Speech given by the Prime Minister on national and international occasions, review conference, etc. in English and in Khmer

Selected Off-the-Cuff Speech at the Inauguration of the National Road 58 [Unofficial Translation]

Speech

[…] I wish to take this opportune moment to affirm that it is not that I will end my role in one day or two days or by 2023. I have an ambition to continue in the post of Prime Minister through to 2028 or even after 2028 […] I hope that our people will continue to vote for the Cambodian People’s Party in the 2022 communal elections and the general elections in 2023 […]

[…] The 174 Km national road 56 from the city of Poi Pet on national road 5 through to the city of Samraong of Uddar Meanjei plays very important role in my efforts to fulfil two goals at one time. After the implementation of the win-win policy, I issued two goals for the country’s development […] firstly, transforming former battlefields into market and development places. Secondly, transforming borderlines with neighboring countries into one with peace, friendship, cooperation, and development […]

[…] in time of peace, everyone looks to China for assistance. In times of disaster, everyone seemed to have distanced from China. HM the King of Cambodia and HRH the Queen Mother sent messages sharing China’s hardships and contributed a sum of money […] showing Cambodia’s heart. I did what the Khmers say – “a friend indeed is a friend in need” […]

[…] We have put into operation three of the four b

Neth Panha, [26.02.20 17:26]
order passes […] we needed to sell goods to Thailand. Thailand needed to sell goods to Cambodia. More than we did to Thailand. We needed construction materials […] raw materials […] fuel from Thailand […]. I discussed with HE Prayuth Chan-ocha (Prime Minister of Thailand) to put into operation the O Nieng pass to connect special economic zone by transportation into Thailand […]

[…] agricultural machineries […] where did they come from? It is because we have peace and our people have made efforts as a family, a community, a state. The state provided a facilitation to impose no tax on agricultural land […] I continue to declare that after 41 years that we imposed no tax on agricultural land, and if the Cambodian People’s Party continues to be in power, it would be even 100 more years, we will not impose tax on agricultural land […]

[…] some analysts say (Cambodia) abandoned the US and Europe for China. I already affirmed that I am abandoning no one. I need all the friends I could make. Some have been too extreme. While the US is also doing business with China, why do they hate China so much? It is an unrealistic politics. (If they) follow this political path, (they) cannot be Cambodian leaders. Cambodia makes international relations irrespective of political regimes. As of now, we have diplomatic relations with over 170 countries […]

Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Inauguration of National Road 58 from Poi Pet to Somroang, 26 February 2020

Selected Off-the-Cuff Lecture to the Graduation and Diploma Presenting Ceremony for the Royal School of Administration [Unofficial Translation]

Speech

• […] Ego leads to devastation for officials […] ego and lack of moral on people, would lead to people’s detests of leaders […] there is this saying “the standing up rice panicle shows no graining, bowing panicle certifies graining.” Once you are polite and friendly to people, you will have their loves as there is a saying “staying to make people like, and leaving to make people miss” […]

• […] in any circumstances that factories production suspended because of interrupted supply of raw materials due to spread of Covid-19, (workers of factories suspended productions) would receive in all 60% of their salaries – 40% comes from the factories and 20% comes for the Royal Government. In case the factories closed down, workers would receive 120 USD per month for six months […]

• […] While pursuing the task of dealing with force majeure, there comes two types of officials. Firstly, those who report to senior levels and blame those junior level officials. We must send them to school or put them in certain jobs that requires no high-level responsibilities […] there is this other type of officials who tried to fulfil their tasks and shared bad and good time with those junior level officials […] this kind of officials must reward with higher appointments […]

• […] In leadership and working methodology, it is primarily to organize a good and workable plan ratifying every aspects around. You may refrain from organizing plans that are too ambitious to implement. With a good plan, you needed to set for implementation. As I said earlier, the two steps are not yet suffice. We must be preparing to respond to what might happen besides what we planned […]

Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Diploma Presenting Ceremony of the Royal School of Administration, 25 February 2020

A Message and Impromptu Comments on Measures Taken to Manage Impacts from Covid-19 Related Pneumonia and Suspension of Tax Favor on a Number of Goods under (Everything But Arms) Program [Unofficial Translation]

Speech

In addition to the message on “Measures Taken to Manage Impacts from Covid-19 Related Pneumonia and Suspension of Tax Favor on a Number of Goods under (Everything But Arms) Program,” Samdech Techo made the following off-the-cuff elaborations and comments: Today we are conducting the meeting of the Supreme Council for Consultations and Recommendations (SCCR). Before…

