PHNOM PENH: Prime Minister Hun Sen reminisced about his decision to cancel the Pchum Ben festival in 2021 due to the large-scale outbreak of Covid-19 while speaking at the graduation ceremony for students of Vanda Institute on Monday morning, 3 October. He said that this decision helped Cambodia overcome the worst of the pandemic.

Prime Minister Hun Sen added that this decision allowed Cambodia to enter the state of “the new normal,” leading to the joyous preparation and celebration of the Pchum Ben festival this year. He said he is assured that the decision he made in 2021 was correct.

"[If celebrations for the 2021 Pchum Ben festival had happened], because Covid-19 had already taking lives, this year is probably when [those who celebrated Pchum Ben last year] would come to receive Bai Ben because they would have already passed away,” said the Prime Minister.

He said that this year, the public was happy, and lives were only lost due to traffic accidents, not because of Covid-19.

According to the report of the General Commissioner of the National Police, during the three-day Pchum Ben festival in 2022, from 24-26 September, there were a total of 34 traffic accidents across the country, caused by speeding and intolerant driving. Of the 34 cases, 27 resulted in fatalities. This is an increase of more than half the deaths caused by traffic accidents in 2021, where there were 35 traffic accidents but only 14 deaths.

It should be noted that on 23 September 2021, the government decided to suspend Kan Ben and Pchum Ben celebrations from Ben 4 (25 September) until Pchum Ben day on 7 October 2021, due to the heightened risk of Covid-19 in the country.

^{PHOTO: Yuthkun}