Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, has proposed “Two States Toward One Nation: One Peninsula, One People, One Culture” initiative for the Korean Peninsula issue.
“Why Two States? The political systems and governance systems in North Korea and South Korea are completely different. It is impossible to integrate the two political systems in the foreseeable future. Therefore, we need to accept the fact that the two political systems will have to continue to co-exist in parallel. Peaceful co-existence between the two political regimes must be encouraged and promoted,” Samdech Techo Hun Sen explained at the International Summit Council for Peace (ISCP) Global Assembly and the One Million Rally for Peace on the Korean Peninsula held in Seoul, the Republic of Korea this morning.
“Why One Nation? Korea can be divided by land but not people. Korea has a unified bloodline. A Cambodian adage goes like this ‘We cannot cut the bloodline; We cannot cut the water’. The people are like water- they cannot be cut. In the same vein, culture is a critical source for peace and reunification. The Korean desire for reunification is based on a long and proud history of unity that saw Korea develop into a culturally and ethnically homogenous country with a deep sense of national identity and unity,” he added.
The Premier expressed his conviction that the “Two States Toward One Nation: One Peninsula, One People, One Culture” initiative is practical and achievable because it is aimed at promoting cultural exchanges and people-to-people ties between the two Koreas. It is a low-hanging fruit that we can easily pick.
This initiative was inspired by the Universal Peace Federation (UPF)’s mission of promoting shared values, mutual prosperity, and interdependence as well as the shared principle of fostering mutual respect, mutual understanding, mutual trust, and mutual interest for peace and prosperity (M4P2), he said.
Samdech Techo Hun Sen also suggested to transform the Demilitarised Zone into a safe and open cultural corridor connecting the two peoples. The DMZ can offer platforms for joint cultural performances, art exhibitions, and other cultural exchanges.
The two Koreas should further cooperate under the framework of UNESCO to create the necessary conditions for dialogue based upon the respect for commonly shared values, he stressed, continuing that the Preamble to the Constitution of UNESCO should inspire us and he quoted “Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed”.
According to Samdech Techo Hun Sèn, the two Koreas should work together to advance the Korean culture, connect the Korean civilisation with other civilisations, and jointly develop a culture-based tourism and innovation. Food diplomacy, for instance, can be jointly promoted by the two Koreas.
Source: Agency Kampuchea Press