Phnom Penh (FN), Sep. 26 – Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet outlined that the loss of Khmer territory throughout history is not primarily due to the absence of demarcation posts, but rather internal divisions, which have not only resulted in territorial loss but also led to the disappearance of some statues.
The premier spoke on Thursday (Sep. 26) during a graduation of 3,530 students of the Royal University of Law and Economics (RULE) in Phnom Penh.
"The loss of territory is not simply attributed to a missing demarcation post; the primary cause has been internal divisions. In the past, we never established any posts for over 1,000 years; our territory vanished due to internal conflict," the premier underscored.
On the occasion, Samdech Thipadei continued that historically, not only land was lost, but also statues, as past generations were embroiled in conflict. In some instances, children were forced to sell their ancestral heritage to purchase bullets to fight each other. However, now that the war is over, we are gradually beginning to reclaim the souls of our ancestors, and it is essential that we work together to prevent further fragmentation of national unity.
Meanwhile, the premier added that promoting development and opening trade channels with neighbouring countries is more beneficial than deploying troops. Clearing mines along the border is preferable to planting more mines; we must prioritize maintaining peace and ending conflicts. He also noted that while war can ignite easily, sustaining peace is far more challenging, and we must collaborate to ensure long-lasting peace.
=FRESH NEWS