{"id":92339,"date":"2024-03-03T21:27:37","date_gmt":"2024-03-03T14:27:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressocm.gov.kh\/?p=92339"},"modified":"2024-03-07T16:33:15","modified_gmt":"2024-03-07T09:33:15","slug":"selected-comments-samdech-moha-bovor-thipadei-hun-manet-in-a-meeting-with-the-cambodian-community-in-australia-and-new-zealand-unofficial-translation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pressocm.gov.kh\/en\/archives\/92339","title":{"rendered":"Selected Comments Samdech Moha Bovor Thipadei Hun Manet, in a meeting with the Cambodian community in Australia and New Zealand [Unofficial Translation]"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/1JOwrfJPsoI?si=A3RZNG9gciXbYxmb\" width=\"640\" height=\"460\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\">CMF: <a class=\"data-link\" title=\"6:24 pm\" href=\"http:\/\/en.cmf-cnv.org.kh\/2024\/03\/03\/\" rel=\"bookmark\"><time class=\"entry-date updated\" datetime=\"2024-03-03T18:24:00+07:00\">03\/03\/2024<\/time><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>(1) Samdech Techo and CPP leaders of the Royal Government ended the war<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>[\u2026] You all certainly understand the value of peace and know who has been trying to end the war (by formulating the) win-win policy (and to create an environment of peace) for us to develop (the country). It is Samdech Techo and the leaders of the Cambodian People\u2019s Party who led the Royal Government for more than 40 years and ended the war. That you have come out offering support to this peace is an important message. Were there no peace, there would be nothing, were there no peace, we would not know whether we could return to our homeland [\u2026] it is in this regard that sending a message in support of the development of this peaceful country is important [\u2026]<\/p>\n<p>Even though you have seen the news on social media, you still want to hear with your own ears especially from the head of the Royal Government as to what is being done for our country and our people. As is often said by Samdech Techo in his meeting with our people here [\u2026] the gathering today is nothing but to show the internal unity of the Cambodians, the national solidarity, no matter from where or what country you have come [\u2026] the spirit of unity is invaluable for peace and our nation [\u2026]<\/p>\n<p><strong>(<\/strong><strong>2) In more than 40 years, the CPP government saved the lives of the Cambodian people\u00a0<\/strong><strong>three<\/strong><strong>\u00a0times<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>[\u2026] Life has been the main goal of salvation for over the past 40 years. We did save the people\u2019s lives three times. First, on January 7, 1979, we liberated the people from the genocidal regime. Secondly, the introduction and implementation of the win-win policy that ended the war in 1998 has stopped the killing of Cambodians. That saves a lot of life. If there is still fighting every day, there will be dead and injured [\u2026] and another big lifesaving effort is to evade death caused by the Covid-19 pandemic [\u2026] towards the 2023 commune \/Sangkat councilors election, we saw that the people supported the Royal Government led by Samdech Techo and the Cambodian People\u2019s Party overwhelmingly owing to the implementation of practical measures to save the lives of people from Covid-19 and from famine, while prospering the country [\u2026]<\/p>\n<p><strong>(3) 82.3% of voters go to the CPP-led government<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In the July-2023 election, we had 18 political parties participating, and there were nine million, out of 17 million people, registered voters. The electoral turnout was 8.2 million, or 89.54% of the registered voters. It was a high rate for democracies (in terms of people going out) to vote [\u2026] whereas 6.4 million voters, or 82.3% of the electorate, voted for the CPP-led government of Samdech Techo. What does this number mean? This means that the vast majority of our people understand that the elections are the only way for our country to elect a leader on the basis of democracy, on the basis of peace, not through coups, not through armed means as we used to in 1970 and 1975 [\u2026]<\/p>\n<p><strong>(4) The 190-day-old government must haul the 40 years cart sustainably<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Tomorrow (the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation) HE Sok Chenda Sophea and HE Penny Wong, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Australia, will sign an agreement to further cooperation and aviation services [\u2026] the 2023-July election brought about the establishment of the new Royal Government on August 22, 2023, which, as of today, has been six months and ten days. Let\u2019s say it is 190 days old [\u2026] unlike any six-month-old baby, this baby does not need a mother to take care of it. This child happens to start walking at once. There is no choice since you have to drag the chariot, which had been in operation for 40 years, from the time of division to peace and development, and in which there are 17 million people. We cannot abandon the economy, the security, most important of all the services to assist people [\u2026] during the election, we promise the people that once we are elected, we will implement our laid-out political program. The people supported us. Now, it is time we implement this policy sustainably [\u2026]<\/p>\n<p><strong>(5) Opinion polls to find out if the RGC is on the right track or are there anything else the people may want<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>People may ask questions as what has the new government guaranteed? What direction is it going? You all may have known that there have been two opinion polls. One of the most obvious opinion polls is certainly the elections results once the ballot boxes opened. But apart from election day, there are definitely assessments based on surveys by various professional institutions [\u2026]<\/p>\n<p>We have asked a private international professional body composed of those from the United States and many other countries (to carry out these polls) [\u2026] to get a sense if the Royal Government is leading the country in the right or wrong direction? [\u2026]\u00a0<em>one of the polls was conducted in May 2023, before the 2023-July election. The polls found out that some 77% of the respondents, or almost four in every five, understood that the Royal Government had led the country on the right path.