The Ambassador of the Royal Embassy of Cambodia, HE Meas Kim Heng, spoke on a wide range of issues including foreign policy, Khmer Rouge, democracy, tourism, ASEAN and UK-Cambodia relations.
The full speech is below:
REMARKS OF CAMBODIAN AMBASSADOR MEAS KIM HENG
AT THE CONSERVATIVE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH COUNCIL
Chairman Sir Ronald Halstead,
The Rt Hon The Lord Astor of Hever DL
Distinguished Members of Parliament,
Ladies and gentlemen,
I would like to thank the Conservative Foreign and Commonwealth Council (CFCC) for giving me this opportunity to share with you the recent history, foreign policy and latest development in Cambodia.
I am very encouraged to see the Council’s interest in Cambodia. I would like to start my brief talk by giving you a picture where Cambodia stands now.
Cambodia
Cambodia is located in Southeast Asia and has a population of 15.4 Million and was once recognized as an oasis of peace in the 1960’s but later it had been undergone destructive wars and genocide in the 1970’s. The genocide is still a trauma for some of the Cambodian people who survived the genocidal regime.
The signing of the Paris Peace Accords on 23rd October 1991 by 19 countries and the United Nations (Agreements on a Comprehensive Political Settlement of the Cambodia Conflict) marked the end of the conflict in Cambodia. The United Kingdom is also one of the signatories of the Peace Accords. The Peace Accords also aimed to maintain, preserve and defend the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and inviolability, neutrality and national unity of Cambodia, to restore and maintain peace in Cambodia, to promote national reconciliation and to ensure the exercise of the right to self-determination of the Cambodian people through free and fair elections.
Good Governance
In signing the Agreements along with 18 other States, Cambodia took a vital step in its emergence from years of internal conflict and isolation and held the general elections in 1993 under the supervision of the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC).
After 1993 elections, Cambodia adopts the constitutional monarchy system and the principles of democracy and pluralism in its political system. Human rights are enshrined in the 1993 Constitution, which provides guarantees for equality before the law, prohibits all kinds of discrimination, and provides for protection of the freedom of speech and expression, free movement, rights to form associations, to religion and beliefs.
Since 1993 Cambodia has held the general elections five times, senate elections 3 times and communal elections 3 times. Democracy, freedom and rights of our people have been promoted along with the strengthening of rule of law. All political parties, old and new ones, coupled with civil society organizations are actively working and participating in the promotion of democracy as well as the respects for human rights and laws. Last year, the adoption of the Law on Elections of Members of the Parliament, Law of Organization and Functioning of the Election Committee, the establishment of new election committee, and Law on the Elections of Commune/Sangkat Councils will ensure an even better election in the years to come. Next year we will have the communal elections and the general elections will be held in 2018.
Cambodia is open for the involvement of the civil society such as local and international NGOs, community-based organizations to work with Government in addressing the various social issues and strengthening the rule of law. So far there have been almost 5000 NGOs carrying out their activities in Cambodia in almost every field.
Besides, we have Cambodia Human Rights Committee, trade unions and national and international human rights organizations operating in Cambodia, contributing to the promotion of the respect of human rights in Cambodia.
Cambodia enjoys freedom of press. So far there are more than 600 newspapers and magazines, more than 100 radio stations and 17 TV stations. People can have access to 65 TV programs via cable TV. There are also Radio Free Asia, Radio France International and Voice of America in Khmer and also, BBC radio and Radio Australia, which are re-broadcasted via local stations every day. Besides this traditional media system, there are modern social media systems such as Facebook, Twitter, SMS, Flickers, and Internet etc, which contribute a lot to provide information to people.
Legal and judicial reforms are being conducted. A number of related laws and regulations has been adopted and implemented. Last year, the Law on the Organization of the Courts; the Law on the Statute of Judges and Prosecutors; and the Law on the Organization and Functioning of the Supreme Council of the Magistracy were adopted at the fifth legislature of the National Assembly. These three laws are the key basic laws to ensure the strengthening of the judiciary’s independence and the improvement of the judiciary’s functioning so as to enhance judicial service provision to the people in accordance with the rule of law’s principle. We also have the Royal School for Judges at the Royal Academy for Judicial Professions to train judges. The judges are replaced every four years. These are part of the in-depth reform in the judicial sector in Cambodia so as to strengthen good governance and rule of law.
