Cambodia’s Social and Cultural Event at WTO Headquarters
I am so happy today to see you all once again after we met in October last year. It has not even been one year yet […] however, because of certain jobs that I had to come to Geneva and I am sure my presence in Switzerland has made Cambodia proud. As you know, yesterday in the WTO headquarters, after delivering my speech, Cambodia hosted a social and cultural event in which we catered participants with the Khmer dishes. It was a great opportunity for us to enlighten Cambodia’s situation to those dignitaries the framework of the UNHRC […]
With Them Opposition – Patriotic
I thank everyone for making their time to come all this way from France and within Switzerland to see me and be together as a Cambodian family. This has revealed, through legal representatives of the country, your minds and hearts about your homeland. How unfortunate it was that some have commented in Facebook that you have been hired at a price between 200 USD and 2,000 USD to make your presences here. It is a grotesque insult on our people for their efforts to make long distant journeys by air and cars for this purpose. That they can insult Cambodian people this much, I would not have imagined. I have involved myself in politics since I was 18 years of age but I never hold thoughts of insulting on my own nation. There had been some people walking out of CPP. I never consider them selling out their ideals. I always judged that first of all it was their freedom to choose which Party they wanted to join […] and second of all it could be because the Party could not give them what they wanted or even made some mistakes on them […] it is beyond ability to think that some political parties leaders always consider the ones to have left them “traitors” and to judge them as tradable goods […]
Demonstration on 5 July? … He Is Home Already
Let me say one thing before they twist and turn things […] why did they request to hold a demonstration on 5 July? I must make this case clear or they would go about twisting it around […] why did they ask for a rally on 5 July? It is definitely a demonstration against Hun Sen and they would say Hun Sen ran out of Switzerland because of their demonstrations. I must bring this issue up. I have said earlier before my trip to Switzerland that I will be present in Switzerland from 2 to 5 July. Why did they not hold the rally against me any days on 2, 3 or 4 July? Why on 5 July – that day that I already return home? […] they should have accepted their failures in rallying people for such demonstration […] according to information I have here they have filed for demonstration to the Swiss police a few hours before. As far as I know, such request would be answered after 48 hours. That means they cannot hold a rally tomorrow. They will have a demonstration the day after tomorrow. Hun Sen would be in Phnom Penh already on Saturday. He would go for golf on Sunday […]
Youth Abroad Provide Financial Help to Building Collapse Victims
In the introduction report, I listened to the condolence message and financial contribution to help our compatriots who are the victims of the collapsed building in the province of Preah Sihanouk. Let me inform our people in the country that the Cambodian youth abroad – in the US, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Holland, UK, Germany, Czech, Hungary, Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, and Canada – have contributed a total sum 177,069 USD. It is a spirit of sharing difficulties with the families of the victims […] it is a sad incident. It already happened. However, one proud thing of what happened was the solidarity that our compatriots had shown that on my Facebook page I have said it twice – A friend in need is a friend in deed […]
Peace and Macroeconomic Stability Essential
Let me now go into some issues inside the country. Related to what I have said in Belgium last October, I intended this discourse to carry on what we have been doing in the country. I must say that we are carrying forward the strategy of two ends of one knot for the country. It has been a strategy to resolve every problem. What is it? The first end of the string to the knot is maintaining peace and the second one is keeping macroeconomic stability. They are necessary in every stages because they are interrelated.
