My wife an I are so happy that we meet today to celebrate this important ceremony and to sincerely thank our people from near and far who believe in the power of the Buddha in the pagoda of Vihiesuor. We all expect to be blessed by merits performed in the Vihiesuor Buddhist temple. I wish to take this opportune moment to express my sincere thanks to HE Aun Poan Muniroth and Madame who have represented me in the last few days in preparing all the ceremonies concerned.
This pagoda as reported by HE Chhun Sirun has been here for nearly ten decades already (979 years) and is related to many legends in the Cambodian history. People also believe in the power of the Vihiesuor Buddha and some of them have come from a far and abroad to fetch water from the pond. It is also noted that even fish in this pond could not be fished or there would be serious consequences. HE Em Sam An and me when we dug this pond, our wish is to provide water for our people’s demand for water but it has turned out to be a sacred pond, the water from which the people believe in its magic power.
Yesterday I was at Siemreap and I came across the place where there was an attempt of my life by four B-40 rockets. I was so shocked of how narrowly I escaped thanks to the protection of invisible powers of the black Buddha in Angkor Wat and also partly, I am sure, helped by the Buddha in the Vihiesuor temple. However from a fortune-bible reading I would have no more ill-fortunes. As long as my wife and I are safe, our people would also be living safely too. Or to say it in another term if the CPP wins the elections, all can work and co-exist with us.
I could recall that when Samdech Ov (the heroic King-Father) and Samdech Mae (the heroic Queen-Mother) first returned to the country, they also came to the Buddhist Pagoda of Vihiesuor to perform their gratitude to the power of the Vihiesuor Buddha for granting the chance for them to return to the country after being absent from 1970 through to 1991.
How do I come to have close relation to this place? In 1989, I made a journey to this part of the country, which has instilled in me a lot of memories from heavy rain, my stay in the village of Sanlong, the boat-ferry and my initiative to build for the people in those days a steel bridge called the Bridge of Hun Sen-Preah Kunlong. I also wrote a song “the Bridge of Gold and Silver” which is still popular up to the present.
It is also well-known that Vihiesuor in the time of war between 1970 to 1975 had been a fierce battle between the soldiers of Lon Nol’s Khmer Republic and the Khmer Rouge. Untold sufferings and destruction had took place because of the war and the genocide. Piece by piece and little by little we have been able to put back various Buddhist buildings in the pagoda and finally with the leadership of HE Aun Poan Muniroth, the pagoda has now changed its look to become a nice place for our people. I wish the achievements in the pagoda will help defend our nation, religion and HM the King and also to each and every one of us.
As I said earlier if CPP wins, and CPP is not me alone but, Hun Sen will become the prime Minister. Taking this opportune moment I would like to express my sincere appreciation and joy to the success of the elections in Thailand that was conducted in a free and fair manner yesterday. Cambodia is waiting to continue working with the civilian Thai Government which is to be set up in the near future. I hope that the relationship between Cambodia and Thailand will be promoted to a new height by working with the new Prime Minister and Government. The current Prime Minister also declared that the elections have been free and fair too.
I would like to take this chance to thank the working group that is working to help improve the people’s living condition here. You may be assured that I have sent to Khsach Kandal my best brain or what we called the Cambodian Supreme National Economic Council. I am sure they have a way to study and initiate changes that will improve and develop livelihoods in the district of Khsach Kandal. Take for instance aside from what you already received today I unveil a project to build a College of Vihiesuor with a complete set of necessary teaching and studying materials. This project has been sponsored by the Government of Qatar 4.4 million US dollars and the counterpart fund provided by the Royal Government of Cambodia making it in all 5.5 million US dollars.
Another important project has been the construction the national road 8 and the Bridge of Prek Tamak which will shorten the distance to go from this area to the city of Phnom Penh. This area would in a short time after the road and bridge are done become a satellite city and through which people from other provinces – Svay Rieng, Prey Veng, etc. would travel across this place. This would encourage ideas of satellite city in the area of the district of Muk Kampoul, and establishing factory zones because there are roads and labor forces available./.
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