Speech of Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen,
President of the Cambodian People’s Party, at the Meeting to
Commemorate the 64th Anniversary of the Foundation of the Cambodian People’s
Party
(28 June 1951 – 28 June 2015)
Esteem Samdech Preah Akka Moha Sangraja Dhibadei, Samdech Preah
Sangraja and Buddhist monks,
Samdech, Excellencies, Lok Chumteavs, Ladies and Gentlemen,
National and Foreign Guests,
Members of the Meeting and compatriots,
It is a very auspicious day that we
gather to commemorate the 64th anniversary of the foundation of the Cambodian
People’s Party, which is well known of its history in leading the people’s
struggle movement against foreign invasions for national independence, a
political force that led the fight and overthrow of the Pol Pot’s genocidal
regime to rescue our people to survival. It is also a Party that led in
defending the motherland, preventing the return of the regime of the genocide,
while leading the national restoration, defense and development to progress till
the present.
From its inception to the present, the
Cambodian People’s Party adheres strictly to its aim and ideal attaching to the
principle of “people’s democracy” meaning the Cambodian People’s Party is one
that is from the people, by the people and for the people, exists with the
people and shares hardships and happiness with the people in all circumstances.
The Cambodian People’s Party also serves as core of national reconciliation and
unites people’s forces of all strata without discrimination. It also serves as
a great solidarity force that overcomes obstacles and dares to sacrifice
without hesitation for the course of Cambodia’s independence, peace, freedom,
democracy, neutrality and social progress.
That is the historic truth that the people of
Cambodia in the whole country clearly acknowledge and is a foundation of firm
support given by the majority of people in the whole country for the leading
role of the Cambodian People’s Party over the past 36 years.
Today, we celebrate this even in the spirit
of profound respect and gratitude for male and female soldiers, compatriots of
all generations for their heroic and determined fight and sacrifices of blood
and lives for the course of our nation and people so that we have everything we
do today and to the future. In response to those invaluable sacrifices, we are
determined to maintain and promote all national achievements while continuing
to strive for defending our motherland’s long lasting existence, and
constructing our country to be as advanced as other civilized countries in the
region and the world.
In this auspicious occasion, may we
express my profound loyalty and gratitude to the most revered Preah Karuna
Preah Bat Samdech Preah Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia, and Samdech Preah
Mohaksatrei the Queen Mother, who stay as lasting cool shade for every
Cambodian. We are wishing Their Majesties strengths, intellects and longevity
to continue to lead the Cambodian ship to shore of prosperous progress and
peace.
Also in this occasion, the meeting
expresses condolence and sadness for the demise of Samdech Akka Moha Thamma
Pothisal Chea Sim, which is a great loss of the Cambodian People’s Party and
the Cambodian nation. Samdech was a great son, an outstanding dignitary and
hero who sacrificed his physical and mental force for the course of national
independence, especially participated in leading the struggle for the
liberation of our country and people from the regime of Pol Pot’s genocide,
while making active contribution for peace making, political stability,
national restoration and development to the present progress in all fields. We
all carve in our hearts this model of heroism and supremely grateful deeds of
Samdech and pray for his sole to retire in eternal peace.
On behalf of Samdech Akka Moha Punnhea
Chakrey Heng Samrin as well as those leaders of the Cambodian People’s Party
and my behalf, I would like to express my respect and warm affection to the
people in all corners of the country – farmers, workers, employees, businessmen,
monks, priests of all religions, ethnics, civil servants and the armed forces
for their solidarity as one strand and active participation in the
implementation of the political platform and Rectangular Strategy Phase III of
the Royal Government to make our beloved country a nation of peace, political
stability, security and strong public order, energetic strive of socio-economic
development, steadfastly raising national honor and prestige and gradually
improved living condition of the people.
