Selected Comments of Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet, at the solidarity dinner of the Association of Cambodian Oknha and the Housing Developers Association [Unofficial translations]
(1) Monetary policy measures to facilitate the operation of the private sector in difficult times
(The monetary policy measures have) facilitated the implementation process of the private sector in difficult times. There are tax incentives offered in various sectors. This is the policy that the Royal Government helps the people through the private sector […] who plays an important role in helping the Royal Government to fulfill its task of creating jobs and promoting economic growth to reduce poverty […] in this new term, we have organized a n umber of mechanisms for the sake of developing partnership between the state and the private sector to jointly think what to do, help do and share responsibilities – more or less – so that the Royal Government can respond as much as it can. For tax subsidies, many governments have taken different approaches. Some countries levy taxes and then release them as subsidies. In Cambodia, most often, (in difficult time,) we just do not impose (some taxes) […]
(2) Establish a marketing and promotion council for better tourism products by 2025
For 2024-2025, we have set out (measures) to help promote the recovery of the tourism sector. The Royal Government has set up a tourism marketing and promotion council to work with the private sector to develop action plans. We have done a lot of activities in 2024, and (we have learnt that there are still) possibilities and potential that we can optimize in 2025 […]
Taking this opportunity, I would like to thank Lok Chumteav Chea Serey, (the governor of the National Bank of Cambodia) as well as his colleagues and banks in Siem Reap for their quick responses on July 22, in cooperation with the National Bank of Cambodia, to set out the policy of easing conditions and accepting crumpled and/or slightly torn banknotes to improve further (the environment for) tourism business […]
Regarding this development, once we allowed accepting the crumpled and slightly torn or stained US$ banknotes, we need to monitor whether there will or will not be influx of such currency into our country. We needed to identify if such banknotes are traveling only in the country or coming from other countries, the traffic of which would lead us to become a place where old (crumpled and slightly torn or stained dollars) would come in […] Lok Chumteav Chea Serey, after following up on this, reported to me that so far there has been an increase in the amount, but manageable. (It was with the study and confirmation from the responsible institutions that) I allowed to issue a proclamation to implement throughout the country […]
(3) On online visa application, payment and e-arrival system
The second point is related to the principle (regarding the facilitation of the arrival of tourists) at the airport […] I commend the Ministry of Interior, the General Department of Immigration, the General Department of Customs and Excise, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and international cooperation for implementing the online visa applications and online payment. In addition, we have implemented the e-arrival system […] either requested to the Embassy, the Consulate General, which they were previously required to fill out the form, or the visa on arrival […] and from September 1, at all the three major airports, tax payment, visa application – both visa on arrival and visa requested at the embassy – are moving on electronic […] I hope that the special hospitality at the airport will be good from the moment of arrival to the moment of departure. This is to facilitate whether foreign or Cambodian […] once the operation at the three airports is working well, in the future, we will consider organizing the same systems for land arrival […]
(4) On issues of taking photos and wearing costumes in the Angkor temples area
Regarding tourism […] we have met to set the principles relating to the operation of the Apsara Authority in the Angkor area. Two issues have been posted on the social media very often and for quite a long time […] and that has a background and reason relating to the principle of execution of the Apsara Authority, the local authority, general living conditions and conducts of the people […] about taking photos – why prewedding photographers need to apply for a permit? Why can’t s/he do this or that? […]
The Apsara Authority officials have a central duty not only to preserve the temple and the area, but also to preserve the values of our culture. Though some actions may not cause damages to the temples, but they must make sure they do not affect our culture as well […] however, some principles – most of which have been in place since the 1990s – seem to be irrelevant and outdated, or else a bit strict. Of course, we have issued a policy in 2017 regarding uniforms, clothing, filming, asking for permission, but the way of implementation had been developed since the 1990s […]
Another issue has been the rule to forbid wearing other clothes (deemed inappropriate) […] well, no one is wrong on this issue. Everyone is right, especially the Apsara Authority, as it is responsible for keeping the temples protected […] I have explained to the meeting the day before […] that there are two separate issues – once is about filming an another about what/how to make use of the photos/pictures […] we have agreed to ease some of the conditions […] if the French or the Korean want to wear his/her own national costume, with the background of our temples, just let them do it without having to ask for permission […] and we agreed that maybe we were too careful or too concerned, but by relaxing some of the rules, we admit, could also have some unwanted developments […]
