Selected Comments of Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet, at the graduation ceremony of the University of Puthisastra [Unofficial translation]

Selected Comments of Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet, at the graduation ceremony of the University of Puthisastra [Unofficial translation]

CMF: 06/08/2024

(1) The Funan Techo Canal (FTC) is a symbol of Khmer national unity

Let me take this opportunity to express my deep gratitude on the preparation for the construction of the Funan Techo canal (FTC), which we launched the groundbreaking ceremony yesterday. I have witnessed a strong sense of unity. Though this canal is just an infrastructure project, because of this spirit of togetherness, it is clear that FTC is not an ordinary infrastructure project, but a symbol of the unity of the Khmer nation […] today’s graduation and conferment of degrees is being celebrated in the same sense. Building infrastructure or building human resources is nothing more than a cause that unites Cambodians and makes Cambodia strong. Ensuring the prestige and unity of national unity is the basis for promoting Cambodia’s independence and sovereignty. Henceforth, Cambodia must be fully independent. We have built hard and soft infrastructures, human resources and policies in health, education, innovative technology – all for making Cambodia strong […]

(2) Funan Techo canal uplifts independence, sovereignty and makes the southwest more prosperous

Of course, there are still concerns about whether the construction (of the Funan Techo canal) would cause the loss of territory or Cambodia’s sovereignty. The concern had been exacerbated until some had suggested that we should not go ahead with the project […] (let me reaffirm that) whatever the Royal Government decided to do is always keeping with the national interest. We continue to make this project a reality for the benefit of the nation, the people – both supporters and those who are still suspicious – to see that this project is nothing but to strengthen Cambodia’s independence in the field of transportation, governance and sovereignty, thus making the southwest more connected with the rest of the country […] if (for that concern) we back away, the people in majority who wanted the project to happen would be disappointed, while those who did not want it might be happy, and later, both groups of people would have suspicion as to why the project had been canceled. They might extrapolate that to have something behind. When the Cambodians doubt each other, a big danger kicks in leading to disunity […]

(3) Please stop doubting our nation in managing the future

There are some opponents who pretend to be scholars and always think that (there are this or that challenge to this or that effort) […] an old man living abroad (has always suggested that) the neighboring countries are very smart. (Yes, they are,) but what about Cambodia? Are the Cambodian ignorant that we cannot protect and defend the land? I think that is not true. The Cambodians have become their own masters […] the Cambodians have scored a lot of achievements in the country […] please do not doubt your nation in managing the future. What other countries wanted is their business. The Cambodians business is to strengthen ourselves. For more than 40 years, we have rebuilt this nation from scratch (and we have changed the country starkly) until – as you can see today – we have human resources to confer degrees to and to work in all institutions. After the liberation in 1979, human resources in Cambodia were a scarce commodity […] for instance in the 1990s, we relied on experts from IMF, France, etc. to help our ministries/institutions with planification. As of now, the Cambodians are taking the job over […]

(4) Together build a strong foundation on points where we have concerns

Scholars and students should learn to evaluate based on factual achievements to see whether the construction of canals or the development of the northeast or wherever there is development on the ground indicates that Cambodia is weaker and ready to give its territory to other countries, or on the contrary, Cambodia is getting stronger? Decades after the war that ended in 1998, everywhere in Cambodia has grown and become stronger. Of course, some areas are not yet grown equally to other areas, for example, the northeast development is comparable to the development in Phnom Penh. Some provinces are bearing higher growth than others. We plan, despites all that, that every area grow equally […] then, what should we do so as not to lose territory or sovereignty? We must work together to build a strong foundation on points where we have concerns about. The FTC increases the sovereignty and independence of transportation […], thus, to maintain the integrity and independence of the nation […]

(5) FTC runs along natural canals to avoid harm to the environment and people’s homes

Some con-artist analysts have swapped their attacks (from being a project that would not get off the ground to) one that is full of corruption “for the fact that the canal is not a straight but a curved one,” while they have not had any studies done as to why we decided to have it curved that straight. We have made the decision with the responsibility to firstly take care of the environment, and secondly to harm no settlements – satellite cities and houses – of the people. We follow the natural canal pattern. The part we will dig without the existing pattern is only seven km out of the whole 180 km […] how do you thing we could solve it? […] we decided to follow the existing canal pattern, and just expand it […] as a student and intellectual, one should look into the cause of the problem before making a statement […] when I was in Pub Street (in Siem Reap,) they said that I performed. I went to the border, they blamed me for taking an air-conditioned car […] and the border roads are not built under my order. We have been building them since 2015. The military engineering corps sent me pictures since I was the army deputy commander […] the military engineering teams have been trying to clear mines […] that were there since the days of the Vietnam War […]

(6) The Cambodians have taken up residences along the border

In certain places we built the road only 20 or 30 meters to the border post. The French left us a border line between Cambodia and Cochinchina with posts only from Kampot to Kampong Cham. From Kampong Cham up north to the dragon-tail shape border area, there is no border (post) […] only an administrative map. We negotiated, demarcated and planted the border posts between countries so that the next generation of Cambodians will know where Cambodia lands and borders are with neighboring countries. If we have bad intentions not to defend the territory, why do we need to have evidence on the ground? We could just leave it at that […] but that is not what we are.

