[Unofficial Translaion]
This Time Last Year We Led a Large-Scale Campaign on Water Shortage
I am so happy today to join with Samdech, Excellencies, Lok Chumteav, foreign and national guests, and the Red Cross volunteers for the celebration of the 154th Anniversary of the World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day. This time one year ago, as I could remember, we celebrated the 153rd anniversary at a time that we had to combat in a large-scale campaign to provide people with water, not only for irrigation but also for drinking. It was a large campaign, which involved the armed forces, our administration of all levels, the Cambodian Red Cross and the Cambodian private sectors.
After that life-saving campaign, with every efforts we made, a large part of the financial assistance collected by the Cambodian Red Cross last year used in digging more wells and ponds for people in remote areas. They turned out to be serving our people who have lived in areas that are prone to water shortages. I would take this opportune moment to express my sincere appreciation and thanks for the Cambodian Red Cross, authorities of all levels, the armed forces and generous beings for sharing their wealth and resources to resolve the calamity.
Red Cross Is Everywhere and for Everyone
Today, on behalf of the Royal Government of Cambodia, I would like to welcome the presence of everyone that indicates a strong solidarity on the work that we have been doing so far. President of the CRC as well as the representative of the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) to Cambodia touched in their reports about the theme selected since last year and still applies for this year – the Red Cross is everywhere and for everyone. It is a correct theme and addresses not only the Cambodian situation but also every country. Very often, natural or man-made disasters strike at the local level. Therefore, presence and action of the Red Cross everywhere is necessary to deal with them.
I thank the wise effort of the Cambodian Red Cross for setting up network with the Royal Government’s sub-national mechanism to act in complementary with each other to deal with disasters. By joining forces together with local authorities at provincial and district levels, the Cambodian Red Cross has become a strong force. We do not waste forces we have and use them together as a collective means to deal with whatever disaster we may encounter. I encourage continuation of such mechanism to respond to unforeseeable disasters that vary from one type to another, from drought and water shortage to flooding and/or strong wind and lightning.
CRC Youth Applies Peer Education in Villages and/or Schools
I am encouraging the Cambodian Red Cross (CRC), especially grandchildren, nephews and nieces who are the CRC youth wing and present everywhere. In the course of my travel around the country over 5,000 kilometers months ago, I discovered that in every school there are cells of the CRC youth. They are the one who act today and will take over the works in the future. Disciplinary CRC youth wing has contributed peer education at the village, commune and especially in their classrooms. They did help in evading drug and other irregular social problems among peers.
Collected Fund Used Properly
Today, in the whole country, we are setting a meeting between those who need help and those who can help. I noticed a slogan on the way in that says – culture of sharing starts with me. I am so grateful to sharing by generous people to the Cambodian Red Cross so that the latter can truly assist the poor. I have noticed that the Cambodian Red Cross has made a new step to build homes for the poor. I am grateful to foreign friends and businessmen for making contributions to the Cambodian Red Cross funding.
I also must remind everyone of the efforts excelled by our Buddhist monks so far in humanitarian actions as they had provided assistances to those in needs themselves or offered whatever they had to the Cambodian Red Cross to fulfil such missions. I am so pleased to see that our compatriots understand and take action in helping each other […]
Tension Soars High Temperature in Middle East
In some countries, they raised money to purchase weapons. The representative of the ICRC to Cambodia just said in his speech that there are so many problems in this world, some of them are natural and some are man-made. Look, war in Afghanistan is not over. Wars in the middle-eastern countries – Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and some others, are soaring high in temperature. Days ago, I received a letter from the United Nations Secretary General to attend an International Conference to seek more assistance for Yemen in Geneva. Why there is a need for us to do that? It is because of the disaster inflicted upon by man, not by nature.
I sincerely hope that our nation understand the true value of peace. I wish to see no attempt to bring the country back to war. The presence of peace provides chances for us to improve our way of life and alter it. However, should war be imminent or happening, there would be no chance to reform or to improve, for example infrastructural needs for our people, since we would not be able to safeguard even our life.
Uncertainty on Korean Peninsula
In Asia, we are facing with uncertainty in the Korean peninsula. Days ago, in the ASEAN Summit (in the Philippines) some leaders had said that they were wondering what tomorrow would bring after they woke up. I think the US and North Korea should not threaten each other because doing so causing fear for people in the Korean peninsula and in the region. Threatening to use both nuclear and non-nuclear weapons causes fear to the world. In the end, there will only be losers. I hope that the nuclear powers who show off either mother of all bombs or father of all bombs, nuclear or non-nuclear weapons, reconsider their political options rather than threats with weapons.
I have said it was just a threat and percentage of having a war is low but words that are coming out of mouths of Presidents or leaders to use nuclear weapons in their fight are not childish. I do not advice the Presidents or leaders of anyone country. However, what they said causes impacts on other countries, not only between you two. War will be destructive […]
On Drugs, Traffic Accidents, Kuntha Bopha Pediatric Hospital
I would take this opportune moment to appeal to our youth to stay away from drugs. Not that only it causes many consequences on your physical condition but the Royal Government would have to set aside a sum of money, used for development purpose, to provide them with treatments instead. It is not only a loss in family but also the whole nation […] Years ago we spent national budget on HIV/AIDS. We have lesser burden on that now, though we still have to continue our attention and care. It is the Royal Government’s burden to provide assistance for victims from drugs as well as from HIV/AIDS […]
I would take this moment to also appeal to our people to respect traffic law to evade accidents. We have in average loss of six to seven lives per day, and many more injuries, from accidents […] I am calling on our people to defend their lives and lives of others. We need many bags of blood to save people in traffic accidents […] Reduce driving in drunkenness and respect traffic rules would reduce accidents, and we can save many bags of blood for other patients.
I am so happy to have learnt from the speech that the Cambodian Red Cross will continue to provide one million USD to the Kuntha Bopha Pediatric Hospital. I also thank generous fellows for providing assistances to the hospital. Dr. Beat Richner is ill. We will not allow dysfunction to the hospital because of his absence […]
Relation between Cambodia and France Continues
Upon known primary results of the presidential elections in France, Emanuel Macron has won some 65% of the votes. I would take this opportune moment to express my sincere congratulations to the President-elect who will swear in just days ahead. In France, the procedure will not take a long time. The Constitutional Council will proclaim. No matter from what party the President-elect is, I am sure good relation between Cambodia and France will continue […]
To end this, I thank our people who sent me their well wishes on Facebook page and in SMS to my phones concerning my health in the last few days. This clearly reflects your consideration on my health. I just send words that those who wish to see me dead or to reap benefit from my health will never have chance […]
Birthday Wish to HM the King
I am conveying my best wish to HM the King on his birthday anniversary on the forthcoming 14 May. I wish HM to stay as shade for our people and HM’s humanitarian actions has been exemplary for our civil servants, the armed forces as well as our people in the whole country. HM the King has always been at the local level to meet with people. I am sure the people of Cambodia wish His Majesty the King for his birthday.
I also thank Samdech Me, the Queen Mother, for staying as Honorary President of the Cambodian Red Cross and assisting always, since its inception, then under the leadership of the late Preah Norodom Sihanouk Preah Borom Ratanakaod. We wish HM the Queen Mother longevity, and let us stay under HM’s cool shade./.
