Previous Generation Lost Chance for Education
I am so happy to join BBU’s ceremony to present diplomas for 4,038 graduates – another achievement for our nation and society […] I could remind how difficult it was for youth of the previous (regimes to seek for chance for education). They lost chance completely or almost completely because of war and/or the regime of genocide. With the genocidal regime gone, we called on those who had their education and survived the killing to help each other to get the country moving. We started with what they called “those who know much teach those who know little, and those who know little teach those who do not know” in a situation where peace and war existed together. Peace prevailed in many parts of the country and war scattered in sporadic locations and at a few times […] against all odds, we were able to restart school year in 1979-1980 and it has been 40 years now that we came across such difficulties […]
No Health Screening for Exams Taking Candidates
As of now, I am seeking understanding from youth who would like to get jobs in the government and they do not have every required qualifications. The state and/or private sector have required people who would like to have a job to sit for exam in addition to their age requirement. In certain field they have even required candidates to have certain height too […] so far I disagreed with the Ministry of Health’s proposal to have health screening on candidates who wish to take exams to get a government job. I rejected the proposal on this public health requirement in fear of exam taking candidates were contaminated with any kind of contagious diseases […] what is more fearful to us is not that but the sickness of corruption […] as of now, those staff in state institutions who have not got their tertiary education remains less in number and they are in preparation for retirement […] in 1980s there could be some recruited without strict educational level requirement […] as of present, Samdech Krola Haom Sar Kheng made a report to me that municipal and provincial level administrators have 100% completed their tertiary and post-graduate education […]
No Taxation of Agricultural Land, Readjusting Tax Ceiling on Minimum Salary
On this forthcoming 25 October, the Cabinet will sit to study the draft law on financial management. I must have your attention on two things. As long as I am or the Cambodian People’s Party is in power, […] firstly, no tax imposed on agricultural land. Since 1979, since when the country observed collective land (for cultivation) to the time when we distributed land to people, the government imposes no tax on our people. We will continue to allow that. We have done this forty years already. However, we charge tax on land sold in the city […] secondly, we have been readjusting ceiling of tax on salary. Initially, civil servant earning 500,000 Riel (about 125 USD) would have to pay income tax. We move the ceiling to 800,000 Riel to help people with minimum level of income […] when minimum salary level reaches one million per month, we move the ceiling to 1.2 million Riel. Literally speaking, soldiers, police and primary level teachers and/or nurse with low salary would be paying no taxes on their incomes […] we will discuss this in the Cabinet meeting. I just wanted to share with you that monthly salary will continue to go up […] aimed at improving living condition of teachers, medical staff, civil servants, and the armed forces. Some have boasted should they get power, they would pay ten times higher. Where would he take the money from? No country or financial institutions in this world give loans for salary […]
Purchasing More L39 Reconnaissance Aircrafts for Czech
Relating to my visits to countries in Europe, some have said that I am gathering supports from (countries in Eastern Europe) to help prevent (removal of) EBA. No matter what they would say, between countries, there are numerous cooperation to do – in military, security, education, culture, tourism, and most importantly in economic cooperation. We are in preparation to purchase reconnaissance aircrafts from Czech. We already bought six L39 (Aero L-39 Albatros) aircrafts and there is now a new model. We need them not to fly into any other countries’ airspace. We may need them for our efforts to check on and intervene in forest fire and/or flood situation that land access would be difficult. We can also use them to provide training for pilots. Why would there be Eastern and Western Europe since they are in European Community altogether […] next year, European leaders will come to Cambodia as we will be hosting Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) […] we will need to purchase 455 cars to serve in the event […]
Left or Right I Would Go, It Would Serve/Protect National Interests
Western countries like Germany and France told us they are working and doing business with us. The European institutions and European Banks are working and doing business with us. We do not have bad relations with any one country or with Europe. Tomorrow I will receive three Ambassadors – Japan, Germany and the US […] they are working with a state that represent the Cambodian nation. Next week, I will deliver my speech in equal right and footing in the ASEAN Summit. ASEAN is working in consensus mode, please do not forget that […] today, I am taking my posture as a trap. Trap does not speak (or make sound). However, the trap never forget egret. Egret only forgets the trap. Egrets fly wherever they wish to. Those working with/for me, they are concerned when I am not talking […] they knew right away that when I am not talking, things go unpredictable. They would not know which direction – right or left that I am going. No matter what direction it may be, I will ensure it serves national interest […]
Paris Peace Agreement Does Not Require Trial of the Khmer Rouge Leaders
