[Unofficial Translation]
CNV: 09/05/2017
I am coming back today after my presence in 2015 to launch the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the provincial town hall of Tbong Khmom – our new province. In 2016, we put into official use the Heng-Samrin-Tbong Khmom University that is not far from here. We are putting parts of the projected constructions into official use and some are still underway. It is not yet the end of construction of the provincial town of Tbong Khmom, putting into operation in 2014, provisionally at the district office of Punnhea Krek. The provincial town staff and related offices are moving in to work in their respective offices today […]
The Need to Have the Tbong Khmom Province
… I have no idea in knowing that I have come to this leadership position. Today, symbolically, we are putting an administrative office into operation to serve people’s needs and requirements, with a thorough study under the leadership of Samdech Krola Haom Sar Kheng. Kompong Cham province has a large area and population – two million over the whole country’s population 15 million. There is a need therefore to divide the province into two. In the past, people had had to travel to the provincial town of Kompong Cham to seek for administrative services. For people in Mehmot, it is very long distance to travel there. With the Tbong Khmom province established, they can benefit from public services closer to homes […] We are moving administrative offices and services closer to our people […]
A University and Hospital for the Province of Tbong Khmom
Judging by the fact that our past had not been sweet, we have made it this far is a remarkable thing. It is a fortunate thing that while we are putting together our efforts to set up and build the new provincial town of Tbong Khmom, we have also been able to build a university here for our students. Soon, the People’s Republic of China will build a hospital, which will serve as a big referral medical centre. I have presented the project to HE Xi Jinping of (the People’s Republic of) China. Once it is done, our people will not need to send patients on a long journey to Kompong Cham. We are addressing our people’s requirements.
Offering a Primary, Junior and Senior College, Teachers and Students Hostels
We have so many works to do. I have noted a message sent to my Facebook account by Lang Sophal. He has brought up a number of proposals […] after my discussion with Samdech Krola Haom Sar Kheng and Governor Prach Chan, and my engineering team, we have come up with a decision to do some of the works right in time for the 2017-18 school year […] Since we already have a master plan, and to address a long-term requirement, we will build a set of educational facilities – for primary, for junior and senior secondary education. Once it is done, when (Lang Sophal) you are in retirement, your elder son will finish his senior secondary school education […]
Riel 400/Cubic Meter for Use of 3 Cubic Meter and Below
Please allow me to take this opportune moment to make it known to our people in this province and other places where living in hired residences they have had to pay for electricity and running water by themselves. As for clean water connected from the national water network, people will pay the price at cost of production if they only use three cubic meters and less per month […] starting from 15 May, the price of water will be lowering to Riel 400/cubic meter if they use only three cubic meters or less per month. Price of water refinement varies according to location and water source. I am calling our people to understand this. For the provincial town of Tbong Khmom, the price of water will also be set according to the cost of refinement and treatment […]
For Phnom Penh in particular, there are two prices. Those who use water three cubic meters and less per month will not pay Riel 550 but only Riel 400/cubic meter. For those who use clean water service more than three cubic meters per month, they would pay only Riel 500 instead of Riel 550, too. It is the Royal Government’s policy to assist people with lower income. The same is true with regard to electricity. Consumption of ten KWH per month will pay only Riel 480 per KWH. Consumption of 50 KWH and/or less will pay Riel 610/KWH. Consumption more than 50 KWH/month will pay 770 Riel for those connected to the national electricity transmission lines and Riel 790 to the private lines. This has indicated a reversal trend of increasing salary and lower water and electricity services prices.
One Bird in Hand Is Better Than Many in the Bushes
I hope we will continue to be and work together for peace that we hardly found and for self, family, and national developments. We should not be fooled by empty promises and divisive intention. We must be united against all attempts to bring about hostility and division in our society and nation. The best option is we must follow the trail of win-win policy. As you can see, when the Cambodian People’s Party is in power, everyone and/or party can reside together. On the contrary, some have taken a stern position to insult and blamed us to have lacked democracy. At this very moment, they are spreading out all kinds of promises.
I am sure that our people have sufficient understanding and experiences from the past when they lost lives, relatives, and families. With the action taken by the Cambodian People’s Party, we have ended war. People are free to travel wherever they wanted to. We have already realized our policy of one junior secondary school at least for a commune. Though we have divided the province of Kompong Cham into two, the newly found province Tbong Khmom also has up to 23 junior and senior secondary schools. It is a true figure. It has not been an empty promise. Please hold whatever you have in hand […] It has been said that one bird in hand is better than twenty in the bushes.
