Mother-in-Law Still in Emergency Room
I am so happy to be able to join with all of you for the graduation and diploma presenting ceremony of the Cambodian University of Specialties […] it is my appearance in public after two weeks of closely monitoring condition of my mother-in-law’s health. As you may have already know, I had to skip my participation to the ASEAN-ROK Summit, and bilateral meeting with South Korea for that matter. Along with that, a number of local programs, I had Deputy Prime Ministers taking my place. My mother in law is still in emergency room, though she may not be in danger […]
Cambodia Won 46 Medals in SEA Games
Primarily, I think I should convey my sincere appreciation for the victories that the Cambodian athletes/sportsmen/sportswomen have scored in the 30th SEA Games event (in Manila, the Philippines). It is our first time to have won so many medals – 46 of them in gold, silver and bronze. I also checked and commented in the Facebook Page of Keo Sokpheng, one of our best footballers, who seemed to have said – “that we could not get to the goal was all my faults.” My comment was to encourage him. It is historic that Cambodia passed the semi-final, and yesterday, the final stage […] the form of our match was good. Although we did not make it to top, we lost the games with satisfaction […]
Hosting SEA Games in 2023
I am glad to see that the Hang Meas TV cooperated with the Municipality of Phnom Penh broadcast live on big screen of the SEA Games football event […] I hope that sports will become a national movement leading to achievement of good health for all. People should know at least one sport […] the next SEA Games will be in 2021 and hosted by Vietnam. We hope our sportsmen/women and athletes to have achieved more skills and ability by then. In May 2023, Cambodian will host the games. In July, we will have the elections […]
Violent Political Messages
Let me clarify that this policy of “fish eats ants in flood and ants eat fish while flood recedes” has never been my policy. “Either you or me” was a policy they announced and adhered to since 2003. Who have spread this policy of “where there is (Hun) Sen, there would not be (Sam Rain) Sy, and vice versa?” […] I may underline that it was not my political guideline. It is a guideline adhered by other politicians […] there have been violent political messages and I kept telling diplomats with whom I met that they never check on those messages. Rhona Smith, the UN rapporteur also warned on those messages. On the contrary, some diplomats placed every faults on the Royal Government for the arrest of the guerrillas.
They did not bother asking or thinking what have those people done and/or declared to do? […] take for instance the case of Keo Sokpheng. When he led the match to win over the Malaysian team, Keo Sokpheng was a hero. When the team failed to Vietnam team, they scolded him and accused him of selling his head to Vietnam because his mother was a Vietnamese. If this is going on, how could a country be in peace? That is an example in sports. Delivering such violent political message definitely leads to national division. How could they claim themselves to make no Cambodians their foes? […]
USD 50 Million to Purchase Rice; USD 100 Million for SME
I am calling on this occasion to the rice mills to purchase rice from our people as they are now in their busy harvesting time. Although the supply and demand law kicks in, I am calling on rice mills to purchase rice at a fair price from our farmers. The Royal Government has released a sum of 50 million US dollars to help purchase rice from our people […] I am calling on the Ministries of Commerce, Economy and Finance, and Agriculture, to monitor this issue as far and much as they could […] to avoid this method that some are trying to drop the price of rice […]
For this year, according to statistics collected and reported to me, we have a good harvest – about three tons per hectare […] we have opened more market accesses abroad – about 60 countries, including those in the European Union […] actually, I thought that after tax imposed on rice, we would not be able to sell in the European markets. I received a report, however, that we are selling rice in 23 out of 28 countries in the union […] I think we should subscribe to the culture of paying tax as far as rice is concerned. A few days back, I also signed a release of 100 million USD to create an SME Bank. Rice mills are also in SME […]
Modern Equipment for Calmette Hospital
As far as the Calmette Hospital is concerned, let me explain a few things to our people. The hospital has become a public enterprise since the late 1990s […] as of now the charitable donations has recorded over 72 million USD and the state has provided from its coffer another 30 million USD […] with which we are putting a new 12-floor building together and purchasing tools and equipment for both existing and new buildings […]
Let me outline for those of you asking why the hospital charge from people if the state is providing it with funding? There are four groups of people to receive treatments in the hospital. The first group would be those who have certificates proving that they are poor. They receive medical checkups and treatments free of charge. The second group to receive medical checkups and treatments free of charge is those holding equity cards. The third group to receive free-of-charge medical checkups and treatments are the ones holding cards issued by the National Social Security Fund (NSSF). The fourth group is those who pay for their checkups and treatments […]
As soon as the Calmette Hospital becomes a multi-specialty hospital, I am thinking whether I should seek medical checkups and treatment inside the country since in Calmette, they have prepared wards for VIPs […] I am sure once we equip the hospital with up-to-date tools and materials, we will soon have trained specialists. I have noticed that we are using many tools and equipment from America. I did instruct the hospitals to contact General Motor (GE), a company that produced high quality medical tools and equipment […]
7.1% Growth, 2.5% Inflation Rate
Today is 11 December. There has been a late November evaluation by the National Bank Council together with foreign experts that this year Cambodia scored 7.1% growth with the rate of inflation stayed at 2.5%. (This has proved to be effective the) Hun Sen strategy of one knot of two strings or one side was to ensure political stability, and the other was to maintain macroeconomic stability. An economic growth of 7.1% with an inflation rate below 3% is a good economic figure […] Cambodia has now become a country of tax-paying culture awareness. The country’s reforms have now given positive results. In 2019, our economy was 24 billion USD or about 1,600 USD per person.