Tomorrow will be the 23 October Paris Peace Agreement anniversary and I do not wish to talk about it. I would leave it to many who claimed themselves analysts to brag about […] UNTAC (United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia) finished up its mission when the Constitutional Assembly became National Assembly and the establishment of the Government […] Head of UNTAC – Yasushi Akashi and his Commander Jon Sanderson left Cambodia on the night of 24 (October) while we were having banquet in the Royal Palace. The agreement requires for us to keep UN rapporteur, whom we observed and continue […] if they are seeking to reapply the Paris Peace Agreement, we may have to set Khieu Samphan free. The Agreement does not require us to try the Khmer Rouge leaders […] nothing was said about dissolving the Khmer Rouge politically or militarily, make no mistake about it […] the Agreement does not require Cambodia to have HM the King or Head of State. Cambodia has the Supreme National Council (SNC) albeit HM the King would be only head of the Supreme National Council […]
Head of SNC to Hold Decision Making Authority
In Pattaya (Thailand), there were disagreements on two points […] firstly, right to give final decision stipulated in the Agreement. The draft agreement stipulated that SNC must base its decision making on principle of consensus. In case of no consensus reached, Head of UNTAC will do so. The State of Cambodia proposed an amendment to offer decision making authority to Head of SNC or HM the King Father. At the UNSC, HM the King Father wrote a letter to UN Secretary General HE Pérez de Cuéllar (that) on topic relating to decision making right of SNC would depend on HE Hun Sen […] having breakfast with me, (Michael) Costello, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Australia said to me that the US (represented by Richard H) Solomon would like to know if I have full authority in my power to conduct negotiation. I told him whatever I decided was applicable […]
Proportional Electoral System Proposed by the State of Cambodia
According to the Paris Peace Agreement, the electoral process would be national proportional system. The State of Cambodia was aiming for first-past-the-post electoral system. We did not have agreement on that. While back in the country, we had a thorough discussion. Our goal was to eliminate the political and military organizations of the Khmer Rouge to stop forever threat of its return […] the national proportional system would lead to the Khmer Rouge having voice in the National Assembly. We decided to opt for provincial proportional system to slash their voices to prevent them from adding up their vote altogether. In this remark, you may see that the provincial proportional electoral system proposed by the State of Cambodia, while SNC and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – then there were not yet UNAMIC or UNTAC – agreed to it. We are still using it today […] let me remind them that no one has the power and authority to interpret laws […] only the Constitutional Council does […]
Ambok for National, Religion and King
Though the water level of the Mekong River in Phnom Penh has lowered, we are going to celebrate our water festival that include boats racing event. I already declared that we will make 9 November – which is our National Independence Day and the Establishment of the Army – our Ambok (crushed newly harvested rice) eating day to keep our tradition, to take care of our nation, religion, and King. We must prepare well […] beside this eating Ambok would help us to appreciate Cambodian agriculture and its produces […] I am calling on provinces that possess racing boats […] to find ways to help pagodas and community bring their boats to the event […] we must do a good job preparing for this water festival activities […]
CINTRI Cannot Do Waste Collecting Alone, Underground Parking Space
The Capital of Phnom Penh will host many people from provinces, while some city dwellers would go to provinces. It is a once in a year event. I urge the Phnom Penh mayor, HE Khuong Sreng, to look into issue of wastes and there will be help from about 1,000 youth from the Ministry of Environment, the UYFC, etc. after the three days event […] CINTRI (waste collection company) alone would not be able to do the job […] CINTRI entered agreement with the Municipality of Phnom Penh at the time when waste was somewhere 300 to 500 tons per day. As the city has grown in size and population, the waste has gone up to over 3,000 tons a day […] we should divide the city into four zones and there must be at least four companies to bid for the job […] one company will be allowed to do only in one sector […]
As far as traffic congestion is concerned, I have agreed to request for private sector to build underground parking lots, even under parks in the city, except anywhere near the Royal Palace […] it should help relieve parking that takes away driving space from roads […] on trash, I am calling our people, beside waste/trash collecting, to exercise civilian discipline […] perhaps we may opt to the Singaporean way of caning and forcing to clean up street (for disposing trash) […] the Cambodian people, most important of all, must voluntarily defend and keep their city clean. It started from everyone leaving no trash but placing them in trash bin […] I would delegate the matter to Deputy Prime Minister Aun Pornmoniroth to lead the meeting about CINTRI ending phase […]
Waste-to-Energy from Local Garbage/Trash
We will continue to study this process of waste-to-energy electricity on condition that no trash/wastes imported from abroad. It may be more expensive to implement this project but the state will figure out how to provide help […] the other day the Supreme Council for Consultation requested to call CINTRI to question about its work. I told them it is not in their capacity to do so. They can only do that to the state institutions […] people may say why Hun Sen talks about waste and not the Paris Peace Agreement today? […] I said already the trap will never forget the egrets. It is not necessary because the armed forces have already taken commands and they do not have to ask what or how to do it […]./.
