Venerable !

Beloved Citizens !

The 14^th of September 1999 is an opening day of General Assembly of the United Nations. On 14^th September 1999, the General Assembly will determine the International Year of Peace, proclaimed in October1997, and the year 2000 the International Year of the Culture of Peace. We have up to now around a hundred days until the year 2000. Peace is needed by all peoples and human beings of the world. Peace in inculcated in the minds of all peoples in order to transform it as a Culture, which we would like to call Culture of Peace.

The important essence of the Culture of Peace, entitled the "Manifesto 2000"is drafted by winners of the Nobel Prize. This Manifesto 2000 has six main significant points as follows :

1. Respect all life
2. Reject violence
3. Share with others
4. Listen to understand
5. Preserve the planet
6. Rediscover solidarity

The principal aim of the Royal Government policy is peace which we have achieved in reality in Cambodia through National Reconciliation. It is true and rational for us to foster and promote the Culture of Peace in Cambodia, which had faced war for thirty years. The Royal Government has tried hard to get rid of various forms of violence, gather and destroy weapons, release armed forces, maintain and protect environment by administrating forests, fish water, rivers, lakes and ponds for future generations.

Going on a par with what we have mentioned, the Royal Government will keep on practicing liberal democracy and respecting human rights whereby participation of citizens is enlarged to build up our national society. The Royal Government recognizes the significance of the "Manifesto 2000" as being on a par with the goals of the policy programme of the government.

The Royal Government extends its endorsement to the "Manifesto 2000" focusing on the International year of Culture of Peace.

We could call upon all citizens to participate with the clear-sightedness in the international movement for Culture of Peace and Culture of non-violence. And I would like to extend my greeting to all Venerable and all beloved citizens to understand that the Royal Government of Cambodia gets ready to participate in the movement of Culture of Peace and Culture of non-violence by :

• Organizing the National Seminar on Culture of Peace on 10- 11- 12 of December 1999 in Phnom Penh.
• Organizing the Festival of Angkor on 30-31 of December 1999 and the 1^st of January 2000 in Siemreap.

We will organize these above-mentioned events in order to aim at felicitation of the oncoming year 2000,the year that human beings should keep the Culture of Peace with clear-sightedness to establish a prosperous future on our planet in the new millennium.

Venerable, citizens please understand and keep this in mind:

peace is in our hands !

Phnom Penh 13^th September 1999

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