By Khmerization
Source: Yun Samean, Radio Free Asia
A senior Cambodian Defence Ministry official said on 1st August that the ministry is poised to introduce a military conscription soon after the military reservist conscription sub-decree was signed by the king , reports Radio Free Asia.
Gen. Chhum Socheat, spokesman for the Defence Ministry, said the conscription is necessary to prepare the military force for the defence of the country. He said the conscription will start as soon as the sub-decree was signed by King Sihamoni.
He said the military reserve conscription will include recalling of contracted soldiers, professional retired soldiers or those who retired from the military before retiring age. The new conscripts will be required to perform military duties between 3 to 4 months.
Gen. Chhum Socheat said there is no decision of how many reservists will be conscripted or recruited, saying it all depends on the budget approved by the parliament.
He said the military reserves are established in accordance with article 5 of the Military Duty Act which requires that all Cambodian citizens aged 18 to 30 years to enter a compulsory military service. Gen. Chhum Socheat said the ministry will not fully implement the Military Duty Act yet, saying that the recruitment will be based on voluntary basis at this stage because the Defence Ministry did not have enough budget yet.
Mr. Cheam Yeap, chairman of the Parliamentary Finance Committee, said despite the government planning to increase the national budget, the government did not yet have any plan to increase defence budget. He said the 2010 national defence budget will be $500 million. And because the government wants to reduce military expenditures, the government had introduced the controversial Army-Business Partnership Scheme which would allow private businesses to fund certain military units. Mr. Cheam Yeap said Cambodia must prepare itself for war to defence its territory, but it does not means that Cambodia wants to cause a war with any nation.
Gen. Chhum Socheat said the new conscription is not done in response to the current border dispute with Thailand, saying that Cambodia currently has enough troops to defend the nation.
There is a military imbalance between Cambodia and Thailand. According to the U.S Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) website, Cambodia has only 6 million military age population, while Thailand has 35 million military age population.
Mr. Yim Sovan, spokesman for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, said military reservists must be recruited based on a voluntary basis rather than a forced conscription. He said he is concerned that there will be corruption in the conscription process whereby only poor people will be conscripted while the rich and the powerful will be exempted.
Gen. Chhum Socheat, spokesman for the Defence Ministry, said the conscription is necessary to prepare the military force for the defence of the country. He said the conscription will start as soon as the sub-decree was signed by King Sihamoni.
He said the military reserve conscription will include recalling of contracted soldiers, professional retired soldiers or those who retired from the military before retiring age. The new conscripts will be required to perform military duties between 3 to 4 months.
Gen. Chhum Socheat said there is no decision of how many reservists will be conscripted or recruited, saying it all depends on the budget approved by the parliament.
He said the military reserves are established in accordance with article 5 of the Military Duty Act which requires that all Cambodian citizens aged 18 to 30 years to enter a compulsory military service. Gen. Chhum Socheat said the ministry will not fully implement the Military Duty Act yet, saying that the recruitment will be based on voluntary basis at this stage because the Defence Ministry did not have enough budget yet.
Mr. Cheam Yeap, chairman of the Parliamentary Finance Committee, said despite the government planning to increase the national budget, the government did not yet have any plan to increase defence budget. He said the 2010 national defence budget will be $500 million. And because the government wants to reduce military expenditures, the government had introduced the controversial Army-Business Partnership Scheme which would allow private businesses to fund certain military units. Mr. Cheam Yeap said Cambodia must prepare itself for war to defence its territory, but it does not means that Cambodia wants to cause a war with any nation.
Gen. Chhum Socheat said the new conscription is not done in response to the current border dispute with Thailand, saying that Cambodia currently has enough troops to defend the nation.
There is a military imbalance between Cambodia and Thailand. According to the U.S Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) website, Cambodia has only 6 million military age population, while Thailand has 35 million military age population.
Mr. Yim Sovan, spokesman for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, said military reservists must be recruited based on a voluntary basis rather than a forced conscription. He said he is concerned that there will be corruption in the conscription process whereby only poor people will be conscripted while the rich and the powerful will be exempted.
5 comments:
Thank you MP Yim Sovann for your concern raised to prevent any selective recruitment.
Obligation is applied non discriminately,no exemption to neither rich nor powerful parents children and should also applicable to those considered themselve minorityor different ethnic backgrounds.
It is a chance of corruptive acts when opportunity arised. Conscription has to be clearly detailed.It is also a chance to see corruption laws appropriately applied.Administration is to be scrutinied for fair practice of the laws.
Peasant
This he say "Professional retired soldiers"?????
Defense of the country from what?
Vietnam is on its second stage of invasion.
Thailand has already claimed certain aspect of khmer culture.
So tell me oh general, defend from what invasion?
An oh yes, retired professional soldiers...i guess you wanna make your enemy laugh to death.
GOOGLE IS TOTALLY IRRESPONSIBLE...
Google is totally irresponsible for publishing incorrect boundary lines of Cambodia, not conforming to UN map. If left unchecked, this could cause irreparable harm to the territorial integrity of Cambodia.
The Royal Government of Cambodia recently made a request to Google concerning this issue over the Preah Vihear, Poipet and other areas. Revisions have been made by Google, but still inaccurate Per UN recognized map.
1. Google’s Preah Vihear area is still incorrect per the 1904-07 Franco-Siamese treaty map of Annex I which was deposited at UN. Google chose to follow the American army map instead showing the 4.6 km2 as part of Thailand. The line further cut into the entry way of Preah Vihear temple with a broken dash line. Totally wrong, totally impartial! Dash line would yield to Thai for future claims. It should be a solid line further north by 300 m.
2. In Poipet, the previous boundary line was completely wrong, showing Angkor Wat entry gate and several Cambodian casinos on the Thai side. After Google’s recent revision, the error still persists. The actual boundary line is in the middle of O’Chrov River bridge, not 200 m over the bridge into Khmer land.
3. The boundary line of Kampuchea-Vietnam is still incorrect because there was no attempt by the RGC to demand correction. The Prek Krabao canal is the actual boundary between Cambodia and Vietnam. However, Google’s map shows it at least 500 m to 1000 m west of the canal. Now this is insane and reckless!
4. The RGC must send an official letter to the Vietnamese government demanding an explanation. What on earth were their motives building highways way inside the Cambodian side of Ratanakiri and Mondulkiri provinces. Do the Vietnamese think that the Cambodia-Vietnam boundary lines are transparent and not official?
5. All the boundary lines around Cambodia with Thailand, Laos and Vietnam must be analyzed and scrutinized to ensure correctness per Cambodia UN deposited map.
Khmer people lost so much already. It is our duty in each generation to verify and safeguard the land that we have left. If the International Court of Justice decision over Preah Vihear Temple in 1962, some 48 years ago has no meaning to the Thais, who else can protect our homeland but ourselves…
Khmer Battambang
08.01.10
12:03pm, you are neither a siem, whitey, nor youn but a brain dead khmer oversea. you are trying cause fractures among Khmers in time of difficulties. you are safe to be compared to a chuaveva dog.
12:03 pm- khmer will be YUON within 30 years brother and wll be late to cry then.
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