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(1) The Veterans Associations in the capitals, provinces, districts and cities help score brilliant results
“We thank peace! We thank the win-win policy!”
Let us thank the founder, the leader, and the operators of the win-win policy that brought about peace and complete national unity!
I am very happy to preside over the 19th Cambodian Veterans and Retirees Day celebration on May 12, 2026 […] Regarding the Veterans Association, if it concerns my own experience, when I was on with the army […] there had been concerns about the interaction with veterans […] the mechanism that was first established by HE Ith Samheng, then the Minister of Social Affairs and Veterans Affairs, used the social affairs mechanism from top to bottom […]
When veterans retired, they were transferred to Social Affairs (where) some of them felt neglected. The negligence was not because Social Affairs did not care, but because they had been soldiers and policemen for a lifetime until they retired, and were separated from the soldiers, policemen, and military police mechanism. Samdech Techo approved in principles for the preparation to revise the statutes and make amendments […]
Then, persuading HE General Kun Kim to take the role as its Secretary General (could) be my proud participation in the work of establishing the Veterans Association […] The Association has been operating and continuously active, encouraging and persuading both the provincial government and many contributors to the construction (of housing for veterans) […] Without the participation and efforts of the Veterans Association in the capitals, provinces, districts and cities that are in direct contact with the veterans, we would not have been able to achieve the brilliant results that the Veterans Association has achieved so far […]
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(2) The Win-Win Monument commemorates operators who participated in making the win-win policy a success
I met some veterans at the local level. Sometimes I sat next to them, one of whom was a former Khmer Rouge soldier and the other a former State of Cambodia soldier who had a history of fighting and killing each other […] The fruit of peace is when people stop killing each other […] Thanks to the coordination of the win-win policy, the Cambodians stopped killing each other and reunited. The former place of fighting has become a place of development. We are prepared to build a monument to the win-win policy, to keep it as history […] Having heard of a misunderstanding that the Win-Win Monument was built only to commemorate Samdech Techo and top leaders, I would like to clarify […] that it is to commemorate the founders and leaders, and most importantly, all the operators of the win-win policy. These operators include all parties, from the top leaders to each soldier and the citizens who participated in making the win-win policy a success […]
(3) Three scenes must be engraved and recorded on the Win-Win Monument
I talked to (the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense) HE Tea Seiha and HE Nem Sovath, who is responsible for leading (the preparation of the stupa,) asking them to prepare to engrave the event of defending national sovereignty in 2025 – a historical event – on it. We will prepare another one. We have engraved three scenes, taking as an example the painting that Taing Kim Sour and volunteers prepared as the first painting in Siem Reap. Now it is being painted at Walk Street. The painting has three scenes. Firstly, the pain caused by the war of aggression (on) various displaced people, the death and injury of soldiers and civilians. Secondly, the display of the bravery of the army heroes, the national police heroes, and the military police heroes who participated in protecting the integrity of the territory. Thirdly, the image of the mobilized great Cambodian family, and citizens around the world […] These three scenes must be (engraved and recorded) in history […] and more importantly, they must be engraved on the Win-Win Monument to be left as a historical legacy for the future.
