Khem Veasna facts for kids

Khem Veasna (Khmer: ខឹម វាសនា; born on December 11, 1965) is a Cambodian politician. He is known for starting the League for Democracy Party (LDP) and currently serves as its president. He has also been a public figure who has gathered many followers.

Before forming the LDP, Khem Veasna was a member of another political group called the Sam Rainsy Party. He was first nominated in 1998 and later elected in 2003. He became a member of the National Assembly, which is like a parliament, representing Prey Veng Province. In 2005, he decided to create his own political party, the LDP.

Khem Veasna's Political Journey

Khem Veasna began his political career as a member of the Sam Rainsy Party. Although he was nominated in 1998, he was not elected at that time. In 2003, when he was 38 years old, he was successfully elected as a representative for Prey Veng Province. As a representative, he had two offices to help people in the Ba Phnum District and Me Sang District. He had been involved in politics even before 1998, but he felt he truly understood how to be a politician during his second term.

In 2005, Khem Veasna founded his own political party, the League for Democracy Party. This party has grown steadily since it began. By the 2017 commune elections, the party had candidates in 844 communes. This was more than half of all the communes in Cambodia.

Time with the Sam Rainsy Party

While Khem Veasna was with the Sam Rainsy Party, he was removed from a program run by the National Democratic Institute. This happened because of something he said that was seen as disrespectful to the Cambodian monarchy. His own party members, including Sam Rainsy, criticized him for it. Khem Veasna explained that he did not mean to attack the monarchy. He said he was simply talking about historical facts.

Starting the League for Democracy Party

Veasna delivering a speech at central headquarter in Phnom Penh City during the campaign in July 2013

The League For Democracy Party (LDP) was officially formed on July 15, 2005. It was registered and recognized by the government in 2006. Khem Veasna has been the president of the LDP ever since. He has also expressed ideas about limiting how long a prime minister can serve in Cambodia.

Claims and Gatherings

In 2022, Khem Veasna started making unusual claims. He said that a "black hole" had formed in his spine. He believed this "black hole" was sending him messages about a big global flood that would destroy the world. He claimed that only his farm in Cambodia would be safe. He also referred to himself using the term Brahma, which is a concept from some religions.

Pictures shared on his social media showed many people gathering at his farm. Some of these people were even sleeping in tents. The Cambodian government noticed that some Cambodian workers in other countries, like South Korea, were quitting their jobs. They were returning to Cambodia because of Khem Veasna's claims. The government then started to issue statements. These statements tried to encourage people not to leave their jobs and return.

Some people living near Khem Veasna's farm welcomed the large number of his followers. They felt it was good for local businesses. However, others were frustrated. They accused the crowds of causing problems and being messy.