PHOM PENH, July 14: Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet has said that come 2026, the country’s National Assembly will approve the Law on Compulsory Military Service, enforcing military conscription.
The law was promulgated on December 22, 2006, with a proposal for an 18-month training period, aimed at strengthening the armed forces, but sits idle on paper and has not so far been implemented.
“From 2026 onwards, the Law on Compulsory Military Service will be enforced,” Hun Manet said in a speech during the celebration of the 32nd founding anniversary of the National Military Police held at a training center in central Kampong Chhnang province.
“The military conscription law will help us increase the number of soldiers, reinforcing our army,” he said, as per Khmer News.
Under the Law on Compulsory Military Service, all Cambodian male citizens between 18 and 30 years old are obliged to register for and fulfil military service for 18 months. However, service for women remains voluntary.
However, Hun Manet said the 18-month mandatory training period will be increased to 24 months, stating that the original training time was insufficient for comprehensive military training, which encompassed logistical and administrative processes.
PM Hun Manet explained that the law serves two main purposes: first, to increase the number of trained soldiers; and second, to enhance the effectiveness of military service, ensuring Cambodia maintains an adequate reserve of capable personnel.
The premiere added “What matters most is effectiveness. After completing the two-year mandatory service, conscripts may choose to reintegrate into civilian life or voluntarily enlist in the professional military.”
He noted that this approach also streamlines the military recruitment process, as conscripts can be selected directly from those who have completed their service.
Those who are not recruited may still return to society as disciplined, trained individuals. Without this experience, they might otherwise become a burden or threat to social stability.
(UNI)
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