Cambodian Parliamentary Delegation Returns from a Seminar in the Philippines

The parliamentary delegation led by H.E. Mr. Un Ning, chairman of the Commission on Interior, National Defence, Inspection, Investigation and Public Functions of the National Assembly arrived on 15 November 2009 after attending the 7th seminar on South East Asia’s Police Reforms and Parliamentary Roles, held in Mindanao, the Philippines from 13-14 November 2009.

H.E. Mr. Un Ning told reporters at Phnom Penh International Airport that there were 7 participating countries to the seminar: Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and Thailand and 2 observing delegations from Pakistan and Hungary. South East Asia’s police reforms and private security were the main focus of the meeting.

A representative of the Geneva Center for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF) had highlighted parliamentary role in promoting police reforms in line with regional and global developments for realising sustainable progress. The participants to the gathering agreed to carry out simultaneous reforms in their respective countries starting in 2010, in which ministries of interior are the owners of the reform schemes while parliaments are their observers.

Major General Sar Molin, vice director of the Cambodian Police Academy who was a member of the Cambodian delegation said that the 7th seminar was an inter-parliamentary forum for security governance focusing on each country’s national police reforms. He added that Cambodian national police has gone through many major reforms since 1993 based on national reconciliation policy under the wise leadership of Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister, who has set out a proper policy and plan for national police forces reforms in which the strengthening and training of national police forces are the priority task.

It should be noted that Cambodia did not send any delegation to the first four seminars and it is the first time for Cambodian parliamentary delegation attending the 7th seminar with the participation of H.E. Mr. Un Ning, chairman of the National Assembly’s Commission on Interior, National Defence, Inspection, Investigation and Public Functions along with some members of the Commission: H.E. Mr. Orn Sum and H.E. Mr. Sao Rany as well as H.E. Mr. Son Chhay, Phnom Penh constituency MP and Major General Sar Molin, vice director of the Cambodian Police Academy. The DCAF which is an inter-governmental organization founded by the Swiss government in 2000 with 53 countries in Europe, Africa and Latin America as members, is suggesting Cambodia to apply for its membership. The annually-held seminar will take place in Indonesia in 2010.