Human Resource Reordered to First among Four Priorities
As I am taking this opportune moment to congratulate progress that we made concerning education that the Royal Government has placed as the first priority in the past two terms. In the fifth term from 2013 through to 2018, we have reordered the four priorities “water/irrigation, roads, electricity, and human resource” to “human resource, water/irrigation, roads and electricity.” This means we are attaching budget as close as possible to policies that we prioritized […]. Days ago, at the groundbreaking ceremony to rebuild national road 2 and 22, I also brought this issue of four priorities that I declared since 1987, even before my endeavor for political settlement negotiation with Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk at Fere-en-Tardenois […]
(The declaration to focus on four areas of priority) was in August 1987 or 33 years ago […] as time passed, we have now the need to reorder the four priorities to focus primarily on human resource as number 1. In order to have good people, it is important to have good teachers. To have a good bowl, we need a good mold for it. It is in this consideration that we are focusing on teachers’ training […]
In Need of More Teachers’ and Students’ Hostels
I had conducted a 5,000 km journey on land to provinces to find out and assess results of the two policies I issued after Cambodia realized peace through its win-win policy – firstly, to transform former battlefields into market and development areas; and secondly, to transform borderline areas with neighboring countries as one of peace, friendship, cooperation and development. My journey in 2016 covered a number of former battlefields in Preah Vihear, Uddar Meanjei through Anlong Veng – formerly the stronghold of the Khmer Rouge, Mealai, Pailin, Komrieng, Phnom Proeuk – former fighting areas.
As the journey took me, I met and talked with many teachers at a number of schools and I had discovered that there was a need for more hostels for teachers and/or students. I ordered for constructions of some to resolve demand for places for teachers to stay. It was not enough though. We continue to provide teachers with supplementary cash for lodgments […] we have though drifted away now from the stage where “those who know more teach those who do not know” […]
The French Decided about French Language in Cambodia
HE Hang Chuon Naron brought up this matter about French language and I should remind this topic a bit. I also had the attention of the Secretary General of Francophone and a number of delegations […] as to why French language was losing its momentum in Cambodia. We still see that medicine and law still use French language […] it was not Cambodia’s mistake but it was a tendency at that time that French politicians did not pay attention on it. In 1982, as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, I traveled to France and attended a dinner organized by political parties in France. It was under Valery Giscard d’Estaing.
I reminded France to reopen Alliance Francaise in Cambodia […] a member of French parliament from RPR then said “France does not recognize your government so France would not reopen Alliance Francaise in Cambodia.” I said to him – for the first reason, you may have to note that Cambodia has its own language unlike in some countries, where they use French as their vehicle language […] and for the second reason, we had sent our students to many countries – the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries. Besides, inside the country, many people studied English […] “the people who spoke French died and no new ones study it” […]
China Declared Successful Treatment of Covid-19 Patients with Malaria Drugs
Yesterday, news from China has it that they could use drugs for combating malaria to treat patients of Covid-19 […] it was true, and the treatment was successful, I thought situation would go to normalcy in a short time to come. We are happy with this news. While expressing condolences over the death of many with their families in China and other countries, we are congratulating such successful efforts of the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in finding curable treatment to Covid-19-related pneumonia.
We are thankful to the government of PRC for care they have provided to our people living there, including the 23 of them in Wuhan. They are in good health. It was unimaginable that some bad persons spread a deceitful news that one of the students in Wuhan died. They are in good health. I could not help myself asking them what they would get in return from such fake news they got out there. They even lied to people that I fell ill because of Covid-19 infection […]
Refusing Westerdam Would Cause God Knows What to People aboard the Ship
As of this moment, about 500 passengers (of the MS Westerdam cruise ship) are in Phnom Penh. According to information I have here, a 777 Boeing plane would fly some 300 of them from Phnom Penh to Dubai. Another plane would take some from Phnom Penh to Japan. From Preah Sihanouk, a plane would take them to another country in the region. That it has taken so much time was not because any diseases or lack of attention from home governments but the air ticketing procedures. I continue to ask this question, if Cambodia were to refuse entry and docking, what could have happened to the ship and over 2,000 passengers on board. It could have created a humanitarian crisis because the denial would cause a lot of problem to the ship that is running out of food […]
No Cambodian or Tourist off the Ship Is Sick
I did not know how many nationalities were on board but finally we have this record telling there are people from 41 nationalities. If we were to leave them aboard the ship, what would they do if they were to be sick, or go hungry, or even to die? It would be an unfortunate thing to do. The majority of Cambodians supported this humanitarian decision and actions, along with our partners and friends abroad, and international organizations. A small number of people blamed us of bringing disease into the country. Let me ask if anyone Cambodian infected by this disease?
