Remarkable Efforts for Training and Retraining of Police Officials
[…] I have high appreciation for the efforts made by leaders and officials of the Royal Police Academy (RPA) for making so much effort to achieve progress. I have a great appreciation for Samdech Krola Haom Sar Kheng as well as leaders of the Ministry of Interior for their contributions and efforts in retraining and training police and recruits from 2002 to the present here in other six regional schools. I have no doubt to see that day in and day out our police has kept abreast with country, regional and world developments […]
Lately, Samdech Krola Haom just conducted a visit to Turkey, where the Ministries of Interior of the two countries signed an agreement that reflects commitments for partnership between the two and possible cooperation with other countries in the region, and beyond. Turkey is not a country in Europe but a member of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The visit of Samdech Krola Haom came after my official visit to Turkey and there will be another visit by Minister of National Defense Samdech Pichey Sena Tia Banh. In our meeting lately in Tajikistan, President of Turkey reaffirmed the need for cooperation with Cambodia. I am bringing this issue up for you to see what progress we have made and the need to upgrade capacity of our police and every sectors related to become capable partners with countries in and outside the region.
Updating Curriculum/Training Modules for RPA
It has not been easy to have reached this far. It is within our reach though. I am proud that we have come up with a mechanism finally after our start from scratch […] according to the report by Gen. Seng Phally listing the various expertise – public order, security, border related matters, immigration, identification, leadership, and control and command, prison, IT and foreign language – I would suggest screening for more subjects to update the RPA curriculum. We must take note of traditional and non-traditional security paradigms that are becoming a reality. We must find a way to catch up with them. For instance on issue of terrorism, it has been real and threatening the world […] this has been challenges concerning espionages and anti-terrorism […] it is in this understanding that we must see to how do we go about updating our curriculum and/or training modules.
Safe Village-Commune – Centre of Security Upkeep
The government of the State of Cambodia and then the current Royal Government have always made peace, political stability, security and social order foundations for national development. There would not be development if ones could not political stability, security and social order. It is in this requirement that Samdech Krola Haom, with support of the Royal Government, lays out a “safe village-commune” policy and it will stay as the goal of our actions. It is the core of actions to achieve internal security […]
Interior and Police – Operators of Peace, Political Stability, Security, Social Order
I continue to remind everyone that peace, political stability, security and social order are our primary objectives and foundations for national development […] as far as reforms are concerned, we have done so many of them. The Ministry of Interior has conducted two major reforms – administrative and armed forces, which is parts and parcels to the whole package of reforms. While reform must go on, Interior has more works to cover – drug busting, trafficking of women and under aged, etc.
Interior and National Security Separated under UNTAC
In the times of the People’s Republic of Kampuchea and the State of Cambodia, the Ministry of Interior had done more of a police job than territorial administration […] because provincial governors and councils appointed not by the Ministry of Interior but by what we called the (Party’s) Central Organizing Committee. It was until 1992, when the Paris Peace Agreement required UNTAC (United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia) to control five institutions – Interior, Defense, Information, Justice, and Finance. There was then a need to set up the Ministry of Security led by (the late) H.E Sin Song. Samdech Krola Haom had to take up interior.
Interior and National Security Rejoined – 1998
After the elections, I could remember on 18 June 1993, Samdech Krom Preah Norodom Ranaridh and I had a discussion on how to organize a provisional royal government. We declare an end to the existing administration – State of Cambodia, before the date determined by the Paris Peace Agreement. That had opened up for national reconciliation and writing of Constitution […] a royal government with two Prime Ministers came into being at which time the Ministry of Interior and National Security rejoined. Samdech Krom Preah and I had then become co-ministers of Interior and National Defense […]
Proposed Re-separation of Interior and National Security Denied
After the general election in 1998, in which the Cambodian People’s Party won, some had come to me with a proposal to re-separate national security from the Ministry of Interior […] I disagreed […] how could the Ministry of Interior fulfil its job without security tools in its hand. I have taken a firm stand to maintain a unified internal security operation leadership that include reforms of administration, especially those of sub-national level […] we will keep going […] I think what we have today is relatively operative […] whoever takes over later should keep police together with Interior. It has proved to be a successful experience […] do not separate the two. That is the best option judging from our experience of state management so far […]
Inviting Lecturers from Relevant Institutions
We have divided the General Commissariat of National Police into three general departments – logistics and finance, immigration, and identification. I think that has been a brilliant achievement and those departments are quite sufficient for the operation. However, there is this heavy workload in the department of administration too, though it may not be concerning per se security issue […] therefore there is a need for human resource development […] I think it would be contributive to have inputs from other expertise for the training of our police here. RPA should consider inviting lecturers or professors from related ministries, even the Constitutional Council […]
August 1952 – Real Birthdate
(Since General Seng Phally wished me on my birthday let me tell you that) my true birthday is in August 1952. However, there was a confusion and miswriting of my birthdate to April 1951 when I received my appointment on 8 January 1979, when I was not even 27 years old yet. Whether there is or there is no need to change that would be up to the registration officials. However, if we were to make it right, we have had to go through a long process. I think it is better to leave it the way it is […] I have a great pleasure to be able help with the construction of more lodgment building for RPA […]
Getting Ready for ASEM in 2020, ASEAN Summit in 2022 and SEA Games in 2023
In 2020, Cambodia will host the Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) and it will be a responsibility of our national police to keep public order to ensure a smooth conduction of event. I have seen request for purchase of materials needed […] we also will host the ASEAN Summit (and related summits) in 2022, followed by hosting SEA Games in 2023. Certain materials purchased would be of use value for the three events, I reckon. I have forwarded it to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Aun Pornmoniroth for his appraisal and recommendations […] by the way, as I promised, building a five-floor school building for RPA I do not mean we will use the state budget. I will mobilize fund for that purpose […]
No Shelters to Terrorism, Trafficking of Drug, Weapons, Money Laundering
National security matter is not simple, especially in the world context of complex spread of terrorism and crimes – both traditional and non-traditional. Cambodia had intercepted drug eluded through many airports from North America […] that has proved capability of our police officials […] were there instability, no construction efforts would be possible. Tourists would also be alarmed […] ISIS has infiltrated in the region […] and they may not be in one place […] keep up our vigilance and ensure that our country will not become a shelter or hideout of terrorists. Though our country is not the target of terrorism, we must make sure that will not happen. We must not allow money laundering in our country.
Normally, trafficking of drug, weapons, money laundering are all in one file. We must take countering measures to these threats to keep security for the country. We must cooperate with related partners to accomplish this. As a developing country, it is not avoidable that Cambodia would face with this or that issue. That is a normal process. We must not ignore this normality. We must work hard to eliminate it or we would not be able to ensure our march forward and people would face with fear.
Cambodia’s Economic Growth Stood First in ASEAN
It is also true that some countries would accept and some would find it difficult to accept the reality of Cambodia/s progress. Whatever they may be, the most important thing here is that we must make efforts to stand up by ourselves to overcome facing obstacles. We must join efforts to ensure better and effective works. It is with effectiveness and efficiency that we will bring our country to socio-economic progress. We must make efforts to upkeep economic growth. Recently, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) placed Cambodia’s economic growth at 7%, highest in ASEAN, followed by Vietnam, whose growth is below 7%. We would not be able to score this growth, should we be bad in governance. I just wish to have your attention that good governance here is not relating per se only to Economy and Finance, but every sectors involved […]./.
