- Venerable Samdech Preah Akka Moha Sangha Reach Thipadei, Samdech Preah Sangha Reach, Samdech Preah Reachia Kana, Preah Thera Nuhera;
- The Board of Directors of the Cambodian Islamic Council; The Christian Leadership Council;
- Samdech, Prince/ss, Excellencies, Lok Chumteav, Lok Oknha, Neak Oknha,
Ladies and Gentlemen, National Distinguished Guests; - Representatives of Foreign Diplomatic Corps and Embassies to the Kingdom of Cambodia
- Leaders of Political Parties,
- Members of the Meeting and Compatriots
Today marks the 46th anniversary of the historic 7 January Victory Day, on which the genocidal Pol Pot regime was overthrown, the Cambodian nation and people were saved and enabled to live a new life, free from the brutal regime’s killings, and ushered in a new era for Cambodia – which is an era of independence, peace, freedom, democracy, and social progress. After the victory on 7 January 1979, the Cambodian People’s Party united the entire nation, led the country through countless obstacles and difficulties, achieved great success in the cause of restoring, building, and defending the homeland, as well as in the pursuit of peace and national reconciliation, enabling the nation to move away from a state of devastation and chronic war, and to reach the proudest stage of development in all fields under the shade of peace.
We celebrate this historic Victory Day in the spirit of never forgetting the great crimes committed by the Pol Pot genocidal regime against the people. At the same time, we always remember the great deeds of the heroic officers, soldiers, and women of the Cambodian Revolutionary Armed Forces and the heroic Vietnamese Volunteer Army who fought and sacrificed valiantly on the battlefield to overthrow the genocidal regime and protect the people’s revival. We all bow down and pay our respects to the souls of our compatriots who lost their lives unjustly to the genocide, and we pray that their souls may rest in eternal peace.
On this solemn occasion, let us all express our deepest respect and gratitude to the most revered His Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Preah Boromneath Norodom Sihamoni, King of the Kingdom of Cambodia, and Her Majesty Queen Norodom Monineath Sihanouk, Mother of the Khmer Nation in freedom, dignity, and happiness, and offer our best wishes to His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen Mother of the Nation for excellent health, considerable physical strength, bright intellect, and a long life of more than a hundred years, so that they may forever be a cool and peaceful shade for the Cambodian people everywhere.
The Meeting and Dear Compatriots,
Cambodia’s actual history has shown that since 1970, our nation’s journey had been extremely meandering (twisting and turning), complex, and catastrophic. After our nation gained full independence on 9 November 1953, under the royal crusade of the most revered His Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk, the Cambodian people lived in peace for only 16 years. The coup d’état of 18 March 1970 by the Lon Nol clique, who followed foreign orders, plunged Cambodia into an all-out and bloodiest war that killed nearly 1 million Cambodians and decimated the national social structure. After the overthrow of the Khmer Republic of the Lon Nol clique on 17 April 1975 by the people’s national liberation struggle for independence, peace and freedom, a new catastrophe came immediately. The Pol Pot clique, who betrayed the will and interests of the people, completely plundered the achievements of the people’s struggle and carried out the most brutal genocidal policy. The entire territory of Cambodia became a prison without walls and a killing field flooded in a sea of people’s blood and tears. The Pol Pot regime brutally killed 3.3 million Cambodians, while the rest lived in fear, waiting only to be killed by them.
In this extremely difficult circumstance, the struggle for national liberation from the Pol Pot genocidal regime continued. On 20 June 1977, I decided to leave for Vietnam, using my life as a capital to seek support for the struggle to liberate the country from this regime of killing fields. After overcoming many obstacles and receiving assistance from Vietnam, the Cambodian National Liberation (Salvation) Army (Armed Forces) was established on 12 May 1978. At the same time, inside of the country, soldiers and people throughout the eastern region rose up to fight against Pol Pot on 25 May 1978, under the leadership of Samdech Heng Samrin and Samdech Chea Sim. The unification of anti-Pol Pot forces from all directions and places formed the National United Front for the Salvation of Kampuchea (NUFSK) on 2 December 1978, which inspired, mobilized, and organized a people’s movement to fight to overthrow the Pol Pot regime. In this great movement, the rapidly growing Cambodian forces, together with the support of the Vietnamese volunteer army, achieved a brilliant victory on 7 January 1979, which saved the lives of millions of people from the brink of death in a timely manner and brought back to the people all the freedoms that had been completely lost under the Pol Pot regime. The Cambodian people all over the country celebrated with euphoria the NUFSK fighters’ victory. The smile of 7 January has always been etched in the heart of every Cambodian who survived the regime. Therefore, the Cambodian people have dubbed that “7 January is their [our] second birthday.”
