PHNOM PENH, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen called for an increase in military spending on Friday, the first since the collapse of the Khmer Rouge in 1998, two days after fighting erupted on the border with Thailand.
"We must look to increase the military budget," he said at the start of a weekly cabinet meeting in Phnom Penh. His comments were recorded by a local newspaper reporter and replayed to Reuters. The wily former Khmer Rouge soldier, who won an election landslide in July to extend his two decades in power, called for a minute's silence at the start of the meeting for three Cambodian soldiers killed in Wednesday's clash.
"They sacrificed their lives to defend our nation in response to a foreign invasion," he said.
Seven Thai soldiers and two Cambodians were also wounded in the 40-minute exchange of rocket and gun-fire along the disputed stretch of border near the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple, a source of tension between the two countries for decades.
Thai and Cambodian army commanders agreed on Thursday to conduct joint patrols of the disputed border, but they failed to reach a deal on reducing their forces around the temple.
(Reporting by Ek Madra; Writing by Ed Cropley; Editing by Darren Schuettler and Alex Richardson)
"We must look to increase the military budget," he said at the start of a weekly cabinet meeting in Phnom Penh. His comments were recorded by a local newspaper reporter and replayed to Reuters. The wily former Khmer Rouge soldier, who won an election landslide in July to extend his two decades in power, called for a minute's silence at the start of the meeting for three Cambodian soldiers killed in Wednesday's clash.
"They sacrificed their lives to defend our nation in response to a foreign invasion," he said.
Seven Thai soldiers and two Cambodians were also wounded in the 40-minute exchange of rocket and gun-fire along the disputed stretch of border near the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple, a source of tension between the two countries for decades.
Thai and Cambodian army commanders agreed on Thursday to conduct joint patrols of the disputed border, but they failed to reach a deal on reducing their forces around the temple.
(Reporting by Ek Madra; Writing by Ed Cropley; Editing by Darren Schuettler and Alex Richardson)
7 comments:
Total congratutation to the PM for this such an inportant initiative for our belove country.
Samdach morha virack sat reborn by CPP and CPP were born by yiek nam. yiek nam teach their adopted children to kill their own family. siam teach Khmer (surin) to kill Khmer====> Khmer kill Khmer.
Please all Khmer wake up before it's to late. You must kill yiek nam and siam because they first start the problem so all Khmer will live longer on earth.
Find solution to make peace so we all can live together.
Mr Prime minister !
The idea to increase on defense spending is a right move.I am supporting you 100%.We should increase and modernize our armed forces now so that our enemy won't look down on us anymore.i believe your countrymen oversea are wholeheartedly behind you in the defense of our homeland.If we're weak militarily and with such neighbor as THAI ,our country survival will not last.We must, under your leadership, rebuild and arm our forces now.Look at the state of Israel with a population of less than 5 millions ,that nation can defeat the Arabs of 100 millions.If the Israelis can do and so can we.Bear in mind,i am not CPP supporter but in this circumstances , we ,the khmer, have to be united as one.
Despite recent border clashes with our neighboring nation (Thailand), don't forget that Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen is still despised by the overwhelming majority of Cambodian people; also, Hun Sen is a dictator, who had ordered his secret police to surreptitious murdered undetermined amount of Cambodians, particulary the opposition supporters.
Please don't let Hun Sen use the recent incident to divert his d serious malfeasance against the innocent Cambodians.
In the defense budget should devide into four part. 1) 25% go to Hun Sen personal wealth 2) 25% go to Hun Sen's mistress personal wealth 3) 25% go to soldiers' salary 4) 25% go to purchase the modern weapon.
Whatever, we should help to improve our military potential to protect our territory against the agression like this. Mr. Prime Minister, as long as you can guarantee the money would not go to the pocket, khmers oversea will be able to sacrify at least some... each for this purpose. You are strong leader, if you wave the appeal this time, you will get enormous amount, you are not alone, khmers are everywhere and are ready to help, and also from khmer knong srok as many of them are rich/middle class and from the poors we leave them free of this obligation. I am ready to sacrifice. Khmer overseas
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