<\/em>\u00a0They recognized that the Royal Government is leading (in the way they wanted). Thus, the overwhelming election results clearly supported the Cambodian People\u2019s Party and Samdech Techo [\u2026]<\/p>\n<p>And in\u00a0<em>another opinion poll in January 2024, whose results came out a month ago, or five months after the establishment of the new government, while the one conducted two months before the election had recorded some 77% people understood that the Royal Government led on the right path, the one in January 2024, has given an even more positive signal as up to 82% of the respondents understand that the new government is leading on the right path<\/em>, while many people are still waiting to see what will come out of the new leadership group [\u2026] within just six months, we see that people\u2019s trust (has increased) [\u2026]<\/p>\n<p>This initial period has been a difficult stage, especially when there is a change of the person sitting behind the ship wheel \u2013 from the one who had been effectively navigating the Cambodian ship for 40 some years to a new group [\u2026] with, however, the continued presence indeed of Samdech Techo and the former leadership team. Soon, Samdech Techo will become the President of the Senate [\u2026] to collaborate with other legislative bodies such as the National Assembly and the executive branch \u2013 the Royal Government, to ensure peace and stability, [\u2026] being in line and walking together forward is an important task [\u2026]<\/p>\n<p><strong>(6) Stability and sustainability ensured as national and sub-national institutions work in harmony<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Security is a big factor that we need to keep in order for investors, tourists and Cambodians to visit the country and for the people living peacefully [\u2026] and protecting our national honor [\u2026] our people now residing in Australia and New Zealand should not be afraid to visit our country. The country is secure, and no one kidnappers who arrest people for blood pumping. Please tell your Australian friends and New Zealanders to spend their vacations in our country [\u2026] it is true that stability and sustainability of the state institutions are of major concern. (Whether) the new government can lead or not or if new ministers are not able to perform their duties as no one would listen to. More so if at the central level, no one would listen to Hun Manet, and thieves and robbers would roam the land. That was not the case. We guarantee sustainability in every sense and take action to ensure discipline that both national and the sub-national administrations are working together in tandem. This is a guaranteed warmth for the people [\u2026]<\/p>\n<p><strong>(7) Pentagonal Strategy \u2013 Phase 1 sets five main directions and five key priorities<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The pentagonal strategy phase i has focused on\u00a0<em>five key priorities \u2013 people, roads (infrastructure), water (drinking and irrigation), electricity, and technology.<\/em>\u00a0I would address the first two priorities.\u00a0<em>Regarding people or human resource, our efforts focus on improving their health and ability, and ensuring opportunity so that people in good health can find jobs<\/em>, and [\u2026] we have been working in many previous terms, and in this term, we will make sure there will be more health centers [\u2026]<\/p>\n<p><em>The second priority is roads, where there are those in water, on land and in the air.<\/em>\u00a0Regarding the waterway, in December 2023, I presided over the groundbreaking ceremony to expand the port of Sihanoukville [\u2026] which, after finishing the first phase construction will be able to dock more than 80 percent of cargo ships and when the third stage is done, the port will be able 100% accessible to cargo ships, when we will enter the phase of competition [\u2026]<\/p>\n<p><em>On June 6, I will inaugurate another deep-water port in Kampot province<\/em>\u00a0[\u2026] and we are also inspecting the policy (of improving and\/or building on) fresh water ports. Now we have the inter-ministerial committee working on managing and rehabilitating the sand on parts of our river for navigation routes [\u2026]\u00a0<em>in the near future, it will be possible to connect from fresh water ports to the sea ports when the Funan Techo canal is ready<\/em>\u00a0[\u2026]<\/p>\n<p><em>For highway, we have built one from Phnom Penh to Kampong Som, and we will build another line from Phnom Penh to Bavet (of Svay Rieng province). We plan to build one more from Phnom Penh to Poipet through Siem Reap<\/em>\u00a0[\u2026] we welcome companies from whichever country, and how many more, who may have interest [\u2026]<\/p>\n<p><em>As for the bridges, we have a good number of them across the Tonle Sap from Prek Pnov (to Phnom Penh). We will build more.<\/em>\u00a0The day before I presided over the groundbreaking ceremony to build a bridge between Chak Angre Krom to Prek Pra in Phnom Penh [\u2026] soon we are building a bridge from the Old Market (in Phnom Penh) to the Arey Kasatr side and a study is underway for underwater route [\u2026]<\/p>\n<p><em>We are negotiating on the construction of road 50C from Kampong Chhnang to Kampong Thom, connecting by a longest bridge of three km length<\/em>\u00a0[\u2026] even the project has not yet started, there have been plans for special economic zone and a multi-purpose port, which will create thousands of jobs [\u2026] that is, equitable growth. We create national economic growth to put money into the pockets of local people through jobs created for them at the grassroots level [\u2026]<\/p>\n<p><em>We are strengthening the railway from Phnom Penh to Poipet to help with transportation. We are not considering the high-speed train yet. We will focus on freight train first<\/em>\u00a0[\u2026] we will extend more railways to help with transportation. Regarding airway, we have now plan to build many airports [\u2026] besides those we already have from before, we have just put into operation a new airport in Siem Reap. Watching it on YouTube, you all may see that it is not inferior to the airport in Melbourne. Historically, we have the first largest airport in the land of Angkor [\u2026] but in 2025, we will inaugurate another \u2013 even bigger \u2013 airport in Phnom Penh [\u2026]<\/p>\n<p><strong>(8) Cambodia does move capital location and does not prohibit more children, and cars and