Taking photo for private use, even if with a camera, we should allow it […] we have resolved to this point that for every photo taking by large or small size filming, printing for magazine, making video spots using all kinds of drone equipment, etc. […] they have to ask for a permission and pay for service charge […]; and secondly, for all the recordings for the purpose of publicity by national and foreign press organizations, […] though it is not required to file a formal request and/or make any such payment, I am seeking all photographers to respect our code of moral conduct, […] that is dress must be worn in accordance with the principles […] for certain places, it is forbidden to take big cameras in, […] and some places or shrines are sacred to our people and culture. Tourists wearing shorts or summer dress are asked to have something to wear on top to cover […]
(5) Development of the triangle area causes no loss of territory or national sovereignty
My last topic is CLV-DTA (Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam – Development Triangle Area) […] it is correct to have national spirit. If we do not have a national spirit, we have no nation. No one loves Khmer more than Khmer. But nationalism could be a double-edged sword. If the spirit of nationalism is used in the right direction, it will help to achieve national unity, maintain security, stability and unity, albeit peace in our country. However, if nationalism is used in a different spirit, it can lead to division. As the head of the Royal Government, I would like to explain and assure the people that the program or cooperation for the development of the triangle area will not cause the loss of our territory or national sovereignty. What can be guaranteed? My future, the future of my grandchildren is the guarantee […]
(6) The Royal Government will take action to prevent social instability
I believe that ordinary people, even those who are worried about the CLV-DTA issue, do not support this (call for unrest). They do not want the country to burn […] since we have here some foreign ambassadors, (let me clarify). If at the later stage, the Royal Government takes action by enforcing the law against those who try to set fire to the country and push for unrest in Cambodia like what is happening in Bangladesh, please do not accuse the government of being dictatorial. It does nothing but prevent instability in Cambodia, especially in Phnom Penh. We can’t let millions of people be the victims of a handful of persons […]
Cambodia had been through it. Phnom Penh had tasted how demonstrations led to violence and anarchy and how they affected business. Our economy is now in recovering state. If there is more trouble to happen, how will that affect the stomachs of our people. It will not affect just the tycoons here, but even the people who drive tricycles […] the Royal Government must prevent this situation from happening in order to protect the livelihood of the people, especially the residents of Phnom Penh […]
(7) The four DTA provinces have developed stronger in the past 25 years
Among the five Agreements for Cooperation in the Development Triangle Area (DTA), there is no agreement on border issues or land demarcation for any country or land swap […] if the neighboring country wanted the four provinces of Cambodia – let say they have planned it for 50 years, started in 1999, when the agreement came into being, there may have been some development on the ground in the last 25 years. Perhaps our country has been declining, while the people in the said provinces are getting poorer and poorer. There would not be any progress […] on the contrary, in these 25 years, we have prepared and implemented a plan gradually that obviously result in these four provinces stronger, and to take them from us would not be easy […]
The hundreds of border pillars that have been erected are a clear indication of our will to clarify where our country’s borders are, and are completely contrary to some who say that we are giving these provinces to neighboring countries. I ask you to trust us that the RGC is working on the demarcation of the border for the long-term defense and protection of our land […] the policy of the Royal Government is to encourage development to the border after we set the border posts. This is what sustainably protects the border […]
[…] We have built thousands of kilometers of roads along the east, north and west borders […] in the Kratie province area, we have completed the 78 km border ring road. In Mondulkiri, we have achieved 155 kilometers over 319 kilometers. We will continue to move forward until we realize the plan. In Ratanakkiri, we built 89 km over 220 km. We will continue the job. I have instructed in principle to Gen. Kuan Siam to continue building the road till we can travel from within our territory to the dragon-tail shape area in Ratanakkiri […] our people in Kratie, Mondulkiri, and Ratanakkiri would then be connected along the border. This is what we call a people’s national defense foundation policy […]
(8) The Cambodian population in the four northeast provinces increase from about half a million to nearly 1 million
Regarding the population […] please note that in 25 years (the number) of Cambodians […] has increased from about half a million in these four provinces to nearly 1 million people now, […] which indicates that the Royal Government never intends for the four provinces to be part of anyone country. Instead, efforts must be made to build the economic potential of our four northeastern provinces to increase growth and improve connection with and closer to the growth of other parts of Cambodia […] we have expedited programs to build villages along the border in the east, north, west, roads, houses for our veterans and government officials, and distributed tens of thousands of hectares of land to people in the villages and communes that we have established along the border. We will continue this mechanism so that people can grow crops […] everywhere, any places where we have never been reaching before, we have now built roads for the Cambodians to go and visit and the Cambodian investors can invest in the border areas to increase the economic activities, while helping protect our territory.