Secondly, has anyone tourist allowed getting off the ship and stay in Cambodia got sick yet? None. We are taking high responsibility before (the Cambodian) people’s wellbeing as well as those of tourists that we allowed to land. We (have cooperated with the) Institute of Pasteur, with World Health Organization (WHO) is here with us, to conduct seriously medical test of their health. As for what happened in Malaysia […] I think the WHO and the ship owner, as well as the Ministry of Health (of Cambodia) must find out with Malaysia […]
Humanitarian Obligation That We Should, Must, and Have Done It
Yesterday I told Minister of Health, HE Mam Bunheng, and Phnom Penh Mayor, HE Khuong Sreng, if those tourists wish to go for a sightseeing tour, just let them do it. If they were sick, we would not leave them in hotel but at the Cambodia-Soviet hospital, where there would be confined place for them. We have taken measure to monitor and control health of tourists for the sake of our people’s safety as well. I am staying firm with my decision […] as I said on 14 February, even if people on board the ship were infected, I would allow them to enter and dock (at the seaport of Preah Sihanouk) […]
That is my unfaltering stand. I am taking responsibility as implementer of humanitarian principle for people of other states/countries since Cambodia is a member of the United Nations and World Health Organization. We should fulfil this task, must do, and have done it. It is a humanitarian obligation, a moral responsibility and a show of solidarity to resolve regional and world challenges of Covid-19 […] we must be seeing this task done until the ship and people left Cambodia safely […]
Fear and Discrimination Impacts on Tourism
We have come to this sickness of fear and discrimination in the region. It has now attacked on real economy. Without waiting, impacts have arrived. They have come from unreasonably extreme fear and discrimination. The first sector to suffer the impacts was tourism. Tourist arrivals fell everywhere, Cambodia included. The Chinese are not traveling and tourists from Europe are in fear to come to Asia […] hotels and restaurants took the direct hit […]
The next sector to suffer hit would be transportation. What do they transport? Raw materials for production lines in numerous production locations. It was in this development that I said while launching the groundbreaking of national road 2 and 22 reconstructions that soon some factories would have hiccup production not because the EBA (Everything but Arms) thing […]
Economies in Asia and Europe Felt Impacts
We could say that Cambodia has had two lucky things. The first good thing is a sizeable amount of raw materials imported and stored since before the Chinese New Year. The second good thing is we did not close air or water connectivity with China. We can still ship in raw materials […] As for Cambodia, the first impact felt in tourism and it was not only the case of Cambodia. Economy in Asia as a whole felt this impact. Economies in Europe also felt it […] we have forecast growth (for 2020) at 6.5% and it would be certain that impacts would cut in the growth. However, it would not be because of EBA. We still have market to sell our goods to […]
Cambodia Accepts Decision on EBA … Cambodia’s Decision Should Be Accepted
Only if February have 31 days that I would make a statement on EBA […] I already said in the meeting (of the National Council for Women) that I accept their decision but I ask them to accept the Cambodian decisions too. Whatever they decided was their rights but they also have to respect our rights too […] that would be short. Let us pay taxes – about 100 million or more than 100 million USD per year. We still have market. If they give us, we take it. If they do not give us, we leave it […]
Take Precautionary Measures as Bird Flu Broke Out in Vietnam
I have news that bird flu broke out in the southern part of Vietnam. Let us take precautionary measures. As you can see, the disease does not go away. It is a consequence of climate change […] I have seen this news, I do not know yet how true it would be, but had to hurry here. I am calling us to be cautious. I am sure Vietnam would take responsible measures on their side […]./.
