Neth Savoeun, deputy prime minister and president of the National Authority for Combating Drugs (NACD), has issued guidelines outlining the Kingdom’s strategy to combat drug-related issues nationwide. Representatives of civil society organisations (CSOs) welcomed the introduction of the action plan.

The guidelines, signed by the former National Police chief and published last week, highlighted the continued trending growth of drug production, trafficking, and use within international, regional, and sub-regional contexts, noting that it poses an ongoing threat and has a negative effect on Cambodia.

“Drug use among the young has spread worryingly in recent years, affecting health, security and public order, and causing great concern for local people and society as a whole. Illegal drug processing operations are continually being discovered and cracked down on, with many precursor chemicals found in those locations,” wrote Savoeun.

To address the pressing concerns of the people, and with a commitment to ensuring public order, security and social development, he explained that the strategies include increased educational messaging and the establishment of mechanisms for precursor chemical control.

He said narcotics production operations would be combated, trafficking would be prevented and drug use would be eliminated.

“All state institutions at the national and sub-national levels must disseminate information on the consequences and dangers of drugs and their effects as widely as possible. Officials must be educated, and outreach campaigns should be conducted through all available media, including radio, television, newspapers and other platforms,” he added.

Savoeun also announced the formation of working teams responsible for monitoring and collaborating in the fight against drugs in both the capital and provinces. The teams will share any plans, regulations, guidelines or other measures issued by the NACD or the government.

He instructed the working groups to coordinate the implementation of work and action plans in the fight against drugs in order to enhance the efficiency of their implementation, noting that the decision was driven by the unwavering commitment of the seventh-mandate government to ultimately eliminate illegal drugs from Cambodia.

Am Sam Ath, deputy director of rights group LICADHO, welcomed the introduction of the anti-drug guidelines, recognising the seriousness of the drug problem in Cambodian society, as well as globally.

He noted that CSOs remain concerned about the drug problem, as despite the authorities’ efforts to prevent them, instances did not appear to be decreasing.

Recently, he observed several major cases of drug criminals engaging in smuggling into Cambodia, leading to the production, distribution and proliferation of drugs in rural communities, seriously affecting the Kingdom’s human resources, especially the young.

“For greater effectiveness, several measures need to be implemented: Firstly, existing laws must be rigorously enforced. Secondly, there is a need for enhanced training for officers that more allow them to conduct more comprehensive anti-drug operations,” he said.

“My third point is the need to eradicate corruption to ensure that no officials are involved in drug-related issues. If any officials are found to be involved, strict measures must be applied, regardless of their ranking. My fourth point is that we must collaborate with countries in the region and worldwide to address the drug problem,” he added.

“Currently, the whole world is facing the threat of cheap, easy to produce synthetic drugs. Here in Cambodia, we have cracked down on many drug crimes and seized tonnes of drugs, many of which were imported en route to foreign markets via various channels, including land, sea, air, and postal routes. Recently, authorities have also discovered several drug manufacturing facilities,” he continued.

According to NACD secretary-general Meas Vyrith, during the first eight months of 2023, the police interceded in 5,133 drug cases, arresting 12,491 suspects and seizing over 2.6 tonnes of illegal narcotics, along with almost a tonne of precursor chemicals.