(31) “Territory is lost only if the government signed an agreement of consent”

We have never forgotten the issue of our territory. We have never for a single moment lost sight of the need to resolve it through every possible means. Every day, our troops stand on the front lines, holding the line and strengthening national defense. We will not abandon our people.Our commanders, standing ready for combat, and will never yield any territory to anyone. To say “we lost territory” means the government must have signed an agreement of consent. We have signed no such agreement.The only agreements agreed upon with Thailand are, first, regarding maps: the 1904 Convention and the 1907 Franco-Siamese Treaty, signed by France with the Siamese administration at the time. We have not yet signed any mutual agreements on maritime or land borders.

The Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) has worked for 20 years and agreed on certain border pillars, but has not yet re-verified the boundary lines surveyed since 1907. There are no new boundary lines to be created. Regarding those going down to the field, some say, “Why are the pillars new?” Let me clarify: they are not going down to define pillars, but to find the locations of the pillars. New or old; if those pillars are in the wrong position as defined by the treaty, they must be shifted. For example, pillars 58 and 59, which we mutually agreed upon, have encroached over a kilometer into our territory today and must be moved back […] Everything is accounted for; no land has been signed away to anyone.

(32) Point 3 of the KL Accord on December 27 (2025) clearly states:“The boundary line is not determined by this agreement…”

Even the ceasefire agreement of the KL Accord on December 27 contains no provision ceding land to anyone—let’s speak and look clearly. Point 2 states: “Wherever fighting takes place, stop right there for now,” because if they kept moving back and forth, fighting would never end due to suspicions. Afterward, when Thailand strung up barbed wire, we protested, “You are violating the ceasefire.” Point 3 in the agreement clearly addresses this.Without Point 3, we would not have signed on December 27th. Point 3 explicitly specifies: “The boundary line is not determined by this agreement… The boundary line is to be determined by the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC), which must conduct surveys according to existing treaties and valid agreements.”Let this be clear.

The claim that we lost land and signed away territory is completely false. We never have, and we never will. Everything must follow existing treaties, conventions, valid agreements, and technical standards.Let me clarify: there is no loss of territory. There has been a loss of control, yes. Following the clashes, we lost control of certain points, but let me ask: where are the places where our soldiers and police did not die? Take An Ses, for example—how many died there? How many were wounded? Did we surrender those areas willingly? Did the government order them to? Absolutely not. We fought for 26 days across two phases. I negotiated Phase 1 for 5 days. After negotiations finished around 5:00–6:00 PM to take effect at midnight, some citizens even blamed me, asking, “Why didn’t it end immediately? Why wait until midnight?” It took 21 days.

(33) The KL Accord on December 27 was a ceasefire signature, not a surrender of land …

Think back and reflect on this, everyone. I am certain that not a single person goes a day without checking their phone. Where was the fighting today? How many people were affected in Koh Kong? The conflict spread as far as Koh Kong; the bridge was cut off. Today, a fighter bombed near Phnom Sampeau, and a 155mm shell landed severing the leg of one of our citizens near Serei Saophoan. Do you remember?That is why the ceasefire of December 27th exists—it was not about signing away our land to anyone. Let me be clear about that. Don’t go around saying the government is constantly signing away land—accusing H.E. Tea Seiha of signing away territory. That is not the case. The fighting was paused to give our people a chance to breathe.Now, look at the camps where people are waiting. They are suffering and have lost their homes—unable to return yet—but at least here, they are safe from the shelling. If the fighting were to resume, even those camps would be targeted, let alone their original homes. How many people felt a tightness in their chests every morning when the fighting was raging? It wasn’t just those at the border; people here felt that same anxiety every day. What else was destroyed? How far did it spread? Just looking at it on Facebook makes one’s chest feel tight. Our government and military are at the forefront; our commanders are directing the offensive, and our medical personnel are providing treatment on the battlefield. Medical teams from the Ministry of Health have also deployed to assist at district referral hospitals, treating both wounded soldiers and civilians.

(34) KL Accord, December 27 – Not a Treasonous Agreement, but an Agreement to Resolve the Issue Peacefully

What are we doing onDecember 27? It is not a treasonous agreement. It is an agreement to resolve the issue peacefully. First, we need to stop the fighting for the time being,becausewe have many other battles to fight, including the economic battle and the struggle to maintain people’s livelihoods. For those living along the border, the border has been closed. In some places,efforts to crack down on scams are also having an impact. I ask our brothers and sisters in Poipet for their understanding. But we have to fight this battle as well. Yesterday, we met with people from the tourism sector to review and assess why the number of tourists coming to Cambodia declined last year.

There are two key factors. First, the image of war. Second, the image of insecurity caused by scams. We have to fight it. It will hurt in the short term and affect some people, but I ask for your understanding. Our brothers and sisters can temporarily find other occupations for the time being. At least, they will not lose their lives because of war. Apart from the people in Poipet, many others living along the border have also been affected. But now they can breathe again. They can resume production and begin restoring some of what was lost. We have to wait for a resolution. And what kind of resolution are we talking about now? A diplomatic resolution—through technical means and international law. Some people say, “That way will take a very long time!” So what do you want now? Do you want to fight again?

