2011 Defence Economic Trends in the Asia-Pacific [... including Cambodia]

https://www.box.com/s/fd02b51920136f5bf2b1

Chinese defence chief will be at ASEAN meet

Monday, 28 May 2012
Vong Sokheng
The Phnom Penh Post

Chinese Defence Minister Liang Guanglie will attend a meeting of his ASEAN counterparts tomorrow in which a Code of Conduct over the disputed South China Sea is set to be discussed, a government minister said yesterday.

ASEAN members the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei – along with China and Taiwan – all have competing sovereignty claims over the resource rich body of water that will be discussed during the meeting at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh.

Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh confirmed yesterday that Liang Guanglie had arrived and would attend the meeting.

Defense Spending Expected to Rise Into 2012 [-It takes a lot of money to maintain Hun Xen's bodyguard unit?]

The $304-million defense and security budget for 2011 was less than Cambodia’s neighbors last year.

Thursday, 18 August 2011
Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh

“We divide [the budget] depending on the reality of each year.”

Cambodia expects to bump up its military and defense budget next year, an increase that comes amid an ongoing standoff with Thailand over the border near Preah Vihear, officials said Wednesday.

Defense remains a priority sector for spending, garnering $304 million in 2011, when it also saw an increase. Officials say they expect to prioritize health and education spending for 2012.

However, national defense remains a primary concern, with an ongoing border dispute that began in July 2008 and has led to a number of deadly skirmishes over the last three years.

As a result, the government has begun a recruitment drive for 5,000 more soldiers—many of them to replace retiring troops—who will train for three months before they are sent to the northern border.

Today national defense cooperation with Vietnam, tomorrow a common gov't with Hanoi?

VN, Cambodia boost national defence co-operation

March, 11 2011
VNS (Hanoi)

SIEM REAP — Viet Nam highly valued the co-operation in national defence with Cambodia, especially concerning security border sovereignty and drug smuggling.

Politburo member and Minister of National Defence Phung Quang Thanh made the remarks while engaging in talks with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Tea Banh in Siem Reap yesterday.

Thanh briefed Tea Banh on the political and socio-economic situations in Viet Nam, especially the results of the 11th Party Congress. He affirmed that the Vietnamese Government had always wanted Cambodia to stabilise its border issues and maintain its relationships with ASEAN countries.

Cambodia forms politics, foreign affairs department within defense ministry

PHNOM PENH, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia has established a special department within its Ministry of National Defense for politics and foreign affairs earlier this week, Chinese-language newspaper the Jian Hua Daily said on Sunday.

The department is obliged to watch and research the political side of the national defense, promote military cooperation with foreign countries, help process visas for the military force, and strengthen international, multi-national and bilateral security cooperation in the framework of the general policy of the government, said the paper.

It will have one director general and 4 vice directors, it added.

For 2009, the Ministry of National Defense has won about 160 million U.S. dollars of government allocation, a 29.6 percent rise over that of 2008, according to the national budget approved by the National Assembly in Dec. 2008.

Police find explosive devices near TV3 headquarters: A gift from Hun Mana's former husband to her?

Police find explosive devices near Cambodian defense ministry

PHNOM PENH, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Police on Friday found explosive devices at two locations in front of the National Defense Ministry and another one near the headquarters of TV3 in downtown Phnom Penh.

Mine clearance group disassembled these materials, without causing any damage and casualty.

"We found them at 0300 p.m. local time (0800 GMT) and have been investigating the case to catch the perpetrators," said Sao Sokha, chief of the National Military Police.

So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the deadly placements yet.

The explosive substances were placed in cans of mosquito-killing spray when the police found them in the public garden before the ministry and on the sidewalk beside the TV headquarters, according to the police.