(Video) Selected Comments of Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet, at the 9th River Festival – “The Value of the River: Connecting Culture and Ecotourism” [Unofficial Translations]

CMF: 22/03/2025

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(1) Community development approach and prioritization before taking in investment from outside

Days ago, I met with HE MASATO KANDA, the new President of the Asian Development Bank […] He visited two places in Cambodia, and one of which was the fishing community in Kep province. He said that it is a good example of promoting development in the area. It is a model of development through the environment and linking tourism with the characteristics and potential of the area […] Providing roads and connecting infrastructure has helped the fishing community to create products in addition to fishing income […] It would be a good thing if the development on site and bringing tourists through the tourism network, plus various tourism packages, can be achieved through basic products operated by the community […] We should focus on the development approach and prioritization for the community to get the most out of the potential, before taking in (investment) from outsiders. What I mean is that we need to consider the geography and potential of the area that can be exploited to create tourism products, whether the community can do it or not. In some places, the community can do it […]

(2) Where people had nothing to do but logging, when tourists come, they change income activity accordingly

At Anlong Thom in Kulen/Siem Reap, a community has already organized an ecosystem, with places to stay in the village, people who take (tourists by) motorbikes to see the temple, and tourists who are receiving those services. Lacking is the help to increase their capacity, a little infrastructure connection […] (and) some financial support. So, at Khnong Phsa (literally translated to “market on the back of mountain”), I see potential. For example, a community where people previously had nothing to do but logging, when tourists come, they (change) their income activity accordingly. They also provide services as mountain guides, provide services at the site, and sell some food to those who go camping. In the past, the Ministry of Environment also built some sanitary facilities. We see that the work in that area has already had a large amount of investment and implementation […]

(3) The state should help protect the location, maintain potential, and not to bring in investment of urban-like infrastructure

The community is worried about two things. First, should there be investors on the mountain, there will be blocking in some locations (making them) unable to continue (their activities). They are afraid of investments at the foot of the mountain that (may) collapse their services […] We have assessed the potential there and found that there is potential for natural tourism. What the state should do is help protect that location, maintain its potential, and not invest in (urban-like) infrastructure or anything like that in the city. Otherwise, it would lose value […] and second, what else can we help them with? […] We can help build connecting roads, prepare better bathrooms, prepare first aid facilities, prepare places for them to sell basic needs. In the past, there was a World Bank program with the Ministry of Environment […]

(4) Teach hospitality to and organize a bit of structure for the community is better than bringing in investment from outside

We teach the community to know how to do and increase their ability to do business more […] They already know that, but their abilities are still limited. They are willing to do business […] Teach them how to do marketing. Now they do marketing with an agent in Phnom Penh who goes out to find guests for them […] The Ministry of Tourism, together with the provincial tourism departments, teach them about hospitality and organize the structure better. This is better than just bringing in investment from outside […] We help the community have a business, earn extra income from it, and they are the workforce there […] I know that Takeo province has a lot of potential, but it is not yet connected […]

The community leader said, “as long as the guests come, we will serve them like kings.” That mindset is right. If there is such a mindset, just increasing their capacity is right […] It should be organized as a community, improving community capacity […] Sometimes investing in that place, there is no need to take money from the private sector. As long as the community has a clear business model […] I hope that banks in the private sector and commercial banks will join in thinking about helping the tourism sector by helping communities that have potential tourism products […]

(5) Promote coordination between tourism and environment to strengthen community capacity

This is inclusive development of tourism. The word inclusive is not just about how much has increased or how much GDP increases? We need to look at every sector, everywhere […] We need to look at each part of it. We are trying to promote a coordination that tourism and the environment play a role together. This is a model to strengthen community capacity before looking for the private sector to invest. If people already succeed as a tourist product in that place, (we can help) them strengthen investment […] We are to be interconnected. Everywhere can have a tourism package because at the grassroots level, there are products […]

(6) Even it necessary, big investment should be done in a living together formula

People may ask if we would stop allowing big investments in tourism? That would not be the case. The community has not got the capacity to go everywhere. We focus on the community as the main priority, where they can control 100% […] for certain places, (the community cannot guarantee). For example, if there is a small waterfall, the community can control it, and there is no need to go to a large investment company from outside to do it. But if it is an entire coastal island area, that will be a big investment. You have to prepare to make a big investment. But this investment requires consideration. It is to invest in such a way that the community does not die. It is a formula/approach of sharing to live together […]

(7) Keeping natural features and allowing basic rights of the public

For instance, Te Teuk Phoh or hydrothermal spring […] firstly, do not lose the natural features that are the potential of the place. Secondly, do not close the basic rights of the public […] Maintain the same status quo, maintain the same potential so that we can benefit in the long term. Adjust investments to help the community, help offset each other […] We invest to help increase potential. This means that private partners must do to help and not to forget that the community is the foundation […] This is the formula in Kep connecting with the fishing community that HE the President of the Asian Development Bank mentioned. There is not much to do for them. The community has the products. We need to connect and increase their capacity. Help promote more products, inform the tourism system, agents need to know that in Kep there is a Kep fishing community with easy access, and put it in the tour program […]

