Saturday, October 1, 2011
Statement made by Cambodia during the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting with UN Secretary-General and President of UN General Assembly at the UN Headquarters, New York 27 September 2011
- Excellency Mr. Secretary-General of the UN,
- Excellency Mr. President of the UN General Assembly,
- Excellencies ASEAN Foreign Ministers,
- Ladies and Gentlemen,
1. On
behalf of the Royal Government of Cambodia, I wish to express my
sincere gratitude to H.E. Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General, for his
constructive role in the past to help resolve the Cambodian-Thai border
issue. We truly appreciate his great efforts on this issue.
2. On
this occasion, Cambodia certainly could not forget to also express our
deep thanks to Indonesia, in particular Foreign Minister Marty
Natalegawa, for its tireless efforts to help Cambodia and Thailand to
settle their problems peacefully. Once again, Excellency Minister Marty,
please accept our sincere appreciation.
3. Now, please allow me to inform the meeting on the current Cambodian-Thai situation, as follows:
4. After
the International Court of Justice (ICJ) had issued the order in July
of this year to establish the Provisional Demilitarized Zone (PMZ),
peace has returned to the border. On the grounds, no more shootings
occurred. To implement the ICJ’s order, Cambodia was and is ready to
withdraw its troops at any time from the PMZ.
5. The
General Border Committee (GBC), jointly led by the defense ministers
of the two countries, is expected to meet soon in order to determine
the date for troops withdrawal from the PMZ. Certainly, the withdrawal
of troops from the PMZ, as required by ICJ, must have the presence of
the Indonesian observers on the grounds for monitoring and
verification. This is very important as troops withdrawal must be done
simultaneously and transparently. We know that the Indonesian
Observation Team (IOT) was prepared for some time already to be
deployed on the grounds.
6. While
pending the withdrawal of troops from the PMZ, Cambodia has already
pulled out its troops from the areas around the PMZ in order to create a
conducive environment for peaceful settlement of the Cambodian-Thai
border problem.
7. On
the other hand, the Joint Commission on the Demarcation of Land
Boundary (JBC) will also be convened in the future in order to demarcate
the other parts of the border between the two countries.8. I
also wish to take this opportunity to inform the meeting that during
Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s recent official visit to
Cambodia we have agreed to revitalize all sectors of cooperation between
the two sides for mutual interests.
9. Now,
the only remaining issue is the interpretation of the 1962 ruling by
ICJ, which Cambodia has requested to settle peacefully Thailand’s claim
over 4.6 square kilometers in the vicinity of the Cambodian Temple of
PREAH VIHEAR. Today, the ICJ is waiting for Thailand’s comments on the
request by Cambodia.
10. Finally,
Cambodia believes that with the new government in Thailand, bilateral
challenges, including border problems between the two countries, would
be resolved peacefully and amicably for the interests of both peoples
in the spirit of good neighborliness.
Thank you.
Selected Statement on the Flood Situation in 2011 and Measures to Deal with Consequences
Unofficial Translation
01 October 2011
Samdech
Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, along with the message during the
opening of the new school year 2011/12, gives a verbal statement on the
2011 flood situation, measures to be taken and challenging issues in
relation to post-flood situation to the Cambodian people, selections
from which Cambodia New Vision has provided here follows with English
translation.
Along
with my message on the opening of the new schoolyear, I have the
necessity to make a statement to our compatriots and Buddhist monks on
the situation of flood in the Kingdom of Cambodia. You learn already
that actions have been taken for flood affected areas by various
concerned and related institutions in accordance with instructions I
issued while I visited the flood affected (Baray district of Kompong
Thom) and again in the special Cabinet’s meeting to figure out the ways
to mitigate impacts.
With
data collated here I must say that this year flooding is of relative
size with the one in 2000. In 2000, the seasonal flood of the Mekong
reached its highest level and threatened all provinces along the
waterway. This year, the flood of the Mekong is a bit lower in its way,
but because of heavy and prolonged downpours, the area under flooding
has been extending far beyond the Mekong River to include provinces of
Preah Vihear, Siem Reap and Kompong Thom, etc. In 2000, these provinces
had not been affected.
It
should be noted too that in 2000, along with the Mekong flood, rain
flood originated in Kompong Speu province and flew down western part of
Phnom Penh. The situation was dangerous and we decided to cut open the
National Road 2 to evade the water pressure from threat of infiltration
toward Phnom Penh city. As of this year, we are not experiencing threats
of water pressure from that direction yet. We are watchful eyes and
alert for it.
As
flood is reaching the sea after flowing across Vietnam, more provinces
in the south and south east of Phnom Penh, like Prey Veng, Svay Rieng
and Takeo, and to a certain extent Kompot, have been flooded too.