After the victory of 7 January the Cambodian People’s Party led the “People’s Republic of Kampuchea” through countless obstacles to prevent the attempted return of the Pol Pot regime, protect the people’s revival, and restore and rebuild the homeland from scratch in the state of both peace and war. The successes achieved by “People’s Republic of Kampuchea” in the eight years after the liberation day created the prerequisites and basic conditions for a search for a political solution to the conflict in Cambodia, which began with the first negotiation meeting between me and Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk from 2 to 4 December 1987 in Fere-en-Tardenois, France, until the Paris Peace Agreements were reached on 23 October 1991, which was an important and positive turning point in Cambodia’s history. After the first national election in May 1993, the Kingdom of Cambodia continued to move forward with hope on the path of peace, national unification, democracy and development, but still faced many major obstacles caused by both internal and external factors, especially the rebels of Democratic Kampuchea, who walked away from the Paris Peace Agreements and continued to wage a destructive war. In this context [Against this backdrop?], on 11 February 1996, I launched a win-win policy to resolve the war issue among the Khmers themselves, and all Khmers were the winners, which finally completely dismantled the political and military organizations of the rebels of Democratic Kampuchea, ended the protracted war, and established complete peace and national unity, complete territorial unity since 29 December 1998. This is the first complete peace that Cambodia has never experienced in more than the last 500 years of its history.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest respect and gratitude to all the implementers of the win-win policy who have devoted their physical and mental strength to implementing this policy and achieved great success for the nation. This is the second time that I have used my life as a capital for the nation and the people. The success of the win-win policy has created a solid foundation for lasting peace, national reconciliation and development in Cambodia, and has also eliminated a major security concern for the entire region, as well as for many countries around the world.
The Meeting and Dear Compatriots,
The past 26 years, under the shade of peace, has allowed us to mobilize all national strength, resources and wherewithal to promote development in all sectors at a rapid pace, bringing about historic changes that were almost unimaginable. Cambodia, previously torn by a protracted war, was a killing field, an insecure area and infested with mines and unexploded ordnances, became a sovereign and independent state with complete peace, strong political stability and the rule of law in accordance with the principles of liberal multi-party democracy. Cambodia, which started from zero, has made remarkable achievements in restoring, building and developing the economy and society, gradually reducing the people’s poverty to below 10% before the COVID-19 crisis. Cambodia has transformed from a country with a severe deficit in state revenue and reliance on development partners for financing to a country with the ability to manage its national budget with a sense of ownership and responsibility, with reserve capital/funds to ensure economic stability and the stable living conditions of its people, as well as to withstand crises and disasters. Cambodia, which was once unjustly blockaded, sanctioned, and isolated, has deeply integrated itself into the region and the world, and has become a country that can send its forces to participate in peacekeeping missions in many countries. From all these facts, I would like to emphasize that there is no doubt that the Cambodian People’s Party is a symbol of change of the Kingdom of Cambodia.
[Start of Comment 1]
I do not think it is necessary for anyone to say whether there is or is not a need to change. The Cambodian People’s Party is a symbol and a driver of change from a difficult situation to a more comfortable one. Please trust the change we have made.
