Speaking at the 32nd anniversary celebration of the Royal Gendarmerie on July 14, Prime Minister Hun Manet explained that at present, Cambodia has sufficient capacity to defend its territory. However, the country must continuously progress, requiring rapid defence reforms. This includes modernising the military structure, developing human resources and upgrading equipment.
“Regarding the national budget, we need to carefully consider increasing defence spending, to a certain extent. After the war and the win-win policy, we redirected a significant portion of the defence budget, reallocating the funds to other sectors such as social spending, human resource development, education, healthcare and other priority areas,” he explained.
While the budget was redirected to other key sectors, he noted that much of Cambodia’s weaponry was also destroyed between 1993 and 1998.
He also clarified that the increase in defence spending is “not aimed at waging war or seizing others’ territory, but solely for protecting Cambodian soil”.
Manet also announced that Cambodia will amend two laws: the Law on Compulsory Military Service, established in 2006, and the Retirement Pension Law. The new law on Compulsory Military Service will require conscripts to undergo 24 months, or two years, of training. After completing the service, individuals can choose whether to return to civilian life or join the military.
He explained that during these two years, conscripts will gain insight into military life and decide if it suits them. Additionally, those who complete the service will have received training in discipline, becoming better citizens.
“Many companies may prefer to hire individuals who have undergone this training for their workforce,” he said.
According to Article 2 of the 2006 Compulsory Military Service Law, Cambodian citizens aged 18 to 30 are required to perform military service for 18 months. However, the law has not been enforced since its establishment.
Niem Chheng
The Phnom Penh Post
Asia News Network