Let us not forget that the peace that we have won for the whole country is indeed fragile judging from what you can find in Facebook – insults, contempt and incitements. They stir people’s anger. It is now real time for our people to choose between peace and war. Even when I had to stay in hospital for a medical checkup and treatment, they sent in comments in contempt of my life. Based on these I dare say about my concern of the fragility (of peace) and a real possibility of war. The policy of where there is me, there would not be you and vice versa, and many other tricks in their sleeves, will indeed bring about war.
People to Use Best Judgment on Communal Councils Elections
Living under the leadership of the Cambodian People’s Party, people enjoy freedom. Those who committed crimes will have to serve legal punishment. In just days to come, we will go to vote. I hope our people will use their best judgment. We have shared difficulties and peace together. We should not abandon achievements that we have realized together, and place out hope on empty promises, the answer to which is war. Some people said fear has had me. I just wish them understand that if I were to surrender to fear, I could not have stayed with the people, to bet my life to save people from the genocide of Pol Pot […]
Implementing the win-win policy is not a simple matter. We did it. We ended this status of a Cambodia with many controlled areas by various factions. Towards the end, we also ended the status of one country with two governments and allow our people to live under one roof of the Constitution, one King, one armed forces and one Royal Government. These have clearly indicated the role that the Cambodian People’s Party has played so far.
Increase of Salary for Civil Servants and Workers
… Cambodia faced with complete destruction. We started with a ration of nine different items for our soldiers, police, teachers, and civil servants. At present, salary of our civil servants increased gradually. In 2012, when we conducted communal council elections, workers only received US$ 80 per month. Now, workers received a salary up to US$ 153, or more including other interests. Children work to send home their incomes to raise their families and to use in agricultural activities, and some nave even opted for machines to work on their lands. In the last communal council elections, our teachers received a salary between 300 and 400 thousands Riel. As of this time around, the minimum salary of our teacher is 950,000 Riels, and in 2018, the minimum salary will be no less than one million Riel.
Increase of Per Capita Income
The country’s per capita income in 2000 was US$ 200 and it is US$ 1,300 as of present. In 1969, the per capita income of the country was only US$ 260, at which time in South Korea its per capita income was only US$ 74. However, with efforts they made, South Korea has now come to a per capita income of US$ 50,000. Should we not have the coup run by Lon Nol, foreign aggression, and the genocidal regime of Pol Pot our per capita income could have been many thousands.
CPP to Continue No Tax on Farmland
With efforts put together, we have been able to reduce the 100 percent poverty rate to only 13%. We will continue to work hard on it thanks to existing policies. I wish to remind our people that in its past, Cambodia never, in any regime at all, failed to collect taxes on farmland […] However, in the past 38 years, the Cambodian People’s Party never levy taxes on farmland to our farmers. As long as the Cambodian People’s Party continues to rule, we will not seek people’s commitment to pay taxes on their lands. This is a real tangible thing. It is not an empty promise. As for other politicians, have they been making a clear statement on that?
Mourning Loss of Cambodian Peacekeeper Life in Central African Republic
We have sad news today and I am asking concerned officials to follow the matter seriously. I am taking this moment to express our condolence and mourning of a Cambodian peacekeeper life in the Central Africa Republic, where there was a rebellious attack causing loss of one life and missing of three. Five Moroccan peacekeepers who escorted the convoy suffered heavy and light injuries. They also had one of their soldiers missing. Captain Im Sam from Siem Reap province, driver of a bulldozer pronounced dead. A search and rescue operation is underway to look for the three missing Cambodian peacekeepers and others. We do not know yet if they escaped or held hostages. I also asked for close consideration and monitoring of the act of delivering the deceased Captain home […]
If they were to escape from the fight, those missing soldiers would have returned to base by early morning. It is not yet daybreak. Should they be held hostages in exchange with anything, I suggest the United Nations to do whatever necessary to take care of lives of the Cambodian and Moroccan citizens […] I am calling on high responsibility of the United Nations to guarantee lives of the Cambodians serving in the peacekeeping operation, which in this case, one had lost his life. I am also conveying my deep condolence to the family of the deceased soldier […] It has been our big pride for Cambodia to serve in various unprecedentedly international roles. I am calling on concerned officials to monitor the situation closely and report to me as soon as new development occurs […]
World Economic Forum in Cambodia on 10, 11, and 12 May
… Starting from tomorrow, we will have a World Economic Forum in Cambodia. More than 40 countries will meet here. The President of the Philippines, Prime Minister of Laos, Prime Minister of Vietnam will also be present besides minister-rank guests and big businessmen […] After marathon meeting on 11 and 12 May, on 13 May I will board a plane to the People’s Republic of China for a one belt one road (OBOR) meeting. After that, there will be an official visit to the People’s Republic of China from 16 to 17 May, where there will be a trade fair in a province of China. I could be arriving in Cambodia on early morning of 18 May. Some have underestimated Hun Sen’s health. Hun Sen is still fine and can work this much./.
