Visa Granting Upon Arrival – Interests and Concerns
Indeed it is a point of interest as it is a key tool in securing income for the country because, as our people could simply think of twenty US dollars for a visa for one tourist to visit Cambodia, then we could collect twenty million dollars from the arrival of one million tourists. Visa exemption with five countries for about 40,000 tourists will be worth 8 million dollars. However, tourism is not just visa (income) but everything else including more works and pays for the locals…
Visa exemption could be extending to other parts that are not within ACMECS framework and a point of consideration here is the provision of visa upon arrival, which to the tourist industry has been quite attractive. However, real tourists do not seem to have been attracted by that. It seems that those who are not seasonal tourists have a better knowledge of the system of issuing visa upon arrival better.
The policy has brought us some concerns though. Many foreigners arrived in Cambodia with upon-arrival visa option. Lately we have those coming from Nigeria and Serra Leone that have been relating with drugs issue. Having said so, I would suggest that there are numerous illegal immigrants who have been residing in Cambodia after their visas validity are over … What I wanted to share with you is that upon-arrival visa is a means to attract tourists and therefore their money, but there is a negative side of it to be concerned about. We need in many ways to improve management for the sake of national security.
At the time our country was at war, the Cambodian people fled the country in search of security and better life in foreign destinations, but it seems that now Cambodia has become a destination for foreign nationals because of instability in their own … Again, we should give more thought on that and I specially request the national police to come up with effective management system in prevention of and dealing with this matter …
As in the case of going to the United States of America, taking an interview at the US embassy would not be easy to get a pass, and I would in this instance warn our officials of being on the US black list … Some people request for being on the delegation list in journeys to so and so country … If the accompanying member of delegation did not return the head of delegation will indeed be responsible …
We will continue to provide/issue visa upon arrival, but it is also our major concern and duty to monitor visa validity thereafter so that altogether we could keep our country safe from those who takes Cambodia as their refuge and/or a means to get through to a third country.
Development Vs Preservation/Conservation
May I say a few words about a development that is in balance with preservation and/or conservation … These matters are to be complementary to one another and not for one but also not the other, as it sometimes has been thought and done by some of us … I usually use simple mythical terms like it is important to see the forest as a whole rather than focusing on a particular tree ..
Take one case as an example, there have been some people came to me and talked about development project that they are for possible extinction of indigenous livelihood … I got them back on one critical point that development we are doing is for alleviating people’s poverty … which I think they would agree with me that we should not leave our indigenous people to go on depending on bush tucking … so that they would continue to be an eye catching moment for western tourists … The area is good for rubber and our people there no longer depend on bush tucking but on own rubber plantation …
However as I said, we have to come up with a solution that is addressing the whole problem and not a single case incident … Take for instance, we have just seen here the preservation of a coffin which is about 500 years old … Things like these, forest or other spirits of those sorts that are respected and observed by the indigenous would be preserved and conserved …
Cambodian or foreigner alike, who blame us for development in negligence of preservation and conservation area and who take one way criticism on our action, would not be our source of concern but how do we go about balancing the elements related to development … Take for instance tourism, plan to develop destinations for this industry should bear the two complimentary elements and should keep development from abusing preservation and conservation, and vice versa.
