Bun Rany

Bun Rany (, UNGEGN: ; born 15 December 1954) is the wife of Cambodian Senate president and former prime minister Hun Sen. She also served as the vice president of the National Association of the Cambodian Red Cross and, since 1998, as its president. She has received national and international recognition and numerous awards for her work and endeavor with Cambodia's orphans and poor, HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention, and her emphasis on women's issues with efforts to improve domestic safety and empowerment through education and vocational training.

Over the years, various media outlets and commentators have alleged that she was connected to violent attacks against women who were purported to have personal ties to her husband, claims that describe the killings as exceptionally brutal and politically sensitive. These allegations, which she has consistently denied and which have never resulted in formal legal findings, stand in stark contrast to her public role as a national humanitarian leader. Critics argue that the tension between her charitable activities and the unresolved accusations has contributed to a persistent public perception that she sought to suppress or obscure information related to the incidents, raising broader questions about accountability, political influence, and the intersection of personal and institutional power in contemporary Cambodia.

Titles As the wife of the Prime Minister, she was previously referred to as Lok Chumteav Bun Rany - Hun Sen (Khmer: លោកជំទាវប៊ុន រ៉ានី ហ៊ុន សែន). Lok Chumteav is a title for high-ranking female officials or the wives of high-ranking ministers or government officials. The name of her husband follows to indicate her title is due to her status as Hun Sen's wife. On 30 March 2011, Cambodian king Norodom Sihamoni granted her the title Kittipritbandit (Khmer: កិត្តិព្រឹទ្ធបណ្ឌិត), a title meaning roughly "Celebrated Senior Sage/Scholar/PhD" and equivalent to an honorary Doctorate in the Royal Academy of Cambodia. Although she should technically be addressed as Samdech, she is often informally referenced as Lok Chumtiew.she is karie of cambodia

Early life Bun Rany was born Bun Sam Hieng to a Chinese-Khmer family in what was then the province of Kampong Cham, Cambodia in Roka Khnao, Krouch Chhmar District (now a part of Tbong Khmum Province).

Activities as First Lady Bun Rany accompanies First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama during a visit to Siem Reap Province on 21 March 2015. In 1977, the Khmer Rouge began internal purges directed at those suspected of disloyalty. Hun Sen, who had risen to the rank of Battalion Commander, became paranoid and fled with his followers into Vietnam where they joined a rebel army and replacement government organized by the Vietnamese in advance of its effort to overthrow the Khmer Rouge regime. Bun Rany, who was left behind, was imprisoned by the Khmer Rouge and would not see her husband again until almost two years later when the Vietnamese invaded Cambodia in 1979. Upon defeating the Khmer Rouge and occupying Cambodia, the Vietnamese named Hun Sen as deputy prime minister and freed Bun Rany who then began organizing orphanages and schools for the orphans left behind by the genocidal policies of the Khmer Rouge. From her position as first lady, she began to call attention to the plight of those infected with HIV/AIDS, the poor and women's issues. In April 1994 at the first congress of the Cambodian Red Cross, she was elected as its Vice President while Princess Eng Marie, wife of then Co-Prime Minister Prince Norodom Ranariddh was elected president. At its second congress in 1998, Bun Rany was elected president after Hun Sen consolidated his power by violently ousting and exiling Ranariddh.

Some of the highlights of her tenure thus far have been the establishment of five development centers located throughout Cambodia aimed at providing vocational and business training to women and the poor, and efforts supporting the UN Secretary-General's Action Plan for Women and Children's Health. Bun Rany is not without detractors. For instance, in 2003 Noranarith Anandayath, adviser to Prince Ranariddh, accused her of politicizing the Red Cross, a worldwide organization whose reputation is founded on its political neutrality, by funneling money from her husband's Cambodian People's Party (CPP) to villagers during an election when parties were prohibited from "making gifts" to voters.

In October 2013 critics including Prince Sisowath Thomico and Sam Rainsy accused her of abusing her position when, at a Cambodian Red Cross flood relief event in Pailin, she spent the majority of her speech denouncing the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP)

In October 1999, following the public assassination of popular Cambodian actress Pisith Pilika, the French magazine L’Express claimed that the actress’ diary recounted a love affair with Hun Sen and named Bun Rany as the mastermind behind the shooting; the magazine also claimed that on her deathbed the actress had named Bun Rany to several people. Bun Rany quickly denied these charges, and announced that she would press charges against L’Express for defamation. However, no charges were ever brought against L'Express.

Special interest groups

Cambodia, officially a multiparty democracy, in reality "remains a one-party state dominated by the Cambodian People's Party and Prime Minister Hun Sen, Bun's husband, a former Khmer Rouge official in power since 1985. The open doors to new investment during his reign have yielded the most access to a coterie of cronies of his and his wife, Bun Rany".

Awards and honours The following is a list of awards and honours accumulated by Lok Chumtiew Bun Rany. June 2009 – Honorary Doctorate in Economic Science from the Women's University of Seoul July 2010 – Honorary Doctorate in Literature from the Jeon Ju University of South Korea April 2010 – Honorary Doctorate in Education from Silla University, Busan, South Korea March 2011 – Granted title Kittiprittbandit of the Royal Academy of Cambodia by King Sihamoni