Cambodia Earns Skills to Build Bridge across Rivers
I am so happy to join with all of you and our Buddhist monks to put into official use the bridge across this arm of the (Mekong) river (at Koh Paen/Kompong Trom) which I named the bridge of Koh Paen that connects Kompong Trom of Koh Mit commune, Kompong Siem district on one side and the district of Sambuor Meas of Kompong Cham city on another. It is one of the new achievements we have realized […] while putting an end to crossing this river arm by boats and/or bridge built from bamboos I wish to announce publicly that should we put together every construction means that we have, we would be able to build a bridge across any rivers in Cambodia. This achievement reflects our ability to build and ownership […]
(Former) governor of Kompong Cham, Hun Neng, requested to me to build a Bailey bridge […] initially I had the intention to restore this arm of the river to its original depth for water flow and navigation. A study has brought up in those days a problem where would we get the sand from the riverbed to? […] I hesitated to allow construction of the bridge, which stands four meters above the year 2000-flood. I also doubted if we could do it with own skill. Finally, I decided to give Cambodian technicians and budget a chance […] though the bridge is small but for our people who crossed the river arm by boats and by bamboo-made bridge in dry season would consider it a bridge of magnificence […]
Equitable Distribution of Growth
I am proud to emphasize using limited resource that we have for the development of infrastructures to equitably distribute fruits of economic growth. I will not abandon my concept of four priorities that I declared since 1987 or 31 years to the present about irrigation, road, electricity, and human resource, which we have now reordered human resource as the first priority. That we are spending money to build bridge is the best way to ensure an equitable distribution of economic growth. Either rich or poor, people would be using it. Building water canals, hospitals, schools, roads, etc. all are for public interest […] we must never use, I remind, capital from our saving for development for other unfitting purpose. In many terms already, I never allowed Ministers to purchase personal means of transports using state fund […] it was also true for provincial governors […] I saved up money to build bridge, schools, roads, hospitals, water canals for people […]
Infrastructures Narrow Down Urban and Rural Gap
… Investing on infrastructures that serve people is an equitable way of distributing growth and reducing gap between urban and rural. Previously, it was obvious that Kompong Cham was urban and the islands of Kompong Trom, Koh Paen, etc. were rural. With this bridge in place, people could use more modern means of transports. They could use means of transports as in other places such as Ratanakiri, Monduilkiri, Stoeung Treng, Preah Vihear, even areas integrated by win-win policy – Pailin, Phnom Proeuk, Malai, Anlong Veng, etc. […] according to the Ministry of Rural Development, there are many lines of concrete roads on Koh Paen and this work continues.
In the whole province of Kompong Cham, 856 of 919 villages has access to electricity. That was 93.5%. People in this era use no more torch or fish oil […] we are happy to see that our capacity has improved, for instance in building this bridge. It is true that we still need partnership for development but we must also make efforts to take up destiny in our own hands […] since 1980s, I never neglected chances for capacity strengthening and building of our people. We have many schools now in rural area. This policy of one junior secondary school at least in a commune is not that simple. In the past, in a district there was one junior secondary school. Now in some communes, there are two. In the past, for Kompong Cham, we had only one secondary school at Kompong Cham town and another at Skun. Now we have five in the district of Koh Sotin […]
Koh Kompong Trom – Birthplace of My Mother
… I should have said it long ago that my mother was originally from Koh Kompong Trom/Koh Paen. My mother used to tell me about her mother, my grandmother, asking her to transport rice […] many are my relatives here but we do not know each other […] I am sure souls of my grandparents could have been watching me from the pagoda there on his grandchild talking here today. It was because of land erosion, we had to move their remains from the pagoda of Peam Ke Sar to keep them there […] as I launched the construction of a more than one-km bridge at Stoeung Trang and Kroch Chhma, my birthplace, and inaugurated today another bridge at my grandparents and mother’s native place, some may say that I build bridges only in my native places. That is not the case. We have needs for infrastructures and I have done a lot elsewhere in the whole country […]