(35) As long as the door remains open for negotiations, let’s use laws, diplomatic mechanisms, and existing agreements as the opportunity to resolve matters over time still exists

Look at formulas elsewhere. Some say, “Hun Manet doesn’t measure up even a fraction to Ukraine’s president.” I say no, I am observing that formula. I choose the path of peaceful resolution first. Over a million people have died in that country. Do you see footage of forced military conscription there? Back in the 1980s when we fought prolonged wars, there was forced conscription too, but look at Facebook regarding what is happening there now—first they drafted up to age 60, then after years of fighting, it rose to 65. Both sides are hiring foreign mercenaries, and now they are rounding people up directly into transport trucks and arming them to the front lines. Do we want that?

As long we retain the capacity to resolve matters, with the door open to negotiation using law, diplomatic mechanisms, existing agreements, and JBC surveys, we still have the opportunity to take our time. I ask for your understanding. This is no different from the heroic story of our 18 captured soldiers. People thought it could be resolved in 2 days, but it took 151 days. Do you remember? Some citizens said, “The government has forgotten; the lives of the 18 soldiers are worthless, they’ve stopped talking about it.” No. At every international forum, UN institution, human rights organization, and the International Committee of the Red Cross, we raised it everywhere. When I traveled abroad and met with the UN Secretary-General and leaders of superpowers, I always urged them to help intervene to bring the 18 back. It took 151 days. We didn’t launch an army to rescue them by force, but we used resolution methods. It took time, but we accomplished the mission, and they returned safely to reunite with their families.

I ask you to continue trusting the government’s efforts to peacefully resolve territorial issues using the law. It takes time, but we have not forgotten […] Look at UNCLOS; we filed a complaint with the United Nations. Some emotional external analysts previously asked, “Why isn’t Hun Manet’s government filing a complaint?” And when we did file, they came out saying, “The complaint is useless!” Yesterday, our working group and legal experts worked frantically for months to prepare, led by Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn, holding meetings without food or water […] Only for critics to come out and say, “Look at the Cambodian government’s messages; they are completely useless and nobody understands.”

They don’t understand anything themselves. When a person looks at a situation and doesn’t understand it, do they blame the leaders or themselves when others understand it completely?Our working group, combined with international legal advisors, spent dozens of months preparing for what purpose? To affirm our responsibility and protect our maritime sovereignty through the UN mechanism. This is filing a complaint and utilizing international mechanisms when we have exhausted other options. When Thailand unilaterally dissolved the 2001 MOU, we ran out of options for direct discussion and had to resort to compulsory resolution mechanisms, where both parties continue to talk with the assistance of a third-party mediator. For land boundaries,we reserve the right to use all means, all mechanisms: “Black cat or white cat, as long as it catches mice.” Use whatever methodology, means, laws, diplomacy, bilateral, regional, or international mechanisms available to try and reclaim our legitimate territory[…]

(37) Establishing the “Pochentong Park”

I went to check out Walk Street the other day because my children wanted to go. Not that I forgot about the territory — just glancing at Walk Street brought criticism that I forgot about the territory […] Seeing how well it was organized, I commend them. Now, we are organizing the old Pochentong Airport site. We are preparing to open it and name it the“Pochentong Park”, using its original historical name rather than “Phnom Penh Airport Garden.” Two historical buildings—the “Leaf Building” and the “Tower Building”—are being restored. Trees are currently being planted in preparation for opening. We launched a trial opening during the New Year and citizens flooded the area. It has water features and a great atmosphere for recreation. If I were 17 or 18, I would have gone there too, but now I’m older. The runway (piste) is great for runners and cyclists. Recently, a request was made to host a marathon there on December 5, alongside an opening ceremony. Minister Mao Havannall requested to host a car exhibition there. Let them do it. In the future, concerts and events can be held so citizens can enjoy themselves. It is for the public, but we are reserving the runway strip as a reserve airstrip, which is why we cannot plant trees too close to it—it requires a 150-meter clearance on both sides, leaving that specific zone tree-free.

(38) Preserving State Ownership and Generating Economic Activity

It is not hot in the evenings; it is very breezy. Anywhere else in Phnom Penh is stuffy, but that area has a cool breeze no matter the season. I went there last weekend to inspect the layout—where the cafes are set up, and where bicycle, motorcycle, and car parking zones are designated, following the committee’s master plan. They have managed it well and are moving forward.

The terminal building can be reviewed in the future because it is state-owned. Rather than leaving it idle, the state could lease it to the private sector to develop into a meeting space or commercial hub to generate economic activity there. However, ownership will never be sold; to be clear, we will create economic activity to earn revenue to maintain the airport, as maintenance costs roughly $4 million a year just to upkeep the buildings, equipment, and air conditioning. If left abandoned, everything will deteriorate.

