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Speech of Samdach Hun Sen, Prime Minister of Cambodia
during Inauguration of the Forest Administration's Building
Phnom Penh, 31 May 2004
Venerable Buddhist Monks,
Your Excellencies Ambassadors,
Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Distinguished National and International Guests,
Today I am pleased and honored to participate in this inauguration of the new Forestry Administration Building. This is another achievement of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries with assistance from the World Bank and counterpart funds of the Royal Government of Cambodia. We should note that this building is partly financed by savings generated by the staff of the Forestry Administration. Not too long ago, we also opened the new Training Center for Forestry and Wildlife in Phnom Penh Thmei, which was financed by the Japanese government through JICA under the project "Strengthening Capacity in Forestry of Cambodia".
On behalf of the Royal Government, I congratulate and express appreciation to the management, officials and all the staff of MAFF for their good performance in the reform of forestry and wildlife in Cambodia. Today's inauguration testifies to the progress made in strengthening the capacity of the MAFF, especially the Forestry Administration, who are responsible for forestry reform with the aim of improving sustainable management and development of Cambodia's forest resources.
Forestry is a priority area that has been attracting the intense attention of the Royal Government of Cambodia and the donor community, including the national and international public. I express our deep thanks to the Governments and people of the donor community who have always paid close attention and provided technical assistance and financial and material support for the reconstruction and development of Cambodia. This new building represents our cooperation and is witness to the strong support of the donor community to the efforts of the Royal Government of Cambodia.
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
As H.E. Chan Sarun, the Minister of MAFF, has reported earlier, during the "Democratic Kampuchea" regime, the forest and wildlife administration ceased to function, as did all other institutions. Along with Cambodia's human resources, the forestry staff became the regime's targets of brutal killing. The records, laws and regulations, the facilities and infrastructure of forestry management were almost completely destroyed.
The re-establishment of human resources and institutional infrastructure for forestry and wildlife from ground zero since 7 January 1979 is due to the strong commitment and efforts made by the former State of Cambodia, and especially due to great national spirit, efforts and sacrifices devoted by the leadership and staff of the Ministry. I would like to thank the management and all the staff of the Department of Forestry and Wildlife and the MAFF for your continuing efforts in the reconstruction and development.
Today, while we are pleased to mark this new achievement, we must courageously look forward into the future which requires our strong and steadfast commitment in accelerating reforms in management and protection of our forests from destruction and waste, for the benefit of the next generations of Cambodians. In 1998, at the dawn of the second term of the RGC, I embarked on in-depth forestry reform. With our strong and steadfast efforts, we have been praised and highly appreciated by national and international community, including the WB for our reform efforts, especially in the elimination of forest crime and anarchy, and for the reform of forest concessions toward sustainable management of forestry.
Nevertheless, the current incursion into forests, burning and cutting of trees and illegal occupation of state plantations are still happening. These acts are against the RGC's policies and are serious crimes that may lead to forest devastation and damage to the environment. The Royal Government cannot ignore nor excuse such destructive activities.
Therefore, today I reiterate my declaration on a government-wide campaign against deforestation including forest burning, clearing and illegal occupation. As Head of the RGC, I order all concerned ministries/institutions, the armed forces and local authorities at all levels to closely and effectively cooperate with the MAFF and the MOE to crack down and eliminate burning, cutting and illegal occupation of forest lands. I also openly warn all concerned, regardless of position, power or wealth, to immediately cease the violation of forest laws and surrender forestlands to the state for reforestation. Those who fail to comply will definitely face serious and stringent measures, regardless of who they are.
Venerable Buddhist Monks,
Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
May I provide additional comments on this. The most serious forest anarchic activities occurred during 1993-98 in the first term of the RGC. But at dawn of the second term of the RGC in October 1998, I had declared an intensive and comprehensive campaign to eliminate all the forest anarchy. As a result, we took back millions ha of forestland under the management of the State. However forest destruction still continues, though large-scale forest harvesting was terminated under the forest concession reform plan in which forest inventory and Environmental and Social Impact Assessment are being conducted and new forest logging is ceased until the study has been fully completed.
I estimate that we have to wait for one to two years or even ten years without permitting any forest concessions until the forest inventory and sustainable forest management plans are finished. But what we have remarked is that the small-scale logging and transportation still remain. More seriously, forest grabbing for personal occupation by powerful persons and landless villagers has been occurring. In fact, the problem of landless people can be solved by redirecting them to cut or clear forests in the agriculture areas allocated by the MAFF in coordination with local authorities. During last year forestland has been grabbed by the rich and powerful persons. Today I have warned nation-wide including civil institutions and especially arm forces at all levels, that they shall participate as intervention force in the Forestry Administration in collaboration with the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction and the Ministry of Environment to confiscate the lands illegally occupied by people regardless who they are. The Forestry Administration should play a role as judicial police to charge those to court and call on courts at all levels to take actions for protecting state properties belonging to the people for thousands of years in the past and thousands of years in the future.