[End of Comment 1]
In 2024, the first year of the Royal Government for the 7th legislative term of the National Assembly led by Samdech Maha Bovor Thipadei Hun Manet, the Royal Government has made many major achievements in implementing its political (policy) program and the Pentagonal Strategy – Phase I. In fact, peace, political stability, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity have been adequately protected; social security, order and safety are good; the national economy has achieved a growth of around 6%; the exchange rate is stable; inflation is at a low and manageable level; and the employment situation and people’s living conditions are also stable. On 5 August 2024, the Royal Government opened the construction site of the Funan Techo Canal to benefit the national economy and strengthen political independence in waterway transportation. This canal will be completed by 2028. The Royal Government announced its withdrawal from Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Cooperation Agreement (CLV-DTA) to maintain peace for the people, while the general cooperation between and among the three countries continues to be strengthened and expanded as usual. At the same time, the Royal Government has initiated the establishment of a fund for building infrastructure along the border which will benefit the development of the border area and the protection of territorial integrity. I would like to express my respect for the deep patriotic spirit of the people of all directions and places, both at home and abroad, who have acted together in the national mass movement, giving full support to the Funan Techo Canal Development Project, the withdrawal from the CLV-DTA, and the establishment of the fund for building infrastructure along the border, which have successfully thwarted the machinations of the extremists and some ideological circles who are attempting to use these issues to cause political instability and national division. By the end of 2024, Cambodia had successfully hosted and chaired four international meetings – (1) the Executive Committee Meeting of the Centrist Democrat International (CDI-IDC); (2) the 12th General Assembly of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP 12); (3) the 11th Plenary Session of the International Parliament for Tolerance and Peace (IPTP 11); and (4) the Siem Reap-Angkor Summit on a Mine-Free World. Through these meetings, Cambodia’s prestige has been further enhanced, and many countries adopted the most valuable lessons from Cambodia’s experience in the quest for peace and national reconciliation.
With a spirit and stance of high responsibility, the Royal Government of the 7th legislative term of the National Assembly is currently carrying out its noble mission with strong commitment to accelerate socio-economic development and promote the implementation of deeper (comprehensive) and broader reforms towards achieving the vision of becoming an upper-middle-income country by 2030 and a high-income country by 2050. At the United Nations General Assembly on 19 December 2024, the Kingdom of Cambodia was elected as a member of the Organizational Committee of the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission (OCPBC) for the 2025-2026 term and approved the decision for Cambodia to officially graduate from the Least Developed Countries (LDC) category on 19 December 2029. Based on this fact, it is clear that the decision that I myself and the Cambodian People’s Party have made to transfer the leadership responsibility to a young leader is the exactly right decision to ensure national continuity, peace, and long-term development.
[Start of Comment 2]
Allow me to address this point briefly. I have been very clear when I announced after the election that I would not be serving as Prime Minister again, and on August 22, 2023, when I finally left the position of Prime Minister, (1) there were some concerns about how the situation would change after Hun Sen left the position. Those who had been in the cars that Hun Sen drove had great faith in him. But that faith and concern at that stage have been reduced now. So far, what the successive leadership has done over the past 16 months is enough (for people) to understand and assess that (2) the successive government has done a good job beyond our expectations.
As someone who has held key positions since 1985, and more recently, within the framework of the 1979 joint leadership, I understand the feelings and experiences related to the effectiveness of (how the) works (are being fulfilled). (If) comparing the previous government and the current one, (3) the effectiveness (of the current government) is faster than that of the previous one. This is not to disparage the previous generation, but rather in light of the age of its ministers, some of whom is now already 70 years old. Therefore, the speed of implementation would not be as fast as that of the younger generation.
I once said (and used an old saying) that “the young have strength, but the old know the way.” At this point, I would like to point out that we should not say this anymore. We should say (4) “the young have strength and know the way, and the old have experience.” History has proven that (5) some old people have led young people astray, including in Cambodia. Who created the problem for this nation in 1970? It was the older generation who led young people astray. Since 1979, our ministers at that time were not yet old. Samdech Heng Samrin and Samdech Chea Sim were only over 40 years old. We have been working continuously. I took office as Prime Minister at the age of only 32. These points also indicate that the young have both strength and know the way, while the old have experience.
(6) The older generation did a lot of works in liberating the country from the Pol Pot genocidal regime, preventing the return of the Pol Pot genocidal regime, resolving the famine left by the Pol Pot genocidal regime, and seeking peace for the nation. We have worked hard to both liberate the country and seek peace.