So, let us consider leasing it or establishing a state-owned enterprise to manage and lease out the space for revenue while ensuring the primary benefit remains a public recreational area.

(39) Developing Boeung Tamouk as a Public Space for Phnom Penh Residents

We are also looking at Boeung Tamouk. Let’s finish the airport project first, and then we will develop Boeung Tamouk. A lot of trees have already been planted there after filling the site with millions of cubic meters of pumped sand. Many people have tried to negotiate for the land, but I said no—that space will be reserved as a public park for citizens to run and play. Governor Khuong Sreng has planted many trees there, and we will continue developing it soon. Thus, green public spaces for Phnom Penh residents are expanding, following the formula of Walk Street so people don’t have to travel far—they can share spaces to visit and exercise, which is also beneficial for health. Living comfortably is great, and comfort is rooted in hygiene.

I take this opportunity to praise Mr. Pang Lyda in Sen Sok District. I’ve seen him accomplish a lot regarding drainage clearance, with contributions from other districts and citizens as well. I appeal to the public: in some places where drains have just been cleared, garbage is thrown right back in. Clearing them alone is not enough; for your own health, let’s protect these spaces together because the benefits belong to you. Other districts should do the same.

A major issue discussed in yesterday’s tourism meeting was garbage and environmental cleanliness. Environmental protection does not rest solely on the Ministry of Environment or municipal departments, but requires the active participation of all local authorities and citizens. When we held the soft opening at the Phnom Penh airport site, tens of thousands of citizens attended, yet there was zero litter. People disposed of their trash properly in bins or brought bags back with them, saying they wanted to help keep it clean. That is the right attitude! A clean environment starts with each and every one of us. It cannot be left entirely to authorities or garbage collection companies like Cintri; we must manage and sort our waste together. Especially youngsters partying—put beverage cans in bags, finish your snacks, and put waste in bins. Working together ensures a clean living environment. This is vital for health, construction, governance, and effective problem-solving.

(40) Trying to Resolve the Border Issue, Including through the UNCLOS Mechanism, to Find a Solution So That Our Children and Grandchildren Will Not Continue to Suffer

When it comes to the border issue, both on land and at sea, we are dealing with it responsibly. There has not been a single second when we have left it unattended. We have lost control of some locations; we acknowledge that. There is nothing to hide. We have made it known to the whole world, at every international forum, whether inside the country or outside the country. We have consistently raised the issue so that the international community is aware of it. It is not about escalating tensions, but about demanding our legitimate rights, justice for Cambodia, and the protection of our sovereignty. We are doing it.

We are not afraid. Let the people see for themselves. There is no place, no forum, where we have not raised the issue.We will continue to push and try to resolve the problem, including by using the UNCLOS mechanism to find a solution. We want a solution not only for 2026. We want a solution that will prevent our children and grandchildren from continuing to suffer. We do not want to fight once every ten years.People living along the border do not want to pack up and flee once every ten years either. There are also many deaths and injuries among people living along the border—civilians, including children—

who are killed or injured during the fighting and after the fighting. When they return, they find cluster bombs, pick them up, and they explode, killing them. Now we also have the problems left behind by the border closures, combined with the problems of the global economy.

(41) Rather Than Spending Time, Budgetary Resources, and Human Lives to Continue to Fight, We Should Strive to Find Ways to Negotiate and Give the People Time to Breathe

We need to find a solution rather than spending time, resources, human lives, and budgetary resources to continue fighting along the border to see who wins and who loses. There is no winner or loser.One side fights, then the other side fights back. Whether in the Middle East or in Europe, the fighting still has not ended. It just goes back and forth. In the end, it is only people who are lost. In the end, they still have to come back to negotiations. So, we are making every effort to find ways to negotiate, using every possibility available, and to give the people some time to breathe, because people’s livelihoods are difficult. The state has to spend money to intervene and address all these problems. As of now, the state has provided more than 360 million dollars in subsidies simply to help with fuel prices.

We reduced taxes on fuel-importing companies in order to contain the prices, but fuel prices are still rising. We have already spent 350 million dollars in subsidies, and that does not yet include around 50 million dollars for EDC, to subsidize electricity prices so that they do not increase. Just the other day, I signed an approval to provide assistance to more than one million vulnerable families […] vulnerable families and our brothers and sisters who make a living driving PassApp, whom we subsidize financially, such as three times? […] We have to spend nearly a hundred million dollars on that […] Rather than taking that money to buy BM ammunition to fire at one another, we use it first to help stabilize the situation for our people. At a time when our people are facing risks, military families, people affected by the border conflict, workers returning from abroad, and banks are helping by not charging interest for five or six months—how much income would otherwise have to be paid?

(42) Use Legal and Diplomatic Mechanisms, and Money and Time to Restore the Economy and the Livelihoods of Those Affected by War; Subsidize Fuel Companies and Contain Electricity Prices, and Support the Informal Economy …

We need to spend even more to help the people. Now, if you are the ones responsible for solving the problem, those who simply sit there and shout are already shouting. But for those responsible for solving the problem, if we use this time to spend money buying ammunition to fight, we do not know when it will end, and the situation will only become more inflamed. Every day, more people are killed and more people are injured.

