Selected Comments Samdech Techo Hun Sen, at the Groundbreaking Ceremony to Build Phnom Penh’s Third Ring Road (from National Road 4 through to National Road 1)

CNV: 

A New Disequilibrium – More Transports Means, Less and Small Roads

I am so happy today to join with the Chinese Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador (HE Wang Wentian) and the Cambodian compatriots to launch the groundbreaking of construction of the ring road 3 of Phnom Penh […] at a length of nearly 53 Kilometers. It is one of the big roads to serve our efforts in resolving traffic problem […] more and more people are able to afford transport means – cars, motorcycles, etc. A few years back, I talked about disequilibrium between people’s need for transportation and their means to do so. As of now, that disequilibrium no longer exists. However, a new disequilibrium appears – between too many means of transportation and small/not many roads […]

Our people could not have motorbikes without paying to countries that are manufacturing them. The state did not give money to people for them to buy motorcycles. The state could not buy motorcycles for people. People themselves make own efforts to earn money to purchase their means of transportation. While people are making efforts to earn what they needed, they should also understand that there would have to have correct policy of the ruling party and the Royal Government too […]

To Build a Tunnel under River

As of now we have got five overpasses as we are building new ones at Chaom Chao intersection. Building and talking about overpasses would no longer be impressive anymore because we would have more than ten or so. Some had said that we talked too much about a few overpasses while in other countries they have so many. We talked a lot about it because it was the first thing we built in our country. We will soon go for a tunnel under rivers. We need to build no bridges. We go through tunnels under rivers. When we get the first tunnel under a river built, we then will talk proudly about it. When we have more of them, we will lose impression of talking about them […]

Phnom Penh Third Beltway Costs 303 Million USD

This beltway that we are laying the cornerstone today is going to be advantageous to our people and having interactions on Cambodia’s economic growth. I wish to take this opportune moment to deliver our profound thanks through H.E. the Chinese Ambassador to President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang, as well as the government and people of China for financial support to build this beltway. For this 52 Kilometers long beltway or Phnom Penh third ring road, the People’s Republic of China finances a sum of 273 million USD […] we are making sure of its quality. They are built in concrete […] the overall price tag for this road, to include counterpart fund in resolving impacts of along the blueprint of projected road, tax burden, etc., according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the price tag reaches a sum of 303 million USD […]

Saving Up for Own Investments and Friends’ Sponsored Projects

I have said it on numerous occasions that there were no project that Cambodia was not required to have its counterpart funding. For every project – whether a loan or a grant, donors would not pay more on our behalf to clear mines and/or UXOs, impacts on people’s residential properties, and other expenses. We must cover them ourselves. Cambodia has had to save up to make own investment in water canals, hospitals, schools, roads, bridges, etc. on the one hand, and to counter finance projects helped by friends whether as loans or grants. We need to have money in hands. We must exercise strict management of our budget. With money in hands we can do it. Without money in hands, we can’t […]

I am so happy to see how much progress we have achieved in economic and infrastructural developments. As for infrastructures, we have received funding from the People’s Republic of China. Along with this, I wish to share with our people that I will be leaving to China for an official visit from 20 through to 23 January 2019. I will discuss numerous issues relating to economics, trade, investments, and others relating to development with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang […]

To Seek for More Chinese Tourists

Chinese tourists is one of the targets that we are after […] in 2009, Cambodia hosted a visit of Vice President Xi Jinping, and in 2010, President Hu Jintao […]  I said to President Hu then that I need to see arrivals of Chinese tourist – at least 0.01% of the Chinese population. China has a population of 1,300 […] 0.01% would see 1.3 million tourists’ arrivals to Cambodia from China. We aimed to reach this figure by 2020. However, in 2018, we already have 1.6 million Chinese tourists’ arrivals already. In this development, we may reset our goal a bit ambitious to achieve around 0.05% of tourists arrivals from China by 2025. We have more direct flights now from China to Cambodia. These will be topics of discussion during my visit to the People’s Republic of China […] this year, we may announce it a great year of tourists exchange between Cambodia and China in commemoration of the two countries’ 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations establishment […]