Latey, it is the stage of maintaining peace and fostering development. (7) The pace of development has not slowed down in the past 16 months. Economic growth is still good, macroeconomic stability is still ensured, and exchange rate and inflation are well controlled. This is a lesson and experience that (came from) the fact that I and other leaders have left the Royal Government in order (8) to give up personal power in exchange for long-term peace and development. This is part of the experience that our late King-Father preserved for us.
I would like to take this opportunity to remind you that the late King Father Samdech Preah Borom Ratana Kaod had abdicated and handed over the throne to the current King – His Majesty Norodom Sihamoni, by which, (9) (Cambodia has had) a stable monarchy for 20 years. The stability of the monarchy is the stability of the institution of the head of state. Some countries are currently experiencing a crisis in the institutions of both the head of state and the government. The current cases of South Korea and France clearly demonstrate the loss of stability of the institution of the head of state. Therefore, choosing a constitutional monarchy with the King as the head of state is a correct choice, whereas (10) the stability of the monarchy, which has been the institution of the head of state for 20 years in Cambodia, has given the Royal Government the opportunity to carry out the work of building the country quickly.
I would like to thank all the leaders who, together with the leaders of the People’s Party, have voluntarily stepped down (from their positions/powers). Samdech Heng Samrin also stepped down as the President of the National Assembly, Samdech Say Chhum also stepped down as the President of the Senate, and some Deputy Prime Ministers have stepped down, leaving room for successive officials to continue doing their good work. I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to Your Excellency, the Deputy Prime Ministers, Ministers, State Secretaries, Undersecretaries of State, and all the ministers who have worked hard to do good work in this 7th legislative term.
[End of Comment 2]
The Meeting and Dear Compatriots,
It is true that 46 years has passed since the overthrow of the genocidal regime, but the spirit of victory of 7 January still shines brightly in our hearts and continues to illuminate our path to build a glorious future for Cambodia. The spirit of 7 January reflects the great strength of our nation’s solidarity, its unwavering determination to overcome all obstacles for the continuing and stable existence and progress of the nation and the motherland. At the same time, the spirit of 7 January gives us the hope and confidence of victory. 7 January had only one enemy, which is the genocidal regime. Now that this brutal regime has been destroyed, those who still oppose 7 January are those who want the genocidal regime and war to return to Cambodia.
After more than 50 years of serving the nation and the people, on this occasion, I would like to emphasize to my fellow countrymen the following points:
1. The coup d’état of 18 March 1970 by the Lon Nol clique, who followed foreign orders, was the spark of a full-scale war that completely destroyed the fragile peace in Cambodia, caused incalculable national devastation, and pushed Cambodia into a genocidal catastrophe. It is clear that without this coup, there would have been no genocidal regime; the Kingdom of Cambodia would have continued to develop in peace; and the people would not have been massacred by murderers. Therefore, we are committed to preventing all activities that lead to power grab, which is unconstitutional and contrary to the principles of democracy and the rule of law.
2. The genocide committed by the Pol Pot clique’s Democratic Kampuchea is a historical fact. The victory of 7 January 1979, the day on which the Cambodian nation and people were liberated from the genocidal regime, is another historical fact. The Cambodian people had to wait for 43 years to receive justice for the crimes against them committed by the Democratic Kampuchea regime, with the closure of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), which was established in 2001 to prosecute crimes committed during the Democratic Kampuchea period. At the same time, I would like to request that competent institutions pay attention to enforcing the “Law Against the Non-Recognition of Crimes Committed During the Democratic Kampuchea Period” in the strictest manner.
3. Peace and reconciliation are the main issues of the world, while wars are raging in some regions, involving many potential actors that threaten human civilization. People living in war zones are crying out for the lost peace, not knowing when peace will return. For Cambodia, even though we have had complete peace for 26 years, peace is still a current issue in the daily lives of our people, while there are still a small number of extremists who are constantly trying to sow extremist sentimental politics in our society, aiming to incite, instigate, and goad people, the armed forces, and civil servants to work against the legitimate government, which is a real threat to peace.