Fighting corruption was one of the core elements of the Government’s strategic documents. A comprehensive anti-corruption law was adopted by the National Assembly of Cambodia in 2010. An Anti-Corruption Unit was established and it should be noted that eradicating corruption was a long-term and challenging endeavour. Under the anti-corruption law, members of the Parliament and government officials appointed by royal decree or sub-decree are required to declare their assets every two years. So far the Anti-Corruption Unit arrested many corrupted officials and prosecutors including the Phnom Penh Municipality Court Director.
Khmer Rouge Tribunal
The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) has been established and operated since 2006 with the collaboration between the Royal Government of Cambodia and the United Nations to put on trial the top Khmer Rouge leaders who are responsible for the crimes committed from 1975 to 1979. So far, three top Khmer Rouge leaders have been charged for .genocidal crimes, crime against humanity, and war crime.
It is our responsibility to find justice for the Cambodian people who lost their lives under the Khmer rouges time and to prevent such crimes from happening again in the future. The other point is to put an end to the culture of impunity and to make sure that the Khmer Rouge leaders will not enjoy impunity for the above crimes no matter how long the time has lapsed after their crimes committed.
So far, there have been more than 30 countries supporting the ECCC financially since its formation. In this regard, I would like, on behalf the Royal Government of Cambodia, to express our sincere gratitude to the British Government for supporting and providing financial contribution for the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia over the past years.
Gender equality
Cambodia has made good progress in promoting gender equality. We can see more and more women engaging in political affairs and decision-makers at all national institutions and levels through increasing number of women to take roles and positions in all important institutions at all levels. It is the fact that the number of women taking role as the members of the National Assembly has increased from 6% in 1993 to 20% in 2013. Between 2008 and 2013, the women taking position as a minister have increased from 7% to 11%, as Secretary of State from 8% to 21% and as the Under Secretary of State from 15% to 18%. Furthermore, the percentage of women elected as the members of Commune Councils has also increased, from 15% in 2007 to 18% in 2012. As a result, we could see that women gain more opportunity to strengthen their ownership, help support their respective family economy status, improve the standard of living and expand their respective participatory opportunities.
Economic Stability
Thanks to political and macroeconomic stability as well as security and social order, Cambodia has been recognized by its rapid change in economic development. According to the World Bank, our economy grew at the average rate of 7.7% in the last two decades. This year's growth rate is expected to grow around 6.9%. The exchange rate has been very stable during the last 16 years, and the inflation rate is below 5% per annum. GDP per capita has grown from US$ 253 in 1998 to US$ 1,228 in 2015 and this year it is expected to reach US$ 1,325. The country's GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is worth about 18.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2015. The economic growth was mainly sustained by garments' exports, agriculture, tourism, and construction sectors.
Cambodia’s export value of garments for 2000 was only US$ 1.1 billion. The figure reached US$ 6.3 billion last year. The European Union is the biggest buyer of Cambodian exports, accounting for US$ 2.5 billion of the total, thanks to its preferential treatment under the GSP’s ”Everything But Arms” scheme.
Cambodia’s export value of agricultural products was US$ 35 million in 2000. The figure reached US$ 493 million in 2014.
Tourist arrivals to Cambodia for 2000 were only 460,000. The figure reached 4.8 million last year. We expect the arrivals to reach 8 million by 2020.
In 2010, the investment in the construction sector was only US$ 840 million. Last year, the construction sector received a total of US$ 3.3 billion investment capital, up 33.1 percent compared to year 2014.
With that rapid development, the World Bank said Cambodia is one of the seven countries in the world that are called the Olympians of growth. Based on these indicators, the poverty rate has been brought down from 53.2% in 2004 to 13.5% in 2014 making Cambodia the fourth successful country in the world by achieving the Cambodia Millennium Development Goals (CMDGs) poverty reduction targets well before the end of 2015. As of this time, Cambodia is advancing from low-income country to a lower-middle income country in the near future and will continue to become an upper-middle income country by 2030.