Khmer Noodle to WTO Headquarters
Since our meeting in October last year, we have encountered problems of power shortages but the country has been in full peace. There have not been any terrorist threats or act of terrors in the country. That would also include what we call the Num Banjok (Khmer Noodle) day on 9 June. Yesterday, we have brought Num Banjok to the WTO Headquarters. We prevented some from using Num Banjok to create political problem […] on this particular issue, we got the thorn out (from the flesh) and broke it. Num Banjok belongs to every Cambodia. We do not allow anyone to get Khmer divided because of Num Banjok […]
2018 Economic Growth at 7.5%
In General, situation in the country has been favorable to attract more tourist arrivals. We also see that it is important to ensure macroeconomic stability to guarantee that salary increment for our civil servants, the armed forces, and workers would be of real value. We have prevented inflation and ensured purchasing power […] our economy has been performing well. At end of 2018, we noted that our economic growth scored 7.5% compared to our goal to achieve only 7.1%. It is a big achievement given the ongoing trade war by which some economies suffered […]
Two Power Generators of 400 MW Purchased
Based on this year experience that there had been shortage of water in reservoirs leading to losing over 1,000 MW in dry-season hydropower generation, and to avoid repeating such shortfall, we have decided to purchase two generators – each with a 200 MW output, or 400 MW from both – one from Germany and another from Finland. They will stand by in Phnom Penh. They will provide additional source of power when there would be shortage of power from other sources […]
More Energy Investments from Clean Coal, Gas, Solar, and Wind
Lack of energy has become a big topic and we have the belief that we are able to resolve the matter. We have bought some electricity from Vietnam […] Laos and Thailand this year […] as we are now in the rainy season, we purchased only between 80 to 100 MW from Vietnam. We must look for more energy investments fueled by clean coal, gas, solar, and wind […]
Switzerland Proposed Four Projects in Health, Power, IT and Education
I met with a Swiss company this morning. They have presented me four projects and I welcome them. The first one is about establishing a hospital. I think every day our people spend so much on their health in Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, etc. With a good hospital, our citizens can choose to have their health looked after in the country. Tourists and investors would like to visit or do something in the country too. Secondly, they are interested in electric power generation. I welcome their study. Cambodia would need more power but also transmission lines […] thirdly, they are talking about e-government. I told them I am longing to even e-people, the quicker the better. Fourthly, this project relating to education. I have invited the company to go see by themselves either they do it with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training or anyone of the over 100 post graduate education foundations […]
Finland Interested in Waste Recycling
Meeting with the Finnish Minister of Cooperation, he presented to me waste recycling technology and skills of Finland. If any Finnish company decided to go, it would be great. I told him about waste crisis in the Philippines and Malaysia. We in Cambodia also have this problem that some has hidden waste as goods in the manifest. We are forcing them to send them out […]
With EBA or Without EBA, We Must Work Harder
I followed this interview given by Cecilia Malstrom on signing a free trade agreement with Vietnam while giving a warning on Cambodia, Myanmar and Bangladesh […] let me affirm that with or without EBA we must work harder. My concern is not about losing or not losing EBA favor but whether our civil servants and officials working behaviors […] what is EBA? It is a favor system for countries not yet developed. It will not be forever. It is to go at a certain point. It will not be here anymore when our economy is growing to a certain level. In ASEAN, only three countries receive EBA favor – Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. Other ASEAN countries with better economies such as Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, etc. never have it. Some countries in Africa, for some reason, they do not even accept it […]
Multiple Trade Partners
Take for instance tax on rice. Our rice continues to come. That means we have been able to pay tax. We are thinking about reducing production cost in order for companies to export and pay tax. However, should they withdraw such favor, they should know that firstly, achievements scored together in the past are no longer valid, and secondly, they would contribute to make life harder for the opposition inside the country. They no longer have reason or rights to talk with me anymore […] Cambodia is doing business not only with Europe. We are doing it with many partners […] I will leave dialogue open […]
Arrest Those on Court Orders
I heard they say something about six parliamentarians to accompany them to come back to Cambodia. Let me clarify this. As a Cambodian citizen, it is his/her right to go wherever s/he may like to. Nobody prohibits her/him. Hun Sen is not the one to determine if you can or cannot come. However, those with arrest warrants must be brought to jail. That is clear […] as for foreigners, to enter Cambodia, they have to file for visas. If their requests are denied and they dare to come, they may try it. A member of parliament of Thailand entered Cambodian territory (without a visa). (The) Cambodia (court) tried him. If they have visas, they go to hotels. I will only send those with warrants to prison […]
Worry About Own Issues, Not CPP
In Venezuela, there has been admittance that they have trusted too much in the army to bring Maduro down. In Cambodia, they have trusted that Samdech Sar Kheng will bring Hun Sen down […] if a vice President of the Party and a Deputy Prime Minister brought down incumbent Prime Minister, what would that be? It would be a coup […] let me advise you to improve solidarity among you and if you cannot get the rally going, you should not stay in politics anymore […] you do not need to help us fix CPP internal issues […]
Chinese Military Presence and Investors – Geopolitical Issue
There have been many forms of (false) concerns and incitements created about Chinese military and investors. First of all, I must affirm that some people have talked again and again about (the China) debt trap. We must ask a question if there is any country in Europe that goes without debt […] Cambodia has just reached 21% of the allowed debt ratio of 40% of GDP. China has initiated a one belt one road project […] we do not want to trapped in debt. China also does not want that to happen. That is a normal process in conducting business and development […] Cambodia has been strict on what and how to borrow. We would allow only low-interest concessional loans. We do not allow loans of any commercial interests. We borrowed from Japan, South Korea, Asian Development Bank. World Bank, European Bank, and French Bank, and others. Why there only this concern about China?