Meeting Participants and Compatriots,
In the past 64 years, though there had been
innumerable hardships and complexity, the Cambodian People’s Party has always
been sharing happiness and sufferings with our people and sacrificed everything
for the sake of national and people’s interests in all stages, which include
the fights against the regime of colonialism, the war created by the Lon Nol’s
regime of the Khmer Republic and foreign invasion from 1970 through to 1975,
and especially the struggle to liberate the country and people from torture and
the most brutal killings of the regime of Pol Pot’s genocide for a period of
three years, eight months and twenty days that ravaged the country to its nil.
The historically great victory of the
people of Cambodia on 7 January 1979 over the Pol Pot’s regime of genocide
rescued the Cambodian nation and people to life once again. Based on this
victory, the Cambodian people regained their rights and freedom, democracy,
honor and dignity that were completely lost under the regime of Pop Pot.
Through this historically great victory, Cambodia closes its page of dark era
and ushers in a page of new era of independence, democracy and social progress.
Over the last 36 years, with firm
support rendered by people of all strata, the Cambodian People’s Party has
navigated the country through numerous obstacles and hardships while making
scores of historic and invaluable achievements for the motherland. No one could
forget that after the regime of genocide, Cambodia had had to start from
scratch without being inherited anything than ashes and consequences left from
war and the regime of genocide. We have laid foundation once again for the
reconstruction of a completely destroyed to become a full grown national
structure and led national rehabilitation and construction efforts and scored
progress one after another.
In the situation that the world
at large continued to be covered by ideological and cold war politics, we have
striven to overcome famines, prevented the return of the genocidal regime and
led the rehabilitation and construction of our country in all fields, while
rebuilding our people’s stable livelihood to the present. We have taken core
role in searching for peace and national reconciliation for the people through
the Paris Peace Agreement in 1991. We ended entirely the war between Khmers
without a drop of blood through the win-win policy to create full peace and
national unity and territorial unification.
Along with this, we have defended
firmly our foundation of independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity,
created wide ranging relations and cooperation with international community and
actively participated, as a country of real independence and sovereignty, with
equal rights and footing, in regional and international affairs. We have
transformed ourselves from a country that received help from the blue beret
soldiers of the United Nations to one that sends its blue beret soldiers to
peace keeping operations of the United Nations in some of the world’s hot spot
countries.
These historically dignified
achievements enable Cambodians to raise their heads high once again as a
country that used to be known of its prosperous culture and civilization, a
country that possesses freedom, solidarity, spiritual and material foundation
to be the master of its own destiny. These positive changes are great pride of
the Cambodian nation. On this segment of historical road, the Cambodian
People’s Party has constructed, strengthened and expanded tirelessly in all
fields to take over innumerable tasks entrusted by the people. Based on the
principle of people’s democracy, the Party has served as the centre of national
solidarity and unity. It leads the country ahead on a correct direction always.
On this basis, the Cambodian
People’s Party draws a conclusion on invaluable lessons and factors of
victories in its leadership, liberation, and national defense and construction
that the Party maintains political rightness in all circumstances, enjoys
firm support from the people, possesses strict discipline and serious working
manner, holds rich human resources with capacity, patriotic conscience and high
responsibility as well as strong internal solidarity. These major feats and
achievements not only are the cause for continuing to build and defend our
beloved motherland but also valuable heritage for generations to come.
Meeting Participants and Compatriots,
Victory of the Cambodian People’s Party
in the fifth legislative term of the National Assembly elections has given a
full chance for the Party to continue to fulfill its historic mission in
serving our nation and people to transform Cambodia into a sacred land of
lively development in peace and prosperity with smile and hope of people who live
in harmony. Well guaranteed peace, security and public order as well as the
realization of detent of the political situation in late 2014 and early 2015
have created favorable conditions for the process of national development.
While achieving positive result in the
implementation of political agreement on 22 July 2014, especially the
preparation of laws on the Organization and Functioning of the National
Elections Committee and on the Elections of the Members of the National
Assembly, as well as the creation of the new National Elections Committee
itself, to guarantee that every elections thereafter will take place with trust
and evade political stalemate in the post elections period, the political
parties with seats in the National Assembly have agreed to adhere to the “culture
of dialogue” as basis for consultation to resolve by peaceful means every
national and social issues that they have divergent opinions on, respect and
value each other. It is one more major precondition that ascertain confidence
on the march forward of Cambodia.
