|
Unofficial Translation
Selected Comments Graduation
and Diploma Presentation for PIU
15 March 2010
My wife and I are so happy
today to have joined with all of our graduates of Bachelors and Masters of the
Phnom Penh International University (PIU) and I would like to thank the rector
for the report on UPI progress in making a contribution for human resource
development. I also would like to take this opportune moment to express my
sincere appreciation for students who have graduated and would like to share the
joy and pride with their families.
I hope that our graduates will
make use of the knowledge for a good course and first of all for their family.
As long as a good course is being done in the family, there will be positive
repercussion to the society. It is in this belief that each and everyone’s
action, as well as each and every family’s, will provide the best interest for
the whole nation, whereas the newly graduates are the new human resources which
will contribute further national constructions.
It is true that before
attaining full quality one must have to achieve a certain level of quantity to
answer to the demand and for a more sophisticated globalization it is important
to search for quality in education. I also would like to give my appreciation to
PIU for making efforts since 2006 from stage to stage until it has come to this
much progress. In front of us there is this building of eight floors that
consist of 32 classrooms, with another building of 15 floors with 247 classrooms
is growing up.
As for this matter I would like
to make a small note here that Phnom Penh is now making its vertical extension
for many skyscraper buildings. As far as the report I have here, there are about
190 buildings of more than ten and lower than twenty floors, and nine buildings
of more than twenty floors in Phnom Penh. It is to make us all see that
construction has played a significant and remarkable role in building our
nation. As we all know by the time our country was plunged into war in 1970s,
the tallest building we had at the time was ten-floor high.
This has proven a constructive
contribution from the part of private sector to the field of education. I may
take three examples where universities were built without using the state budget
– the University in Svay Rieng province built by the late HE Hok Lundy, the
University at the province of Banteay Meanjei, that was built by Deputy Prime
Minister HE Ke Kim Yan and the University at Battambang province buit by Deputy
Prime Minister Sar Kheng. And many more have been built without financial help
from the state.
It has been quite a long time
in the past that school is being built by the local community whereas the state
will provide teaching staff. I used to compare what was done in the past to what
is being done now. I also had two songs composed. One is about life and fate of
rice farmers and another about thinking of a rice field. My father used to be
helping Mr Kuy Po (an MP) in searching for votes but when he got elected, he
never appeared when we needed him most. Our rice field was devastated either by
drought or flood, but we could call for no one’s help, after we gave him our
votes.
Based on this practical
experience, one of my conditions in appointing a government official has been
how much he does to help the people. It is my measuring tool. I would not accept
the one with the tie on sitting in his bureau because they would not understand
the people’s hardships. So the difference now for our people in the rural area
is that where formerly the state provided teaching staff and their salary, while
the community had to provide school building, now the state provides them all,
school buildings, teaching staff and their salary, all in one.
The other day I was at the
Royal Phnom Penh University (RPPU) and I have noted that the number of
fee-paying students is much bigger than those on state scholarships. Again this
has proven that the whole society is making non-formal investment in education.
Therefore I would wish at this moment that those students who are pursuing their
studies to make further efforts to achieve expected result of higher quality
education. I would warn you that a diploma is not what we all need. Sitting
right before each other, what you have to say makes everyone judge your
knowledge and comprehension. This is even so when diplomacy is to be given as
example for that matter.
Sometimes a diplomat started by
saying a few things here and there. By doing that they also measure if their
dialogue partners understand or have a sense of what they are talking about or
not. Like the other day there was this Foreign Minister and envoy of the
President of Sudan came to see me. The President has written me a letter
describing the case that as incumbent President he has an arrest warrant issued
by international criminal court, which is in fact a move to destroy peace
process in that country.
I have taken the internal issue
of Sudan as that of Cambodia before we attained full peace. There is this
quadruple party conflict in Sudan – the Khartoum Government, the Front on the
South (of Sudan), the Front on the East (of Sudan) and the Darfur regional
movement. Cambodia was before divided into four parties and I was telling a bit
about our win-win policy and strategy. They tested us if we know anything about
Sudan and its problem there. How could we not know when we sent our troops? We
have studied the nature of conflict there before we sent our troops. Well that
is what I mean that our competency is to be judged by what we actually do and
not by our diploma alone.
