Make Efforts for Yourself, Community, Nation
I am so glad to see the progress all of you have made in the University of Cambodia with the development in infrastructure, competence of professors, etc. However, the point of interest here has been the ability for students to find jobs. I mean we need top address a qualified training issue so as to let graduates to be able to either create a job for self-employment or to seek jobs. As the Samdcech Techo-Handa Vision 100 Scholarship Students is provided to students who passed the test I am encouraging you to make your best in your study here.
You make effort first of all for yourselves. When everyone has made him/herself competent and capable, the nation will also benefit accordingly. It all starts with action and movement of each and everyone to family, community and national level. You may have heard of wise words of so and so leaders that first you should not ask what the nation has given you but what you have given to your country. In this case, the country has given you peace and security, unlike the time when your parents had had to flee their home villages, districts or province for war. Yesterday it was the 35th anniversary of the coup which led to flame of war in the whole country, to genocide and civil war. We have now come to peace, which is now only 17 years old counting from 1998.
Now, the country has done a great deal for you. You have got to give more chance to yourself for education. You will not receive knowledge without making effort to gain it. I used to make an analogy of this process to blood infusion. I have said many times that transferring knowledge is not like you can infuse blood from one person to another. You may give your blood to save lives but you cannot share your knowledge by infusing it as you do with blood. It will depend on how concentrated you could be and benefit from knowledge sharing by professors. In fact, students need to make self-study a requirement than going to class.
Two Heroes – Neang Phalla and Sorn Sivmey – Petanque Winner to Announce
I would like to express my greeting to teacher Neang Phalla, our new hero after Sorn Sivmey, who won gold medal for Cambodia. Ms Neang Phalla made it to the top ten (contestants in the Global Teacher Prize). We wanted to see more teachers who can make such achievements. The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, initiated by the Minister HE Hang Chuon Naron, proposed to choose three best school directors and five best teachers per year. That is the wish for the whole of Cambodia. As for Ms Neang Phalla, getting to the top ten (contestants) is already a great moment. I am hailing her efforts and achievement. I will preside over the closing session of the Annual Review of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports on March 26, when I will present here with a medal.
We have another woman hero, who appeared to have won the world number one pétanque player. HE Sok An said she is yet to be presented. I said to parade her in Phnom Penh. France was the country that created pétanque. She beat them. She got it but we have not launched the celebration. Achievements in sports have increased. Our football team won the Macau team. Football will not depend on how big a country the team is from. For instance China and India, they have billions of people but their football teams never make it to world cup.
Japan and South Korea, they have less number of people but they did it. In March this year we have woman heroes who brought the country honour and fame. We have a woman player who has won the number 1 placement in world pétanque. We will celebrate later.
Two Questions for Kem Sokha
There is one hot issue I wish to bring it to the attention of HE Kem Sokha. I have two questions. It is important for the two political parties with seats in the National Assembly will have to adopt the law today, no matter how long it will take. First question, you said you are not satisfied with the 22 July 2014 (political) agreement. I am posing you a question why did you want very much the position of First Vice President of the National Assembly? If you are not satisfied (with the agreement) you should not take the position. Let me tell you, Mr. Kem Sokha was concerned that the Cambodian People’s Party would not vote for him. How come he is not satisfied with the (22 July 2014) agreement but happy with the position of First Vice President of the National Assembly?
The Cambodian People’s Party will not take that position. Why don’t you give it to someone in the CNRP? Well, as he is in the US, I may ask from here why you hold the position of First Vice President of the National Assembly. Can they not find one man out of their 55 elected members of CNRP to take the position? Why say unsatisfied but satisfied? He said it there in the US. It was like he nailed HE Sam Rainsy and underrated the negotiation last April 9. The political solution could have been signed since April 11, but he did not agree.
Second question, you said you will make Sam Rainsy to talk with me to release Meach Sovanara from prison. He said that “as New Year comes, we all need to be happy. It is impossible that leaders are enjoying, while people under command are in prison. Me, Kem Sokha, finds that unacceptable.” Now my question is if Meach Sovanara will not be released, what are you going to do after the Khmer New Year? Will you lead demonstration in the street? When you said that you will not accept that, what are you getting ready for? You are in guilt of leading the (campaign to) throw over legal Royal Government. Are you going to launch demonstration to set the convict free? Or leave the National Assembly?
Let me make clear here that as far as the electoral law and the law on the organization and functioning of the National Election Committee has nothing to do with the court procedure on a convicted person. The power rests in the court. Should Meach Sovanara be released tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, I would be happy for you. I have no right to obstruct the power of the court. Well if that is what they said, this is what I have to say too.
Your case consists of eight points. He could have been arrested in Kompong Cham since the evening of July 15. I have made it clear in our meeting on this case that our operation is to deal with the man in action in battlefield, not anywhere else. That is why the case was left for the court to summon him in his capacity as acting president of the Party when there was that incident. It was not accidental. You said the change was to take place through democratic mean. Did you remember when you should “Hun Sen, Step down.” Your change is nothing but an overthrow. I will let this issue with the court and I do not want to trade words.
If they really wanted to change by vote, why did they do what they had causing loss of lives and many wounded and damages of properties? There was one other person who claimed “to have revenged – two dead and 30 wounded.” His escape route is Thailand two hours before being arrested. Please excuse me for taking this forum to deliver this message. I just wanted to clear air as we are in the course of fulfilling the 22 July agreement on issue of Election Law and the law on the organization and functioning of the National Election Committee, they created troubling issues in the US. If I do not bring up the explanation today, people may have confused. I hope HE Sam Rainsy understand what I am trying to get at./.