I am so happy to come and join you all in the ceremony to present 860 graduates of IIC University of Technology with diplomas. Today is one of the hardest working day as I would have to receive a guest after this event at the Peace Palace, followed by closing the annual conference of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries this afternoon. I also have so many papers to go through. Institutions may have known that I am going to leave for Russia next week and they wish to have some of their urgent matters approved. I would take this opportune moment to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to progress made by IIC University of technology as they are working to produce trained human resource. It is also a pride indeed as 96 foreigners also studied in this university.
Sickness of Being the Best Led to Isolation and Disaster
I have said that sickness of being the best or individualism leads to isolation and disaster. They will make people think of nothing and no longer give interest in research or studies. They think they know everything better than anyone does. People should not learn from this. Today the IIC University of technology is doing a very good thing and I am joining with graduates to celebrate their successes with their families and friends.
I have talked to the Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, HE Hang Chuon Naron that should we be able to work it out next time, we must let their families and/or friends come into the hall. We may let two people for each graduate to attend. They may like to see how the ceremony goes and/or see Prime Minister is delivering a speech. I have a hard feeling to see them standing and waiting outside. If we could somehow let them in next time, it would be great.
Reducing Gap of Property Hard to Achieve
Our country is in its efforts to develop. We should not forget that should human resource be absent, development would not be happening. Our country has transformed from being a country to produce only to feed itself to do so for export. We have scored agricultural surplus and are seeking external markets. In industry, we also are producing more than we need in local market. We export to foreign markets. In process of development, in every country and society, no one could guarantee equality of property. Only Pol Pot attempted to do so and failed. They made people wear black clothes, work, and eat collectively. As for countries of development in general, there is always division between those who have and have not. To reduce gap between rich and poor, urban and rural, or property is difficult to achieve. Only Pol Pot would expel people from cities, confiscated people’s property and put them in a collective way of life. They could do it but may die and the regime failed before long.
Reducing Gap of Intellectual, Peace Is Core
We do not adhere to what Pol Pot did. We do not have the ability to make every one rich too. In every country there is to be farmers, workers, traders, laborers, industrialists, and division, of course. One way to reduce gap between them is to make them achieve knowledge. Everyone is born without anything coming along. They all came naked. It is not true that those who were born to well-off families are cleverer than those who were born in poorer families.
To give them chance is to maintain rights and peace. It is a big thing. The Royal Government is ready to pay whatever price to maintain peace allowing no one group of people to destabilize the country and cause turmoil leading to loss of chance for majority of people. The Royal Government is resolutely determined to defend peace and stability. I hope some of them here record what I am saying … yesterday, the Cabinet, and Quick and Reaction Unit reacted to a title … I just wanted to affirm that first of all what we must provide our youth and people is peace lost since 1970 and will defend it from destruction. We fought hard to attain peace […]
Now that we have just passed the Khmer New Year ceremony, with peace intact, people travelled around the country. They went up to Siem Reap, return to Preah Vihear, Stoeng Treng, Ratanakiri. Mondulkiri and back to Phnom Penh. It is like a half tour of the country. That was possible because we have peace and there were no threats of any kind. That is why I said to achieve a reduction of intellectual gap, we must have and protect peace.
Hardware and Software of Education
Whoever intends to destroy peace and stability of the country will face with punishment by law. We make law to protect the Constitution, to maintain country’s security. Law is not for whoever wins would do whatever s/he wishes. We need infrastructure – hard and soft – to support education. Hardware infrastructure relating to education is the provision of school buildings and we have provided them to various parts of the country. I said I do not wish to see any Cambodian youth suffering ill fate like me. I parted my family at 13 years old to search for education in Phnom Penh. As for the present, we have schools everywhere waiting for students to study.
Even after 1979, how many youth had abandoned study for lack of school? Or emigrated from their native villages to search for education … We now have many schools and colleges in local level. We have state and private universities too. As far as software infrastructure is concerned, we have trained so many teachers and now we have up to more than 110,000 of them. We have 190,000 civil servants, and 110,000 of them are teachers and 30,000 are physicians.
Contracted Health Workers to Be Civil Servants
I am declaring here today that contracted physicians …those who were what they called “floating staff” will incorporate into the list of civil servants in 2016. Specialized doctors who worked as contracted officials but have worked in hospitals for nearly ten years. We then need to incorporate them into state servants so that they would benefit from salary and pension when they retire. I am responding to requests made to my Facebook page. This is to say I have seen your requests but I need time for the Ministries of Health and Public Functions working it out […]
We are working hard to form up generations of teachers. In the past, we used this theory of those who know more teach those who know less, and those who know little teach those who know nothing. We have come away from that now. We have our teachers trained with formulas of 12+2 and/or 16+1. They may not have higher salary but we have tried to increase salary of our teachers. Now for teachers at primary and maternity level of education receive a minimum salary of over 800,000 Riel or roughly two hundred USD. In 2018, we have aimed to increase minimum salary base to not less than one million Riel. It is not an empty promise but a true vision with financial ability to carry it through.