I sincerely hope that Koh Paen is going to be an attractive destination for tourists. As the dry season starts, this time of year, we have a nice sand beach of the Mekong River at Koh Paen […] our benefit now is that people no longer have to pay to cross the river and transport costs from markets in Kompong Cham city would also be lower. Along with this, people in Koh Paen and some others would benefit from arrival of tourists […] I am of the opinion that there will be many people coming for Ramvong at Koh Paen. I wish the governor will throw a Ramvong at Koh Paen […]
An Opposition Leader Signed a Deal to Let Go Four Provinces
… We have discovered it. (How come he) signed giving four provinces. That is not a small thing. S/he accused Hun Sen of giving land to Vietnam. Now, it is revealed who actually do it. S/he promises to give out four provinces. He was too shocked to make a VDO clip about Kok Sar, trying to affirm that Kok Sar is Khmer on evidence that he has a Khmer driving license, etc. Asking Kok Sar to clarify on it, Kok Sar could not even speak a word of Khmer […] the Ministry of Interior is working on this case, It is another treacherous file. I have been negotiating with neighboring countries on every inch of our land, but s/he signed four provinces easily. I have discovered who now […]
Another one had said everything he did, he did it as so and so instructed him. It was not his mind and heart to do it. As a leader of Cambodia, would you wait only for other nationality to tell you what to do? S/he insulted us as foreign puppets while they all follow foreign advices. Swearing in (to be a member of the National Assembly), everyone is obliged to promise to allow no foreign interference of Cambodia’s internal and external affairs […] Kok Sar was not a Khmer. However, if Kok Sar was a Khmer, why would they have to sign an agreement (on giving Kok Sar accession to four provinces?) [..]
Take for instance between us, Mam Sonando, president of the soon to be Sambok Khmom Democratic Society Party, and I, there is no need for me to sign an agreement like that. We may sign an agreement about our commitments to accept results of the elections. That would be an agreement between political parties. Mam Sonando or I would not have rights to make an agreement to own this or that part of land […] land belongs to our nation […] if he is a Khmer too, why would you make an agreement with him? I am sure the Minister of Justice will cooperate with the Ministry of Interior to take care of this matter. The treacherous act is revealed. We must thoroughly investigate this matter and take legal actions necessary. No one has right to cut out and give out land to foreigners […]
Will Inquire What Did They Talk About?
We will not forgive any acts of treason. Let us leave this matter to the court. I just wanted to add a little more about having a secret negotiation […] scolding and insulting me as Vietnam’s puppet, but he himself secretly negotiated with Vietnam’s officials – former Deputy Prime Minister Ngueyn Van Kim and former Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Di Nien […]
According to information we have, whatever Hun Sen disagrees, he would consent. He even promised to help ease Vietnamese immigration giving them nationality while Hun Sen’s administration would not […] to earn a nationality one needs to have a Royal Decree. Some country is strict on that. To earn a nationality, one has to abandon own nationality, for instance. As for Cambodia, to earn the Cambodian nationality, there are certain rules to follow and conditions to apply. It will all need to have a Royal Decree from HM the King. Why have they negotiated secretly on that matter, while they scolded me as Vietnamese puppet? […]
I will bring this issue to Vietnamese leader. What had they actually discussed? If Vietnam is faithful with Cambodia, they would have to let me know what had they discussed during the man’s vitsit to Hanoi and Tai Ninh. The day after tomorrow I will have a chance to meet with Prime Minister of Vietnam. I will bring it up. Were there any minutes? Usually, there is. I am asking for it […] his scoundrel acts appear sharply and for power, he would overlook national interests, even issues relating to land. He insulted me and scolded me as if I was the one to sell land to others. I was born in 1952 and Cochinchina lost since 1949. It was unjust to scold me for that […] I am defending the land that is left at present especially from Samdech Ov. I will not lose it and/or ask for more […]
Kram Ngoi and Ou Chong
… I wish to inform all 1,052 teachers that there will be two books in each package for them. One book is the advice and instruction on life by Kram Ngoi and another by Ou Chong. I wish that you all learn them. We will bring along some 2,500 copies to Australia and New Zealand. They will have different covers – ones for locals and ones for our expatriates. I wish that you accept this gift and read them for benefits of yourselves, families, etc. […]./.
