPP’s sweep of the July 2023 election (120 of 125 seats with the main opposition banned), Hun Sen resigned and Hun Manet was sworn in by King Norodom Sihamoni on 22 August 2023.
Does Hun Sen still have power?
Yes. Hun Sen remains President of the CPP and has served as President of the Senate since April 2024 — Cambodia’s second-ranking official position. He retains substantial de facto influence over government decisions.
Did Hun Manet study in the United States?
Yes. He was admitted to the US Military Academy at West Point in 1995 and became the first Cambodian to graduate from the academy in 1999. He later earned a Master’s from NYU and a PhD in economics from the University of Bristol.
Is Cambodia a democracy?
No. Cambodia is effectively a one-party state under the CPP. Freedom House rates the country Not Free. The main opposition Candlelight Party was disqualified from the 2023 election.
What is the dispute with Thailand?
A decades-old border-demarcation dispute flared into armed skirmishes around the Preah Vihear and Ta Moan temples in 2024–2025, killing at least 30 soldiers. An ASEAN-mediated ceasefire stabilised the frontier in May 2025 but demarcation talks remain unfinished.