… Today I have a great pleasure and honour to be in the province of Battambang once again after my presence at the inauguration of the Omuni pagoda in the district of Sangke and after my presence at the groundbreaking ceremony to construct some buildings in the Net Yang College. We all are meeting to welcome a new achievement of a three-storey building of 18 classrooms in the College of Net Yang and a two-storey school building of ten classrooms in the Batambang Regional Pedagogical Centre. May I take this opportunity to express my special thanks to HE Sar Kheng, the Interior Minister and member of the National Assembly for this provincial constituency, has represented me in solving problems not only in Battambang but also Pursat and Pailin.
… We used to have this saying that is known to be Buddhist prediction that “Prey Nokor (Saigon) falls, Phnom Penh disappears, Battambang disintegrates and Angkor Wat is joyful.” But we now are in a different time and it is no longer a Buddhist prediction but I say “Kompong Cham is united, Phnom Penh is pleased, Battambang is beautiful, and joyful is Angkor Wat.” We are saying so because take the College of Net Yang into consideration we now have new school buildings in place of old buildings that were falling apart. We also have new buildings in the regional pagoda centre. I am saying Kompong Cham Chuob Chum or is united because we have the Kizuna Bridge constructed linking east and west sides of the Mekong in Kompong Cham. We no longer use ferry and I am in the process of asking Japan to consider building us another bridge over the Mekong at Neak Loeung, and the bridging of this point would allow travelling from the Cambodian-Thai border to the Cambodian-Vietnamese border at a stretch and we could realize this because of our win-win policy that gives us peace and peace gives us opportunity and diamond chance for development towards the reduction of poverty among our people.
… We are moving step by step here in Battambang as a poem read by our people in the province narrating the method used by termites in building their kingdom. We could compare our speed to what we used to say “drop by drop the bucket is filled” or as I said the toad’s strategy, which I mean the speed might be slow but we have got a clear target to aim for. I have a sense that Cambodia is at best time ever as there are no longer sounds of gunfire, which have been completely replaced by songs and Buddhist or any other religious sermons. These are indeed what our people need. We have to hold on this opportunity as our country has had more than enough sufferings. It is time for Cambodia to unite for development and better living condition of the people. Though our supply has been insufficient as I mentioned in the ten imbalances, but we have focussed on addressing the imbalance of supply and demand of food, clothing and housing, transport means, education, and health.
… When I came to Battambang in 1985 and 1986, I saw that some of the houses in the provincial town were in ragtag conditions and the reason our people left them unattended is because first they were afraid of losing capital in renovating it and unsure of the state of personal belongings. That is why we have put out the policy in relations to personal properties and land ownership since mid 1980s. Because of the military situation in the past, the province had been assigned two Governors – HE Koi Buntha and HE Ke Kimyan — from the army, and later we had HE Ung Sami promoted to Governor. The war has stopped completely and our people can now travel to Pailin anytime they want. This is a good opportunity for everyone. I am also grateful to HE Governor Prach Chan’s report about the Hun Sen-Water Pump 40 which is now in full operation in the canal of Stoeung Sangke. Taking this opportunity I wish to express my sincere thanks and gratefulness to our people in Battambang in particular and the people of Cambodia as a whole for the offer of supports and confidence in me as well as my colleagues here. If you all have problems relating to the efforts of development, you may bring it to the attention of HE Senior Minister Sar Kheng and his CPP work team and I am sure they will be able to help you sorting them out…
Samdech Hun Sen offered on that occasion a set of two computers and printers and a photocopy machine to the pagoda of Purveal, ten million Riel to the Norul Mosque, a three story building of 12 classrooms and a set of two computers, one printers, a photocopy machine, two TVs and two VCRs to the College of Net Yang, and a set of computer and printer to the regional pedagogical centre.
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