(9) Everyone works on the CLV-DTA agreement for the benefit of the nation
What we have done is not backtracking and there is nothing to harm the nation […] as the head of the Royal Government, I have to come forward and claim that […] what I say as a testimony […] I have seen and participated with the Royal Government, our officials, all the institutions of the Armed Forces who defend our country, and the Ministry of Commerce, who will lead responsible negotiations on various CLV meetings later this year […] if this agreement causes loss of territory, not only me and my family, all those who attend the meeting, including the technical officer negotiating the wording and their children, will be caught. Would they like themselves to be accused as such? They would not. Everyone works for the benefit of the nation. Please trust the Royal Government and our officials […]
(10) Express of opinions in a spirit of understanding and respect for each other and do not jeopardize stability and peace
You may ask if the local authority in the four provinces if they are under the Vietnamese authority or implementing the Vietnamese law. All villages, communes, districts, both old and newly established, are under the Cambodian authorities, governed by Cambodian officials and law. In these 25 years, nothing has changed and Cambodia will continue to rule until no one and/or no country would rule the Cambodian sovereignty […] expressing concerns is your right. Nationalism must exist. I support but do not be extremist. That the concern you may have should not lead to division. We lost because of hundreds of years of division […] as the Royal Government, we do not allow the interests of millions of people to be lost because a small number of people […] those who are concerned of the national issues, both supporters and non-supporters of the project, can express their opinions in a spirit of mutual understanding and respect, and do not overdo it to undermine the stability and peace in the country, and harm the national interest […]
(11) People should come visit and more company to invest in the Northeast
Again, if you love these four provinces, and fear that these four provinces would disappear, please come and visit these provinces as frequent as you possibly can. Do not be too lazy. Go and promote the tourism economy there […] go and help protect it, not by staging demonstrations to burn anyone or things, but to help stimulate the economy […] from Takeo province (in the south) up north, we have built hundreds of kilometers of roads to Mondulkiri and Ratanakkiri. Some roads are only 30 meters or even 10 meters from the border posts. What do we do that for? We do that for the Cambodians to drive along and see the border post there, for our villagers to farm up there. We need not spend money to build a high fence, but people, houses, plantations are the strongest fence of Cambodia […]
(12) Twisting the truth would only strengthen the RGC’s resolve to prove its purity
I instructed the military engineering team to build the road up to the dragon-tail shape land area. That point is very high […] this is an ambition. Samdech Techo has set a goal since the previous term to prepare for the construction of National Road 78.5 by 2027 […] of course, there will be other interpretations, but that is not important. The more they twisted our pure intentions, the more they give me the strength to prove that this place will aways be with us, and be the strongest. This is something that can prove the purity of the Royal Government and our officials who are involved in this work […] I have ambitions that in the future, in my retire, when I visit the four provinces, I am going to be happy to point out to my grandchildren that during my tenure as Prime Minister, I have helped issued a policy to develop this area […]./.