(4) Another monument to constantly remind the great sacrifices in the cause of defending national sovereignty
Cambodia knows about war well […] and as we have gone through wars and pains, we must do everything we can to strengthen ourselves so that this painful war does not happen on our land (again) […] While the army (is) the one who creates war, the army is also the one that ends war. In 1970, the war broke out because the army staged a coup, but in 1998, the war ended because the army agreed to end it […] I discussed with (the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense) HE Tea Seiha that HE Nem Sovath figure out the idea that I support a step further to consider a monument to commemorate the heroes of the war, the heroes of the national police, and the heroes of the military police who sacrificed themselves in the cause of defending national sovereignty […] We have a monument to commemorate the fallen combatants from the infighting until the war end in 1998. Later, by ending the war to defend territorial integrity, (we should) prepare another monument […] to constantly remind future generations of the great sacrifices of our brothers and sisters in the cause of defending national sovereignty […]
(5) Medals must be made in honor of those who have been wounded and disabled on the battlefield
For our army, I have instructed the Ministry of National Defense and the Council of Ministers to study special medals for participants in the military operation in 2025. In the future, for every battle, there must be medals for those who participate in the operation, and/or support the fight directly in all causes. We have national defense medals, but medals for each battle must be made for the awareness, and there must be special medals for those who have been wounded and disabled on the battlefield […] The Cambodian people of all trends, all professions, and everywhere have come together in the cause of defending the country by paying attention to the heroes of the army, police, military police, who are standing guard, and to their families in this time. I ask that this spirit of unity continue […] We had the last disabled veteran in the 2011 war […] (and again) we have disabled victims of war in 2025 […]
(6) If the door is not completely closed, even if it is 1% open for a peaceful resolution, we must use it to the best of our ability
In the cause of defending the territory, we are trying to resolve the issue without sacrificing people’s lives […] through legal means, through diplomatic mechanisms, to the best of our ability […] If the door is not completely closed, even if it is 1% open for a peaceful resolution, we must use it to the best of our ability, rather than resorting to war […] Let me reiterate that “if the peaceful resolution still has a chance, even 1%, where we can still open the door to negotiations to end the issue and protect territorial integrity, we must use it to the best of our ability” […]
But if the door is closed, we must resort to legal (front) […] for instance, the other side announced the cancellation of the 2001 MoU, which is the only bilateral mechanism (that we had so far) […] that means the door is closed. There is 0% chance. So, we go to the legal route, to compulsory conciliation to resolve the issue in a transparent and fair manner so that we are equal before international law – UNCLOS […] If the 2001 MoU had not been canceled, we would still negotiate using (the 2001 MoU) as the principle of peaceful resolution because (it is a negotiation document in the past) 25 years […] This is a long-term matter […] We seek to end (the military confrontation so that) there are no disabled people and orphans […]
(7) Nurture the spirit of unity, strengthen national defense capacity to ensure lasting peace for generations to come
I visited (the wounded) in the hospital. My wife visited every house (and saw) the hardships of families that have been broken […] This is the great sacrifice of the army heroes, the national police heroes, and the military police heroes, including the sacrifice of the families who supported their husbands to defend the country. As a leader, I believe that the 17 million Cambodians would not kneel, and give their land to others. In 10 or 20 years, our population will increase to anywhere between 30 and 50 million. We want to defend the land legally, in a way that I believe is the best option, a bloodless and for a long-term solution […] Cambodia has suffered from war, as you all here have witnessed […] and the important thing is that we come together […] support the heroes of the war, the heroes of the armed forces, and help the refugees who are in difficulty […] We should not allow it to be a fire of the straw that burns brightly every now and then. We must nurture this spirit of unity, strengthen as the Cambodian nation, strengthen the national defense capacity, so that we can ensure lasting peace for generations to come.
