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Unofficial Translation
Selected Comments at the Inauguration of Samdech Techo Hun Sen Avenue in the City of Preah Sihanouk
31 March 2009
Samdech
Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, presided over the
inauguration of the Avenue Hun Sen in the province of Preah Sihanouk, and he
made comments on various issues as follows.
The 9.3-Km
Hun Sen Avenue
I have a great pleasure to be
returning to this part of the province of Preah Sihanouk once again after I was
here not long ago, not far from here, to put into official use the road
“Sovatepheap” which was then built at the initiative of the Buddhist Patriarch
Samdech Tep Vong. I am so joyful and thankful to Chunteav Lim Chhiv Huor and her
partners from Japan for making such a wonderful contribution – a road of about
9.3 kilometers at the width of 7 meters - for Cambodia. It was initially
proposed by HE Cham Prasith which there were only some 200,000 US dollars as
startup fund, which I called an art of sharing resources and wealth.
In similar form of
contribution, in Siemreap, Oknha Sieng Nam, also MP of the Siemreap constituency
has built a ten kilometer bitumen road in the district of Chi Kreng, and in
Tramkak of Takeo province, HE Chan Sarun also built 35 kilometer asphalted road
…
The Hun Sen Avenue is indeed
a link between the Sovatepheap road of Samdech the Buddhist Patriarch Tep Vong
and the city of Sihanoukville. Having seen the constructed road on behalf of the
Royal Government of Cambodia, I would like to thank Lok Chumteav Lim Chiv Huor
and her Japanese partners for their coordinated efforts in making sense what has
been said in a report to me just now of the vision that the poor would not
always be poor but because of their efforts and patience, they can change their
status …
Province
and City of Preah Sihanouk
As we now have a good road
built along the sea corridor, I would urge our people to make good use of it so
as to keep the road fully serviceable for a long time and because we now have
fund for regular maintenance of roads and maintenance monitoring mechanism at
the provincial and municipal levels — as we by the decree change administrative
management, the Sihanoukville is no longer a city but a province which includes
the former district of Kompong Seila of Koh Kong and we have the city of
Sihanoukville, which is itself the district of Mittapheap, to commemorate the
feat of the former King of Cambodia … to remind us of the crusade for
independence in between 1954 and 1970 … that includes the blue water port and a
railway … It was a long discussion until we have come to deciding that we will
have the province of Sihanouk instead of Kompong Som and the city of
Sihanoukville …
The province and city lie in
between the provinces of Kompot and Koh Kong, which has a blue water port – but
not as deep in comparison with other ports in the region … As of now huge ships
have to transfer goods to smaller ships before approaching the Cambodian ports
here and this is what we will have to look into solving it in the future … As
far as communication in concerned, we now have linked the three provinces
together, before only by engine boats, by both water and land – by national road
48 …
Three
Provinces Connected Together by Sea and Roads
I wish to reiterate here that
please take care of the roads we have just built … I have seen taxi-cabs making
extra space for transporting more people or loading more goods, and I would take
this chance to once again seek our people’s cooperation in taking care of their
lives while riding motorcycles by putting on helmets …
Also in water traffic, I urge
ship owners to refrain from overloading the ships as they may collide and sink …
I urge law enforcement for both traffic by water and land … On the Kompot front
we also have connected the two provinces both by sea and land, and from there
all the way to the border with Vietnam at Prey Chaak … The major problem of road
construction has now been solved, the hard part now is to look after and
maintain them …
We have also make connection
to this part of the country of telecommunication - radio and television and
because we are making this a special economic zone, there is a need for electric
production …
Lok Chunteav Lim Chhiv Huor
already made suggestion of building an electric plant of 90 MW which if not all
is used by the special economic zone, she propose to sell the electricity as a
low price to people living around … I have encouraged always those who invest in
building a special economic zone – like in Kompong Cham and Svay Rieng – to take
care of electricity by themselves … with extra or surplus that can be sold to
local residents.