This is a campaign which should not wait for the formation of new government. The old government still has legal power to undertake all works including suppressing high-ranking officials who have power and have used their power for illegal land occupation. It seems to be a severe order, however, I would like to inform Venerable Buddhist Monks, Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen that forests have lots of enemies. Forest grows on forestland and we need both forest and people living together. In the past they needed only timber to sell to market, but now they need both timber from the forest and the forestland.
Therefore we can say in brief that our forest has so many enemies. Fire burns the forest, people who collect firewood also affect the forest, people who want land also affect the forest. But as I mentioned earlier, we can solve the problem by following the direction of MAFF in collaboration with local authorities to move people to the areas called Social Land where land is available for farming. Dangerously, it is powerful and wealthy men who have used different ways for occupying forestland, such as sending their men to cut trees and clear forest, and they themselves stay behind. They sometimes hire local people to clear forest in many small plots, but the clearers are not the landowners, they just look after the lands to make their living and guard the lands.
If scrutinized measures are not taken, in collaboration with judicial police from the Forestry Administration, the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction, Ministry of Environment, and local authorities, we will not be able to find the men who stay behind the land invasion. The order I have given seems to be an omen for the third term government; it will be formed soon, but please do not make a guess on this.
I remember that I announced a campaign to crack down all forest anarchic activities on 22 October 1998, while the discussion on forming a new government was on 13 November 1998 at the Royal Palace, and a new government was formed on 30 November 1998. Thus, the journalists can assume it is an omen for starting a new government soon.
As I already clarified, for a week, two weeks, a year, two years, three years or many years, the old government still continues. H. E. General Commander Keo Kimyan still follows Prime Minister's order. Today, General Tea Banh is here, and all arm force commanders are here to implement the order. Please remember that the Forestry Administration plays as judicial police in order to take back the land, and shall be responsible for the national history. Once we keep silent, the forestland is fallen under personal occupation, and the people will face landlessness. And our forest will be more degraded, even our tree plantations established in the last few decades will also face invasion. We planted the forests during 1980s and 1990s and we cut them today. So what is the result of tree plantings if we have spent lots of money every year but then they are destroyed, partly by disasters such as forest fire, and the severe destruction done by the powerful and rich men.
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Royal Government is aware that all the achievements attained so far do not yet meet the full requirements of our needs in forestry. Indeed we need to accelerate and redouble our efforts to realize the universal objective of effective and sustainable forest resource management. Overall, forestry reform in Cambodia has passed the emergency stage where we deployed national force to combat and suppress the worst level of forest destruction experienced in the first term of the RGC. Since our second term we have moved into the current stage marked by stabilization and order. Indeed, now we must move further onward toward improved and sustainable management of our forest resources.
Our journey from the stabilized situation towards an improved and sustainable forestry sector requires the Royal Government to determine and implement a systematic and unified management strategy for the forestry sector. The strategy will need to be a package that includes good governance, poverty reduction, socio-economic development and ensuring environmental sustainability and bio- diversity. Thus I propose that the Council of Ministers, taking into consideration the input and advice of the international donor community, organizes discussions among all relevant ministries and institutions to assess the management of the forestry sector, including the 23 natural protected areas. This process will increase transparency, order and effectiveness in the management of our forest resources. The process will also facilitate action on the strengthening of institutional capacity and human resources in forestry administration.
May I also remind all government ministries and institutions, especially the MAFF, to adhere closely and faithfully to the laws and regulations while undertaking their functions. All institutions should also promote and enhance transparency and human capacity at all times, enabling local communities to be more involved in the effective management of forest resources and thus ensuring equity and sustainability, as well as optimum contribution to the poverty reduction among the rural population, and upholding the interests of the nation.
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Once again, may I express my deepest appreciation to all the representatives of donor community for your proactive contributions to the sustainable development and conservation of forests in Cambodia. On behalf of the Royal Government, in particular I thank the World Bank for your assistance in the construction of this new Forestry Administration building. I must not forget to also thank the management and all civil servants of the MAFF for your contributions and efforts to fully and responsibly carry out your functions, helping ensure the success of our nation.
May I wish all of you, Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, the distinguished national and international guests, the five gems of Buddhist blessings.
I hereby declare the official opening of the new Forestry Administration building!
Thank you!
Samdach Hun Sen, Prime Minister of Cambodia inspected the forest map at the GIS
mapping office at the inauguration ceremony of the new Forestry Administration Building.
Samdach Hun Sen, Prime Minister of Cambodia offered professional medal
to 134 Forestry Administration's officials who have been working very hard for their mother
land. Among these medals, there were 18 officials received gold medal, 6 officials received silver
medal, 110 officials received bronze medal, and so did a numbers of international experts.
