Selected Comments of Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet, at the “Cambodian Red Cross Youth (CRCY) meeting and wearing them the CRC neckerchiefs” [Unofficial Translations]
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(1) peace prevents war nightmares from occurring among us
Peace – this word will be spoken over and over again. Only peace helps drive nightmares away from us. Even when we are asleep, peace eliminates nightmares (about war) among our people. Here today we are talking about Red Cross youth. If we talk about youth, we are talking about the future, hope and opportunity. We can guarantee these three factors only in the absence of the flames of war. War does not distinguish between old and young or races. Cambodia is at peace, though no one dies from war anymore in the country, we have a young fellow died abroad (Gaza) because of the war […]
(2) War kills people while fighting and by left-over mines and UXOs
War does not distinguish who are the volunteers, and does not know who the Red Crescent Doctors, the Red Cross would be. In Gaza, more than 200 UN volunteers have been killed. Bullets do not know who the Red Cross volunteers are […] war creates mistrust […] the same is true for journalists. They were shot dead in the same way. War not only kills people during battle, but continues to kill people in Cambodia by those mines and UXO (unexploded ordnances) left from war […]
Since 1994, for almost 30 years, we have cleared more than 3,000 square kilometers of land from mines and unexploded ordnance. We still have 1,700 square kilometers left to continue to clear mines and unexploded ordnance. About one million people continue to live in areas with lethal risk by landmines and unexploded ordnance […] we continue to keep the peace, clear mines and do not lay out mines, build up the army to defend the country, and we do not fight internally, the cause of which would lead to national division […] we say peace is like the air that we are breathing every day. We do not see and do not know how much the air around you is worth […]
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(3) Volunteerism through youth mechanisms such as the Red Cross is the right spirit
I would like to thank the volunteers […] it is said that in a country that has just left the war, people do not have a volunteer spirit, because everyone thinks only of themselves, worries and protects themselves […] but, in Cambodia, it is not like that. Helping each other is our cultural tradition. This spirit of volunteerism has been present in our land, both during the war and in the post-war period. The spirit of volunteerism through various youth mechanisms such as the Red Cross is the right spirit. I would like to thank you for volunteering your time and energy to help our society through the Red Cross Youth mechanism […]
(4) Ask not what Red Cross can give but what can I do to help people and society
(We should try to) improve attitudes and mindset. A phrase that one former US President (John F. Kennedy) said (in his inaugural address) was – “ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country” […] I am asking (you) to have the same mindset – “ask not what Red Cross can give you – ask, through the mechanism of the Red Cross that I am a member of, what can I do to help the people and the society?” […] or what opportunities can the Red Cross give me to achieve the desire to volunteer, dedicate time, knowledge, physical and mental strength to help the society […] I think you come here with the desire to help and through the mechanisms that have already shown positive achievements […]
(5) The true value of the Red Cross lies in the views and values given by people
Where is the real value of the Red Cross? The true value of the Red Cross is not just about being an international organization. The true value of the Cambodian Red Cross is not only that it is a mechanism with Samdech Kittipritthbandit (as the President), and the Queen Mother as the honorary president. The true value of the Red Cross lies in the views and values given by the people […] when people face with difficulties, they see the Cambodian Red Cross (coming to help them) […] this is something that creates, maintains and increases the value of people’s trust. We offer help to everyone no matter what political tendencies they belong. That we help people when they are in trouble, it creates, maintains and increases the value of the Red Cross in the hearts of the Cambodian people […]
(6) New CRC members uplift the energy for better activities
With mor or with less, we are giving help to people in difficulties. This is to create, maintain and uplift the value of the Red Cross in the hearts of the Cambodian people […] the value of tens of thousands depends on the actions of each member […] do not be a burden to society, but help society, help your family, help yourself. You offer help not for money, but by doing good deeds, helping by adhering to morals and virtues. Joining hand to help friends in need is good, and it is in difficult times that value surfaces […] we make the Red Cross stronger with new members coming in not only to preserve the value but uplift the energy to create better activities for the nation, people and other youth […]
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(7) Youth is the key to maintaining or exploding the national division
In era of digital age, there are a lot to consider. The concept of unity on a subject must be carefully taken into consideration. It is time for us to make decision and to implement with all our heart and will […] we have the patriotic spirit and we also must have the spirit of nationalism, but we must not be extremists in nationalism, as it lacks thinking and leading to national division. Youth is the key to maintaining or exploding the national division because it is a piercing force […] I say all this because I used to be a youth […] in the last months, because of uncontrolled emotions and incomplete information, it creates friction between Khmer and Khmer […]
(8) Strengthen and maintain national unity to defend land, support/promote culture
Do not worry about this or that country that wanted this or that (from Cambodia). What we need to do is together think and promote our culture (because that will make us strong) […] if you want to compete with other countries […] it is prime to strengthen (your culture) […] make footages and promote them. That’s a positive thinking. This positive attitude makes us act positively […] young people need to have a positive attitude. If you are worried about the disappearance of your culture, you do not sit and cry, and/or curse. We must come together to strengthen and maintain our national unity, to defend our land, promote, and support our culture, our arts […]
You volunteer to join the Red Cross to help people in difficult times. That’s a positive view. You have my compliment […] a few years ago, I often see people posted their works on Facebook […] but there were not many people taking much interest […] these days, I see people share and give likes to posted pictures of Khmer costume or martial art. This is the spirit of nationalism. Together, take care of the culture, take care of it together. Let us not blame on anyone but let us build and promote each other […]
(9) Should Cambodia decline, no one would care
If we want to protect the territory, we must build and develop the country, and build the strong base in the border area. The important thing is to unite in the name of Cambodia to protect and strengthen the nation […] when our nation declines, no one has a headache with us. Other countries think only of their national issues. Even universities compete. We have to strengthen ourselves […] we have a scout mechanism, a volunteer CRC youth mechanism […] we have done well so far, but not yet perfectly. We must strive to be more perfect by increasing own capacity […] we strive to strengthen capacity […] to help each other in the name of the Cambodian nation, the Cambodian youth in building the nation […]
(10) making time to think and to serve people who need the Royal Government’s attentions
Yesterday, I covertly visited and talked to grandmothers in (the humanitarian organization in) Stung Meanchey. The day before, I sneaked to watch (the Khmer Mixed Martial Arts) contestants practiced sports. These are the people for whom I should have spent time thinking about as the head of the Royal Government […] meeting with the private sector a few days ago and meeting with the aviation sector to find ways to facilitate and make flights to our country competitive. Every day, I making time to think about that. If I were to wake up to just sit and watch what they are blaming (the Royal Government), those negative things would spoil my sleep with nightmares, and I would not be able to do a thing […] and it is no different for the Cambodian Red Cross. We have to think about setting a goal on a yearly and monthly basis to help those who need help […]
(11) Someday in the future, Cambodia may have her first astronaut.
Positive thinking gives us time to focus on positive actions and outcomes. We are not 100% perfect […] but setting a goal to strive for 100% in the future […] whether volunteer work or daily work requires high commitment to participate regularly. Let our youth, especially the youth of the Red Cross today, think positively together. Let us ne patriotic together through unity, increase positive outcomes to contribute to the positive effects of society to make Cambodia stronger […] ten or 20 years ago, we were not able to build robots. Now (students of) the new generation high schools can make their own robots and won contest abroad. Someday in the future, we may have Cambodia’s first astronaut. Let there be no division, no war or infighting that young people, instead of learning, have had to turn to fighting each other or death in battle, leading to the loss of opportunities […]./.
