The Most RespectfulPreah Karuna Preah Bat Sâmdech Preah Bâromneath Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia,
The Most RespectfulPreah Karuna Preah Bat Sâmdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk Preahmâhaviraksat, the King-Father of Cambodia and Samdech Preah Reach Akka Mohèsey Norodom Monineath, the Queen-Mother,
Samdech Akka Moha Punnhea Chakrey Heng Samrin, President of the National Assembly and Madame,
Samdech, Princes, Princesses, Excellencies, Lok Chumteavs, Oknhas, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Compatriots,
On this grand occasion, on behalf of President of the Senate and President of the National Assembly, Samdech, Princes/Princess, Excellencies, Lok Chumteavs, who are members of the Senate, the National Assembly, the Royal Government of Cambodia, national institutions, capital and provincial authorities and national compatriots in the whole Kingdom of Cambodia, I wish to express my sentiment of excitement and delight, and deepest gratitude for having joined together to celebrate this mass meeting here to devote for and reminisce of the twentieth anniversary of the returns to the motherland of the supremely respected Preah Preahmâhaviraksat the King-Father and the Queen-motherto stay at the top of the leadership and the implementation of the national reconciliation policy, national healing and reconstruction. In response to the task delegated to me by the Cambodian People’s Party and the Royal Government of the State of Cambodia, my wife and I had had highest honors to invite and accompany their majesties from the People’s Republic of China, after decades long stay outside the country.
November 14, 1991 is a historic day for the Cambodian citizens as they had offered auspicious hospitality in deep feeling and extreme excitement for meeting once again with their most revered His Majesty and Her Majesty, who have been well known in all corners of the world for their cause for national independence and peace, after failing to see their lovely faces and to hear their amicably soft voices for so many years. It was in fact a true feature which culminated in the inception of the second Kingdom of Cambodia of our beloved Angkor motherland. We all are proud to have a monarch with tenfold royal conducts, the most intelligent and gifted supreme leader who have given us hopes in process of building peace, stability, political life, national solidarity, strong national unity, and social development as well as harmonious livelihoods of the people.
My wife and I accompanied the home-coming journey of Samdech Ov (the King-Father) and Samdech Me (the Queen-Mother) from Beijing all the way to Phnom Penh. The leaders of the Cambodian People’s Party and the Government of the State of Cambodia then had ordered for the refurbishment of the Royal Palace to accommodate their stays. It was on that day of their arrival to our motherland that my wife and I presented with deep respect a gold key, a symbol of our nation soul, to their Majesties in the Grandiose Temple of Khemarin, so that they would go on staying as the great heroic majesties of Cambodia and lead us thereon to peace.
In the past as well as in the present, the Cambodian People’s Party and the Royal Government always cherish brilliant thoughts of Preah Preahmâhaviraksat the King-Father while expressing sentiment of love in deepest and most faithful gratitude to the King-Father of national independence, national reconciliation and healing.
Today’s mass meeting signifies a realistic image of our people’s hearts as their children and grandchildren who seek always in their wishes that the most sacred objects would look after and take care of Preah Preahmâhaviraksat the King-Father so that His Majesty would enjoy longevity and be fully healthy to stay as cool shade and peacefulness of the Cambodian motherland and people.
This year’s October 31, the most revered Preah Preahmâhaviraksat the King-Father is fully 89 years old and will usher in his 90 years of age. The two parliaments, the Royal Government, national institutions and people in the whole country are thrilled to celebrate His Majesty’s birthday anniversary while considering this is a special blessing moment since there had never been any former King in the Cambodian royal dynasties to have lived a life as long as Preah Preahmâhaviraksat the King-Father. All of His Majesty’s children throughout the country and myself, those who are living overseas also included, are pleased and hailing Preah Preahmâhaviraksat the King-Father to stay as shade full of leadership qualifications that are historically unprecedented.
Your Majesties, Samdech, Princes, Princesses, Excellencies, Lok Chumteavs, Oknhas, Ladies and Gentlemen, and Dear Compatriots,
I wish to seek your permission to briefly remind some historic events that the Kingdom of Cambodia has traversed in decades to the present.
After the regime of genocide was toppled on January 7, 1979, because of consequences of war, the country has been left with so many wounds and severe damages in all fields. Along with the efforts to restore and to rebuild the country from damages, devastation, and fractures, to prevent the return for the second time of the genocide was a heavy task that the Cambodian People’s Party and the Government of the State of Cambodia had been facing with and taking all preventive measures.
Aiming to end the protracted war and to bring a full peace to the country and people, the Cambodian People’s Party and the Government of the State of Cambodia set out a policy of national reconciliation, healing and made constant effort to implement the policy until the first negotiation between Preah Preahmâhaviraksat the King-Father and myself took place in Fère-en-Tardenois, France, on December 2, 1987. Stemming from this first meeting and in implementing the ways to achieve strategic objectives of national reconciliation and healing, the former State of Cambodia made every faithful effort until the Paris Peace Agreement was achieved on October 23, 1991.