In the field of economics, despites the
fact that the country has had to face with uncertainties and a number of major
risks, internally and externally, such as natural calamity, political
instability as well as turmoil and uncertainty in the labor market in the post
election periods, and furthermore continued uncertainty in the world economy,
Cambodia could still score economic growths of 7.3% in 2013 and about 7% in
2014. For the year 2015, the prediction has it that the Cambodian economy would
maintain a score of 7% growth. The GDP per capita has been expected to continue
to rise from 1,042 USD in 2013 to 1,123 USD in 2014, and possibly 1,220 USD in
2015. The yearly inflation has been managed to stay below 5%, i.e. around 3.5%
in 2014 and 2015. The exchange rate has been guaranteed to stabilize in general
around 4,050 Riel to a USD. The poverty rate has been brought to below 18% in
the year 2013. Furthermore, fruits of the economic growth have been more
equitably distributed as reflected through the fall of Gini coefficient from
0.41 in 2017 to 0.29 in 2012 with expectation that the figure would continue to
fall in 2013, 2014 and 2015.
Implementation of budget in the year
2014 clearly showed encouraging results of deep reform in the field of public
financial management. Collection of state revenue, especially those from custom
and taxation, has been remarkably strengthened indicating strong growth of
current revenue of state budget in 2014 at a probable rate of 11.7%, more than
the target set in the financial law for 2014, or increase to about 24.6%
compared to the implementation in 2013. In term of public operational costs,
the cost-benefit principle of expense that aims to guarantee budget expense to
better respond to the Royal Government’s prioritized policies and principle of
effective and efficient expense, at level of allowance, technicality and
operation, have been adhered to and promoted steadfastly. The most outstanding
point here is the increase of salary for civil servants, soldiers, policemen
and retirees, and especially for teachers and medical staff, while reform of
salary system and public administrative system focuses mainly on guaranteeing
timely payday within the fourth week of each month using banking system to
transfer into account of each individual civil servant in the commercial bank.
Meeting Participants and Compatriots,
Tragedy, suffering, fear and loss that our
nation experienced in the recent past is over now. Presently, we are living on
a land that is in full peace, political stability, national reconciliation and
internal national unity under the roof of one Constitution, deeply rooted
democracy, and energetically and dynamically advancing socio-economic
foundation. These are brilliant achievements that are stemming from efforts and
determination of every member of the Cambodian People’s Party, the civil
servant, the armed forces and the people of Cambodia, as well as those valuable
contributions given by partners and friends from near and far for the cause of
peace, democracy and development in Cambodia. Every Cambodian in the Kingdom of
Cambodia are benefitting from these valuable achievements.
In this context, the Cambodian
People’s Party, having obtained mandate from the people through the free, fair
and just and democratic election to continue to lead the fifth legislative term
Royal Government is determined to promote implementation of its political
platform to score positive results in all fields.
The Cambodian People’s Party adheres
firmly to safeguarding national achievements especially peace and political
stability that are invaluable achievements and preconditions for national
development. In this spirit, the Party will continue to implement the policy of whole
national solidarity, irrespective of political tendency, pasts, gender,
faiths, origination and social strata on the basis of adhering strictly to the
Constitution and motto of “nation, religion, king” to maintain and expand
achievements scored over the past 36 years and to guarantee success in the
process of further building and defense of our motherland. While pursuing this
policy, we will continue to enhance culture of dialogue with all political
parties by ending confrontations in the aim to ensure whole national
solidarity, stable and harmonious political environment in the whole country
conducive to trust of local and foreign investors.
In socio-economic sector, the Cambodian
People’s Party actively and fully supports the Royal Government’s determination
to promote implementation of the Rectangular Strategy Phase III and the
National Development Strategic Plan for 2014-2018 to score successes expected
by focusing on the following works:
1.
