Military commander calls for joint protection of peace

WHILE Prime Minister Hun Sen noted t he joyous a nd peaceful atmosphere of t his yea r’s Water Fest iva l, Hun Manet (pictured) on Tuesday renewed his appea l for t he joint protection of peace.

Manet, the deputy head of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) and commander of the army’s infantry, said lasting peace required concerted efforts and participation from the public regardless of their religion or political affiliation.

“The last thing people want is unrest, and the loss of happiness and warmth. So we all have to unite, both spiritually ritually and physically, to protect peace at all costs for the e future of the nation and the Camboambodian people,” Manet said aid on Facebook.

Meanwhile, Hun Sen n said this year’s Water Festival val saw large numbers of people ple celebrating in the capital and the prov i nces. He di s miss e d rumours of instability, which he said had been spread d in an attempt to provoke unrest. rest.

“In some provinces, , there were rumours and lies spread by ill-intended people e who wanted to instigate instability ability and make citizens afraid. id.

“The government can ensure security for its ts citizens, especially during the Water Festival.

Please don’t believe the lies by a handful of groups who [intend to] cause turmoil and who don’t want to see the country prosper,” Hun Sen said on Facebook.

He said hundreds of thousands of people from all over the country had in fact enjoyed the festival this year without fear.

Minister of Interior Sar Kheng on Wednesday echoed the remarks of Hun Sen and Manet. He said Cambodia had experienced numerous armed conflicts, which had led to tragedies including the separation of families, and that the government would stop at nothing to prevent civil war from reoccurring.

“I would like to e x p r e s s m y a p p r e c i a t i o n and gratitude to the authorities and armed forces at all levels for i mpl e ment i n g the eight-point measures that I introduced t o maintai n peace, security, public order and safety for citizens to enjoy the national festival,” he said.

O u C h a n r a t h , a f or mer Supr e me Cou r t- d i s s ol v e d Ca mbodia Nat iona l Rescue Part y (CNRP) law maker, said while he welcomed the gover n ment’s commit ment to peace, he wanted to see t he pa r t y g ra nted r ig ht s to reenter polit ics.

He said the Supreme Court’s prolonged ban of t he CNRP c ou ld e v ent ua l l y le a d t o instabilit y and see t he countr y div ided.

“Peace and happiness lasts as long as Cambodian citizens as a whole join hands. But if only one group has happiness while the o t h e r s u f f e r s , peace cannot last. I have noticed that some former opposition officials had used rhetoric to cause division,” Chan

rath said.