The government wants NGOs to help fight Covid-19

The government wants NGOs to help fight Covid-19

The Ministry of Justice has called on non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to join the government in its fight against Covid-19, instead of being confrontational and playing the blame game.

Ministry spokesman Chin Malin said that ever since the outbreak, the government has put in place the Pandemic Preparedness and Response Plan to manage and contain the situation.

All the proactive measures implemented, he added, were to protect and save the citizens and those in the country from Covid-19 infection.

He said the governors set restriction policies such as lockdowns, curfews, and wearing face masks to curb the spread of the deadly disease.

“The government and relevant authorities have taken so many preventive measures to flatten the curve of the Covid-19 cases and yet some NGOs have hurled criticisms that these policies have restricted peoples’ freedom,” Malin said.

“We are trying to protect and save lives. Instead of hurling criticisms, they should help the governors in successfully implementing the preventive measures, including helping people to get a vaccination,” he added.

He said if these organisations want to help Cambodia and its people, then they should not be criticising but rather helping the Kingdom to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

Malin said Prime Minister Hun Sen has continuously stressed in all his messages that all governors and the relevant authorities must put in place all the policies and measures and should go on the ground to assist people and help them if needed during the lockdowns and curfew.

He said Mr Hun Sen is also taking all measures to ensure that at least 90 percent of the population are vaccinated while they continue adhering to the “three dos” and “three don’ts”.

“All these steps are to save people’s lives and it is not for political mileage. We work for the welfare of the people and we need to make sure they are safe and healthy. That is why we need to impose certain hard measures such as lockdowns and curfew,” he added.

Malin said there were some civil social organisations who cashed on the Covid-19 situation to do food distribution for their own agenda and this is done with no sincerity to help people but rather to show they are doing something.

“There has been an incident where they (social activists) attacked a governor during the Covid-19 and this had to be blocked. These people called on people not to abide by the governor’s instruction as it restricted their freedom,” he added.

Malin said NGOs should cooperate with the governors and government during the pandemic and not do something that endangers people and their safety.

“If they put people in danger of getting infected, then they have to face the consequences, including legal action,” he added.

Many University of Cambodia students told Khmer Times yesterday that they fully support all the government policies and measures and do not feel it restricted their movement but rather protected them against Covid-19 infection.

“If we focus on freedom and walk around in public with no facemask or social distancing, then there will be high incidences of Covid-19 cases,” said one of the students named Theary.

She said when institutions of higher learning re-open, every student should still continue with the Standard Operation Procedures as the country is still not out of the woods from Covid-19.

She added that many of the people including students are fully aware of what the government is doing and they are happy that the leaders are spending so much money to help poor people, the jobless, people in quarantine, and for vaccine doses to make sure the citizens are taken care of and protected.

NGO workers could not be reached for comment. Khmer Times