Phnom Penh (FN), Oct. 19 – Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet affirmed to the younger generation the value of “peace,” underlined that war spares no one, disregards race, and destroys all human opportunities, and even in dreams, its effects linger.

The premier spoke on Saturday (Oct. 19) during his meeting with 4,742 Cambodian Red Cross Youth volunteers at Sokha Phnom Penh Hotel.

Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet added that war is unpredictable, and both volunteers and bullets are unknown to the Red Cross.

Samdech Thipadei underlined that only peace can shield us from the nightmares of war. Peace offers the younger generation the chance to achieve their aspirations. In contrast, if Cambodia were at war, the Red Cross youths who now wear scarves would instead be at the age where they are expected to carry weapons.

The prime minister stated, “War does not discriminate between the young and the old. In peaceful Cambodia, we see no casualties from war. Unfortunately, however, some of our young people have died abroad due to the war in Gaza. War does not recognise anyone, it does not recognise opportunities, and it does not allow us to build a future. War does not recognize volunteers, doctors, and Red Cross youth.”

The premier cited the example of young people in pre-war Ukraine who had the skills to study information technology and contribute to their country’s development. Now, they are forced to fight, aiming weapons at people on the other side.

War is not just about taking lives; it continues to impact Cambodia by leaving behind unexploded ordnance. However, through the Royal Government’s efforts, Cambodia has been actively clearing unexploded ordnance. Over the past 30 years, the country has cleared more than 3,000 square kilometres of land.

On the occasion, Prime Minister Hun Manet added that Cambodia still has about 1,700 square kilometres of land to clear, with around 1 million people living in areas still at risk from landmines and unexploded ordnance.
=FRESH NEWS