Moments ago I ordered the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry
of Commerce and local authorities to collaborate with the Cambodian Red
Cross to administer the provision of urgent assistance to people in
flooded areas of Svay Rieng and Takeo provinces. Some people in flood
affected area in Takeo province might have just been evacuated yesterday
or even today to high grounds.
What
has been a problem for us here is that as of September 30, the number
of deaths related to flooding has reached 148 persons in just a week
after only 50 deaths were recorded a week ago. According to the reports
filed by the National Committee for Disaster Management and the Ministry
of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, some 17,000 households have
been affected in any way from flooding.
Flooding
has had severe impacts on the people’s living condition, livelihood and
also the pace of national development. People in flooded area suffer
heavy losses of crops of all kinds. It has been estimated that over
270,000 hectares of rice field are facing damages and more have flooded
since yesterday and today. According to the Ministry of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries, some 80,000 hectares of the flooded rice field
will sustain definite damage. It is a big figure of loss indeed.
As
far as people’s livelihood impacts are concerned, aside from rice,
their other regular crops that provide not only food as source of
security but also nutritional facts such as bananas, papayas, potatoes,
etc. also suffered unrecoverable damages. They have to replant them when
the flood subsides so that they have them again in their menu next
year.
As
for the state, damages from flooding will certainly bring difficulties
as it has to redirect the capital reserved for further infrastructural
development to fixing damaged infrastructures. Facing with impacts on
some 100 kilometers of national and provincial road, over 1800
kilometers of rural road, 36 bridges and 244 dams, which we will certify
when the flood subsides, the state will need to freeze earmarked
funding for some construction projects and will use them instead in the
post-flooding rehabilitation.
With
regard to impacts on education, as we are opening the new schoolyear
today, it is now known to all that some 800 schools in the whole country
have been under flood. These schools could not open new schoolyear at
this time and students in the affected area will have to start schooling
later. Some 361 Buddhist pagodas and 75 healthcare centers have been
under flood so far as they have been recorded. It is true that this does
not count in private houses. As both individual and public interests
have suffered tremendous impacts, I assume it would be threatening our
macroeconomic management as well.
We
have predicted a 6% growth for 2011, while some institutions have
extrapolated it to be around 7%. We will keep monitoring the situation
and make sure that we will be able to maintain the drive for the growth
so that we could assure our target of trimming off poverty at the rate
of 1% per annum. As a result of these impacts, among the 170,000
households recorded to be affected, certainly some of them, who may have
otherwise been lifted above the poverty line, could have either gone
back down or stay where they are. I hope we need to focus attention on
this issue as we are dealing with impacts.
According
to our weather forecast and flood monitoring works, the level of water
recoreded at flood monitoring station at Stoeng Treng has gone down
gradually from 10.7 meters, which is the warning level, to 9.50 meters
as of 7 am today. It has been recorded a recession from 22 meters
yesterday in Kratie to 21.01 meters today. While warning flood level at
Kompong Cham monitoring station is 15.2 meters, as of today it has been
recorded to be 10.22 meters. In Phnom Penh, as the warning flood level
is 10.50 meters, today we have a level of up to 10.76 meters. The flood
levels of Neak Loeung and Koh Khel of the Mekong’s downstream in
Cambodia record continued increase.
According
to the flood monitoring station at Prek Kadam, which is to a different
direction of the Mekong stream, and further north of Phnom Penh city,
the flood level recorded does not seem to subside just yet. The forecast
that I have received from HE Lim Kean Hor, Minister of Water Resources
and Meteorology, the flood level at Prek Kadam on October 4 will be 9.94
meters, which continues to be higher than the warning level of 9.5
meters. As the level of water in the Mekong is still high, because of
slow absorption from the sea down south, the flood water in the Tonle
Sap Lake area, which combines both the Mekong flood water and rains,
will be taking a slow recession.
In
light of this situation, Kompong Thom province will be the province to
suffer the most. Though some flash flood in the northern area of the
province has subsided, the flood level of the area of Tonle Sap Lake,
which is destination of the flood flow from the north, has not yet
subsided. This will present challenges in solving flood issues. We will
have to find ways to make the best of the situation.
What
concerns us the most has been the fact that some 148 people, 52 of
which are children, died from flood-related incidents. They could have
died because of parental insufficient attention due to certain state of
difficulties, of poisonous creatures, but also of being drowned while in
drunkard state. No matter how they died the Royal Government of
Cambodia contributes a sum of two million Riel (about five hundred USD)
for each death incurred in relation to flooding. We are mourning for the
loss of life of our citizen, whether old or young, man or woman, or how
they died. After all no one would want to die.