Or should we insteadstop the fighting for now, and fight through the legal mechanisms and diplomatic mechanisms that we have, in order to try to resolve the problem, and use the money and the time we have now to restore the economy and livelihoods for those who are still affected,such as people waiting in villages in Banteay Meanchey, Preah Vihear, and Oddar Meanchey? There are hundreds and thousands of families there. Use the money to subsidize the oil companies so that they do not raise prices, meaning that we reduce fuel taxes and duties on fuel […]provide subsidies so that fuel prices do not rise excessively. They have risen somewhat, but we are trying to contain them.Help contain EDC prices, because although EDC is a public enterprise, the money is also state money so that people do not have to pay so much more per kilowatt-hour. Many countries have already increased electricity prices.

Use the moneyto expand assistance and subsidies, to provide at least some support to those involved in the informal economy, people working in those occupations, numbering tens of thousands.I need to add more. Use thatmoney to provide assistance to pregnant women, healthcare, childrenunder two years old, and use it to support our school food program. Now we have more than 1,000 schools. As of now, our people—our students—are in 1,114 primary schools where weprovide them with food. Instead of using that money to buy ammunition for fighting, use it for our children, instead of having soldiers sacrificed. Now, we build houses forfallen soldiers, and provide positions for their children and grandchildren, finding jobs for them. Soldiers who are seriously wounded and unable to work—we allow their children or relatives to enter the civil service. Wherever we can help, we help.

We use all that money to provide assistance, but we do not want the number of deaths and serious injuries to continue increasing unnecessarily. When we have other options that can resolve the issue without having to fight, that does not mean we are signing away their land. We will still demand that it be returned, because no one has the right to give that land to anyone else. It is the nation’s land. Each government has the responsibility to protect and preserve it. The question is simply which means we use. We have already fought for 26 days. During the 25th and 26th, and not even going back to the past ten years ago, we also fought each other. Now we are using diplomacy to resolve the issue, just as with the 18 people who spent 151 days, and we were able to bring them back safely. So we will continue making every effort.

At the same time, wesave money so that we can help restore the economy for the people and support their livelihoods […] Yesterday, in the tourism sector, we needed to invest some capital in increasing tourism products, because tourism brings visitors and helps the hundreds of thousands of people who depend on tourism. In the agricultural sector, every year wespend more than 100 million dollars to assist rice mills in purchasing rice and stabilizing rice prices when prices fall sharply, by putting money into the rice mills. The rice mills buy the rice and create a domestic market. All this money is money that we need to save and use to support SMEs.

(43) The Government Never Turns a Blind Eye to Our People and Territory

For others, I cannot speak, butfor the Royal Government, we must find ways to resolve issues with the national and public interest at heart—solving them through peaceful means and diplomacy, even if it requires patience and time, to recover our territory and secure the opportunity to address immediate hardships for our people during this difficult phase. This is a significant decision that can be complex and lengthy, drawing public attention, but the government does not turn a blind eye or abandon our compatriots and territory without making demands.

For critics sitting in air-conditioned rooms who do nothing but look down on others, claiming the government is useless and lacks strategy—let them choke on their own cynicism and go outside. Let the bearded critics or those with twisted, unclear speech complain; I am stern enough to handle that. I remain silent, but my soldiers know the truth. Critics used to claim that Hun Manet smiles too much and is too soft to be a military commander, but my troops say, “Don’t talk like that, boss…” Let them sit and curse, let them object. I will continue serving the country, walking around celebrating achievements, engaging directly with the public to explain policies, outlining necessary actions, and setting directions to respond to their needs and keep them informed. Sometimes citizens want to know and hear directly from their leaders.

During these economic pressures, what does the government do to help? Don’t say the government is silent—it is not silent! Over $300 million to $400 million has already been deployed. Now, a new plan for over 1 million households is rolling out to provide financial support, whatever amount helps, and it is already arranged. For those returning from Thailand, we help reintegrate them into jobs, with some receiving new training—all funded by the state. Now, we are even thinking about creating livelihoods for war-displaced families, not just building houses, but creating livelihoods and communities for them, such as tourism communities, going down directly to help them.

We have achieved a lot, including in the healthcare sector, which has grown over the past three years. Now, clinics operate 24 hours nationwide, hospitals have more equipment, and there are 61 additional district referral hospitals equipped with the treatment capabilities needed so people don’t have to worry about long-distance transfers in emergencies. This is what the government has built over the past 40 years, and in this mandate, we will continue doing it for the people.

Let me open a brief parenthesis here and close it again. During active warfare, even those with good mental well-being suffer from stress because I watch the stress levels. I look at Facebook, and every day I see people logging on. Mornings begin with anxiety—no one wants to get out of bed. Who wouldn’t feel that way during active warfare? Some days are filled with stress and a reluctance to act because it concerns our entire nation and people, and we worry about how far the war might spread. Rumors spread of air strikes in Phnom Penh, or of cutting off the Koh Kong bridge, causing panic among residents in Koh Kong and Bak Khlong.

