One of the Three Bests
My wife and I are so happy to have seen this beautiful High School Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen – Ang Tasaom in the district of Tramkak, Takeo province. This is perhaps one of the three best – the High School of Seila Veti Keat Chhon in the district of Chhlong, the High School of Bun Rany – Hun Sen Memot in Kompong Cham. The high school has got three floors plus buildings for teachers. I am glad for the development in Takeo province as a whole, and the district of Tramkak in particular.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has to make contribution for the development of the high school. It is indeed a fact of resource sharing that I frequently mention about. People always pool their extra resources together in the form of religious or social rituals so as to get a sum of contribution for use in specific purpose. I used to say that without people’s participation nothing could be achieved. Take for instance the Cambodian People’s Party’s leadership in the national liberation since January 7 up to the present, because of the people’s participation, has scored victories one after the other. It is important to have a belief. If you cannot make one believe how could that person participate.
As we now have a good school, it is not yet a final stage of our effort. There needs good teaching and studying as well. We notice that some of our children have reached high school but some also abandoned school. Some youngsters have gone this far because of their involvements in morally wrong acts they have not only abandoned schools, caused sad experiences to themselves but also their families and communities. We know it is not a simple task to raise and educate children and we seek a close cooperation between teachers and parents in this matter to keep them under control.
Surplus Rice in Takeo Province
It is indeed a good thing to have listened to the report of HE Srei Ben, Governor of Takeo province, that the province has recorded a surplus of about half a million tons. HE Minister Chan Sarun, who is not here today for his trip to join the Food Forum in Rome, said that Tramkak which used to be food insufficient has now become a district with surplus rice production.
Before becoming the Chief of Staff in 1988, HE Pol Saroeun was the head of Takeo province. I remembered at that time that they did not bother with the medals but with the people’s hunger. That is why I see that they have made a good job in land reform in the province. Governor Pol Saroeun never allowed for the solidarity groups to exist in reality. I visited Takeo frequently to learn from their experience. I visited the district of Koh Andet to see their dry season rice fields.
Intensive Rice Cultivation and Aquaculture
Tramkak has been a leading district in intensive rice cultivation based on nature because there are 13,828 households among 80,000 households that applied intensive rice cultivation throughout the country. It has reached the yield of 3,749 tons per hectare compared to the average output of 2.2 tons per hectare. Many researchers have come down here to conduct their studies.
Takeo could also move ahead with the plan to improve its aquaculture and transform the province form fish scarce to fish abundance province. If it goes all the way to export level, that would be a great change. Aquaculture has been conducted in many forms – in ponds, in rice fields and a combination between them. It is indeed a good thing that in the province there are in all 21 fish breeding centers. As water is getting shallow, and fish is getting scarce, we have come to the situation that we have more people than fish. This is a reversal pattern from the past when we had deeper water, more fish and less people to feed.
It is no longer possible to depend on natural water system to feed people with fish. We have to conduct the approach of aquaculture in replacement of those depleted resources. I have leant also that growing vegetables also has taken a strong lead in the province. HE Chan Sarun said that Tramkak will be making a progress not less competitive than the province of Kandal. In the past we had so many difficulties both in producing as well as marketing. But we have now come to a different situation because the country is better connected and also we have more market demands – like restaurants, hotels, etc. to provide to.
CPP Welcomes Defectors of SRP in Takeo and Abroad
There is this movement of defection from the Sam Rainsy Party not only inside the country but also in foreign countries like in Australia, the United States, France, Canada, etc. Yesterday, Mr. Meas Marin, son of Mr. Meas Chan, announcer of the Voice of America Khmer language, also defected to Cambodian People’s Party with a contribution of 500 US dollars. This signifies that he does not sell himself to the CPP but volunteers completely. Mr. U Sovan, advisor of SRP for the United States and Canada also defected to CPP with a symbolic gesture of 100 US dollars contribution. I think this is to state that those who defect are not putting themselves on sale.
CPP welcomes people from all sides and more to defect more will be welcome. We need human resources and this will unite for the country’s development and progress. I will soon finish talking as it is my habit that I do not talk at all in the electoral campaign period. We want to win the elections but also we need to have an election free, fair and free from violence. I would stay in control of the situation politically and economically in this very important stage. Whatever comes out of the elections will be actual and I would suggest the CPP members to be patient and mature in face of political attacks, and all matters should be resolved by legal means./.
EndItem.
