Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, President of the Senate of Cambodia, this morning shared his experience of peace building in Cambodia, which was engulfed in war from 1970 to 1998.
In his special remarks at the official opening ceremony of the 11th Plenary Session of the International Parliament for Tolerance and Peace (IPTP 11) in Phnom Penh, Samdech Techo Hun Sen stated that “what I am sharing today is a reflection that can be considered a rare lessons and experiences that I, myself, have invested my life in for the peace in Cambodia.”
The Cambodian former Prime Minister recalled his own life experience from being a young Cambodian who volunteered to join the resistance forces at the call of Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk after the coup in March 1970 until April 17, 1975 and after Cambodia fell under the Khmer Rouge genocidal regime for 3 years, 8 months and 20 days, which killed more than 3 million Cambodians.
Samdech Techo Hun Sen also touched on the activities of the struggle against the Khmer Rouge regime that occupied Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, and the struggle to lead the country to restore peace and development from zero in January 7, 1979 as the Minister of Foreign Affairs at the age of 27 and became Prime Minister at the age of 32.
Moreover, he shared many lessons and experiences that he faced in the process of leadership and reforms, as well as the fight against the return of the Khmer Rouge regime, as well as the peace process that Cambodia achieved in late 1998.
Samdech Techo Hun Sen stated that the key to success in the process of ending the war and seeking peace in Cambodia after nearly three decades of suffering was the introduction of the Win-Win policy in 1996.
In this keynote address, the Cambodian Senate President also shared the lessons and diplomatic strategies of Cambodia, up to the decision to support and provide peacekeeping forces, which has now been praised by the international community.
Samdech Techo stated that “Peace is very important […] When there is no peace, we cannot talk well about human rights, democracy and development.”
Samdech Techo Hun Sen continued that peace is indeed difficult for Cambodia, but maintaining peace for a long time is even more difficult. Peace requires national unification, reconciliation, justice and development and so on.
Samdech Techo Hun Sen stressed that in his own view, democracy must have peace as a prerequisite, and to protect peace and democracy at any cost, Cambodia must strengthen legal mechanisms and will share this experience. That is why Cambodia has drafted a “Peace Charter: For People and the Planet.”