(44) Focusing Resources and Time on Overcoming the Scam Crisis

Look at how many people experienced stress during those few days of war—please raise your hands. Do you want to experience that stress again? Those who object to our peaceful resolution path can now see. We will continue resolving things peacefully to avoid nationwide stress and dedicate our time to addressing immediate economic hardships that concern our entire country. Frontline troops, police, and gendarmerie sacrifice their lives to protect the territory, backed by the support of the entire nation. But when danger hits the front lines, it affects all of us—Khmers at home and abroad united together. Therefore, we all share the responsibility to solve it and take shared accountability.

The government stands with the people, understanding their hearts in defending national sovereignty, and we ask the people to stand with the government and trust that we have not abandoned them. We are simply exhausting all possible diplomatic and international legal channels to recover our territory.We must concentrate our resources and time on tackling economic crises that damage our national reputation and image through online scams, as well as livelihood pressures caused by wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, which drive up oil prices and inflation. But together, we will navigate and overcome these hardships.

(45) Making Necessary Reforms for Long-Term National Health

The world is like the cycle of life; nothing is permanent. Good times alternate with bad times. No good period lasts forever, and no bad period lasts forever. What matters is that during good times, we capitalize on them and strengthen ourselves; during bad times, we use them to build resilience, preventing things from becoming too severe and using self-correction methods to build stronger resilience.

This is whatwe are doing every day through reforms in education, health, public service, security, and national defense. We are undergoing a “surgical procedure,” which causes some temporary discomfort and affects certain citizens, but it is necessary for our long-term health. I ask for your understanding because we do this for the common national interest.Rest assured: we are quiet, but we are not idle. I don’t have the time to chat idly for an hour a day on Facebook like some people. Because we are not idle, yesterday I held meetings across two busy blocks: tourism until 2 PM, and another meeting from 2:30 PM until 6 PM regarding scientific research and development (R&D) to build our capacity. At the same time, I took phone calls from the UNCLOS negotiation team because political decisions were needed.

So I managed three tasks simultaneously. I didn’t broadcast it anywhere. Yesterday I didn’t sleep resting my hands on my belly; I worked from morning until evening. I’m not complaining; I’m just letting you know the government is not idle. Not just me, but everyone—national and sub-national officials—is busy working, even if it isn’t broadcast.

(46) Determined to Serve the Common Interest of the Nation and People Will Succeed

Achievements are born from our lack of idleness. Sometimes when we are too quiet, please help point it out. What are local authorities doing? Post it on Facebook and share it so people know. Our citizens have it easy now. I see good cooperation and support for local authorities, especially in actions that serve the public interest.

For example, take Mr. Pang Lida or others who cracked down on unauthorized building framework extensions—citizens support them because they aren’t acting for personal gain or district property, but for public assets. In some cases, citizens even helped demolish illegal structures themselves. This participation is wonderful. Whatever we do, sometimes I tell my officials that they need encouragement.When they do their job, it affects many people, and rumors fly against them. I tell them: if you are afraid of rumors, use me as your target. If rumors were food, I’d have breakfast, lunch, dinner, and leftovers for the night because there are so many! Let people say whatever they want. Set clear directions and determine that whatever we do is for the common interest of the country and its people. I believe we will succeed, so don’t worry. Let people say what they want. You cannot make 100 out of 100 people happy; you must perform surgery sometimes.

In some cases, major surgery must be done quickly—it hurts and bleeds, but otherwise, the whole body suffers. Online scams occurred in only one region, yet they damaged the national reputation and drove away millions of tourists who had nothing to do with it. People in Siem Reap didn’t know anything, but because of fear of scams, they didn’t visit Siem Reap. Siem Reap residents suffered, Phnom Penh suffered, tourism areas suffered, and investment suffered alike.

(47) Zero Tolerance for Online Scams to Prevent National Crisis

We must continue our cleanup operations. I bring up scams because I see the impact on Facebook. What should we do? Should we allow online scams to return just to make people happy and leave the country in crisis? Absolutely not. We will not stop; we will continue.There are plenty of other jobs. Go do them. We survived from 1979 to this day with absolutely nothing, and we achieved it without scam money. Can we survive without it? It might be harder because back then we survived with just rubber-strap sandals. Now do we need air conditioning to hold a meeting, or what? That doesn’t make sense; we must be bold enough to cut it off.

I am not anti-Chinese. People say, “Chase away all the Chinese.” No! Chinese investors operate countless legitimate factories here. But opening factories to scam people is unacceptable. Nowadays, there is a lot of scamming, and it’s not just targeting abroad; it’s scamming inside the country too […] Please be careful with technology systems—it’s very easy. I ask the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, and the Anti-Cyber Crime Committee to cooperate in stopping this. Online scams and online gambling—we are shutting them down. The other day we decided in a meeting that online gambling is no longer just computer games in a single room; it occupies entire buildings with thousands of people sitting at computers, exactly like scam compounds. We cannot control it; it’s dangerous.

