With both supporters and detractors, politicians can be extremely polarizing figures. Among these, Hun Sen, the 34th and current Prime Minister of Cambodia, is perhaps one of the most polarizing figures on the political stage. Marking his 30th year in power last January, he is the country's longest serving head of government and one of the longest serving leaders in the world. His ascent to the most powerful political position in Cambodia is fraught with violence, corruption and scandal, counting him among some of the most infamous leaders on the world stage. His violent political path to Prime Minister began in his teenage years when he left his studies at a Buddhist monastery to become a member of the communist Khmer Rouge. Bright and ambitious, the young man quickly rose among the ranks. In his tenure as Prime Minister of Cambodia, he has proven to be intelligent, cunning and quite manipulative. Opponents to his rule have accused his regime of resorting to torture by using electroshock and hot irons on political prisoners of the former Khmer Rouge Battalion Commander. History has shown that Hun Sen will stop at nothing to maintain an iron grip on his position of power. To know more about his life and works read on