Samdech Techo Hun Sen, President of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), has called for a transformative shift in leadership perspective, emphasizing a balanced collaboration between generations. He proposed updating the saying, “young people are strong, and old people know the way,” to a more inclusive view: “young people are strong, know the way, and old people have experience.”
Samdech Techo delivered these remarks during the 46th Anniversary of January 7 Victory Day, held at the Diamond Island Convention and Exhibition Centre in Phnom Penh on Tuesday, January 7. His speech highlighted the importance of integrating the strength and knowledge of young leaders with the experience and wisdom of older generations for effective governance.
Reflecting on his long-standing leadership journey, which began in 1979 under a collective leadership framework, Samdech Techo noted that newer administrations have often outperformed earlier ones in terms of efficiency and effectiveness.
He stressed the historical impact of generational influence, pointing out that older leaders had sometimes misguided youth, citing Cambodia’s political turmoil in 1970. “Who caused the problems in 1970? It was the older generation who misguided the youth. But since 1979, our officials have been young leaders. Even Samdech Heng Samrin and Samdech Chea Sim were only 40 years old at the time, and we have worked continuously since then,” he stated.
Samdech Techo also underscored his personal leadership journey, having become Prime Minister at just 32 years old. He cited this milestone as an example of how younger leaders can effectively combine strength and knowledge while still benefiting from the mentorship and experience of older statesmen.
He praised the older generation of peace leaders for their pivotal contributions, including the liberation of Cambodia from the genocidal Pol Pot regime, preventing its resurgence, alleviating hunger caused by the regime’s devastation, and ultimately restoring and maintaining national peace.
This perspective aims to inspire a leadership model where intergenerational cooperation drives national progress, blending youthful vigor with the hard-earned wisdom of experienced leaders.