The financial law for management of 2020 recently adopted by the National Assembly and the Senate increased the economy to a size nearly 30 billion USD or over 1,800 USD/person […] we now have a surplus in cash of 3.5 billion USD. That does not include the foreign reserves of 15 billion USD and 30 tons of gold […] we have reserved cash in hands for eventual cases like flooding or drought, etc. As the flood threat is over, we start diversion of the reserved fund to institutions that may need additional funding […] this is achieved because of what we call financial management style of one Commander-in-Chief or the Prime Minister, and one Chief of General Staff, or the Minister of Economy and Finance […]
Events to Anticipate on 12 December
Some said that we are in desperate situation. I do not know what has caused them to say let wait and see what would happen on 12 December. Let me send them a message that there is nothing abnormal in Cambodia from this time onward […] On 12 December Hun Sen will follow the elections in the UK. What course of action the UK is to take will definitely a matter of not only the UK or Europe, but also Cambodia. The UK already vowed to maintain its trade policy with every country should there be a Brexit […]
We are studying what would be the impacts from Brexit to Europe as a whole and each individual member […] in addition to this, the US House of Representatives as of yesterday began process of impeachment. We are keeping our eyes and ears on that too […] we are also following issues in the region, where Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar is in defense of her nation on the alleged genocide case against Rohinya. We also are keeping abreast with the so- called “present” that North Korea promised to offer to the world.
Law of a Country/Group of Countries Must Not Oblige Another
I have said and made clear already that we are not trading national sovereignty for assistance or favor from anyone. We would do whatever we could. We will not do whatever we cannot. Some have said that democracy is about abiding by the law. I agree. However, I affirmed that the law to abide by must be of universality. No one country or group of country should oblige its/their laws on others. Laws to abide by must originate from the Charter of the United Nations. If we talked about trade, we must base on rules of the World Trade Organization […]
Peace First, Then Democracy and Hum Rights Respect
Some said human rights are more important that peace […] since yesterday was the Human Rights Day, some have discussed the issues and reiterated the Royal Government’s position to stress on keeping peace. We will continue with that. In countries, for instance, like Afghanistan, were there respect of human rights? In Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen, etc. were there or have they found human rights? […] for us, stemming from right to life, we are putting democracy at work. We also accept that human rights and democracy are two elements that support peace […] (however,) peace has to come first, then democracy and human rights.
We do not underestimate importance of respect of human rights. However, would they want that much right to overrule the government? […] as for freedom of press, I think it is amazing […] there was a case that a journalist was arrested not about freedom of press. He stood trial about the case that he let his wife to have sex with a foreigner and he himself made a VDO. There are two clips […] was the trial infringing upon freedom of press? […] should there be diplomats commenting about the trial, we may need to show them the VDO clips […] one of the women wrote me a letter of apology […]
Do What We Can; Explain What Lacks Understanding; Cannot Do Anything against Cambodia’s Law
They have been making a fuss about Hun Sen in shock. They even said Hun Sen has been hiding his mother-in-law’s death to win pity from foreign countries not to withdraw favor. I think I have said already on that matter. It is absolutely their rights to do whatever would please them. We have no words or choices in that. In Brussels, I have made my position clear to everyone that we would do what we could. We would explain what we do not understand each other. However, anything with regard to the Cambodian laws, we cannot and will not do it. Whether they would or would not like to understand is up to them.
They should just know that impacts from their actions would not be for Cambodia alone to bear. They themselves would too. For instance, people in Europe who consume rice would have to pay higher price because they taxed rice imported from Cambodia […] what you have done to help us would be meaningless. Your words to us would not be as influential […] the court is processing the case and they would go all the way to trying. It is a court procedure. They should also be aware of Cambodia’s membership to ASEAN and its partnership with Europe. Cambodia will host the Asia Europe Meeting in 2020 […] they should have a good look on the forest as a whole, and not a single tree […]
A Game of Golf in America
Let me send a message to those who waited for Hun Sen’s demise […] praying for other people’s death is a politics at its low value. They have been waiting for Hun Sen’s death at the hands (of foreign circles) around his neck. Without reading the content of the letter that President Donald Trump sent to me, they made it their war of words that Donald Trump strangles Hun Sen’s neck. Cambodia was in fact the first to support the ASEAN-US Summit in the America. Whether they like it or not, should I go to the US this time, I would have a game of golf […] if President Trump could make his time, we could have a golf together. From ASEAN, only two of us – HE Thingloun Sisoulith and me who would be playing golf. (Prime Minister) Shinzo Abe (of Japan) played with Donald Trump in the past and he told me Trump plays very well […] that I am going to play golf with him, how would Trump strangle my neck. It is a foolish talk […]./.
