KOH KONG: Prime Minister Hun Manet gave a speech at the groundbreaking for the construction of a new dam in Koh Kong today. He used the time to discuss Cambodia’s access to electricity, his feelings on being called a dictator, and harm reduction on the environment during Cambodia’s rapid development.

Plans for a hydropower project along the Mekong River have been discussed since 2007, but they have repeatedly been scrapped due to the potential effects such a project could have, especially on people’s livelihoods and the endangered wildlife in the area. The Stung Treng stretch of the river is particularly precious as home to the critically endangered Irrawaddy dolphin, which numbers under 100 individuals.

The Prime Minister reassured the public that he will continue the policy of the previous administration by not building dams on the Mekong River in order to protect the ecosystem and reduce the environmental impact of the country’s hydropower development. The government announced a 10-year ban on damming the Mekong’s mainstream in 2020.

He also ordered the Ministry of Mines and Energy to suspend all projects for the construction of coal-fired power plants, in addition to ending the operation of coal-fired power plants as soon as possible.

The PM revealed that he had rejected plans to build a coal-fired power plant in Koh Kong province and asked the company to turn to build a natural gas power plant instead. He ordered the Ministry to find solutions for coal-fired power companies operating in Cambodia so that they can stop burning coal as soon as possible.

He called the measures Cambodia's commitment to reducing global warming and climate change.