Speed Up
Electric Wiring from Vietnam
Cambodia, especially the
Capital of Phnom Penh, is in short of power supply. The effort of wiring
electricity from Vietnam via Takeo to Phnom Penh has bumped into a problem as
the work team could not get a consensus to place the electric poles in a few
people’s land … I have instructed Lok Chumteav Men Sam An, Permanent Deputy
Prime Minister to look into this matter and she has a week to resolve it as we
need to wire electricity to Phnom Penh …
This has indeed delayed my
commitment to have extra electricity for Phnom Penh during the Khmer New Year …
Also because of a slow process from part of the World Bank, I have also
recommended a suspension of the project and it should be kept for other purpose,
while private sector can take over this gridline links …
May I say once again that
from Phnom Penh to Sihanouk province – the Royal Government has defined it as a
growth pole – or one of the three economic development poles – Phnom Penh,
Sihanouk and Siemreap … the Fourth pole could perhaps take shape in 2015 in the
northeastern part of the country … In this pole, Koh Kong, Preah Sihanouk, and
Kompot have indeed shown signs of emergence and Preah Sihanouk has taken the
lead … The province of Preah Sihanouk has made its emergence with three special
economic zones (SEZ) – in Prey Nub, in Stoeng Hav and in the autonomous port of
Preah Sihanouk port …
World
Economic Downturn
The issue of world economic
downturn has brought us some big questions as the IMF economists have said the
world economy this year is facing a serious fall that never exists in 60 years
and billions of dollars have been sought to renew loan capacity to its 185
member states … Some countries put out stimulus packages but the one to benefit
from it is the auto industry … in this case I doubt if it really helps the poor
as before the money trickles down it must have shrunk … I don’t criticize them
but to share my concern … As for us because the Khmer New Year is approaching I
urge the competent authority to deal effectively with tax collection …
Kasit Must
Revise His Term ‘Gangster’
My next schedule will be at
Taken Koh Sla – the Military Development Zone for Handicapped Soldiers – and I
will head off to Thailand for the ASEAN + Partners Summits … But before I go I
wish to send a message to the Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Phirumya as to why in
the last few days in a censure at the Thai parliament my name Hun Sen has been
an issue in that debate. I knew he insulted me when he was formerly supporter of
the Yellow Shirt. When he became foreign minister, MPs of Pheu Thai in the
debate said Kasit should not be allowed to be foreign minister because he
supported the yellow shirt protesters to occupy the airports and insulted
leaders of neighboring country – it was me …
Having taken the position as
foreign minister, he requested for a visit to Cambodia and though I know he
insulted me, I accepted his request … In the course of our meeting I did not
raise this issue but recalled that I used to see him a long time ago (since the
Paris Peace Conference in 1989) and he said asking me to be his mentor, whose
maturity could be sought for … I did not hold him accountable for two completely
different positions he has taken when he was in opposition and is foreign
minister …
In the course of censure as
could be watched on TV, a speaker said Kasit insulted Samdech Hun Sen but
visiting Phnom Penh. Even before crossing the borderline, he praised Samdech Hun
Sen as a skilful diplomat … in a VDO shown in the above matter, Kasit said Hun
Sen is a Nak Leng (gangster) and the Pheu Thai speaker requested Kasit to make a
correction …
Hun Sen is the senior leader
in ASEAN … In the ASEAN Summit I asked who is now the youngest leaders of ASEAN,
the Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vijjajiva said, “however I am not as young as
when Samdech Hun Sen started” … the best Kasit could do was to reverse his
wording to “a gentleman with the heart of a Nak Leng” … Because we may meet
again on April 10,11 and 12 and perhaps again on April 18, when Abhisit visits
Phnom Penh, I wish to inform you in advance that Hun Sen is somewhere in between
being a gentlemen and a Nak Leng – or in one way a man for real.