While implementing Cambodia’s long-term vision towards 2030, the “rectangular strategy – phase III” to achieve growth, last year, the government put forward a “policy for industrial development 2015-2025” to guide Cambodia’s industrial development. The policy will contribute to maintaining sustainably and inclusively high economic growth by diversifying the economy, strengthening competition, and enhancing productivity.
On 22 October 2015, the Royal Government of Cambodia promulgated the implementation of “national policy for employment 2015-2025” aimed at increasing appropriate chance for jobs for Cambodian people and increasing labor productivity, promoting skill and human-resource development, and strengthening of job market governance. Issuance of the policy not only interrelates and complements with the policy for industrial development 2015-2025 but also serves as a common framework for relevant institutions to take coordinated actions in line with common objectives and with responsibility.
Foreign Policy
Cambodia adopts a foreign policy of permanent neutrality and non-alignment. The Kingdom of Cambodia follows a policy of peaceful co-existence with its neighbors and with all other countries throughout the world. It shall not invade any country, nor interfere in any other country's internal affairs, directly or indirectly, and shall solve any problems peacefully with due respect for mutual interests. The Kingdom of Cambodia shall not join in any military alliance or military pact which is incompatible with its policy of neutrality.
Cambodia shall not permit any foreign military base on its territory and shall not have its own military base abroad, except within the framework of the United Nations request. Cambodia reserves the right to receive foreign assistance in military equipment, armaments, ammunitions, in training of armed forces, and other assistance for self-defense and to maintain public order and security within its territory.
Cambodia has diplomatic relations with over 150 countries around the world.
Cambodia-UK
I am delighted to note that the Kingdom Cambodia and the United Kingdom are among the oldest remaining royalist nations in the world that tighten bilateral relations despite thousands of miles away since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1953. The two Kingdoms have cooperation in many fields.
I would like to take this opportunity to express our deep gratitude for the great contribution of the United Kingdom, as a member state of the European Union, to Cambodia’s development in various sectors including governance, education, agriculture, judiciary, human rights, environmental protection and demining.
The appointment of the British Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy Lord Puttnam have significantly contributed to promote trade and investment between the two countries and also help Cambodian producers market internationally the excellent quality of Cambodia’s agricultural produce.
We have seen that the trade volume between the two countries is expanding rapidly. It surpassed USD 1 billion in 2013 and continues to grow.
I am pleased to see British Companies continue investing in Cambodia. From 1994-2013, the UK made investment worth US$ 2.4 billion in Cambodia, making it the fourth largest investor in Cambodia after China, South Korea and Malaysia. According to the statistics of the Council of Development of Cambodia (CDC), last year the UK invested over USD 115 million in Cambodia. We highly appreciate the private sector involvement in Cambodia.
In 2015, we received over 154.000 British tourists visiting Cambodia, contributing to promote people to people contact between the two countries.
Based on these achievements, I look forward to working closely with all of you and the British government, Parliament and private sectors, other institutions in the UK to further promote this excellent bilateral cooperation to a higher level.
ASEAN
Cambodia joined ASEAN on 30 April 1999, making it the tenth member of ASEAN. Cambodia has participated actively as a member of ASEAN.
In 2002, Cambodia was the Chair of ASEAN and worked closely with the ASEAN Members States for realizing the signing of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea between ASEAN and China during its Chairmanship. The Declaration aimed at consolidating and developing the friendship and cooperation existing between their people and governments with the view to promote a peaceful, friendly and harmonious environment in the South China Sea between ASEAN and China for the enhancement of peace, stability, economic growth and prosperity in the region.
In 2012, Cambodia was the Chair of ASEAN for the second time and this time all ASEAN Member States adopted the ASEAN Human Right Declaration (ADHR) at the 21st ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh aimed at promoting and protection of human rights in the region. Another two major achievements for Cambodia in 2012 were the ASEAN Six-Point Principles on South China Sea, and the Joint Statement on the 10th anniversary of DOC, which were of strategic significance for ASEAN’s diplomacy and efforts to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea, while maintaining a good strategic partnership between ASEAN and China.