I would like to take this
opportune moment to advise that it seems the temperature for this year is higher
and there had been fires in some places in Phnom Penh and places like the market
in Kompong Thom province as well. I would therefore warn our authority and
people everywhere to beware of fire. It may have been the climate change effect
that the temperature has been increasingly high. Some countries where there used
to be no snow now have snow. As the flood has been more frequent in some
countries, others are being affected by drought.
I would urge that everyone must
be on high alert especially every family must have their precautionary and
preventive measures to go free from such fire disaster. I also urge the
authorities of all levels to make more efforts in preventing and dealing with
eventual fire disasters.
But first and foremost, each
person must be careful with incense burning, electric wiring and their cigarette
butts. These are advises of good intentions and hopefully our people will take
them as reminders to their actions in this state of high temperature hazard.
I would like to also take this
opportune moment to give a few remarks on the news that has been going on for
about once a month now about Thaksin’s presence in Cambodia. In my visit to the
border in February there was this news that Thaksin was also there with me and
last Saturday there has been this news again that Thaksin has arrived in
Cambodia’s Siemreap province. HE Thaksin has denied this.
I would make it clear that
Cambodia has nothing to hide and if Thaksin was in Cambodia, we would have it on
TV. So they should not be worried about Thaksin’s presence here in Cambodia. If
he were to be here we would have him on TV right away.
I used to tell the Thai leaders
that their intelligence service is not working well and if I were the Thai
leader I would have dismissed them for the mistakes they would have committed –
1) their information would lead to wrong decision by leaders, and 2) such a
mistake would harm bilateral relations between our two nations. Thaksin was not
in Cambodia but they kept saying he was here. So I invited him in and had it on
TV right away. So this is what I am saying Thaksin is not in Cambodia.
Secondly, yesterday protestors
in Bangkok issued an ultimatum for the Government of Thailand to dissolve the
House of Representatives and according to the news we have here by 9:00 am today
they will rally at the infantry regiment 11.
Well, what I wanted to say here
is that this is the Thai internal issue and I would appeal to the Cambodian
armed forces stationing along the Thai-Cambodian border to maintain good
relations with the Thai army and authorities. And, if it is not necessary, no
troop mobilization should be ordered at this time so as to avoid creating any
misunderstanding from the Thai part.
Cambodia affirms that no Thai
internal situation would be exploited for the sake of launching actions along
the Thai-Cambodian border at all. The Cambodian troops are ordered to refrain
from actions that might cause instability between the two countries. It is not a
good method that we instigate border issue at the time when our neighbors are
engaging in internal difficulties. This matter must be given utmost attention.
Thirdly, I would like to appeal
to the Cambodian citizens who are actually working in Thailand, legal or illegal
for that matter, to refrain from participating in any protests in Thailand.
Those who have relatives going and working in Thailand, if they could, please
contact them and warn them not to join in any protest or they would turn to be
victim for exercising illegal rights on a foreign land.
I brought this matter up
because there has been this information that foreigners working in Thailand have
also participated in the demonstration. What I wanted to make clear is if they
infer to Khmer, Myanmar or Lao citizens.
Finally, in this specific
circumstance, I would urge trade activities to go on as usual but for traveling
to and from Bangkok. If our citizens could postpone or reschedule it to another
date , , they may do so after calm and normalcy return to the city.
Today is also a remarkable day
that we are also approaching the day that 40 years ago war broke out in Cambodia
...
We now have larger roads and we
are conducting a study to asphalt provincial and rural roads because leaving
them in such a state is more difficult and costly to maintain. So 40 years ago
war broke out, and now, development has started. Taking this opportunity I would
like to bring you good news as it would be less than a month that we will
celebrate the Khmer New Year on April 14 through to 16. We have two new presents
for our people this year – first, the bridges of Prek Kadam will allow for use
on April 10 and inauguration ceremony will be followed at a suitable date.
Secondly, for those to travel
across the Mekong at Prek Tamak, though the bridge has yet to finish the
construction, but for the Khmer New Year Celebration, the bridge would be open
for five days, after which it is closed again so that the finishing touch of the
bridge will resume to a completion by May or June. I would seek our people
acceptance that the two bridges are the New Year presents for our people ...◉
EndItem |