Please do not be mistaken,
Cambodia is small and poor but Hun Sen has led this country out of ashes,
holding two-third of the parliament seats from the latest general elections in
addition to having served as the Prime Minister for over thirty years … so I
suggest that he should make the correction in a timely manner - whether he
corrects or not is up to him as it is his right - I just send him the message …
I do not feel angry but a clear definition of what is said does matter most as
we are neighboring countries … which deserves mutual respect …
I could not accept his
version of ‘a gentlemen with the heart of a Nak Leng’ … Would he accept it if we
by any chance insult his King or Prime Minister … In the course of the
forthcoming visit to Phnom Penh, what if I shake hands with Abhisit but not with
him? He called me a gangster, what would make him to be if he shakes my hand? He
was mad with me as I gave deadline to withdraw Thai troops … after which a clash
took place and Thai soldiers died …
I told Pol Saroeun, the Chief
of General Staff in relation to incident that Thai soldiers again encroached
Viel Intri. I also talked to field commanders at the front if they know where a
fighting line has been set. There is no need to consult with me anymore … I am a
true Cambodian leader by will of the people as I have not usurped power or led
the country by minority at all …
There is this allegation that
Thaksin stays in Cambodia … I wish to make it clear that Thaksin is a friend of
mine before, now and in the future and this is Hun Sen’s virtue … but he is not
in Cambodia. I have said so and all Thai commanders have all taken that what I
said … Lately they have taken Preah Vihear as their political hostage but now
Hun Sen has become also a part of it …
Day of the
Genocidal Victims’ Respect and Justice Making
Spokesman of the Council of
Ministers has issued a statement rejecting rumor that March 30 will be set as
the Day of Justice Seeking Remembrance for the People of Cambodia and it would
be proposed to be a national holiday …
It is proposed by Mr. Chhang
Yu, Chairman of the Cambodian Documentation Center and I have instructed on HE
Deputy Prime Minister Sok An’s enclosed letter that the trial is the success of
partnering cooperation between Cambodia and the United Nations in bringing the
Khmer Rouge leaders to trial … but it is not the first time that justice is
sought after …
We sought for justice for the
people since when we overthrew the regime of Pol Pot ... Would this not mean
that we seek justice for the people? Preventing their return – was it not a
justice seeking for Cambodia? The trial in 1979 – was it also not? I think the
proposed date and its meaning is a misstep …
Among many stories I wish to
remind one in relation to the stage of reconciliation and integration of the
former Khmer Rouge forces … our commanders have suggested on the fact that there
is a concentration of the Khmer Rouge forces in Ta Sanh, Pailin, etc. It would
be difficult to get back to control them if the war started again …
Some suggested that we should
move some out to other places like Svay Rieng, Takeo, etc. I said those
suggestion were strategically wrong as it contradicts with the three elements of
the win-win policy – 1. Personal security, 2. Jobs, and 3. Property.
If we were to send them from
Pailin to Svay Rieng, how can we find land in Svay Rieng for them – it is indeed
strategically wrong and contradicting with point 3 of the policy. Militarily
speaking if the war was to happen again, it would be in just the confined area
from before like Samlot, Kamrieng, Ta Sanh, Phnom Prek, Melai, etc. But we now
have achieved fully the win-win policy …
HE Serei Kosal formerly
Funcinpec and now is a CPP officer … He knows a lot and I wish one day he tell
us all about what he has known … When Funcinpec run for the elections, it was
known that the Khmer Rouge stayed outside as a fighting forces to back them up,
but when Funcinpec cooperated with CPP, Funcinpec turned to be puppet of the
puppet in the eyes of the Khmer Rouge … When Funcinpec bumped into problem here,
Samdech Krom Preah sent Serei Kosal and Nhek Bun Chhai to negotiate with the
Khmer Rouge and their signed agreement had led to the armed clashes in Phnom
Penh …
Having said all the above I
would suggest that the proposed date March 30 could not be accepted, but
meaningfully, we should try and attach it with the May 20 which has already been
set as Day of Respect to Souls of the Dead under the Khmer Rouge Regime and
Justice Making for Them …
With regard to some
ill-intention propaganda of the possibility of enlarging number of leaders to be
tried, and issues of financing the trial, I wish to make clear today that they
are lies and I may have to reiterate that Cambodia would rather see the Tribunal
fails rather to lose peace as the country falls back into war…
Banning
Gambling and Cock-Fight
Some people have thanked me
for closing down of gambling, which they say for them is like providing
protection for their houses. Why? Firstly, people gamble and become
robbers/thieves because they lose gambling, and secondly, their husbands and
children are home dining together, as they no longer go gambling … Because of
this development I hereby declare banning cock-fight as well …
Good
Words, Bad Intention
I also have a message to HE
Sam Rainsy who has written good words in the letter dated March 23 to seek my
cooperation in lessening and/or setting free five of his activists who have
allied with the CFF movement – a terrorist movement in Cambodia whose leader has
been tried in the US. In his letter, … to joyfully greet the birthday
anniversary of Samdech Prime Minister … requests Samdech to lessen or set free …
The wording has hidden his
intention to mean that I am assuming myself as the King … All of the above
actions could happen only by HM the King during his birthday, major national
events like Khmer New Year, etc. If we were to do so according to what he said
in his letter I would be the target of attack for acting the role of the HM the
King …
I do not know if HE is making
a mistake while wording the letter but, intentionally or unintentionally,
Excellency team will attack me anyway … I would not buy that anymore …■
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