[Unofficial Translation]
Sacrifices for Human Requirement
[…] I appreciate the efforts made by the Ministry of Mines and Energy, as well as those of the company and governing council of the province of Stoeng Treng, in resolving concerned issues in a timely manner, especially relating to the reserved area. Every development has impacts – big or small, on environment. We just need to make a judgment whether we should carry the project out or not. Some environmental extremists should think again. On the one hand, they were asking for availability and at a lower price of electricity. On the other, they hinder our efforts to develop energy projects. What would be their real motives? In everything that we are doing, there are oppositions.
In Cambodia, organizations that operate in opposition purpose would enjoy financial assistance from some foreign countries. We may just ask a question that the fact that there are thousands of airplanes flying in the world everyday would there be no impacts on environment. Some rich countries that drilled and pumped oil from the seabed or riverbed and on land, were there no environmental impacts? Some countries take their steps to achieve nuclear energy to produce electricity. When it went out of control, many people died. Why would they do it still? It was because there is a requirement in human life. As for Cambodia, we have oppositions at every phase of our efforts […]
Sufficient Electricity to Drive Socio-economic Development
I also have appreciation for the organization of villages. I think that one day I will take my time and spend some time there. I could have been there last night if it were not raining. I would be happy to spend time there to find sort of weather pattern and figure out how good efforts we made to resolves impacts from the hydro project for our people […] all four northeastern provinces, including Preah Vihear, are in short supply of electricity to drive their socio-economic development.
The whole country needs electricity and we will continue to build power sources stage after stage to respond to such needs. I mentioned above about the need to guarantee purchasing electricity generated by the station. Whatever amount they produce, we will have to buy it all. We have the need to figure out on the one hand growth of demand of electricity and on another on transmission lines that will wire electricity from Steong Treng to Kratie, Kompong Cham, and connect it to other mother lines in Phnom Penh.
Every Village Access to Electricity by 2022
As of present, electricity price continues to drop from the previous high prices. The Electricity of Cambodia has minimized its profit and that has led to shortage of fund to invest in transmission lines. According to plan, we will provide all 14,168 villages in the whole country access to electricity. In the mean time, 11,194 villages or 79% of them have access to electricity at a reasonable price […] in some places, there are discontent towards Electricity of Cambodia for blackouts. I just wish to have your attention that in certain places, we have not been able to supply stable power. We just do whatever we can. Blackouts are common in Kratie, Stoeng Treng, Ratanakiri, Mondulkiri, etc. We will address this problem when we have more power. We will make electricity supply stable and lower price too.
Electricity – People’s Current Need
Needs in our country are growing bigger. People in Stoeng Treng who used torch from tree sap or fish oil before would now at least use battery to store and provide power. In order to store power in a battery you would also need to do it with electricity. With this call addressed, I hope that people in the northeastern provinces will benefit from energy development in this area. I take this opportunity to thank our people for moving out of the project area to allow the Royal Government, through this company, to work on this investment for benefits of industry, service, agriculture, etc. in adjacent areas and in the whole country.
This current need of our people we cannot neglect. Mark my words – “people current needs”. In previous phase, people were using traditional light and power, and in their current new phase of lives, they need electricity […]
About five years ago, there was an ambassador, who came to see me about the Se San hydropower project impacts. He argued that the project would have impacts on some 70% of the fish population (in the Mekong) … I set a light on this statistics that that would make fish in our country very clever. I gave him my points that fish are living in the Mekong and Tonle Sap. They would not live in the Se San … when we have this reservoir built, we will release fish in the system. There will be lots of them here.
Thank the Government of China for Investments
I am taking this opportune moment to express my sincere thanks and appreciation for the supports provided by the government of the People’s Republic of China in urging their investors to place their money and efforts in Cambodia. Most of the hydropower projects in Cambodia funded by the People’s Republic of China. Some countries, while expressing wishes, had not been keen enough to start. I would suggest that we take back license from those who have conducted studies but failed to get their projects off the ground and give it to new interested party. We may have to start it with the ones along the river of Pursat. It may now be time. We have the need of electricity or its insufficiency would have impacts on development […]
In fact, the province of Stoeng Treng benefits greatly from the Royal Government development projects, especially through financial assistance from the People’s Republic of China. We have here the Cambodian-Chinese Friendship bridges of Sekong and of Mekong at Stoeng Treng, the national road 9, 7, and 78 […] there will be more people coming to reside in this part of the country. I should remind you that I also came to Stoeng Treng last month to oversee the creation and establishment of the military division 128 to guarantee national sovereignty and security for this part of the country […]
Prime Minister Candidate for the Sixth Term
I am grateful to the supports of our people here in Stoeng Treng and hope that you will continue to vote for the Cambodian People’s Party for the country’s development. In the last elections, people of Stoeng Treng voted overwhelmingly for the Cambodian People’s Party. There will be a general election on 29 July 2018 and I will continue my candidacy for the post of Prime Minister. I have said it that I will stand for the next two terms, at least. I am sure you will vote for the Cambodian People’s Party so that I will be able to continue this journey with our people […] I believe I could live at least another 30 years and ten more years as Prime Minister would not be too difficult for me. I thank our people for their supports and there would be no successful endeavour without them […]
Constitutional Interpretation – Exclusive Right of Constitutional Council
Yesterday was our Constitution Day. I wish that everyone calling themselves analysts to study the Constitution. That I reacted to a foreign embassy that insulted Cambodia, some people said that (I should not have said it because) there was no approval from the National Assembly […] calling themselves lawyers and analysts and they interpret the Constitution, which only the Constitutional Council who has the right to do so. They are making mistake and claim to be right […] I wish that the person should devote his thought on leading his party to (election) victory […] calling themselves analysts but always having negative views. Well, since yesterday was the Constitution Day – 24 September 1993/2017, I just wish to say this much […] to warn our nation that a slight misdirection would bring the country disaster. People should be cautious when they decide on who to lead the country […]./.