If our country enters the grey list, it benefits nobody. People working in that sector—80% are foreign nationals, not local jobs. Local citizens don’t make up a large share… You have benefited for many years. We do not prosecute ordinary local workers for making an honest living, but your employers’ scams damage our country. They use our country to scam others. Technology turns people into unfeeling machines. If a person scams someone directly and we see the victim’s face, we feel pity. But in online scams, we don’t see the victims. Some victims hang themselves in America; some elderly people lose their entire retirement savings and suffer immensely. Because we don’t see them, we only focus on incoming cash—making 10,000 houses a month, being happy making this much.

Please transition to other temporary livelihoods. We will not die from losing this black-economy revenue. People in Poipet and Sihanoukville face much harder struggles, and in Sihanoukville, more people depend on legitimate tourism than on scam operations—people in places like Koh Rong, Otres Beach, and other tourist spots.

(48) Cambodia Does Not Rely on Casino or Scam Economies

Some of our enforcement teams go out on operations and say, “Boss! We are touching them. It’s their rice bowl; they hate us.” Go ahead and tell them: Samdech Bovorphea Thipadei ordered it, and I take full responsibility. If anyone gives you trouble, put it on me; I will protect you. But avoid mistreating people; carry out your duties properly to serve our country. We must close this chapter to eliminate risks. Continue this work; do not back down. I want to be clear. Some claim the crackdown will end in April, or June, or December. Some claim the government will soon reopen online gambling while banning scams. Absolutely not. Some people go around guaranteeing or trying to push licenses through—it will not happen.

Cambodia does not need to rely on a casino economy or online scams. We rely on other diverse economic pillars. Even the healthcare sector is a business.Private investments are businesses, but we have regulatory frameworks for providing services. People working in those sectors have jobs no different from hotel workers—just different professions and trades. These professions support our economy. Sometimes we cannot choose both; we must pick one. If we pick one, we must pick the right one—the one that brings long-term, major benefits to the nation.

(49) “If you are a minister, provincial governor, district governor, commune chief, local authority, police chief, or military police commander and you dare not enforce the law out of fear of hurting feelings, then step down”

If you serve as a government minister, provincial governor, district governor, commune chief, local authority, police chief, or military police commander and you dare not enforce the law out of fear of hurting feelings, then step down!Are you not afraid of hurting 17 million citizens? Just looking out for your own comfort. That is why in some places we needed to restructure entire provincial leaderships because they weren’t acting—not that they were complicit, but they were inactive. So, we replaced them with more active leaders.

We don’t hesitate to make changes where necessary. I have called and personally advised them many times. No other Prime Minister would call provincial governors and military police commanders to sit down and advise them personally like this. I give opportunities and ask you to try, but if the work is difficult, we must restructure. Put new people in to take responsibility. If they can’t deliver, out they go. The other day we had to change a district governor and appoint a new one. Problems never end; there are always those who work hard and those who don’t, requiring us to push them with a stick. To save ourselves the exhaustion of prodding, we just put new people in. And don’t think that because of elections we wouldn’t dare change provincial party chiefs, district party chiefs, or district and provincial governors—that’s not how it works.

(50) Online scams is a red line … having the will and doing it imperfectly is better than having no will at all

Having the will to act and doing it imperfectly is still better than having no will to act at all. You must act. If we adopt the “surgical” approach, we apply it. How much understanding should be given?There is a red line. Scams represent a red line.For other issues, we scale our response to the severity of the problem. In some cases, we perform surgery; in other cases, we provide guidance and education. We offer opportunities, but the work must be done.Nobody is perfect; the key is whether you have the will to act. Having the will and doing it imperfectly is better than having no will at all. Let me state clearly: if taking responsibility for this matter costs me my position or work, lay the burden on me. I gladly accept it. Because I am the one issuing orders, I dare to take responsibility. But I want it to be clear that this responsibility is for the entire nation. We must live together. Our future population of 17 million, and later 20 million, cannot live in a country that is constantly attacked and condemned by the world because we refuse to do anything about scams.

(51) Eradicating Scams Completely to Ensure a Better Future

We did things previously; it’s not like we didn’t try in past mandates. But following this conflict, we deployed “heavy artillery.” Previously we used 60mm or 120mm mortars; now we deploy BM multi-barrel rocket launchers to pulverize it completely! Once pulverized, we will not allow it to rise again. We have set a clear goal to eradicate this issue permanently and wipe it out. Do not regret it. Don’t regret the lost opportunities for officials and armed forces leaders who held those posts. We regret losing our chance to fulfill our duty in ensuring our territory, province, or capital becomes a better place for our children and our health.We must not be a province or city stained with a bad reputation while we failed to exhaust our possibilities. Don’t regret missing out on making 20-30 million or 100 million like others. Don’t regret that. Welcome legitimate investments and business frameworks. For instance, private healthcare investments — I am not opposed to them, as long they don’t operate inside public hospitals and instead build independent private facilities. We promote investments to expand medical capacity, build more hospitals, and train private medical personnel, employing fresh medical graduates in new private jobs rather than poaching doctors already contracted to state hospitals. Bringing fresh medical graduates into new private healthcare jobs creates employment. But when it comes to online scams, we do not play around.