Continue to strengthen peace, political stability, security and
public order;
2.
Continue to promote implementation of policy to raise high
growth, work, equity and efficiency aimed at reducing people’s poverty and
equitably distribute the fruit of growth to people of all strata through
continued efforts to realize high economic growth at an average yearly rate of
7%; to guarantee macroeconomic and financial stability through inflation
management to stay below 5% and maintain stable exchange rate; to continue to
collect revenue and guarantee effectiveness of state budget expenses; to
increase national economic resilience to crisis and risks of all sorts in
combination with continued investment on infrastructures necessary such as the
availability of lively logistic system; to guarantee harmony in vocational
relations and in labor market aimed at increasing attractiveness for investment
and to create jobs and increase income for Cambodian laborers;
3.
Continue to give priority to increase of minimum salary of the
civil servants and the armed forces aimed at realizing the objective of over
one million Riel in 2018 along with reforms of salary system, public
administration, public financial management and fight against corruption;
continue to focus on guaranteeing appropriate working conditions and raising
high living conditions of workers while making further efforts to resolve
concrete issues relating directly to daily life of our people such as prices of
electricity, water and supply chain of clean water, agricultural produces and
micro-finance for farmers, etc.;
4.
Continue to implement necessary reform programs of the Royal
Government to get deeper and to achieve real results such as to reform the
armed forces, de-centralization and de-concentration, justice system and court,
land and natural resource management, especially forest, fisheries resource and
mineral resource by continuing to make further efforts to strengthen national
institutions and good governance for efficiency, accountability, transparency,
equitability and social justice,
5.
Continue to drive human resource development through enhancement
of quality of education, vocational and technical training, betterment of
quality of health service, while increasing attention in promoting culture,
arts, sports and social affairs to respond to speedy demand of national
construction; and improve quality of life of the people, raise high moral value
and cultural heritage and national identity;
6.
Raise high quality and effectiveness of public service to
satisfy demands and needs of our people.
In addition to these, the Cambodian People’s Party offers
special priority for youth development as they are the chief pillars and
successors for national construction and defense, and raises high rights of
women, children and disable persons as well as provides protection for
vulnerable people in society to achieve appropriate living condition in
accordance with national progress.
The Cambodian People’s Party supports the creation of Laws on
Association and Non-Governmental Organization and on Trade Unions for the
protection of rights, freedom and interests of associations, non-governmental
organizations, and trade unions and public interests while guaranteeing
effective functioning of these organizations in conformity with rule of law and
good governance. The Party resolutely opposes actions of interference from
foreign circles into the process, which is a violation on independence and
sovereignty of Cambodia, and calls for respect of the Kingdom of Cambodia as a
sovereign state and a member of the United Nations.
The Cambodian People’s Party vehemently supports willful
determination of the Royal Government in defending sovereignty and territorial
integrity, especially efforts to resolve border issues with neighboring
countries on the basis of Constitution, national and international laws and
relevant judicial papers aimed at building a whole borderline of stability,
peace, friendship, cooperation and development with neighboring countries.
In this auspicious occasion, I would like to express my deep
thank to friends, foreign partners and international organizations for
providing supports for the just course of the Cambodian people, and for
continuing to strengthen and expand good cooperation with the Kingdom of
Cambodia as they are indispensable contributions for peace, democracy and
development in the country.
Once again, on behalf of the Cambodian People’s Party, I would
like to express my deep respect and gratefulness to our compatriots everywhere
for noticing clearly the truth of revival and progress of our nation, whilst
giving confidence and wide ranging supports for the Party in every stage. Based
on supports of our people, the Party is determined to continue to gather the
force of great national solidarity and make all-out efforts to drive for
successful implementation of its historic mission in the fifth term of the
National Assembly.
To this end, I am offering the four Buddhist blessings to
Samdech, Excellencies, Lok Chumteavs, honorable national and foreign guests,
members of the meeting and compatriots.
Thank
You
