People board free buses to their hometowns during Khmer New Year in April. - Photo: City Hall file
PHNOM PENH: Since registrations began, more than 700 people have registered for free tours of the border areas of the northeastern provinces which are a part of the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Area (CLV-DTA), as well as Tbong Khmum province.
The Ministry of Information began accepting registrations for the tours on August 30.
On the same day, the ministry announced that the trips would be based on a first-come, first-served basis, with three options available.
The first option is a one-day round-trip to Tbong Khmum, Kratie, and Mondulkiri. The second option involves an overnight trip to Kratie and Mondulkiri, while the third package includes travelling to Stung Treng and Ratanakiri, also with an overnight stay.
Registration can be completed online by scanning a QR code and filling in the required information.
The trips were announced by Prime Minister Hun Manet on August 22, immediately before he launched the "Foundation for Border Infrastructure Development”, which has received many donations from the public.
However, the information ministry clarified that the costs of the tours will be borne personally by the prime minister and his wife Pich Chanmony, with support from philanthropists.
Neither state funds nor the newly established border development foundation will be used to meet the costs of the trips.
Information ministry spokesman Tep Asnarith explained today that the tours are intended to provide members of the public with the opportunity to see the situation at the borders and the development of those areas firsthand.
Each package will be carefully organised, with a focus on the safety of each of the participants, allowing them to enjoy the journey and concentrate on gaining new knowledge.
"The surge in registration for these tours is a significant testimony to the fact that people want to understand the true situation near the border.
"I urge the public, especially the youth, to continue supporting us and following factual information," he said.
The CLV-DTA, which was established in 1999, aims to enhance socio-economic development and connectivity in the border regions, but in recent months has been the subject of criticism and claims that it may threaten the Kingdom’s sovereignty.
These claims have been strongly refuted by the government. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