We have been through decades of protracted war, so we know very well the invaluable importance of peace. Without peace, we cannot talk about human rights, democracy, or development. Therefore, let us all strengthen our spirit of love for peace and protect this hard-won peace to last forever in our unfortunate homeland, and never ever allow anyone or any force to destroy this peace.
In this spirit, I believe it is time to create a law that will define any person or group who plans or conspires to create an extremist movement, cause chaos and insecurity in society, provoke conflicts with other states, and attempt to overthrow the legitimate government as terrorists who must be brought to justice to protect peace. At the same time, we must clearly understand that peace cannot last long without national reconciliation, justice, and sustainable and inclusive development.
4. The Kingdom of Cambodia is currently striving to advance on the path of peace, democracy, the rule of law and development to build its future to become a civilized country like other countries in the world, without the reoccurrence of war and genocide. The Cambodian people are united as one under (the roof) of the Constitution and the cool shade of HM the King, the most revered person, and are united around the Royal Government of the 7th legislative term of the National Assembly to realize new achievements in building and defending the homeland as well as improving their living standards. On this occasion, I would also like to remind once again that countries should learn from the two “mistakes of historic proportions” that some countries have made against Cambodia, so as to avoid making a third mistake. The first mistake was supporting the coup on 18 March 1970, and the second mistake was giving the genocidal clique the right to occupy Cambodia’s seat at the United Nations for 12 years from 1979, and imposing unjust economic, political, and diplomatic sanctions against those who liberated the people from the genocidal regime, while ignoring the suffering and true aspirations of the Cambodian people. We hope that the national sovereignty, right to self-determination, and pure aspirations of the Cambodian people will be respected.
5. On the basis of the victory of 7 January, Cambodia, which had fallen off the path of development and had to go backwards for decades, is now strengthening and expanding itself in forward steps in accordance with the law of social development that has provided extraordinary benefits to all people to live in peace, freedom, dignity and with hope for the future. Of course, in order to build the Kingdom of Cambodia as an advanced and strong state with a robust economy and become a civilized country, we must continue to travel a long way, which requires double efforts with confidence, to make our dream come true, that is “Cambodia is a developed country by 2050”. We will definitely realize this goal, because the past 46 years has already tested our strength, will and capabilities. At this point, I would like to emphasize that the people’s ownership of the nation’s destiny is the deciding factor in the victory of our nation.
6. On this occasion, I would like to reiterate my eternal gratitude to Vietnam and its leadership for helping build the Cambodian army and sending its volunteer troops to help liberate Cambodia from the genocidal regime of Pol Pot. I would like to express my eternal gratitude to the international community for its efforts to find peace for Cambodia within the framework of the United Nations and countries that are friends with Cambodia, and for continuing to strengthen and expand fruitful relations and cooperation for the cause of peace, democracy and development of Cambodia.
The Meeting and Dear Compatriots,
On behalf of Samdech Akka Moha Ponhea Chakrei Heng Samrin, Honorary President of the Party, Samdech Moha Bovor Thipadei Hun Manet, Prime Minister, other leaders of the Cambodian People’s Party, and on my own behalf, I would like to express my deepest respect and gratitude to our compatriots, both at home and abroad, who have given their firm support and unshakable faith in the leadership of the Cambodian People’s Party over the past 46 years. I, the Cambodian People’s Party, and the Royal Government are always with the people and will continue to do everything for the well-being of the people and the progress of the Cambodian nation. I would like to take this opportunity to call on party organizations at all levels, officials, and members of the Cambodian People’s Party, fellow citizens, political parties, and all progressive circles to strengthen national solidarity, continue to protect peace, and actively participate in the implementation of the Royal Government’s policy program and Pentagonal Strategy – Phase I, so as to realize many new great achievements in 2025.
Finally, I would like to extend my best wishes to all the venerable monks and Preah Thera Nuthera, to all the members of the meeting, and to all our compatriots everywhere of success and happiness in this new year, and the four Buddhist benedictions and one blessing: Longevity, Beauty, Health, Strength, and Wisdom. Thank You!