(8) Takeo is adjacent to Phnom Penh, Kandal, Kampot and coastal provinces

Let us return to talk about Takeo Province […] it was the birthplace of the Cambodian state. The city of Angkorborei has been the capital from the 1st to the 6th century during the Funan period, and there have many historical temples […] This place has had natural potential, firstly. Secondly, the geography of Takeo Province is adjacent to Phnom Penh […] We are restoring the Takeo Lake area. We have special duck eggs and Takeo GI lobsters […] We have a lot of potential. Regarding to connectivity, Takeo is adjacent to Kandal Province and Phnom Penh via National Road No. 2 and National Road No. 3, and adjacent to Kampot Province, Kep Province, and other coastal provinces […]

(9) If the community tries, and is worried that outsiders taking away their jobs, and trying to work harder, let us go there to help them

To what extent can we consider connecting the ecosystem? Let us focus on (the ability and capacity of) each community because it is not necessary to attract investment from outside […] The community has created tourism products in the province, with interconnection as a community, there is a tourism department, the provincial governor here […] If there is potential, and the people do not want to do it, let us not force them, or they will not succeed. But if they try, and they are worried that outsiders would come in to take away their careers, and they try to work harder, let us go there to help them, there is nothing wrong with that […]

(10) People in the community is the core and/or the blood vessels

At Khnong Phsa (the marketplace on the back of the mountain), people in the community recounted their previous logging business before and was not profitable. One of them said “I am very tired and afraid of being caught. Now, this place attracts visitors. I will treat them like a king so that s/he would come back again. That is the place that needs to be helped to grow, to give the people in the community the opportunities because they want to do the job. They know that it is in their best interests. I see that there are still many places, and development in that place should not damage the geographic condition there.

If that place is rich in green nature, in the rainy season, it has to be kept green. If we allow building stone/concrete houses in that place, the natural beauty would be gone, and tourists would not come […] The community is the core. The blood vessels. Our cells are the people in the community. In Takeo, I am asking the province, the Office of Tourism, the Office of Environment, and the tourism sector in the province, the private sector, to connect together […] There is a lot of domestic tourism. Don’t forget that domestic tourism is leading foreign tourists to come […] First of all, it is the people of the country who go to various local tourist destinations. Once the tourist activities are functional, tourists from outside are going to follow […]

(11) Use positive things to eliminate the negative information

Now Phnom Penh residents are stressed. From Monday to Friday, work and traffic jams have been stressful […] I have been reported that there are Indian restaurants on (the pedestrian street on every) Saturday and Sunday (along the river bank in front of the riverbank). There are many people walking on the Phnom Penh River pedestrian street […] As they are working hard, people need a place to (rest their brains with) the environment.

Well, Takeo Province is not far away […] Kep ​​Province is organizing a community of vendors/businessmen. Please don’t let the state take control. Let the businessmen take control of themselves. The private sector should help think and implement. Providing satisfactory services is what draws people in […] Negative things grow quickly and are not easy to eliminate. We must use positive things to eliminate the negative information. More so, prevent bad things from happening […]

(12) Religion, culture, history, and natural resources can be interconnected to help community and create more tourism products

Let me open the parenthesis […] There has been a criticism that “the Hun dynasty government is so cruel that it even forced the monk to leave the monkhood.” As you know that the Buddhist monk Chuon Kakula had just left his monkhood. (The ill-intention politicians) alleged that we forced the monk to do so. (In the case of the) Venerable Chuon Kakada, let me clarify from this speaker […] (The truth is that they are) trying to instill in the monk’s supporters a misconception about the government […] Chuon Kakada has a lot of supporters. They wanted it to be seen like this (to stir up anger among them). Let me explain a little bit since this is regarding Buddhism in Takeo Province […]

No one can force anyone to leave his monkhood. Especially, when he has done nothing wrong. It is his decision. Let the Buddhists parishioners, those who support him, continue their supports. Chuon Kakada will continue to help Buddhism. He has good/strong knowledge and can help a lot in this field. The Royal Government needs capable people. You also have the will and the desire to help […] We plan to make him an Undersecretary of State of the Ministry of Cults and Religion to continue to help the field of Buddhism.

We have not done anything to force him to leave his Buddhist monkhood, nor have we abandoned our good resources. we are willing to help. We respect the decision of Chuon Kakada, who wants to continue working to help the national religion and society, but by simply changing the path from the Buddha world path to the secular world/path […] Religion, culture, history, and natural resources created by people, and other entertainment venues can all be interconnected to help the community and create more tourism products […]./.