Cambodia prepares reserve soldiers

August 02,2010
Source: Xinhua

Cambodia is preparing to have reserve soldiers in a move to reform and perform better military affairs, a military official said Monday.

Gen. Chhum Socheat, spokesman of Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defense said the draft decree on recruiting reserve soldiers was approved by the Council of Ministers last Friday and is now awaiting final approval by His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni.

He said the reserve soldiers are practiced in many other countries around the world and it has nothing related to the border conflict with Thailand.

Chhum Socheat said the main purpose of having reserve soldiers is to apply to military reform and to better perform in military affairs for a long-time vision, and that has nothing behind the border conflict with Thailand.

He said the reserve military will include those contracted soldiers, professional retired soldiers or those who retired from the military before retiring age.

According to the decree, the reserve soldiers will serve five years and if necessary, will extend two more years.

Cambodia adopted the conscription law in 2006 which requires all Cambodian citizens aged 18 to 30 years to enter a compulsory military service.

Government Looks To Build Reserve Military Force

Monday, 02 August 2010
By: Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh

The broadening of the military comes at a time of increasing countrywide nationalism that has been spurred by on ongoing border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand.(Photo:AP)

The Council of Ministers passed a decree Friday that would begin to create a reserve force, despite previous government policy to

reduce military spending.

Friday’s decree would draw a reservist force from early resignations, soldiers who have completed their enlightenments or even “experts” who have ben involved in military tasks.

The broadening of the military comes at a time of increasing countrywide nationalism that has been spurred by on ongoing border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand. The decree also follows a 2006 law that provides for military conscription.

“The Ministry of Defense will train the reservists on fighting tactics and defense tactics as a base,” Thum Sotheat, a three-star general and a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense, told VOA Khmer.

The training could also include specialties, such as engineering, construction or medical work, he said.

Bilateral talk with Cambodia may be held to resolve border conflict: Thai minister

August 02,2010
Source: Xinhua

A bilateral talk with Cambodia may be held in a bid to seek solution to the ongoing conflict over the Preah Vihear Temple, Thailand’s Natural and Environment Minister Suvit Khunkitti said on Monday.

The Thai News Agency (TNA) reported that the natural and environment minister was speaking in Thailand’s capital Bangkok shortly after he returned from Brazil, where he attended the annual 34th meeting of the UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee (WHC).

It is expected that next month the WHC panel will present Cambodia’s management plan for the 11th century Preah Vihear Temple to Thailand, Suvit said.

After obtaining the Cambodian management plan for Preah Vihear Temple, Thailand will look into details of the plan in a bid to protect the country’s sovereignty, he said.

However, the Thai side will keep abiding by international laws to find the solution to the conflict, the Thai minister said.

The Thai people and concerned organizations will be informed of the development to be made on the Preah Vihear Temple, Suvit said.

During the meeting on July 29, the WHC decided to reschedule its discussion on Cambodia’s management plan to its annual meeting in Bahrain in 2011.

Prior to the WHC decision to postpone its discussion, Thailand threatened to walk out of the WHC meeting if the panel considered the Cambodian plan since the Thai side had not yet looked into details of the plan, which was handed in by Cambodia to the WHC panel just shortly before the meeting.

Thailand and Cambodia have historically laid claim to the site, which is located on a mountain top on the Thai-Cambodia border. The disputed area of 4.6 square kilometers has not been demarcated.

In 1962 the International Court of Justice ruled that the Preah Vihear temple belonged to Cambodia. But, the 11th-century temple can only be easily accessed from Thailand.

Cambodian Defence Ministry to introduce military conscription soon

By Khmerization
Source: RFA

Cambodian troops based at Preah Vihear temple.

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.

Location of Prasat Preah Vihear must be correctly stated!

Prasat Preah Vihear

The article tittled:” Cambodia and Thailand reached an agreement during the 34th Session of the Historical Heritage “published on website Brasilia 2010 Brazil of the Unesco released very confusing statments which I strongly demand the correction in the following points:

1. The word “Hindu temple” is used in the article: It is not wrong but this should be changed to Khmer Temple, Prasat Preah Vihear, or Preah Vihear temple.  We Khmer feel used to these words and any of them can be used. They sound perfectly to us as the descendants.
2. Regarding to the location of Prasat Preah Vihear the writer wrote: “The property is a Hindu temple from the 11th century, located in the border between the two countries.”  This statement is completely wrong  and unacceptable because Prasat Preah Vihear internationally, legally, historically, and geographically locates in Cambodia, not in the border between the two countries-Cambodia and Thailand.  Such a statement must not be carelessly made because it does confuse the public, international community, and especially it can be taken for granted by the extremist PAD in Thailand which may fuel to more border conflicts between the two countries. So I strongly hope that the writer of this article will make a correction in accordance with the reality of Prasat Preah Vihear where it is located.

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)

• Gunfire on Thai-Cambodian border
• Thai Aguments to Claim Khmer Preah Vihear Temple
• One Year Old Passed, Cambodian-Thai Rift Continued
• ICJ Ruling 6/15/1962 on Temple Preah Vihear (Cambodia vs.Thailand)

Have posted in Here.