In
the name of the Royal Government of Cambodia, I would like to take this
occasion to express my sincerest condolences once again to the families
of the deaths. I would seek their acceptance of the said amount of two
million Riel as a minor hearty contribution from the Royal Government
for their losses and their efforts to deal with such pressing and
demanding situation. Equal sympathy is also for the losses of main and
subsidiary crops as well as housing and other things of value.
It
has been a sad moment and a heavy loss of what our people have been
striving to produce over a period of many years. It has been noted that
after floods of 2000, 2001 and 2002, our people, as their tradition,
have been making every efforts to replant subsidiary homestead crops
such as bananas, mangos, papayas, and various kind of vegetables. It
should be included the fish farming ponds too. As some have lost all
these, others may have also lost animals too – cows, pigs, chicks,
ducks, etc.
While
expressing grievances and sadness over these losses, I would like to
convey my appreciation and sincere thanks to all concerned institutions,
especially the National Committee for Disaster Management, the Ministry
of Water Resources and Meteorology, the Ministry of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries, among others, for taking their utmost efforts to
overcome difficulties in these pressing moments. I would like to
express my sincere thanks to sub-national level authorities, who have
been immediate pro-actors, the armed forces, the Cambodian Red Cross for
their punctual responses.
It
is equally thankful for the efforts and assistance provided by some
national and international organizations as well as individuals in
rescuing our people. I wish to take this moment to pay my deepest
gratitude to our Buddhist monks who not only have made their monastery
spaces available for flood stranded people in their areas, but also
provided them with foodstuff that they have been offered during the Pjum
Ben day. I also thank every working team of the Cambodian People’s
Party for taking their time to visit the affected people and areas to
provide them with necessary first aid kits and to figure out more
follow-up responses. Their works have indeed shared some burden from the
Royal Government in this difficult time.
Last
but not least, I would take this opportune moment to thank our people
themselves for their efforts to take care of themselves in difficult
circumstances and would seek their understanding and apology for tardy
responses in certain areas due mainly to objective factors. It has been
the case so far that people involved in the rescue mission also have got
to save their families and/or family members, whereas the road access
to target areas and people have been cut off in various parts by flood,
etc. Also my apology to some people, because their situation has been so
isolated, assistance has not yet reached them, though I am sure they
surely find a way to fix their situation for the time being. I encourage
and thank the people who exercise mutual help practice that is our
valuable tradition in time of emergency.
Please
allow me to express my humbly sincere thanks and appreciation to HM the
King for his concern and care for the people’s situation and condition.
HM the King visited Kompot province last week and today will be staying
in Kompong Chhonang province to preside over the deliverance of aid
kits for the flood affected people. This is valuable model for our
government officials as well as the armed forces. My humble thanks and
appreciations are also reserved for the HM the King’s Father and the
King’s Mother, who, for medical treatment reasons are away from the
country, have set aside their heartfelt concerns for their children and
contributed their assistance through the Cambodian Red Cross, which have
now provided helps for over ten thousand families already.
In
general the flood level seems to have subsided in slow pace and we have
this late September and early October storms of Nesat and Nalgae, which
are now moving in direction of the Philippines, to monitor. The latter,
number 19 to our counting, would normally reach Hainan of the People’s
Republic of China and then down to Vietnam. Once in Vietnam, it is
anticipated naturally that it will cause more rain over the Mekong basin
area, from where Cambodia would have to bear the brunt eventually. We
will have to observe that.
As
flood starts to subside now, I would call on all local authorities and
concerned government institutions to increase their vigilance and pay
attention to taking necessary measures that have been issued and
proclaimed prior to the Pjum Ben day on the following issues:
Firstly, continue to provide help for people who have stranded by flood and stuck at high grounds.
While taking them to high ground, it is equally important to provide
them with food, shelters, and medicines so that they would not be left
in starving situation. Though rain may be few and far between, we still
have to make sure they have appropriate shelters to stay in. While
providing them with basic medicines and care, it is important that we
have to alert them of basic necessities so that they can help
themselves.
I
appeal to the armed forces as well as administrative officials and
staff of medical teams to take turns to be on duty to provide security,
safety and healthcare for the people. It is equally vital that they all
have means they need for any rescue mission if they have, for example to
transport patients to hospitals in case of emergency. It is encouraging
to see that HE Mam Bun Heng, Minister of Health, has been administering
healthcare assistance himself and in various other cases local
authorities have also initiated the responses by themselves too.
Once
the flood subsides completely, I would urge the local authorities and
the armed forces to provide flood affected people with transportations
so that they could travel back to their homes like when they were
brought to safety in the first place. It is my sincere intention to urge
our people, once they are back at their homes, to be cautious of
poisonous and other dangerous creatures that may have hidden in their
abandoned homes. The most dangerous of all is indeed the poisonous
snakes. I also renew from the bottom of my heart my appeal to urge our
people to take care of their children in this difficult flood time. They
should not be allowed to play in deep and strong current water or leave
them alone in flooded home.
