Selected Comments of Samdech Techo HUN SEN. the visit and conversation with girl (fostered by) and staff of AFESIP [Unofficial translations]
After exchanging greetings and conversations with the girl victims (fostered by) and staff of the AFESIP, Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo, President of the Cambodian People’s Party and President of the Senate, has made the following excerpted remarks:
[…] The reason that we (Samdech Techo and Samdech Kittipritthbandit) are coming here is firstly to pay you, our grandchildren, a visit, and secondly, to be aware of the situation of the grandchildren […] (1) we have made collective effort to turn the difficult situation that we all have learnt into a peaceful community, through which some grandchildren have got jobs, some have families and some have returned to work at this center […]
The story of what happened to you in the past, even though it has haunted us, and we cannot change it, […] but things have already happened, and become the past. No matter how much we reminded them, it would not change the situation. However, (2) our effort, both the managers and the grandchildren, the caring teachers and the sponsors, is to set the goal for the future (and that is focusing mainly on) training and education […]
(3) Every girl victim who comes here must have the opportunity to learn and receive at least an associate’s degree. The goal, however, is to get a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, and, if possible, a doctorate. Why talk about associate degree? […] in case the grandchildren do not pass the (baccalaureate) exams, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports will still allow them to study for an associate’s degree. The Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training also allows (skills) training […]
(4) We have two options. The first option is to study hard to take the Baccalaureate exam again next year, and the other option, which is a good option, we apply for an associate degree and lean to take the Baccalaureate exam again next year […] the center should set a goal for all grandchildren in this center to have a bachelor’s degree or at least an associate degree […]
Do not worry about the collapse of this center. (Although) there are people who wanted to overthrow the Hun family, they cannot afford to do that. Even though I am no longer the Prime Minister, I have found successors to take over the task of supporting this center, even if (in the future) we – your grandfather and grandmother – are no longer here. Today, the wife of the Prime Minister is here too. (5) You (the first lady) have to remember. Once we – your parents – are gone, you must keep up with what is the legacy of your parents here and you can share the responsibilities with siblings. This is to affirm that even if we are no longer here, we still have our children to take over, and after our children, there will be our grandchildren to continue this responsibility. This center would not collapse […]
I insist on begging those fathers, stepfathers, and/or child abusers to stop (this atrocity). Of course, (6) I once came here and said that I was preparing to request for (the reinstatement of) the death penalty. Then there were immediate reactions of all kinds. Now that we do not have (capital punishment), we call for the avoidance of sexual abuse on children. Person performs such act is even worse than an animal […]
The grandchildren here went through a sad time. Do not let them continue to be sad again […] Somaly, (the manager of the center) must be sure when allowing their mothers to take back their adult and trained grandchildren. You must inspect this case and be clear about it. Sometimes, some mothers take their children back but do not take care of them, whereas tragic incident recurs […] therefore, (7) before allowing them to return to (their family and society,) concerned responsible persons must check out with the family (first) […] and in addition, send personal files to local authorities – provinces, districts and communes, especially administrative police posts to prevent recurrence (of the past incidence) […]
The (8) important thing here is that we – the grandfather and grandmother, as well as the philanthropists – want our grandchildren to have a never dried-out treasure or the knowledge in your brains. The 100,000 riels a month that we – the grandfather and grandmother – offer will all be spent. What we wanted to do here is when the grandchildren spent all that money, they still have money in their brain – that I call the money from your knowledge that you would have plenty to spend […]
The position of the first lady falls now to my daughter-in-law, and the role of Prime Minister falls to my son. Although I hold a higher protocol hierarchy than the Prime Minister, the Prime Minister is in power. Telling the concerned Minister to accept staff (in AFESIP) is the job of the Prime Minister. (9) Hopefully the Prime Minister will pass without having to administer the exam […] (the first lady) is also in charge of the scholarship […] that will be sure that our grandchildren here do not lack scholarships to continue their education […]
We – the grandfather and grandmother – do not leave you unattended. (10) Let us reiterate, “even after we the grandparents, there will be our children, and after our children, there will be our grandchildren.” By that time there would be no more beasts. AFESIP may later become a center for something else other than sexually-abused children. Immoral men will gradually be abolished. AFESIP remains a symbol that helps people, especially women in crisis […] AFESIP does not collapse. We have Cambodian plus foreign philanthropists (to share the resource for that job). If there are no foreign philanthropists, there are also philanthropists in the country […]./.
