Selected Off-the-Cuff Speech to the Graduation of Education Inspectors, Teachers Trainers and Pedagogical Students [Unofficial Translation]

1 […] The Royal Government refocused (human resource) to the first angle (of the four priorities) two terms already. The fifth term RGC from 2013 through to 2018, we have rearranged order of priorities from “water/irrigation, roads, electricity, human resource” to “human resource, water/irrigation roads and electricity” […] budget allocation according to policies (means) we are preparing budget in accordance with focused priorities […] to have better human resource, training of teachers is the fundamental factor […]

2 […] we will continue to invest in education […] both in school construction and livelihood of teachers […] to look back briefly, we have made a rather fast step from where we were […] this is an era of technology economy, digital age, it requires us to make further efforts in human resource training […]

3 […] after the liberation from Pol Pot’s regime […] those who taught and those who were taught had had a knowledge gap between one or two classes […] we did everything we could to retrain our teachers […] as of now, the standard (of teachers’ training) is 12+2 (12 years of general education plus two years of pedagogical training). We will go for 12+4 in the near future […] almost every teachers recruited after the fall of Pol Pot’s regime went into retirement […]

4 […] I thank the government of the People’s Republic of China for taking care of the Cambodian students who are living there, including the 23 students in Wuhan. They are in good health. It is quite unimaginable that some bad people spread fake news that one of the students died. It was so unfortunate. Let me ask those who did this, what would they get in return from their fake news? They even fake news that I am sick (from) CoVid-19 […]

5 […] get back to MS Westerdam cruise ship […] I continue to pose this question that if Cambodia were to turn them away, what would be the fate of the over 2,000 passengers aboard the ship? I call that a humanitarian crisis on the Westerdam […] the majority of the Cambodian population supported this decision (to allow them in). Our partners and friends abroad and in international organization supported our humanitarian gestures. However, a group of people blamed us for bringing diseases into the country. Let me ask if anyone Cambodian infected (by this CoVid-19) […]

6 […] has anyone passenger/tourist staying in Cambodia been sick? None. We take high responsibility for wellbeing of our people and of passengers that we allowed to get off board. We have certified inspection of their health with the expertise of the Pasteur Institute, plus that of the World Health Organization (WHO) that was with us. As for what happened in Malaysia […] I think the WHO and the ship owner, as well as the Ministry of Health (of Cambodia) must find out with Malaysia […]

7 […] I have taken my responsibility as an implementer of humanitarian principle for citizens of other states/countries because we are member of the United Nations, of the World Health Organization […] it is a job that we should do, must do, and we have done it […]. It is a humanitarian obligation, a moral responsibility and solidarity to resolve regional and world challenges from CoVid-19 […]

Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Diploma Presenting Ceremony for Graduated Teachers and Teachers Trainers, 18 February 2020

Extensive Excerpt of Welcoming Statement to MS Westerdam Tourists at the Seaport of Preah Sihanouk [Unofficial Transltion]

• […] The real sickness in the region and the world has been ones of fear and discrimination […] this is no time for fear or discrimination but time for solidarity to resolve challenges (of CoViD-19) which has been threat not only to one but many countries […]

• […] Should there be CoViD-19 on the ship, would Cambodia allow docking? I am replying aptly […] I will allow docking the soonest possible […] could we leave infected human dying on the ship? […] that would be responsibility of the world as well as us responsible members of international community […]

• […] Cambodia upholds responsibility on respect of human rights, first of all right to life, and in this case more than 2,000 people from 41 nationalities on the ship […] Cambodia is doing for them now works relating to human right respect – right to life, right to no discrimination, and right to return to their countries safely […]

• […] I am giving those of you on board to leave for excursions to the province of Preah Sihanouk, or some may want to go to Siem Reap, and we will facilitate them with every facilities we may have – four planes of Cambodia Airways, for instance, to help deliver them […]

• […] Hotels, restaurants in Preah Sihanouk province should not discriminate against and be fearful to tourists because of this (sickness). If they are infectious, I am the first to get it. I strongly hope that the Cambodian people will exercise high responsibility as a contributor to promoting right to life, right to free travel and to no discrimination […] Cambodia has not got much wealth as other countries but we have got heart to save those people stranded at sea on the cruise ship […]

Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Statement during the Welcome of Westerdam Cruise Ship docking at Sihanouk Autonomous Port, 14 February 2020

Selected Impromptu Comments at the Ground-breaking Ceremony to Rebuild National Roads 2 & 22 [Unofficial Translation]

• … in 1987 or 33 years ago, I proclaimed four priorities for investment – water/irrigation, road, electricity/power, and human resource […] in 1993, up to the present, we have changed its order to focus as number one on human resource training […] the four priorities have been fundamentally correct for the past 33 years, and, I think, will be so for the next 33 or even 100 years […]

• … according to the study, the (Jroy Jangva-Svay Jrum) bridge would cost anywhere between 40 to 50 million USD […] in between 2019 through to 2023, (Republic of) Korea has package of 700 million USD for Cambodia […]

• … governor of Preah Sihanouk province Kuoch Chamroeun filed a report about a Dutch tourist, on a visiting cruise ship, being quarantined for high temperature […] we are waiting for results from the lab to certify if he is or is not infected with novel coronavirus. If he is, he would have to stay for treatment in Cambodia until he fully recovered […]

• As in weeks to come, some factories may close down because supplies from China would not be coming on time, please do not link this matter to economic sanction from the European Commission. Whether the sanction happens or not […] it will be in August […]

• … on the forthcoming 14 March 2020, there will be the ASEAN-US Summit in Las Vegas. Let me inform Cambodians in America that I will be arriving in Las Vegas on 12 March. I may have time for golf on 13 March […] on 14 March, it will be the Summit. On 15 March, I will meet with Cambodians before I will be leaving on 16 March. I think I will meet with the US President Donald Trump […]

Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Groundbreaking Ceremony for Improvement Project of the NR 2 and NR 22, 11 February 2020

Launching the Constructions of the USD 294 Million 34 Roads/Streets in the Province of Preah Sihanouk [Unofficial Translation]

Reconfiguring and Reconstructing Infrastructures in Preah Sihanouk Province […] in general, we have noticed that old infrastructures are now unable to support our traffic needs. We need to reconfigure and rebuild them […]  I called Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance to discuss about the possibility of spending about USD 100 million to rebuild…

Selected Joint Press Briefing by Samdech Techo Hun Sen and Prime Minister of LPDR HE Thongloun Sisoulith [Unofficial Translation]

Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen [1]: HE Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith His Excellency, Ladies, Gentlemen, Reporters Elevating Trusted Strategic Comprehensive Partnerships Today is an historic development in the relations between the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) and the Kingdom of Cambodia. What we have done on this day, I should emphasize, is that…

Selected Extempore Speech at the Opening of the Fifth River Festival Held in Kompong Chhnang Province [Unofficial Translation]

Welcome Delegations from Thailand and Vietnam, and Indonesia My wife I are happy to take part with all of you in celebrating the Fifth River Festival themed “River Connecting Peace, People, and Tourism.” I wish to extend my warm welcome to national and international guests for their presences, and companies that cooperate with the province…

Selected Off-the-Cuff Comments at the 7th National Day on Clean City for 2018 “A Clean City: A City of Hospitality” [Unofficial Translation]

In addition to prepared text, Samdech Techo Hun Sen made comments on the following topics, which CNV provides unofficial translation: Wi-Fi without Internet Access Relating to this Wi-Fi thing, let me have your attention that what we have done on this project in Phnom Penh does not seem to be effective. Usually, traveling to places…