Selected Comments Samdech Techo Hun Sen,​ at the RUPP Graduation and Diploma Presenting Ceremony [Unofficial Translation]

CNV:

Working Together for a Nation of Intellects

We have noticed that our people are long for knowledge. Some have made it to the University with scholarships and many have been fee-paying students with help from their parents, and spouses. That is the good point we have found among our people and we must be proud of it. We must work together for the achievement of a nation with well-grown intellects. I used to say on various occasions that it is difficult to reduce the wealth gap between the rich and the poor. Cambodia is a poor country. We cannot compete with some rich countries such as Qatar whose income per capita is high […]

Pol Pot Abolished Materialism and Finally Sentiment

In some rich countries like the US, for instance, Bill Gates has been one of the richest men, but how many Americans have made it that far? It would be impossible. The same is true in Cambodia. Every countries have got sets of problem of their own. (It seemed that in this world) only Pol Pot had brought that kind of equality to men. He (Pol Pot) abolished property or ownership of materialism. They did that through moving people from one place to another (and in the end) they could keep nothing with them. They no longer allowed buying and selling as they did not permit using cash. They forbade every activities that a society used to have. In the end, Pol Pot severed sentimental relation between and among men. Woman and man could not choose who s/he loves. They have to be matched by Angkar (or organization, the Pol Pot’s authority.) They could make it happens. As for Cambodia at present, we are making every effort to increase income among the poor to narrow the gap […]

Equal Chance to Everyone

The middle class in our country has grown rapidly in the last years. Together with the richer class, they have been the core class to support economic growth. The rich paid bigger taxes to our economy. The middle class contributed to supporting economic activities and thus making it stronger. Among them, what we can do is to narrow down the intellectual gap […] we should offer everyone with equal chance. We must have schools everywhere so that children of the poor and the rich will take classes altogether. We have seen often that children of the poor are doing better in their examinations […] on various occasions I said to some people who seemed to have come to tell us what to do. I said they were just lucky people who were born in rich countries but they could not be sure that they learnt better. Under the term technical assistance sometimes lied this fact they used data acquired by Cambodians to put together a project […] they sought supports from donors and financial institutions […]

Timor-Leste Ready to Join ASEAN

I will meet with foreign minister of Timor-Leste after I finish my speech here. Timor-Leste is making accession to ASEAN. In months to come, there will be a mission to find out whether or not Timor-Leste has complied with every requirements to become a member of ASEAN. I already visited Timor-Leste. Sometimes, to jump into water is the best way to learn to swim. Cambodia had had some experiences in accession to ASEAN. This year is going to be the twentieth anniversary of Cambodia’s accession to ASEAN. We hosted twice the ASEAN Summits. Timor-Leste has trained the required human resources ready for this membership as we did too […] we have reduced this gap between the new and old members of ASEAN through this brilliant initiative for integration among members. If Timor-Leste makes it to the group, this concept of new and old members of ASEAN would apply. I think there is no need to have old and new members of ASEAN plus Timor-Leste or 2 plus 1 model […] let us all work together to strengthen each other’s capacities […]

Water Shortage for Consumption Over

There are a few matters that I need to bring up to your attentions. This year’s dry season has come to an end. Rainy season has arrived in the last two weeks. We have no more problem about shortage of water for consumption. Generous people, non-governmental organizations, and political parties, had done a great job in digging wells and/or delivering water for people in areas of water-source lacking. Shortage of water for consumption is now over […]

No More Power Shortage for Coming Years

We still have shortage of water to run turbines in hydropower plants to stabilize supply of electricity. What happened this year in term of lacking power, we have been seeking the best possible options to ameliorate it in a way that in the coming years, shortage of supply of electricity will not repeat […] we have learnt our lessons concerning shortage of electricity this year. Minister Suy Sem massaged me about coal-fueled power generation of 370 megawatts and another plant of 135 megawatts to go into operation today […] for Phnom Penh alone we need to have at least 400 megawatts ready for intervention. We have placed orders for two generators – one from Finland and another from Germany – and they have to be ready by October. A two hundred megawatts generator from Finland and another two hundred megawatts generator from Germany – will be installed ready to intervene when there would be shortages of electricity from other traditional sources.