Economic Activities in Many Sectors, with Many Countries

Conducting economic activities would not depend only on any particular sector or our breathing lines would be choked. We are conducting economic activities in many sectors and with many countries. This should not be considered a message in response to anyone. I wanted to deepen understanding among our people that Cambodia’s economic activities do not depend on one or two sectors in particular because doing so, we would not die because someone somewhere turn off a valve […] we are institutionalizing economic activities in various sectors and with many countries […] I said this clearly in the latest CPP’s convention that “we are making further domestic reforms, while increasing number of external friends on spirit of national independence” […]

34 Years Anniversary in Premiership

Today is the 34th anniversary of the day that I became Prime Minister officially. On 14 January 1985, at this moment, the National Assembly was in motion to vote for a Prime Minister […] in 1984, brother Chan Si, then Prime Minister, had to leave for Moscow (in the time of the former Soviet Union) for treatment of blood cancers. I then served as Acting Prime Minister. Deity had had my resolve tested. There was then drought in highland areas and flood in areas along the Mekong River. I rose up in the National Assembly without a single piece of paper in hand and appealed to the National Assembly members to help each other resolve this calamity. I called everyone in the National Assembly “brothers.” I called on them to make efforts to save our people and to leave no one die without us knowing and/or helping them first. I said this for the first time in the National Assembly and I later said it again outside for the first time in Kompong Trabek, Prey Veng province […] we were then in immeasurable difficulties. We did not have rice enough to feed everyone. As of this moment, we on the contrary have a surplus of over five million tons, and by the end of this year cropping calendar, we may have a surplus of six million tons or so […]

Advise Us No More If You Punish Us

In this relations, there is no need to threaten us. They may just do whatever they wanted to. They just have to know of the price they would have to pay back. It is reciprocal. Let us not forget that. They also can advise us no more if they (would have gone to the extreme to) punish us. They have no right to talk to us about human rights and democracy. They may see that their punishment would be tantamount to strangling opposition parties in Cambodia. We need not to console anymore. If things turn out that way, let everything goes along. We are talking about legal measures. They called on outside forces to destroy Cambodia, why should we keep them? They should not insult us and warn us. I have already make it public that we cannot trade national independence and sovereignty for assistances from anyone. If Cambodia is not allowed to implement its law, how could it be a sovereign state or a member of the United Nations? I think they should stop playing this game of “punishment” as the world is getting tired of it to the core […]

Commit No Third Mistake Please

I wish to hear no more this word of “threatening with a punishment.” Just do what you have to. I just remind you that a punishment on Cambodia would be tantamount to strangling “the” opposition. I mean, Cambodia will continue to be pluralistic as everyone can see that there were 20 political parties contesting in the elections. We will continue on this path of liberal pluralism path. We will have elections as stipulated in the Constitution. Recalcitrant would have their chances ended. There would be no reason for them to continue. They have committed mistakes and they do not answer for their actions. What would they define an attempt not through elections to overthrow the (legitimate) authority? They are punishable. When they have to face with legal punishment, they asked foreign circles for help […] what we Cambodians should do to such attitudes […]

I met the other day with former Irish Premier and still a member of the EU nation’s parliament […] he found what happened to Cambodia was unimaginable and threatening Cambodia would be unjust […] after the meeting, spokesperson told the press about those countries should not “commit a third mistake” […] Those who claim themselves democratic supported Lon Nol to run the coup against Samdech Preach Norodom Sihanouk (in 1970) – the lawful head of state. That was their first mistake. Secondly, they continued to support Pol Pot to sit in the United Nations for 12 years after his regime killed over three million people. Cambodia today is steadfastly adhering to democracy and advancing the country on the path of development. It is true that we are where we are because of assistances given by those countries too. However, they should think of ways to keep what they have achieved in assisting Cambodia and continue to promote favorable condition for further economic development […]

Cambodia Should Not Be a Campaign Subject for Votes to European Parliament

In this instance, I am also asking those who seek European parliament seats to avoid picking Cambodia as a subject in their election campaigns […] if they were to do it otherwise, they would earn themselves personal gains but their henchmen would face strong blow in Cambodia […] and remember, you have no right to say things with us. State versus state relations are functioning normally. ASEAN and European parliament continue to negotiate free trade agreement […] simply do not make Cambodia a childish game […]./.

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