(52) Reviewing Casino Licenses and Banning Casinos in Siem Reap

We are currently reviewing over 100 casino licenses. It is time to review them. Do we need so many? We have tightened conditions; investment thresholds must be increased—to around $100 million? Previously requirements were low, so even a shophouse could become a casino. Now we require proper, adequate infrastructure. The original concept was never casinos for the sake of casinos. The Royal Government permitted border casinos to stimulate broader economic activities like restaurants and tourism products, akin to Las Vegas or Macau—not for people to win and lose money solely through gambling, but to build restaurants and tourism attractions, drawing visitors to Sihanoukville. Small-scale gambling was just an accompaniment. So we must review this approach. I appointed H.E. Yet Vinell to lead the newly reorganized Committee for Gambling Policy with a fresh mechanism. The previous leadership and deputies served for a period, but changes happened. We brought in new leadership and mechanisms to re-conceptualize our framework, as casinos are only a small part of the tourism and service sector, not the core.

Some people wanted to request casino licenses in Siem Reap. Absolutely not. From Samdech Techo’s time to the new government I lead, no casino licenses will ever be granted in Siem Reap Province. Let me make that crystal clear: there are none. Do not even ask for a casino license in Siem Reap Province. Build hotels or other legitimate businesses, but casinos in Siem Reap are out of the question. If businesses collapse because there is no casino, then let them collapse; we must uphold our responsibility as a cultural heritage province. People have asked me about this repeatedly. My answer remains no. I am making public announcements because sometimes when I notify people quietly, the message isn’t fully conveyed. Let me announce it directly into the microphone. Soon journalists will clip short segments of these 2- or 3-hour speeches to broadcast and inform the public.

(53) International Recognition and Conference Against Scam in Cambodia

As for online gambling, we have paused it. Starting early October, online games will be paused. We will continue cracking down until they never rise again. We have the laws and mechanisms in place.Somewhere after September 20, we are hosting an international conference. It is a tremendous source of pride for us that within just a few months, we transformed our image from a country accused by media as a scam haven—where we were actually the victims—into a recognized success story. Other countries also have scams, but media outlets didn’t attack them. Even the countries that criticize us daily have scams operating within their borders, and many illegal cross-border migrants flow from those countries into Cambodia and Myanmar. Yet those same countries and media shifted from attacking us as a scam paradise to recognizing our success in eliminating them. International partners are co-organizing an international conference in Cambodia against scams, which is a massive international recognition of our hard work. Organizations like the UN, UNIDO, the FBI, and Chinese institutions do not co-chair events in countries struggling with unresolved problems, but because we achieved a 70% reduction, they joined us.

We must clear the remaining 30%. Don’t let 30% turn back into 70%; push 30% down to 20% and 10%. We must keep working. I thank all law enforcement officers, national ministries, relevant institutions, and the Anti-Cyber Crime Committee. Some people call the committee names, saying it targets people’s rice bowls. Let them talk. Local authorities know and hear everything… Please keep up the work, work together, and monitor closely because for scams, there is no leniency. That is our red line. Other security issues like Safe Village-Commune policies, gang violence, and drugs require continuous effort, but on scams—no mercy.

Some district governors and deputy police commissioners had to be replaced. The Ministry of Interior is investigating further; the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) and committees are active. Do not touch this area. We have deployed the heavy artillery; we will not let it rise again. What’s the point of doing things uselessly, only for it to resurface after a few months? No. Who suffers? Everyone suffers, even those who profited from it. If our country suffers, those who profited—whether through renting out houses or going abroad—will find life difficult too.

Does anyone think Cambodia looks good when citizens fly business class abroad, only for foreigners to mock them about scams upon arrival? Are we happy? Even honest business tycoons feel a bit embarrassed abroad. Since earlier this year, foreign media targeted us heavily. In some countries where we used to take taxis and drivers would mention Angkor Wat, they now mention Sihanoukville in connection with negative news, deterring visitors.

(54) Promoting a Positive Image of Sihanoukville and Affected Regions

We must clean up and actively promote a positive image of Sihanoukville, Bavet, Poipet, and Chrey Thom. Residents of Sihanoukville, Bavet, Poipet, and Chrey Thom who previously benefited from this black economy, I ask for your understanding. We must tackle this as a comprehensive package.Please understand and join hands to protect our shared rice bowl so that our entire nation benefits. When legitimate investments and tourists come, our country progresses, and our people hold their heads high instead of being mocked. Let’s clean up this mess.