Selected off-the-cuff comments at Ministry of Interior’s 2019 Reviews and 2020-Directives Setting Conference [Unofficial Translation]

Speech

• […] Samdech Sar Kheng stressed on importance of implementing “village/commune safety.” I wanted it to be a national movement […] no crimes happened out of boundary of village, even central, provincial or communal levels, it started from the village […]

• […] 86% (of the Cambodian population have) trust in state management capacity, or confidence in the Cambodian People’s Party, so to speak, on issue of keeping peace and safety […] it is on this note that we must continue working […] on suppressing crimes […] alleviating fear among our people from robberies, thefts, drugs, and violence of all kinds […]

• […] (Listening) initially (to recommendation on finding and stripping off rights to drive, some may) think that Prime Minister punish people […] (in fact, doing this is for the sake of) defending drivers’ and other travellers’ lives […] after all, it is for safety of everyone […]

• […] There have been comments […] that it was a minor diplomatic dispute between Cambodia and Malaysia on this case of the 83 years old American lady […] it was not a dispute, I affirm. Cambodia seeks explanation only […] after being denied port of call everywhere, (allowing it to dock meant) Cambodia has fulfilled a humanitarian work […]

Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Closing of Annual Meeting of Ministry of Interior, 20 February 2020

Selected Off-the-Cuff Speech to the Graduation of Education Inspectors, Teachers Trainers and Pedagogical Students [Unofficial Translation]

Speech

1 […] The Royal Government refocused (human resource) to the first angle (of the four priorities) two terms already. The fifth term RGC from 2013 through to 2018, we have rearranged order of priorities from “water/irrigation, roads, electricity, human resource” to “human resource, water/irrigation roads and electricity” […] budget allocation according to policies (means) we are preparing budget in accordance with focused priorities […] to have better human resource, training of teachers is the fundamental factor […]

2 […] we will continue to invest in education […] both in school construction and livelihood of teachers […] to look back briefly, we have made a rather fast step from where we were […] this is an era of technology economy, digital age, it requires us to make further efforts in human resource training […]

3 […] after the liberation from Pol Pot’s regime […] those who taught and those who were taught had had a knowledge gap between one or two classes […] we did everything we could to retrain our teachers […] as of now, the standard (of teachers’ training) is 12+2 (12 years of general education plus two years of pedagogical training). We will go for 12+4 in the near future […] almost every teachers recruited after the fall of Pol Pot’s regime went into retirement […]

4 […] I thank the government of the People’s Republic of China for taking care of the Cambodian students who are living there, including the 23 students in Wuhan. They are in good health. It is quite unimaginable that some bad people spread fake news that one of the students died. It was so unfortunate. Let me ask those who did this, what would they get in return from their fake news? They even fake news that I am sick (from) CoVid-19 […]

5 […] get back to MS Westerdam cruise ship […] I continue to pose this question that if Cambodia were to turn them away, what would be the fate of the over 2,000 passengers aboard the ship? I call that a humanitarian crisis on the Westerdam […] the majority of the Cambodian population supported this decision (to allow them in). Our partners and friends abroad and in international organization supported our humanitarian gestures. However, a group of people blamed us for bringing diseases into the country. Let me ask if anyone Cambodian infected (by this CoVid-19) […]

6 […] has anyone passenger/tourist staying in Cambodia been sick? None. We take high responsibility for wellbeing of our people and of passengers that we allowed to get off board. We have certified inspection of their health with the expertise of the Pasteur Institute, plus that of the World Health Organization (WHO) that was with us. 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 […]

7 […] I have taken my responsibility as an implementer of humanitarian principle for citizens of other states/countries because we are member of the United Nations, of the World Health Organization […] it is a job that we should do, must do, and we have done it […]. It is a humanitarian obligation, a moral responsibility and solidarity to resolve regional and world challenges from CoVid-19 […]

Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Diploma Presenting Ceremony for Graduated Teachers and Teachers Trainers, 18 February 2020

Extensive Excerpt of Welcoming Statement to MS Westerdam Tourists at the Seaport of Preah Sihanouk [Unofficial Transltion]

Speech

• […] The real sickness in the region and the world has been ones of fear and discrimination […] this is no time for fear or discrimination but time for solidarity to resolve challenges (of CoViD-19) which has been threat not only to one but many countries […]

• […] Should there be CoViD-19 on the ship, would Cambodia allow docking? I am replying aptly […] I will allow docking the soonest possible […] could we leave infected human dying on the ship? […] that would be responsibility of the world as well as us responsible members of international community […]

