… In just three days we have brought to an end what is called illegal gambling sites – take for instance slot machines, which we have allowed only foreigners not Cambodian players … We have fulfilled our task according to the regulations as to the sites where players gathered for their gambling but we also have to find out and put an end to those sites that are being set up for secret operation as well … We must have continued measures in this matter, which I request the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Council of Ministers to discuss further actions to be taken on this issue …
I have no hesitation in asking our people’s understanding for being late in putting out social reforms and it is, if I am not mistaken, my fifth time to have sought your understanding in public in my position as the Prime Minister … In 1987-88, I have sought the people’s understanding on land reform issue though it was a difficult and objective decision to be made as whether we should recognize the ownership from before 1975 or the present ownership … I sought our people’s forgiveness for taking a long time to make this difficult and controversial decision … Henceforth, reform was put into practice and ownership title was provided where its legitimacy has been recognized up to the present …
The second apology, in 1989 and 1990, concerned with the military strategy, which after the withdrawal of the Vietnamese voluntary forces, I left our troops scattered around … That had created a situation that the Khmer Rouge forces recaptured some of the strategic positions, leading to speculation that without the Vietnamese forces, the Phnom Penh forces were smashed or blown away like paper. However, in no time, the Phnom Penh forces returned with strength in recapturing lost positions … I took full responsibility for that mistake in the military strategy …
The third to recall is the anarchy in deforesting and logging in between 1993 and 1998 … Prior to establishing the second legislature Royal Government, on October 22, 1998, I took the liberty to apologize for those actions, though there were in fact two Prime Ministers in government … Prior to 1993, permission granted for logging only about 160,000 cubic meters per annum, but the Government led by two Prime Ministers extrapolated logging. As a result I had to take actions to prevent further anarchy in this matter …
Fishing zone reform has been the fourth issue that I have asked for people’s understanding publicly … In 2000, after I apologized our people for bureaucratic discrepancy in fishing zone management, I have decided to trim out about 56% of the whole fishing zone, defined without a review since 1927, for people’s use … When the zone was defined back then, the water area was large and deep, but by the year 2000, the water area has shrunk and is shallow … I was sorry for keeping the matter so long before making decision on it …
To day before all senior officials and also the people of Cambodia, I would once again form this podium seek your understanding on combating gambling in our society … you may ask why I didn’t take strong measure sooner … Before our senior officials – whose responsibility and competency together with their decision making powers – I would seek their cooperation in providing additional supports to these measures …
Our people are welcoming this decision to close down gambling sites while the Royal Government is in pursuit of taking further look on legal matters of all gambling systems … As far as drug is concerned, as I have said the other day, we have made a lot of progress as to identifying and verifying the system … Cambodia is not a country that produces drug, but it is in a chain via which drug is being trafficked through …
There was one case though in Phnom Sruoch that there was an attempt to set up production but it had been crushed effectively … But I wish to draw your attention that if we have caught more it could mean that there are more being trafficked in the market … so it is wise to increase our actions … A report of what has been discussed in the conference has brought to light that border police has not charged any tax on our people transporting products to trade with neighboring countries …
However, our traders continue to use unofficial border points … This is a major issue, as on one side they may be able trade prohibited products like valuable woods and/or even illegal materials through which drug could be one of them … Therefore it is my duty to appeal to our traders to circulate their products/goods to and from through official border points … In order to get this job done more comprehensively, we will soon have HE Ke Kim Yan, a new Deputy Prime Minister to look after the matter. This should be seen as the Royal Government’s commitment and action in resolutely combating drug and issues related … Having said all this, I would say it is better we put out fire rather than trying to fan the smoke away …■