Cambodia is not a claimant state and would like to see all claimant states to resolve all disputes in the South China Sea peacefully based on the international law and the Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.
I am pleased to note that the UK acceded to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia in July 2012 during the 45th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Cambodia. This accession is a contribution to peace, stability and cooperation in the region since the TAC serves as a key instrument in governing inter-state relations.
Regional and International Issues
The international community remains seriously concerned over recent geo-political security development in many parts of the world. The self-declared Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria and their horrendous crimes are menacing peace, security and stability in these countries which have already been seriously hit by arms conflicts and acts of violence.
In Africa, some countries have also suffered by arms conflicts and violence which have given rise of danger for peace and stability in that part of the world.
All these armed conflicts and crimes are threatening peace, stability and human security not only in these regions, but also the world at large.
In Asia, the recent launching of missiles by DPRK has set off international concern. This escalation of action of DPRK poses serious threat to peace, security and stability in the region, Cambodia strongly calls upon DPRK to comply with all relevant UNSC Resolutions and its international obligation and commitment to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The Six-Party Talks should be resumed in order to explore possible avenue for peaceful dialogue to bring about a peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
To contribute to the peace process in the Middle East and Africa, Cambodia has participated actively in the United Nations Peacekeeping operations. As a member of the United Nations, a member of Ottawa Convention, especially as a country experienced chronic and deteriorating wars, Cambodia has sent its demining troop to help other countries facing and suffering from mines and unexploded ordnance left by war as Cambodia in the past. This decision reflects that Cambodia not only thinks of our people’s harmony but also contributes to other nations’ harmony in the world. It is a strong commitment of Cambodia to show solidarity and contribute to the international efforts for global peace, security and humanitarians.
Our engagement with the UN peacekeeping mission has progressed remarkably, increasing from 135 demining officials sent to Sudan in 2006 and to 3,557 personnel who are fulfilling peacekeeping mission under the UN umbrella. Our armed forces have been servicing in Africa, the Middle East and Europe, namely in Sudan, South Sudan, Chad, Central African Republic, Lebanon, Syria, Mali and Cyprus Island in the name of an independent, sovereign country and a member of the UN. At the same time, our forces have expanded their skills from demining to fulfill duties as military polices, engineers, doctors, as well as senior military observers and commanders. Successful expansion and fulfillment of these various skills reflect advanced capacity and potential of our troop to be integrated in the multi-national system of the UN.
Today, Cambodia becomes a leading country in clearing mines and unexploded ordnance, which is internationally acknowledged and admired under either local or UN activities. Obviously, the UN has asked for Cambodia’s engineering forces at Lebanon to demine in Cyprus and members of ASEAN Community supported Cambodia to host ASEAN Regional Mine Action Centre (ARMAC), which shows the acknowledgement of Cambodia’s achievement. This is our great pride.
Climate change is nowadays obviously a global challenge as well as a Human Security issue. The rapid pace of climate change is having devastating effects for both developed and developing countries. The developing countries, mostly dependent on agriculture, suffer worse from similar negative effects of climate change, such as frequent typhoon, storm, flood and draught etc... For instance, in 2013, heavy monsoon rains caused extensive flooding across Cambodia, claiming 168 lives, causing one billion of dollars of damages and affected 1.8 million people.
And last year, 12 provinces among 25 provinces and cities of Cambodia have suffered by flood, killing 45 people and afflicted almost 100.000 families.
In line with the United Nations principles for sustainable development, and to mitigate the threat of climate change, Cambodia has adopted its national "Strategic Plan on Green Development for 2013-2030", which aims at achieving economic and social development in a sustainable manner, while at the same time protecting the environment, through the efficient use of raw materials and natural resources, clean development and green preservation. Cambodia has adopted as well several legal instruments for the green growth development, including the memorandum of understanding on green growth cooperation between Cambodia and South Korea's Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and the National Council of Green Growth.
Conclusion
I would like to conclude my remarks by emphasizing that Cambodia now is moving in the right direction with strong economic growth and political stability.
Cambodia is committed to the principles of liberal democracy and rule of law and to the promotion and protection of human rights.
Cambodia continues to promote peace, stability in the region and the world over for growth and prosperity.
Thank you