Hailing the 69^th Birthday of Samdech Techo (04 April 1951-2020)

I visited Pailin, Samlot, Kamreang, Sampov Loun, Phnom Preuk and Malai. My mother and my grand aunt opened the door of my room and said to me “Aren’t you afraid that they would kill you?” I told them “if that happens, only I and a few of my colleagues would die. However, if I were to gain, I gain the whole country. Khmers would no longer fight with each other…

Samdech Techo Hun Sen,
Impromptu Comment during the Inauguration of
Achievements in the City/Province of Pailin, 03 January 2013.

[…] I talked to medical volunteers about whether we needed to have a law about emergency and I also studied possibility to implement Article 22 of the Constitution. We now have our draft law. I will lead a permanent Cabinet leadership meeting tomorrow – March 31, to review the law once more before we have it for the Cabinet full session on Friday. Why do we need to have this law? Let me assure our people that they should not worry about (this law is going to) close Cambodia, to put into force martial law, and so and so. We just needed to have law ready and in our hand [...]

[…] My order to stop exporting paddy and white rice temporarily, except aromatic rice, for local consumption until further notice. The practice will go into action on 5 April 2020. Most of our paddy/white rice sell to Vietnam and Thailand. We continue to allow exporting aromatic rice since there is not high demand for it inside the country. Most of our people are using lower quality rice in their daily consumption. The high quality rice we exported to markets in Europe, China, and other countries [...]. Why 5 April? We keep a period of one week for our people and traders to complete their selling/buying deals to either Vietnam or Thailand […]

[…] All casinos will close from 23:59 hours on 1 April 2020. Why do we leave it until 1 April to close them? The issue would not be about those who go there but those who work there [...] we gave this task to the Ministry of Economy and Finance to work with Casinos owners to figure out how to go about it, for instance, they may have to be free of income payment obligation in the closing period [...]

[…] Issued an order to confiscate tools and medicines on sale without recognition of the Ministry of Health of Cambodia and of the World Health Organization. Yesterday we confiscated what they called Covid-19 test kits. Search must continue. Whatever is out there without recognition of the Ministry of Health and World Health Organization must be confiscated and destroyed. I am calling on traders not to cause more problem while they are not sure about their products on sale [...]

[…] Calling on people to transform their fear and concerns into measures to protect themselves as instructed by the Ministry of Health. I thank the Ministry of Health, the media, and artists for their campaigns to raise awareness about how to protect our health and to keep practicing sanitation and hygiene. I thank artists for their lyrics and music to help with this education effort [...] while we are practicing social distancing and reducing large crowd gathering […]

[…] Calling on people in private sectors to understand each other in their businesses [...] as one private business owner for example hires a location from another […] at this downturn time the rentee could not afford to pay the rent. I would say they understand the situation and readjust the price or reschedule payments. I am just issuing this appeal because I have no right to decide on their behalves. I am calling you exercise mutual understanding [...]

[…] I thank HM the King, HM the Queen Mother, as well as many other generous beings for pooling so far over ten million USD (as donations for our efforts to combat Covid-19). In addition to what the Ministry of Health has in hands, I have ordered three million facemask, and 5,000 sets of medical gears and dresses for our medical staff. As a commander in chief on this front, I must have what we needed in hand. We must make sure our medical staff have everything needed for protection while working at the frontline [...]

Samdech Techo Hun Sen,
holds a press conference on current development in Cambodia, 30 March 2020.

[...] As a small nation but big heart, Cambodian government under my leadership values multilateralism including international solidarity with no discrimination when it comes to regional or international issues [...]

[...] I am ready to turn a new chapter of our countries’ relationships as explicitly underlined in my recent correspondence to President Donald Trump for the sake of peace and prosperity of our two countries [...]

Samdech Techo Hun Sen,
a Reply to US Senator Ted Yoho, 25 March 2020
.

[...] Cancel trips of officials for meeting abroad and cancel all international meetings in Cambodia [...] ASEAN rescheduled it's summit until further notice. We are contemplating, if thing (about CoViD-19) prolongs, to reschedule the Asia-Europe Summit from 2020 to 2021. We will see how situation evolves [...]

[...] As things happened now, though the opposition are not satisfied with Cambodian medical professionals, they have no choices but to seek their helps. No one can go to Thailand, Vietnam, or Singapore (for medical attention) [...] whether they are satisfied or not, they have to seek Cambodian medical assistances [...]

[...] I am reviewing (legal basis) if we have the ability to apply article 22 of the Constitution to request HM the King to place the country under emergency. I do not wish to put this (article) into action but I have to should my appeals have not been answered fully [...]

[...] Will proceed to confiscate facemasks from shops. I am reviewing laws concerned. If they go on hoarding to sell at higher prices, (the Royal Government will) order for confiscation [...] and closing down the stores [...]

Samdech Techo Hun Sen,
meeting with voluntary medical staff to fight against CoViD-19, 25 March 2020.