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Hun Manet (born 20 October 1977) is a Cambodian politician and military officer who has served as Prime Minister of Cambodia and Vice President of the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) since 2023. He is the second child of Senate president and former prime minister Hun Sen and Bun Rany.
Manet grew up in Phnom Penh, where he received his general education before joining the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) 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. Prior to entering politics, he served in the Royal Cambodian Army (RCA), rising to the positions of deputy commander-in-chief and commander of the Royal Cambodian Army.
Following the 2023 general election, his father announced his resignation as prime minister on 26 July, designating Manet as his successor. After receiving a royal nomination from King Norodom Sihamoni, Manet and his cabinet were unanimously approved by the National Assembly and formally sworn into office on 22 August 2023. As prime minister, he has overseen major infrastructure projects such as the construction of the Funan Techo Canal and the completion of Siem Reap–Angkor International Airport and Techo International Airport. His government has also managed challenges including U.S. tariffs on Cambodian goods and the Cambodia–Thailand border conflict.
Manet grew up and received his general education in Phnom Penh and later joined the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) in 1995, the same year he entered the United States Military Academy. Having received his diploma in May 1999, he became the first Cambodian academy graduate and one of only seven foreign cadets to graduate that year. Upon graduation from West Point, he received his bachelor's degree in economics and a commission as a lieutenant in the Royal Cambodian Army (RCA). He also received a Master of Arts in economics from New York University in 2002 and a Doctor of Philosophy in economics from the University of Bristol in 2009. His doctoral thesis was titled "What determines the firm size distribution and structural integration? A cross-county study".
On 30 June 2018, weeks before the parliamentary elections, Hun Sen appointed Manet to higher military positions in a bid to prepare his son for the premiership when he retired from politics or died, effectively solidifying the Hun political dynasty in Cambodia. Hun Sen had mentioned Manet as his potential successor.
He had been mentioned by both media outlets and Hun Sen himself as a candidate for prime minister. On 4 December 2021, Manet was unanimously elected by the CPP Central Committee to be the party's future candidate for prime minister after Hun Sen, making him the prime minister-in-waiting.
On 7 August 2023, King Norodom Sihamoni issued a royal decree appointing Manet as Prime Minister of Cambodia and commissioning Manet to form a cabinet.
Shortly after his rise to the premiership, Manet hosted Universal Peace Federation's delegation, a South Korean organization started by Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon, at the Peace Palace.
Manet stood as a first-ranked candidate in Phnom Penh for the National Assembly in the 2023 general election, a requirement to be appointed prime minister. Three days after the election in which the CPP claimed a landslide victory, Hun Sen announced his resignation and confirmed that Manet would be the new prime minister. The new cabinet was sworn in on 22 August. Upon appointment as prime minister, Manet was granted the highest civilian honorary title of Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet (Khmer Romanization Samțec Mahapavaradhipatī Hun Manet) (; meaning "Great Lord and Supreme Leader Hun Manet").
The election was widely criticized by international observers as being held in a restrictive political environment and neither free nor fair; the main opposition party was disqualified two months before the election, and an opposition leader was imprisoned. On 7 August, King Norodom Sihamoni issued a royal decree officially nominating Manet as the new prime minister. He invited Manet to form a new government for the seventh mandate, subject to a vote of confidence from the National Assembly on 22 August. Manet's cabinet was confirmed unanimously by the National Assembly on 22 August. In February 2024, Manet promoted his younger brother Hun Many to deputy prime minister alongside his current role as civil service minister.
One of Manet's official acts as prime minister was to ban musical truck horns in March 2024, saying he was disturbed by “dancing on the street to the musical beats of big cars”. Manet also instructed authorities to upgrade rail transport across Cambodia. On 5 August 2024, his administration launched the controversial Funan Techo Canal Project which would link the Mekong to Cambodia's coast, significantly reducing the country's reliance on Vietnamese ports. The Cambodia–Laos–Vietnam Development Triangle Area (CLV-DTA) has also come under public scrutiny over concerns that four of the country's provinces would be ceded to its neighbours. Cambodia eventually withdrew from CLV-DTA on 23 September.
In July 2025, his government passed legislation allowing for citizenship to be revoked, targeting those who conspire with foreign nations.
Thailand border clash
As prime minister, Manet presided over an escalation of the 2025 Cambodia–Thailand border conflict in July. On 7 August, Manet nominated U.S. president Donald Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize following his role in facilitating a ceasefire.
Personal life
Hun Manet is married to Pich Chanmony, the daughter of Pich Sophoan, a former secretary of state at the Ministry of Labour.
Electoral history
National Assembly
2023 CPP 1 Phnom Penh 627,436 82.26% 1st
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Categories: 1977 Births, Living People, People From Kampong Cham Province, People From Tboung Khmum Province, Prime Ministers Of Cambodia, Manet, Cambodian People's Party Politicians, Cambodian Generals, Cambodian Buddhists, Cambodian Nationalists, Cambodian People Of Chinese Descent, Cambodian Politicians Of Chinese Descent, Children Of Prime Ministers Of Cambodia, Members Of The National Assembly, Knights Grand Cross Of The Royal Order Of Cambodia, Alumni Of The University Of Bristol, New York University Alumni, United States Military Academy Alumni, 21st-century Military Personnel, 21st-century Economists, 21st-century Cambodian Politicians
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