motorcycles<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Cambodia has no plans to move its capital. We had moved the capital many times in the history from Angkor to Oudong. The capital has been at Chaktomuk for such a long time already and we have to maintain this location. The Chaktomuk River (four-rivers front) is where we can celebrate the annual boat race [\u2026]; we cannot stop people (in Phnom Penh) from having more children. We now have a population of more than two million (in Phnom Peny). Maybe in another 10 years, it may increase to three or four million [\u2026] depending on whether the Phnom Penh people would be interested to have more children or not. It seems that in Phnom Penh, people do not want to have many children. Our national fertility rate now is somewhere at 1.5 [\u2026]; and we cannot forbid people from buying cars, and\/or motorcycles [\u2026]<\/p>\n<p><strong>(9) Subways, light rail and urban expansion under studies<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We will have to take the railway underground, and we will have light trains around. We are studying (the construction feasibility study for the light rails) from Siem Reap Airport to Siem Reap City and from the new Phnom Penh Airport to the capital. We can build ring road at the later stage [\u2026] I have made it my decision already that the government has no policy to move the capital anywhere, but we will find a way to expand it to the eastern side of the river (Mekong) where they have already begun [\u2026] and the northern part of the former Capital [\u2026]<\/p>\n<p><strong>(10) Budget of nearly 500 million USD to implement the 6 priority sectors<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Wherever our land is, we must build and\/or expand (these potentials). We have to grow everywhere. It cannot be good only on the face, but the hands are covered with wounds [\u2026] we have to ensure blood flowing to feed our bodies to be a healthy man [\u2026] we have planned a budget of nearly 500 million dollars, and may be more will be made available according to the actual needs, to implement these priority objectives. (The budget size of) half a billion dollars to implement these six programs will ensure efficiency. We cannot afford to pay out policy without budget [\u2026]<\/p>\n<p><strong>(11) Grating no permission for cultivation of marijuana and for gambling license<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I have announced on the closing annual conference of the Committee on Combating Drugs and I have said the message a few times before too about people who want to grow marijuana in Cambodia for use in the health sector. Recently, a few people asked me about this again. A few months ago, I reiterate my decision that [\u2026] as long as I am the Prime Minister, I will not allow growing marijuana in Cambodia [\u2026]<\/p>\n<p>As part of this strategy and policy against the use of drugs, I will not allow growing marijuana, and if anyone want drugs that contain (marijuana), please buy the drugs from Canada. We do not have to plant it. Let us grow something else. Even if Cambodia does not grow and\/or do business relating to marijuana, Cambodia will not be poor. We can plant mangoes, bananas for exports, build satellite cities, factories, [\u2026]<\/p>\n<p>Regarding gambling, I have ordered stopping issuance of license, and am reviewing it to reduce and remove it all together. We will have to revoke the license, and remove what we needed to as they are not profitable (to the nation). Our goal is to deploy factories, to spread the jobs as close as we can to the people. There is no need to deploy gambling sites, even if they are legal, to under the people\u2019s houses or to the commune. Let us cancel them [\u2026]<\/p>\n<p><strong>(<\/strong><strong>12)\u00a0<\/strong><strong>Implementing the\u00a0<\/strong><strong>economic diplomacy for it is the life and stomach of the people<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>[\u2026] to get more of the investors to come or not, I will just continue to go on attracting investors\/businessmen [\u2026] whereas the economy is the life of the people or the stomach of the nation, we are implementing the economy diplomacy so as to make our people strong, capable, knowledgeable, healthy, and having more job opportunities, thus more income [\u2026] through maintaining peace, and reducing issues related to insecurity, such as theft, robbery, drugs, while making it more fun, physically secure and peace of mind [\u2026].\/.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[\u2026] You all certainly understand the value of peace and know who has been trying to end the war (by formulating the) win-win policy (and to create an environment of<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":92060,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"video","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35,38,22,33],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-92339","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-video","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-audio","8":"category-slide-show-english","9":"category-speech","10":"category-video","11":"post_format-post-format-video"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressocm.gov.kh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92339","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressocm.gov.kh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressocm.gov.kh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressocm.gov.kh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressocm.gov.kh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=92339"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/pressocm.gov.kh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92339\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":92341,"href":"https:\/\/pressocm.gov.kh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92339\/revisions\/92341"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressocm.gov.kh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/92060"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressocm.gov.kh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=92339"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressocm.gov.kh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=92339"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressocm.gov.kh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=92339"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}