• […] Cambodia upholds responsibility on respect of human rights, first of all right to life, and in this case more than 2,000 people from 41 nationalities on the ship […] Cambodia is doing for them now works relating to human right respect – right to life, right to no discrimination, and right to return to their countries safely […]

• […] I am giving those of you on board to leave for excursions to the province of Preah Sihanouk, or some may want to go to Siem Reap, and we will facilitate them with every facilities we may have – four planes of Cambodia Airways, for instance, to help deliver them […]

• […] Hotels, restaurants in Preah Sihanouk province should not discriminate against and be fearful to tourists because of this (sickness). If they are infectious, I am the first to get it. I strongly hope that the Cambodian people will exercise high responsibility as a contributor to promoting right to life, right to free travel and to no discrimination […] Cambodia has not got much wealth as other countries but we have got heart to save those people stranded at sea on the cruise ship […]

Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Statement during the Welcome of Westerdam Cruise Ship docking at Sihanouk Autonomous Port, 14 February 2020

Selected Impromptu Comments at the Ground-breaking Ceremony to Rebuild National Roads 2 & 22 [Unofficial Translation]

Speech

• … in 1987 or 33 years ago, I proclaimed four priorities for investment – water/irrigation, road, electricity/power, and human resource […] in 1993, up to the present, we have changed its order to focus as number one on human resource training […] the four priorities have been fundamentally correct for the past 33 years, and, I think, will be so for the next 33 or even 100 years […]

• … according to the study, the (Jroy Jangva-Svay Jrum) bridge would cost anywhere between 40 to 50 million USD […] in between 2019 through to 2023, (Republic of) Korea has package of 700 million USD for Cambodia […]

• … governor of Preah Sihanouk province Kuoch Chamroeun filed a report about a Dutch tourist, on a visiting cruise ship, being quarantined for high temperature […] we are waiting for results from the lab to certify if he is or is not infected with novel coronavirus. If he is, he would have to stay for treatment in Cambodia until he fully recovered […]

• As in weeks to come, some factories may close down because supplies from China would not be coming on time, please do not link this matter to economic sanction from the European Commission. Whether the sanction happens or not […] it will be in August […]

• … on the forthcoming 14 March 2020, there will be the ASEAN-US Summit in Las Vegas. Let me inform Cambodians in America that I will be arriving in Las Vegas on 12 March. I may have time for golf on 13 March […] on 14 March, it will be the Summit. On 15 March, I will meet with Cambodians before I will be leaving on 16 March. I think I will meet with the US President Donald Trump […]

Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Groundbreaking Ceremony for Improvement Project of the NR 2 and NR 22, 11 February 2020

Selected Off-the-Cuff Comments at the Closing of the Annual Review Conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and the Official Announcement that Cambodia Will Host the 13th ASEM Summit in 2020 [Unofficial Translation]

Speech

• […] I do not intend to use this forum to criticize Europe. I wanted countries in ASEAN, Cambodia is one of them, to learn lesson from principles of consensus and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs. It was the principle of consensus that unites ASEAN, though it was sometimes difficult to get to a decision. However, it keeps ASEAN away from division since they do not seek to resolve problems through voting […]

• […] ASEAN also has its own initiative on Indo-Pacific concept. We are seeking to synthesize regional initiatives, the belt and road also included […] under the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, India raised its “Look East” view. Now, the government of Prime Minister Norendra Modi talked about its “Act East” policy. We must reach out to this decision. South Korea initiated its Look South policy too. We must in this case synthesize those initiatives in the interest of ASEAN and serve as the center of solidarity between and among states […]

• In the region, there are countries that create Ministry of Science and Technology. I decided to readjust focus of the Ministry of Industry and Handicraft to become the Ministry of Industry, Technology and Innovation. The Minister, HE Cham Prasidh, will lead this work, and seek to amend related laws and by laws at the National Assembly, while redrafting a sub-decree of law on organization and functioning of the Ministry. It will create units that conducts scientific and technological studies and researches […] to cope up with the industry 4.0 era […]

• […] I continue to stand firm on my position to allow no one to lead our nose around and we will not trade national sovereignty with favor or assistance of any form. (That would be lack of value and cheap) should we not be able to implement our laws and act according to what is required by others. Would we be still a country of independence and sovereignty? In the past, we could survive under economic embargo around us, though we had relations only with the former Soviet Union and Eastern European countries’ bloc or CMEA, plus supports from Vietnam, Laos, and India. At present, we have many trade and business partners […]

Samdech Techo Hun Sen,
Closing Annual Meeting of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and International Cooperation, 31 January 2020.