We have suffered enough—500 years of war, genocide, and national division. What more do we want? We have suffered enough from external invasions; do not cause suffering to ourselves! Do not inflict self-sabotaging damage on our own national reputation. Work together to protect it; no one helps Khmers better than Khmers. Foreigners come here, run scams, make money, and leave for their home countries—they don’t stay with us. We are the ones who remain. In some places, it takes decades to clean up a tarnished name and attract good tourists back. Mud stains take only a moment to get dirty, but scrubbing them clean takes a very long time. If we don’t scrub and instead keep bringing in mud, it will never come clean.

(55) Putting Money into People’s Pockets via Proper Economic Growth

On this matter, we must continue working together. Those affected, please understand—we do this for the country. I am not driving out online scams just to replace them with online gambling for personal profit or license fees. We don’t play that game; we don’t need that money. What money do I need?Money in our citizens’ pockets is already national wealth. Ensuring our people prosper is what the government aims for. We don’t need revenue from illicit sectors that strips money away from citizens. We prefer money entering citizens’ pockets through proper economic growth, correct economic expansion, building resilience, reducing investment risks in Cambodia, eliminating transnational crimes including online scams, and continuing our crackdown on drugs.

(56) The Prime Minister leads three reform mechanisms: public administration, education, and health

The fourth key measure — maintaining safe communes and sangkats — is being implemented under the leadership of the Ministry of Interior; significant effort has been dedicated to this task. We also have the anti-drug authority, and we continue to press forward. Regarding the justice system, the Ministry of Justice takes the lead.There are only three mechanisms led directly by the Prime Minister: public administration reform, with the Deputy Prime Minister for Public Administration serving as the executive lead (while I oversee it directly); education reform, involving the ministry and an implementation committee; and health reform, with the Minister of Health as the executive lead. I work closely with them—not to do the work in their place, but to provide key measures for strategic direction and to allocate special funds to accelerate progress.

The ministry has its own budget, but—for instance, the construction of those 61 health centers—such projects were not originally in the ministry’s plan. It required the Prime Minister’s discretionary authority to secure and allocate the additional funds. That is why close collaboration is essential. So, there are three priority tasks for this mandate. Regarding the civil service, we are investing heavily in strengthening the examination process. Currently, we administer exams for nearly 200,000 candidates but recruit only a few thousand. Yet, there are no complaints—even in the age of Facebook. If the process lacked fairness or propriety, it would immediately be all over Facebook. We have conducted it correctly. We guarantee that those who pass do so based on merit, and those who fail accept the result without lingering doubts—meaning there is no suspicion regarding the outcome. This must be our guiding principle.

We are also strengthening meritocracy within the civil service, specifically through performance-based incentives. Yesterday, I met with H.E. Pen Bona; we discussed establishing KPIs for specific tasks to provide incentives for officials. Regarding policy implementation—which was sometimes neglected in the past—we see that while some ministries or departments actively execute projects, others merely draft plans on paper. We recognize the importance of these functions and are establishing principles to provide incentives for the officials involved.

We must also ensure proper procedures for internal appointments and assignments within the ministry. I have directed that recruitment be precisely targeted based on merit and specific needs, ensuring that the selection of new officials involves an examination process with clear standards. For instance, when recruiting officials for the National Institute of Statistics, the required knowledge, skills, and examination content must be clearly defined; we should not recruit a civil engineer to perform statistical work. While they might be capable of learning some aspects, we should prioritize recruiting individuals with specific expertise in statistics.

Similarly, exams for Customs or Tax officials must test relevant skills—such as accounting—to ensure the recruitment aligns with the specific job requirements. Regarding existing staff who lack certain skills, it is better to provide them with targeted training than to simply request new personnel. We should train, support, and motivate existing officials to work effectively; otherwise, we might have ten staff members on paper, but only five who are actually capable of doing the job, while the other five struggle to cope. Instead of asking for five more staff members, we should teach the current ones how to perform their duties.

Staff retention is crucial, particularly in ensuring that local offices remain adequately staffed. Some district offices lack personnel because staff often request transfers after serving for only a year or two. Recently, when I visited Kambol—on the outskirts of Phnom Penh—officials mentioned the difficulty of finding teachers there compared to the city center. So, in the future, if there are vacancies, we will recruit contract-based staff—providing them with salaries and benefits identical to those of career teachers—but they will only receive that status and those benefits once they actually begin teaching. This way, we no longer have to worry about having a surplus of officials or an excess of personnel with nowhere to work or even a seat to sit in.

We are implementing the direction set at the start of the mandate. We are running a pilot program, but what is the purpose? To ensure a merit-based system for officials. We must also consider fairness for them. What is the point of hiring so many people that they are tripping over each other, with no workspace or even a seat? This is part of the reform process we have undertaken—a topic I have perhaps discussed at length today. What time is it now? Goodness, it is only 8:30. I will stop talking now. We meet only occasionally, so I simply wanted to share these relevant points. That is all for today; I won’t go on any further […]./.