Prime Minister Hun Manet has asked citizens to stop asking how many Cambodian troops were killed or injured in the border clashes of July and where land was lost or gained. He explained that now is the time to unite, not to be divided.
“I ask some of our citizens who ask, ‘After the ceasefire, who was lost, who was protected, which commanders died, which commanders lived?’ The conflict is not over yet. The problem remains and shouldn’t military secrecy be maintained?” he said, as he addressed the official inauguration ceremony of Techo International Airport this morning, October 20.
“I ask that you stop asking about where land was lost or gained. I ask that you all trust only one thing: that during the fighting until this moment, our soldiers, both on the battlefield and every individual fighter, have sacrificed their lives, flesh and blood, to protect our homeland. Please believe that much,” he added.
Manet declared that now it is not a time for division, but a time for unity and consensus, with acknowledgement of the sacrifices of soldiers of all ranks.
“War has no winners and no losers; many people died, both Khmer and Thai. The fighting affected the people on both sides, with anxious refugees returning to destroyed homes. Some have returned home but cannot find peace, for fear of another evacuation alert,” he said.
According to Manet, what is most important is to normalise the situation and for both countries to continue discussing solutions to border issues.
“Stop asking where land was lost, where the front line was. Please don’t ask, ‘Why were soldiers left exposed? Why didn’t they shoot here? Why didn’t they shoot there?’ Those who called for more aggressive fighting are 3,000 kilometres for the border,” he noted.
