Phnom Penh (FN), Feb. 20 – Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet presented eight significant recommendations to encourage relevant ministries and institutions to enhance the effectiveness of drug control efforts.
The premier spoke on Tuesday (Feb. 20) at the 2023 annual meeting of the National Authority for Combating Drugs (NACD) at Sokha Phnom Penh Hotel.
To enhance the effectiveness of the fight against drugs, Samdech Thipadei Manet proposed additional recommendations for further implementation as follows:
1. Request all ministries, administrative institutions at the sub-national level, the private sector, and all citizens to consider the drug problem as a common issue that requires collective action under the approach of "a unified system of existence". Together, we must prevent and combat drug use to eliminate it from Cambodia. In this regard, all leaders of ministries, institutions, private companies, factories, and families must educate and warn about the effects and devastation of drugs, while also implementing the strictest measures against drug use. We must unequivocally reject drugs!
2. The NACD must compile educational content on the effects of drugs and disseminate it widely to the public through all available means. Samdech Thipadei requests the relevant ministries and institutions, especially the Ministry of Information, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, the Ministry of Cult and Religion, and the Ministry of Tourism, to collaborate with the NACD in this crucial endeavor. It is essential to raise awareness of drug issues and disseminate information widely in schools, pagodas, arts and entertainment venues, sports facilities, and forums.
3. The competent authorities at the border, particularly the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of National Defense, and the General Department of Customs and Excise of Cambodia, must intensify efforts to prevent and suppress drug imports at all border points (land, water, air, and postal services), especially those originating from the Golden Triangle. The NACD must collaborate with international partners to exchange information on illegal drug trafficking, strengthen border liaison offices with neighboring countries, and halt the flow of drugs into the country.
4. Law enforcement officers, especially those in the Capital and Provincial Unity Commands, must take stringent measures against drug distribution and use in communities. Samdech Thipadei commends the General Commission of the National Police as well as the Phnom Penh Unity Command for cracking down on drug distribution and use in nightclubs and KTVs. The Capital-Provincial Unity Commands should closely monitor this issue, employing both administrative and legal measures against locations where drugs are distributed and used, especially targeting the true owners of these establishments. Rural areas must also be addressed, with sub-national authorities tasked with eradicating drug masterminds and distribution networks in villages, communes, and districts, while cooperating with parents and guardians to remove addicts from the community for rehabilitation and treatment in public and private centers.
5. The NACD must collaborate with the Committee responsible for the treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts, particularly the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans, and Youth Rehabilitation, and the Ministry of Health, to enhance the quality of drug rehabilitation and treatment. This includes developing clear standard operating procedures (SOPs) for drug addiction treatment methods and collaborating with the World Health Organization to explore new and more effective therapies. Samdech encourages investment in the establishment of private treatment and rehabilitation centers. Meanwhile, the NACD must collaborate with relevant institutions to establish clear standards and conditions for management, and all private centers must be under state control to ensure efficiency in this important endeavor.
6. Law enforcement agencies, particularly the Ministry of Justice, must focus on the severe and just punishment of drug offenders, avoiding the release or commutation of sentences for drug-related criminals. Samdech Thipadei supports minister of Justice in publicly disseminating information about actions taken against drug cases to demonstrate transparency in drug-related crimes. The three-pronged policy including no reporting, no involvement, no intervention, and no relaxation, must continue to be implemented.
7. The NACD must collaborate with the Inter-Ministerial Working Group on Drug and Chemicals Management, established by the Royal Government, to control and eliminate cases of drug and chemical compound imports, smuggling, processing, and production. This involves preparing clear SOPs for management control. The Capital-Provincial Unity Commands must increase regular and thorough administrative inspections, paying close attention to identifying suspected locations for theft, processing, and production, particularly in remote areas, and conducting strict administrative inspections regularly.
8.The NACD must strengthen and expand international cooperation bilaterally, multilaterally, regionally, and globally. The drug problem is a global issue that requires global measures, and all law enforcement agencies in the region and the world must increase cooperation as a unified force against this global problem. With international cooperation, the NACD must continue to exchange information regularly and seek assistance from friendly countries and national and international organizations in capacity building, technical assistance, anti-drug efforts, and pre-incineration drug initiatives. This requires collaboration with friendly parties.
=FRESH NEWS