Usually,
after every flood time, it has been observed that hygiene has become a
serious matter. About a decade ago, it was quite a lesson to see that
people suffered diarrhea and vomiting. I would urge the Ministry of
Health and their relevant agencies under its supervision to take high
standard measures to prevent possible outbreak of cholera.
Secondly, try to restore rice plants as well as other crops.
This is the most pressing issue and we have issued some urgent measures
already for the Ministries of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries,
Water Resources and Meteorology and concerned institutions to ensure
that damages will be mitigated or substituted. As there will be
different type and scale of damages done to the rice farms, I would urge
that appropriately responsive measures will be taken accordingly for
particular state of geographical conditions and damages.
While
it may be appropriate for some to work out what I called the common
rice seedling beds, for certain situation and geographical conditions,
we may also apply sowing seeds or drill seeding directly to the ground
rather than transplanting rice seedling. What is our major concern here
is seed. As far as seed is concerned, portion of seed either in grain or
in seedling will be made available by the Ministry of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries. However, I would once again urge our people to
help each other in this time of need to share whatever seed you may have
in surplus as this has been our valuable tradition.
While
we consider providing our people with seeds of various vegetable
plants, it is also important to note that our people, based on my
experience of life along the Mekong River, have the habit of moving
basic species and plants to high ground so that they could replant them
after the flood retreats. Take for instance some could have dug off the
banana young shoots and keep them safe somewhere. They will put them
back into ground when time comes. They may have done similarly for
lemongrass, papaya, etc. Having said all this, with my confidence and
heartfelt gratitude, I would solicit our people’s self-help practices
once again.
Thirdly, as
water retreats we must immediately take urgent actions to rebuild or
mend dams and water reservoirs so that a situation of no water is left
in the embankments/reservoirs could be avoided. Those who
live along the mighty rivers of Mekong, Tonle Sap, Tonle Basac and other
streams, would understand what I am talking as they have water
embankments of some kinds or sizes behind houses. What they should be
doing is to check their reservoirs to see if they were damaged for any
reason so that timely actions can be taken. These reservoirs should
normally be of help to grow flood recession rice and/or dry season rice.
There
is one issue of concern here and we need to resolve it effectively too.
It is usually a conflict between those who need water for growing rice
and those who would want to drain the water so as to catch fish. I would
urge people’s and authorities’ constant alert in this case so that
those with immediate interest could be prevented from drying water out
of the reservoir for fish.
In
addition to this, every household has to pay attention to your rice
field levees as they may have been demolished from the water current in
one way or another. They are important rice field embankment to keep the
water in and I am sure our people know about this better than I do.
However, please take it as a reminder because it needs just one day
perhaps to make a different from being a flooded to being dried rice
field. If there were any rice left from flooding, it would be a sad loss
if we leave them to die of no water. In this circumstance, calling in
for intervention would be unproductive as it adds up to cost of
production.
Fourthly, all
the armed forces - police, soldiers, military police, and the CPP youth
teams also included, could be mobilized to help mending and/or
rebuilding the people’s homes. I would also foresee
contributions from the scouts and the Red Cross youth teams too. The CPP
youth groups have been doing that already and it would be encouraging
to see if youths from other political parties, judging by the fact they
also have their members who are in the payrolls of the parliament and
the Senate, would also do the same.
What
is the most important of all here is the CPP working groups who have
taken their actions to the CPP bases in districts and communes where
they are engaging with to provide people with food, to help them fixing
their homes, to provide them with seeds, etc. The CPP youth teams also
is a crucial mechanism, along with those of the scout and Red Cross
teams, to assist our people in matters of healthcare, hygiene, cleaning
schools, hospitals, public parks, etc.
Fifthly, eligible
voters are encouraged to go and verify their information at the
registration offices in their residential administrations.
Actually this process started since September 1 and will run through to
October 15, or another fifteen days to go. I would urge our people of
eligibility throughout the country to go check their personal
information so that they could cast their votes in the forthcoming
communal elections.
In
this concern, I also call on the National Elections Committee to take
areas where flood has caused the most severe impacts into consideration
if they should be allowed for late registration. Maybe there could be a
mobile system for such situational registrations, I do not know. We
should not allow our people to flee from homes and to lose their voting
rights. The registration is important as we will have the communal
elections in June 2012 and the general elections in July 2013.
The
Royal Government is in no position to order the National Election
Committee on its work and I am not sure if the law allows the NEC to
postpone the registration to a later date. I do not know if it is
legally applicable to reschedule the registration process, in face of
force majeure such as this, for a longer period. However, it is my
request that people’s rights to vote must be guaranteed./.
EndItem.
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