(8) Three steps taken to help those affected since the war outbreak
That we build new houses for the refugees does not mean that we stop demand the return of (our territory). We continue to do so. Now we are fighting in the diplomatic battle. Fighting in the diplomatic battle takes time […] We cannot leave those families (affected by fighting) in the rain. We must put them at a safe place first. Since the outbreak of the armed conflict, we have taken three steps. Step-1 is to protect lives. When fighting starts, we have taken measures on how to evacuate them from the shelling zone, solve the problem of shelter, water, and food […] Step-2 is to improve their situation. We set up tents in temporary places immediately […] and later expand the tents, and thirdly, we are working on restoration of their living condition […] CMAC is actively cooperating with the directly affected provinces, namely Preah Vihear, Oddar Meanchey, Banteay Meanchey and Pursat, to clear mines/unexploded ordnance to help them to return, wherever possible, and create economic activities […]
(9) United as one nation to prevent a resurgence of civil war and to protect the nation from external threats
The other day, (someone) came out (and shouted) why did the government build houses first and later put in sewers? […] The infrastructure is in many phases. We had to do this job within only two months. We had to figure out what should we do first, what should we do next? The most important thing is to have a roof, to have roads, electricity, and water. We will put in sewers gradually […] I thank the people who spread the word on social media (about some shortcomings). It’s not him/her who is to blame, but those who criticize for profit […] mostly from abroad and some who use it for political gain […] To build (many houses) in a short period of time, there may be some shortcomings. We welcome information provided by the people and thank you very much for your understanding […] I am glad to see that some, upon entering the refugee centers, do not wait to be given everything. They open coffee shops and sell things right away […] Along the border, like in Pursat, if I may note, please replant trees […] Some places need to be adjusted to prepare locations, a temporary safety for citizens, and repair schools […] we are working hard to prevent war from happening again. We are united as the one nation to prevent a resurgence of civil war, by working together in every way to protect the nation from external threats […]
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(10) Let our soldiers know that the Cambodian people support their causes and never forget them
[Speech] All ministries, institutions, and sub-national administrations must organize delegations to visit veterans, retirees at the local level, and soldiers and women who are carrying out missions in border areas. (Comments). The matter here is when you go to the front lines, don’t take pictures, and show military positions. I don’t forbid you from visiting […] We won’t forget (helping) our brothers in the front. The government, the Ministry of National Defense, are ensuring basic needs, and additional items on a regular basis, and there are daily food reserves […] Please continue to strengthen the national defense of the people, don’t stop, and don’t provide only when there is a fight. Let us continue to be consistent. Participating in encouraging by providing food is one thing, but what is important is (letting) them (know) that the Cambodian people all over the country still support their causes and never forget them. This is a great encouragement to participate in (strengthening) national defense.
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(11) Reforms in order to increase the efficiency of the structure
Reforming and modernizing the army is to strengthen national defense capabilities. You may have heard that the goal is to increase national defense capabilities in the long term. In order to strengthen capabilities in the next 20 years, we need to do this now. We are not doing this modernization reform recently. We have been doing it consistently since the 1979 […] but the situation varies in terms of risk levels, capabilities, and the need to build forces […] Reforms are based on strengthening the structure, training, equipping (weapons), etc. But the main goal is to increase the efficiency of the structure. Simply put, it is to shrink the upper echelon and expand the lower part […] Ultimately, the goal is to shrink the head and expand the body […] since we have suspended recruitment from 1998, we have a limited number of new soldiers […] and secondly, shrinking the head to a smaller one means that the leading and supporting institutions, the Ministry of National Defense, the General Staff, the Command of the Armed Forces, the Regional Command, the Division Command, and the Command of the War Area Command, will be smaller […] and strengthened to the battalion-sized operational forces below.