Generators and plants will go into operations one after the other and next year, there will be no reason for power shortage. We have this company from Malaysia putting up a 135 megawatts coal-fueled generator in Sihanoukville province […] in Japan, I have sought Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s consideration on financing high-voltage power lines from the Cambodian-Laotian border to Phnom Penh. We already negotiated with Laos, […] who needs to sell its power too […] we also have plans for solar energy but they are not viable because of the weather changes – like cloudy sky and rain. We need to have hydropower plants in rainy season, and other thermal power plants fueled by coal, gas, and oil […] while Phnom Penh previously thought to use around 30 megawatts, it has now needed 1,000 megawatts. A high demand. We have to rethink on planning for electricity consumption and ways to address it […]

Tax and Duty Collections, Transference of Vehicle Titles

I just wanted to share with you that in the past five months, we have sustained a good income. For internal tax, we have realized over 58% compared to annual plan, and over 54% of custom duty compared to annual plan. We hope to collect taxes and duty more than we have planned. Our people have improved their tax paying culture […] there has been this issue concerning transference of title of vehicle ownerships which we sorted out back in 2016/17. I think I made it clear already […] however, (concerned authority must) expedite the process of resolving the hassle and with fair prices, and make it a short and succinct process […]

Khmer Noodle (Num Banhjok) a Political Issue

There is this other story about Khmer noodle that I have to bring up. Why the Khmer noodle has become a political issue? […] they have made it eating Khmer noodle to be patriotic […] or anyone eating Khmer noodle are the ones supporting them […] this trick is similar to Pol Pot’s rusting steel. With Hun Sen’s ax, the rusted steel forged into utensils of every kinds. Win-win policy ended it […] I heard they would make it June-9 their Khmer noodle eating day. I am calling on members of the Cambodian People’s Party to organize noodle eating day […] if they later declare eating Num Kruok (rice cake burnt or cooked on metal baking pan) or Ban Chheo (a kind of pancake) we will organize eating them too. We will not do it if they say they would eat stone […] we will eat Num Banhjok for national unity not for division […]

Arresting Incumbent Prime Minister Is Declaring War

It is human freedom as far as noodle is concerned. Anyone can eat just anything they may want to […] in Tokyo, I had intention to say it. They declared that they will arrest Hun Sen. What does it mean? It means they are declaring war. It is in this note that I wish to say that I would accompany this “doggy” till the end. They may come anytime. They mobilized army and people to rise up and arrest Hun Sen while Hun Sen is incumbent Prime Minister. What does such arresting mean? A coup d’etat? A war? […] they even tried to turn my son-in-law against me […] someone in another political party sent me a message asking me what if the person came in an airplane and circulating in the sky and landed, and took off, what would I think of doing […]

Would Stay Till 2035 to Deal with Con Man

Would he have a plane of his own to do so? […] would this doggy man come in a foreign plane without asking permission from Cambodia? If so, would they risk being shot down? […] if they actually landed, would the authority not get in and […] arrest the man with the court order for arrest? […] once they enter the Cambodian air space, they have to have a landing strip […] some said they would be accompanied by foreigners. That will be ok. We do not arrest foreigners. We arrest the person with court order for an arrest. I will bring that doggy person to jail. Are they coming on 19 July? I will wait for the person. If this doggy man is not going anywhere, I would stay not just by 2028 but even till 2035 […] I do not want to use such language but the person has crossed the lines several times. Recently, he accused me of killing Hok Lundy (former Police General) and his son is my son in law. He fooled the public that Hok Lundy’s son is working with Samdech Sar Kheng to take revenge to me. I challenge him to swear with death, would he dare? […] they incited Samdech Sar Kheng to launch a party coup […] in the Cambodian People’s Party, there has never had a habit of fighting for power […]

Many Working Visits Abroad

This year I have so many working visits to foreign countries. On 13 June, I will leave for Hungary where I will stay only for one night. I will leave Hungary the next day to Tajikistan for a conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA – a multi-national forum for enhancing cooperation towards promoting peace, security, and stability in Asia). After my return, I will leave again for the ASEAN Summit in Bangkok. It is also an honor for Cambodia that this year I will give a keynote address in Geneva, at the invitation of the Director General of the World Trade Organization, to share Cambodian experiences with other WTO members. I will leave Phnom Penh on 2 July and will return on 5 July. It is a message to Cambodian people in Europe – both supporters and opposition – for their information. I will be in Europe – Budapest and Geneva and the date will be on 13 June and from 2 to 5 July. They may want to get themselves ready for demonstrations […]./.

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