Cambodia Has No Need for Foreign Military in Its Territory
On the Chinese military issue, they have said it again and again about Ream and Darasakor resort could one day be bases for the Chinese navy. Let us think why do we need foreign troops in Cambodia? Who is going to attack us? As for China, why should China come down to Cambodia since Cambodia and China are in close distance from one another? To Hainan, we need only a little over one hour. Why should he like to be in Cambodia to attract more problem? […] in the history, if we study about China, they never send troops out of their borders […] Cambodia itself has also bound in its Constitution to allow no foreign military bases in its territory or its military abroad, except those peace keeping operations under the UN flag […]
Joint Border Military Exercise with Thailand, Vietnam
I think I will raise this idea to have a joint military exercise with Thailand and Vietnam along the border. My point is to combat jointly when there comes disasters across the border. Take for instance, there was once a flood in Mondulkiri province and because of inaccessibility from the Cambodian side, we had requested help from Vietnam to recue our people. Forest fire is also a menace knowing of no boundary […] after such exercise, they go to their countries, we stay in our land […]
Japan, South Korea, China – Help with Infrastructures
There have been three countries helping us on infrastructures. First of all – Japan. China and South Korea came after. Japan built us the bridges of Kizuna in Kompong Cham and Tsubasa at Neak Loeung. Japan also built us the national road 1 and is working on national road 5. South Korea has helped us built the national road 48 from the national road 4 to Koh Kong. They also built us the national road 22 and 3. They are working on national road 2 two. If there were no Chinese help, would we be able to have another bridge over the Tonle Sap River at Jroy Jangva? The bridges at Prek Kadam, Prek Tamak? The Koh Thom bridge over the Bassac River? The bridges over the Sekong River and over the Mekong river in Stoeng Treng? We are going to have a new bridge soon at Kompong Cham’s Stoeng Trang. We have more than 2,000 km asphalted road. Where do we get the money from if not China? Who would help us? […] we will soon launch the construction of a new road from Battambang’s Samlot-Tasanh to Pursat’s Thmo Da and on to Koh Kong […]
If China Does not do What It Did, Who Would Fill In the Gap?
Former battlefields are turning into market and development places, and borders areas have been in friendship, peace, and cooperation after we put into successful practice the win-win policy leading to peace throughout the country […] trade volume between Cambodia and Thailand has reached over six billion USD. Trade volume with Vietnam has recorded nearly five billion USD. How do we achieve all this? It was because of connectivity infrastructures that China has helped. In five years, the World Bank is prepared to offer us one billion USD and the Asian Development Bank – 600 million USD. Japan, China, the European Bank, France, and the UK – all have their parts to contribute. We could draw one simple fact about China’s role.
If China does not do its part so far, who would fill in the gap? […] we would continue to have ferries along the rivers […] without road infrastructures, how could we make our rural economy vividly interactive for growth? How do people get their produces to markets? We may not talk about China debt trap here but China assistance […] we do not attract only investors from China. In fact, China came later than other countries. It was until its economy rises strongly that China came with big investments in Cambodia […] if other countries are concerned about China’s presence (in Cambodia) they should increase their investments too […] land in Cambodia has got higher value because the Chinese investments. Some countries have what they call China Town. In Cambodia, we do not have China Town. We have only China building […]
Just Arrest Him Wherever He Turns Up
Well, when I already left (Switzerland) they may not say they organize demonstration to chase Hun Sen out (of Switzerland) or to say that Hun Sen was afraid of the demonstration had left. I have my flight scheduled to follow or we will have to request for a new flying schedule. Usually, if anyone country along the flying path has not responded we cannot leave Geneva. We are to fly in other countries’ airspace. Some people asked me about what if that person (convicted by court and declaring he would soon come to Cambodia) to fly over Cambodia’s airspace but did not land, what are you going to do. I said that would be the job of the Cambodian air forces […] what if s/he did come but do not step out of the plane. Just open the door and arrest, I said. It is easy. That is a legal matter. Some said how about he leads Cambodian laborers from Thailand in. Well, there are official and unofficial entrances. Unofficial entrances have not been mine cleared […] whether by air or by land, just cuff him wherever s/he would be […]./.