(12) It is not whether the person is young or old but the positive results for national army
(The Ministry of Defense is) considering a process of abolishing some departments, cutting some offices, eliminating some departments, consolidating some bureaus with the same role, putting them under one type of military force, combat force with the same function […] If it is abolished from the ministry, some skills will have to be eliminated from top to bottom. Some jobs can be done by one office, there is no need for two offices. Eliminate one, reduce the role to one, make the head smaller […] The other day, HE Mak Sarun is promoted to Chief of Technical Equipment. Some people asked why replace the young with the old? Young or old is not a question here. We only want results for the national army […] Technical skills must be put in the reform phase, the transitional phase, and absolutely need to find the right candidate […] HE Chao Phirith is young and has a vast experience, but in this stage, when the nation needs it, we must choose the best person for the nation, a mature person with experience, a will, and a development mindset […]
(13) The biggest gain of military conscript is to cultivate patriotism to defend the country unconditionally and with skills
This issue is also related to the military conscription law. Now we have a top-down-approach hierarchy. We will turn the hierarchy bottom-up. I have explained why we have a top-down approach hierarchy. We have had more high-ranking officers than lower rank because since the implementation of the win-win policy, we have not had a new conscript, and there have been no new recruitments for many years […] In the future, this conscript law will help to expand, meaning that those who enter the military service will not have a rank. The preliminary thought was until the person completes his two years conscript, he would have some kinds of rank […] Secondly, we will have a reserve army. Those who complete these two years will enter the reserve army until the age of 45 […] Some would ask, are we ready for war? Did we not say we want peace? Those who receive training as reserve soldiers for these 24 months are resources that the state has invested in them to have skills. When they leave, they will be national resources. We do not lose. We gain. The biggest gain here is to cultivate patriotism, to be willing to sacrifice all the time when the nation needs it, and to defend the land unconditionally, with skills […]
(14) Military service should not be seen as a burden or a loss, but a great honor
Please do not look at the performance of military service as a burden that makes people waste time and study, but as an opportunity for us to give back to this poor Cambodia […] This country gives us our identity and honor as Cambodians. If this country is strong, this country has a good reputation, we will have a good reputation wherever we go. Military service is a means, a mechanism for everyone to have the opportunity to serve the country. For patriotism, there is nothing greater than the readiness to sacrifice ones’ lives to protect the country […] No one but the Cambodian children, the Cambodian youth, would participates in protecting our country. Preparing for military service should not be seen as a burden or a loss, but as a great honor […]
(15) National Defense, Economy and Finance, and Health to look into increasing capacity, medicines, quality, and providing services in military clinics
There have been a lot of explanations on social media, and those who don’t know at all are the ones who say the most […] Please understand that the army reform aims to increase efficiency, reduce the structure of the leadership engine, and strengthen the lower legs […] As for the police and military police are organized and selected according to existing mechanisms. For example, the police must be selected through examinations […] as of present, we focus on managing the army […] Secondly, the reform must strengthen governance in management […] and one of them is organizing the payment of salaries through the banking system. The working group of the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Finance is studying to organize the payment of salaries to all soldiers through the banking system […] Thirdly, ensuring a balance between management efficiency and military conditions […] and fourthly, the health of the army […] I call on the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and the Ministry of Health to look into increasing capacity, increasing medicines, improving quality, and providing services in clinics of (the military) units […]
(16) Ensure that citizens have access to a certain level of health services coverage
It seems that almost all sectors of our people are covered by the health system. Some health systems are 100 percent funded by the state under an equity policy. For the poor, the state pays for it in full. Some places are paid through contributions, according to the National Social Security Fund (NSSF). The state covers for officials. Some companies are paying counterpart contribution […] In the military, in this step, we strengthen our capacity […] and the veterans get NSSF. We work harder to ensure that citizens have access to a certain level of coverage (health) services, and that treatment services do not increase or decrease. If we want quality, we have had to invest. New drugs are also available, new equipment is also available, both private and state. The important thing is not to get too much out of the people’s pockets through all these mechanisms. This means that the people pay a certain level, but the state can helps out through additional mechanisms […]
(17) “No one will be left without attention, no matter what the circumstances”
The private sector and foreign partners, together with the state, are investing in additional technology in the health sector in Cambodia to gradually strengthen the health development base, including health centers, health posts, and the treatment capacity of district referral doctors. This year, we are spending a lot on high blood pressure and diabetes medications for the people […] We are not stopping. We are continuing. This is what the Royal Government has been doing since Samdech Techo’s premiership. I will continue to lead. The People’s Party will continue to implement policies that no one will be left without attention, no matter what the circumstances. It is not just theoretical talk, and zero action […] As an initiative, the government is asking concerned authorities to look at suitable locations of veterans’ villages […] Each province should select land that can be cultivated. Some places are too hasty and picking a location where land cannot be cultivated for stones. Please pick up the land that can be cultivated […] Some provinces have land for the Veterans’ Association to set up headquarters, and there are philanthropists who help. The state provides land, the philanthropists provide buildings […]./.