We must address the issue or it would be a difficult matter for the next generation of Cambodians […] the Royal Government, since under the leadership of Samdech Techo, formulated the policy responsibly aimed at keeping the descendants of the generation from ever clashing […] some may have heard this and that, and shared them from one to another, especially from those con-artist analysts, but my suggestion is […] you should take the time to visit the areas and ask the people who are living along the border, working there regularly, and looking at the border posts everyday […] this question – should there be no border fence, would you the people protect the country’s border?” […] let me remind you that Cambodia has got people living along all the border …”

(7) To introduce land policy and relocate and build Ratanakiri health office

In the near future, the government will introduce a major land policy in which people are the key component protect land, especially the prevention of land encroachment. In that, the Northeast region, as well as in some important regions will be considered destinations. We have prepared this plan and will disseminate it to address land encroachment as well as the need of landless people […]

I have agreed to the request to search for more than one hectare land around the new provincial hall (of Ratanakiri) and have decided to allocate more than US$ 3 million to build a provincial health office to relocate it from the lake of Boeung Kansaeng, and allow for renovation the former site for tourist destination […] one may ask if the RGC were to give away (the four provinces in the Northeast) […] why waste money at to build it […]

Look at the 25-year national development master plan, […] the CLV plan recorded the assistances from Japan, Germany, ADB, etc. – and most of them are for infrastructure construction – whereas the economy in the four provinces is developed and managed by the Cambodians, the private sector included. The establishment of higher education institutions in those provinces is for the Cambodians to learn to be knowledgeable […] and as a student, you should take practical accomplishments into consideration […]

(8) More investments from local Cambodian companies in the northeast zone expected

In the recent past, we did not have border posts. Now we set up a border posts, to prevent them from walking in, we have built a road there […] for border patrol and for use by our people. They see the posts everyday […] we have border roads and many connected to it from Kompot and Takeo up north […] we will make sure that there is a road in the land to get to the dragon-tail shape border area so that the Cambodian children can get there […] At the border, we build two roads. One lane is the economic road inside and along the border, and the other lane is the border road or the border ring road. The road is very close to the borderline […] we build the border ring road to serve the purpose of protecting the territorial integrity […] there are investments from Australia to mine in Mondulkiri, from Japan, from China, etc. to invest there. Most importantly, I want more investment from local Cambodian companies there. We have now seen resorts built and run by the Cambodians. We want to do more to enable local people to run businesses as we now have better connectivity […]

(9) No one is more concerned about Cambodia than the Cambodians

If you are worried about the development of the triangle area, please take a look at the 25-year plan. For the 25 years, has there been any preparation to weaken Cambodia so that they can be cut off or have the Cambodians, on the contrary, are taking up settlements all over? […] gradually, we became stronger. The important point is we are keeping up the spirit of ownership, the law and constitution, combined with the nationalist spirit of our civil servants at all levels, our people across the country, we can allay these concerns […] there have been countries warning me – should we allow more heavy investments in Kampong Som (Sihanoukville), soon Cambodia would lose its sovereignty.

I kindly responded to them that any countries with such ambition is their matter. As for us Cambodians, we are clear as day that firstly, “no one worries more about Cambodia than the Cambodians themselves. I thank you for coming to tell me.” And, secondly, this or that country may want this or that and it is up to them. However, please be reminded that the Cambodian government, the Cambodian officials, the Cambodian people are here to keep watch. I think the Cambodian people are not stupid. We also have the ability to see what is good and what is bad […] so far, let me make a point, in Kampong Som, have we lost sovereignty? Do you guys apply for a visa (from someone) to go to Kampong Som? Well, you do not, I am sure […]

(10) To announce the policy to develop coastal provinces as Cambodia’s diamonds

We will proclaim a policy […] that will strengthen our coastal provinces as a potential or a diamond of Cambodia. Mark my word, it is not someone else’s diamond. We strengthen ourselves and are the master of ourselves. We try to increase human resources like what we are doing here so that you can go work everywhere […] those who are concerned about the cooperation in the DTA may look at the money invested in these 25 years in the four provinces. They are national money. They are not money coming from the cooperation.

The DTA cooperation agreement clearly states that each country pays its own money for development. We have joint (multilateral financial supports from) Japan, Germany, etc. for some of the projects but they are not big funding. We have developed the provinces in the northeast with our money. We take up ownership as it is our plan. There is no case that to decide on development plan, the Stung Treng, Ratanakkiri, Mondulkiri provinces have to go through the cooperation committee. Our provinces are doing their own planning […]

(11) Failing to protect the national interest is a political suicide

Hence, the greatest danger is the feeling of fear that makes us doubt each other. In the end, the Cambodians would fight each other. The Cambodians would be suspicious of each other. The Cambodians would divide among themselves. Would be just like what happened hundreds of years ago […] Cambodia is our country. The 25 provincial capitals, not just the northeastern provinces, are our provinces that we have jointly developed. I think national defense is the duty of all, not the government or the people separately. The Royal Government serves the people. We set out policies to meet the needs of the people […] Whatever the government does, there is nothing to hide from the people. The government depends on the people. People vote every five years. We know that for sure. We cannot commit a political suicide by undermining the national interest. If we failed to protect the national interest, not only that we have committed a political suicide but also the suicide of freedom since the Cambodian people would not forgive. The Cambodians are building and developing the country together, safeguarding independence, sovereignty, everywhere, not just the northeast, for the benefit of the Cambodian nation […]./.