A Green Belt for Local Exports
Another matter that I want to share is the efforts made by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in urging for development and progress in the field of food processing as well as products that can be a supply for hotels and restaurants … In Siemreap, take for instance, the German organization GTZ is in the process of helping the city to establish what is called a green belt, which could become a source of provision of vegetables and protein to the city. I wish this to be common efforts for the whole countries, especially in Siemreap, Phnom Penh, and other cities and provincial towns … Once they are up in functioning, we would eventually reduce to a great extent those imported from other countries …
… In fact service relating to tourism industry is broad and far reaching than other sections, take for instance textile. A tourist would pay for a visa, airport tax, taxi, hotel, restaurant … and as you may see how many Cambodians who might be working in providing those services … I have noted that the Ministry of Tourism has made a big advertisement on the Cable New Network (CNN) of Cambodia but what I am sure will do the best means of advertising would be what we could provide them and what will they talk about Cambodia …
A Peaceful Country
When I was in Great Britain for a short visit not long ago, I happened to watch BBC. There was this about 45-minute documentary film about Cambodian culinary. The film depicts presenter who took lessons of Khmer culinary in a trip all along from Kompot (in the southern part of Cambodia), Kompong Chhnang (central part of Cambodia) through to Siemreap (where Angkor Wat is). It is a good thing to see our culture being learned by foreigners …
However, one element came in to my mind that makes the whole picture meaningful and complete — Cambodia is now in full peace, free from war and terrorism, and maintaining, a fact of everyday life, political stability. Imagine who would be going to visit a country where their lives are in dangers …
We have achieved peace but for the sake of social and personal security of tourists, we have to take measures to deal with disobedient youngsters as it may be a detriment to tourist image in Cambodia as well … Especially areas where there are frequent foreign visitors, tourist police must increase their patrol and be alert for tourists’ call … Their safety and security is our utmost concern …
Visitors Tell Others to Come
We have to find a way to get those who have come to want to come back again and those who have returned tell good things more about Cambodia and urge others to visit Cambodia … This is business. One regular customer is a good thing but more coming with him or her will even be better … Information and judgment of Cambodia told to others would be very important … The case of fighting to get a hand on transporting tourists cause so much ill image for the industry. Many efforts have been made to put things back in order but more need to be done …
I also like to express my sincere appreciation for the Ministries of Health, of Forestry, Forestry and Fisheries, as well as the National Committee of Disaster Management, whose efforts have been quite effective in preventing and dealing with the spread of A/H1N1 influenza …
According to the record that has been brought to me, with one French and one Japanese citizens, who came from Thailand, infected case has increased to 19 people and none has died. We are poor so we do things our way but it has proven to be effective as we have the situation under control …
Among the 19 infected, seven US students, one Filipino, one Japanese citizen, one French citizen, we have to keep their embassies informed of their conditions …
The past experience has shown that Cambodia prevented well the spread of SARS, which was followed by bird flu. The current health threat of A/H1N1, up to the moment, has proven to be under control too … Frankly speaking, as the flu burst out in Mexico, Cambodia already took its precautionary measures and called for an urgent ASEAN meeting to deal with the new threat … We should go on to be alert and take decisive measure to study what happens and to be ahead in taking measure and in control.
Keep Cities Clean
This matter is of interest and concern. We have put out various measures but because of ineffective mechanism we never have gone far. HE Thaong Khon has today proposed a committee that I have been asked to be its honorary President … I would take this opportunity to thank provincial towns and cities who have made efforts in cleaning up their cities and towns, especially Phnom Penh …
This is one way of putting it. There is another way to look at this matter. It is so astonishing that Phnom Penh that every one saw 30 years ago as a ghost city has now re-emerged once again a city of beauty beyond imagination …
Those present here today may have learned or seen that the city of Phnom Penh at that time had most of its parks and gardens filled with coconut trees … Having liberated the city in those days we had left it mostly the way it was because we had no resources to manage and we had a big famine to solve …
We have houses and apartments left empty where people were scared to occupy one all by oneself. Some shared it with a couple of colleagues while others shared with relatives, who, to our understanding, had fought later for ownership of the house or apartment that no one would want it in those days …
I am so happy that Phnom Penh people are going out every morning and evening to do exercises … especially in Phnom Penh. Unlike Takhmao town of Kandal that was left unmanaged …
I travel to and fro in the town of Takhmao and I noticed that grass has grown unmanaged. It is even more shrubbier than the town of Pailin of Pailin province of HE Ee Chhien. I have instructed our officials to take care of our roads and it means two things – to check the road if there are any unrecorded and illegal checkpoints and also to see if there are any damages. We should not let small damages become bigger holes in the roads and everyone should take care of things without having to get warned … ■
