Minister of Interior Sar Kheng reiterated that local authorities must work closely with the public to implement the “safe village-commune” policy.

“Any requests by members of the public should be addressed as efficiently as possible,” he said while praising the accomplishments of the district and commune administrations.

He issued the reminder while presiding over a Buddhist ceremony for a newly-built pagoda at Wat Moni Raksmey Prey Tbeng in Trabek commune’s Prey Tbeng village of Prey Veng province’s Kamchay Mear district on February 19.

He was particularly pleased with the success of the pagoda, where the chief monk had founded a primary school.

“At a time when the Kingdom is enjoying peace and stability, the chief monk – and the followers and philanthropists of the pagoda – have made a significant contribution to improving society and promoting socio-economic development,” he said.

Sar Kheng advised local authorities to cooperate with the people to implement the safe village- commune policy to meet the government’s vision to build a prosperous and peaceful nation.

“National peace and stability are the core achievements of the government, and provided the opportunity for all other development, including the achievements that were marked today,” he added.

Am Sam Ath, deputy director of rights group LICADHO, said the policy should allow people to live safely in harmony. However, he believed that some local authorities had yet to respond to the policy and its guidelines, with drug use, gambling and theft still occurring in some rural areas.

“In order to effectively implement the policy, local officials must be fully committed and have the trust of the people,” he said.

The safe village-commune policy, launched by the interior ministry in January 2021, has been widely disseminated.