The Paris Peace Agreement did not determine a dissolution of the Democratic Kampuchea’s political and military organizations, which was the source of genocidal regime and war, but required that the Khmer Rouge was a legal stakeholder in Cambodia.
On the course of implementing this agreement, the Khmer Rouge signatories pulled out and sought every means to destroy the process of implementing the Paris Peace Agreement.
In was in that state that the Government of the State of Cambodia tried to secure the life of the Agreement by implementing seriously every point of it, while sincerely collaborating with all political forces and international community so as to conduct successfully and safely a general elections in 1993.
As of this point, if it was truly wrong, I am content to take responsibility on behalf of the Royal Government and the Cambodian People’s Party as I happened to be the one who organized and led the implementation of the win-win policy to finish off the Khmer Rouge and to bring peace, national reconciliation and unity, in which the people of the whole country, those integrated from the former Khmer Rouge area included, have benefited from peace and development in the past over one decade. And if it was truly a mistake, they should set free the Khmer Rouge leaders who are facing trial so that they could set up a political party to contest in the forthcoming elections rather than criticizing the Royal Government on failing to truly implement the Paris Peace Agreement.
After the elections we established a provisional national Government to deal with the general situation in the stage of transition as a result of the elections, to adopt a new Constitution and to establish a coalition government to govern the country. The regime of Constitutional monarchy has been restored allowing the Cambodian motherland to step into a new historical turn of peace, national reconciliation, democracy, pluralistic liberalism and development.
In sequential motion, with favorable conditions brought about by internal and external factors, the Kingdom of Cambodia eventually steps forwards with prideful achievements in scoring changes and new progresses in social and national construction. We have pooled our efforts under the motto of “Nation, Religion, King” aimed at safeguarding the Constitution to strengthen peace, stability, politics, national reconciliation, healing and national development, which enjoy wide ranging support from both inside and outside the country.
We have achieved and expanded, through the implementations of the national reconciliation policy, the win-win policy and the rectangular strategy of the Royal Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia, the support on a gradual basis which is essential factor of our successes in the struggle movement for national salvation, protection of people’s revival; defense of independence and national sovereignty, national restoration and development and in solving the Cambodian issue on the path of win-win policy, which results in larger supports for Cambodia from international community.
These achievements stemmed from decisive solidarity of our nation which is deeply significant in its historical value as a firm foundation that has been established in all fields so as to guarantee lasting existence and progress of Cambodia under the brilliant initiatives of Preah Preahmâhaviraksat the King-Father and Samdech Preah Reach Akka Mohèsey the Queen-Mother in the creation of policy of national reconciliation and healing.
Your Majesties, Samdech, Princes, Princesses, Excellencies, Lok Chumteavs, Khans, Ladies and Gentlemen, and Dear Compatriots
In the past, as well as in the present and the future, the Royal Government has pooled every mental and physical effort to actively implement the Phase I and Phase II Rectangular Strategy aimed at building Cambodia a society of all sector developments. The common strategic task is to mobilize the whole people to fully defend the regime of monarchy, the Constitution, the Kingdom of Cambodia, peace, political stability, national reconciliation; to prevent all actions that may have negative impacts on peace, security and public order. More still, to defend democracy, human rights; to build rule of law and social justice; to be determined to introduce new progress in people’s livelihoods; and to raise high the banner of independence, national sovereignty, the expansion of cooperation with international community by attracting foreign assistance for national development.
I have a firm belief that under the brilliant intelligence and wisdom of His Majesty the King, Preah Preahmâhaviraksat the King-Father and Samdech Preah Reach Akka Mohèsey the Queen-Mother, the Cambodian motherland will guarantee peace, political stability and solidarity, national unity as a great and strong family altogether for the sake of constructing and defending of the Angkor motherland with real progress and honor.
Though, it is true that the natural flood calamity this year has brought about impacts on the livelihoods of the people and certain achievements in various provinces, the Royal Government has mobilized and concentrated forces and means in the decisive fight to meet the impact challenges so as to restore and reconstruct our country according to plan.
On this auspiciously historical occasion, please allow me to offer all the best wishes for Preah Karuna Preah Bat Sâmdech Preah Bâromneath Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia, during the seventh anniversary of his enthronement, and for His Majesty to stay as cool shade, in peacefulness, longevity and wisdom to lead the Cambodian motherland to further progresses.
May all the sacred objects and the angels that safeguard the Kingdom of Cambodia and the throne to preside over and to well-wish Preah Karuna Preah Bat Sâmdech Preah Bâromneath Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia, Preah Preahmâhaviraksat the King-Father and Samdech Preah Reach Akka Mohèsey the Queen-Mother longevity and good health to stay as cool shade for their children for a long time to come.
May I also wish Samdech, Princes, Princesses, Excellencies, Lok Chumteavs, Ladies and Gentlemen, our compatriots with the four Buddhist blessings. Thanks