Making Hat That Fits A Head
I heard rector Chhuon Chanthan mentioned in his speech to make our country advanced as other countries. Well, which country should we learn from in the world, if I may raise a question? Some rich countries brought conflict and fighting on others, should we learn from them? Some punish other countries by this or that means. There are multi standard in the world. That is why I would rarely say this word “like other countries.” There are many advanced nations. Which one shall we follow? Sometimes, those countries have gone before us 200 years already and we just started, how could we match up speed with them?
When I started reform in 1985 on land and housing properties, the former Soviet Union soon started its perestroika and glasnost policy under the leadership of Mikhail Gorbachev. I have received a photo that they printed on cover of Asia Week with a title “Sinking or Floating.” Before taking a bath in the river, I gave an interview to Jacques Beaert for about one hour. He asked me if what I did was to follow what Gorbachev did. I responded that “I would not have my head trimmed to fit in a hat. I would have a hat made to fit with my head.” Situation in Cambodia was not similar to that of the former Soviet Union them. I could not take anyone as teachers. I would do it as my country recommended.
At present, who do we follow? In Europe, look at what happened to Greece. In France, President Francoise Hollande advocates a stimulus package but does not seem to go anywhere. UK is in process of having a referendum whether to stay on or exercise Brexit from EU. In the UK itself, Scotland demands for secession and referendum for that purpose each time brought more power to it. We must do thing our way and learn from others. Look our ancestors must have learnt from others too when they build the wall of Angkor. However, you shall notice if Angkor temple is in any part similar to temples anywhere in the world. I could not imagine that. We should learn this from our ancestors. To do it as other countries, I could not recall one to follow. We should not be theoretical but practical to the situation of Cambodia […]
Opposition Party Defamed Hun Manet as Vietnamese Son
There is a matter beyond thought. They posted on Facebook that Hun Manet is not Hun Sen’s son. My son, Manet is one pitiful. My wife and I went through many odd things. I wrote and spoke a lot about it and about how did we meet? … My first son died and my second son, I left him when my wife was in her five-month pregnancy. I had to take it to the forest to lead resistance. After liberation, I could not account for them. On 24 February 1979, I met them again. Hun Manet addressed me as uncle for two months […]
However, I could not imagine that those in the opposition would do such cheap thing. I must take a strong position on that matter and made it clear as long as you do not leave me peace, you will not get one. They had gone this far to say my wife was wife of a Vietnamese leader and Hun Manet was their son and they left him in Sok An’s care. The fact that they could slander thing like that there would be nothing else they dare not. They organize protest against Hun Manet’s visit to the US. Their plan gathered only about 50 people, while Manet’s address attended by ten times more. When they could not do anything against him, they posted things like that on Facebook.
… What the opposition had done is nothing new. I would send them a massage, as long as they like to play with it, I will accompany them. My son said that I should declare out loud and come with a condition. “Let us check DNA. If the result points out I am your son, they had to withdraw themselves from politics. On the contrary, if I am not your son, we on our part will leave the Prime Minister’s post.” I responded to his message that “let us not bother ourselves with them.” Hun Manet is the most calm among my children but he could not stand that. On this point, I am determined. You cannot seek my help. Let the court procedure continues and there is nothing for Hun Sen to involve. This is a message. I hope you do not twist it again or you will have to be responsible … Maybe it is the best that you stop talking about me.
The Voice Season 2, Cambodian Youth Models
… Let me talk about the four coaches (in Khmer, the spelling of coach sounds like a Khmer word to mean a nasty person.) The Hang Meas TV’s The Voice, Season I and The Voice Season II, have proved to be a good program. What is amused here is that the English word for someone who trained is “coach.” They said let the four coaches say something (or the four “nasty persons” say something because of the sound in Khmer). I am longing for Live Show. I will continue to vote. This show takes place under the time of my leadership. I must understand about it. It is fantastic. […] On Sunday, I sometimes waited until midnight.
In another program, “Cambodian Youth Models” in my Facebook page, they started voting already. They have done it two rounds now. I took part in the first round. I sent a representative to attend the second round. The third round is under voting. I am thinking that maybe after five or six round, I will invite all top 10 candidates to an hour lecture or so … it will be a meeting of everyone who take parts in the contest of youth models … It will take time to have a youth movement to work towards doing merit works and technology for society. That is what I would like to achieve …/.
