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Manet Opens Veconac Assembly with Focus on Veteran Welfare
Phnom Penh — Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet has urged veterans’ associations across ASEAN to place veterans’ quality of life and wellbeing at the center of regional cooperation. Speaking at the 25th General Assembly of the Veterans Confederation of ASEAN Countries (Veconac) on October 5, Manet described care for veterans and retirees as a "moral obligation and an expression of national gratitude."
The assembly was held at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh. Manet, who also serves as first vice-president of the Cambodian Veterans and Retirees Association, addressed the gathering with a series of recommendations aimed at strengthening the role of veterans within the regional community.
Among six recommendations presented to the assembly, Manet stressed the need to make veterans’ welfare a priority for cooperation among member associations. He stated that Veconac had a role in improving living standards, wellbeing, and social protection for veterans and people with war-related disabilities. According to Manet, these efforts would contribute to regional peace, stability, and sustainable development.
Manet urged ASEAN veterans’ associations to strengthen solidarity, friendship, and cooperation, and to uphold peace as the foundation for the region’s development and prosperity. He recommended that Veconac become more active, resilient, and responsive to the region’s changing circumstances while preserving its "family spirit" as a force for unity within the ASEAN community.
Linking Veteran Contributions to National Reunification
Manet emphasized that recognizing veterans’ contributions and improving their livelihoods were obligations owed by younger generations to those who had served before them. He described veterans and retirees as the "direct implementers" of the win-win policy implemented by former Prime Minister and current Senate President Hun Sen.
In Cambodia, Manet linked the contributions of veterans and retirees to the implementation of this policy, which he credited with bringing full peace and national reunification. He said their willingness to embrace reconciliation had played an important role in reunifying the country.
Manet noted that the slogan "Thank You, Peace" encouraged Cambodians to appreciate, understand, and help protect peace. The slogan also served to express gratitude to veterans and retirees who contributed to building it.
He described veterans in Cambodia and across ASEAN as defenders of independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the right of each country to choose a development path suited to its historical and cultural circumstances. Manet said veterans’ contributions should be remembered with gratitude and their experiences of war used to teach peace, with solidarity among veterans helping build a stable ASEAN community offering lasting friendship, wellbeing, and prosperity for future generations.
Veterans as Advocates for Regional Stability
Turning to regional and global challenges, Manet cited increasingly complex geopolitics, economic uncertainty, and growing non-traditional security threats as underscoring the importance of cooperation. He said Cambodia remained committed to an independent foreign policy based on international law, multilateralism, and the peaceful resolution of disputes through dialogue.
Manet called for greater recognition of veterans as peace educators and as a bridge connecting the past, present, and future, noting that their wartime experiences offered valuable historical lessons for younger generations. He said, "No one understands the value of peace better than veterans. Veterans are the most effective advocates for peace." This assertion positioned veterans not merely as recipients of welfare but as active participants in maintaining the stability required for ASEAN’s continued growth.
