Amid the backdrop of a rapidly changing world, Prime Minister Hun Manet has instructed the leadership and all members of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) to remain vigilant and stand ready to take action to counter the ambitions of a small handful of “traitors” and “rogue” politicians who may attempt to undermine Cambodia’s hard-earned peace.

His remarks were delivered in an open letter to all RCAF members, released two days ahead of the 25th anniversary of the formation of the Royal Cambodian Army Command Headquarters on January 24, 1999.

“Although we should take pride in our work and the many accomplishments that have been achieved, we must always remember that – despite Cambodia being influenced only indirectly by global insecurity – the problems of terrorism and cross-border crimes remain dangerous and significant ones,” he said.

“A combination of fragility caused by recent developments, changes in the international situations, geopolitical and economic competition between the superpowers, attempted interference in internal affairs, colour revolution issues and threats to our independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the ambitions of a handful of traitors and rogue politicians, requires us to exercise increased caution. We must always be ready to take flexible and self-reliant containment measures,” he added.

The letter explained that the government has set two main defence policy goals. The first is to ensure that the Kingdom’s peace remains durable, and the other is to create opportunities for developing the nation in a sustainable manner. 

Cambodia’s present peace, political stability and economic growth, especially during the first phase of the Pentagonal Strategy, also provide an opportunity to build the capabilities of the RCAF.

The prime minister instructed all RCAF personnel to pay close attention to implementing current reforms, noting that they are intended to strengthen the military’s command structure, in order to allow it to enhance all units and defend the nation more effectively.

RCAF commander-in-chief General Vong Pisen also published a congratulatory statement. He noted that since its establishment, the Royal Cambodian Army Command Headquarters has consistently followed the orders of the government.

“The army has been actively involved in curbing illegal actions such as forestry, human trafficking and drug dealing crimes. We also contained a colour revolution, and prevented terrorist attacks and other cross-border crimes which were intended to cause political instability and undermine peace and development in Cambodia,” the letter read, in part. 

He added that the Army has also contributed to humanitarian work, including mine clearance and natural disaster relief. Pisen also noted the important role played by the RCAF during the Kingdom’s fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

He explained the recent progress that the military has made in terms of training, infrastructure and modern technology. It has constructed new live-fire practice facilities and several in-country exercises to develop its human resources.

“More than this, the RCAF has made efforts to strengthen and expand collaboration with other countries. In the past five years, it has signed memoranda of understanding [MoU] and cooperative terms with many foreign militaries, in the region and in the wider world,” he said.

Chey Tech, an independent socio-economic analyst, explained that peace is the foundation of development and ensures citizen’s right to life. It is up to the military to maintain the Kingdom’s peace, safety and territorial integrity.

Should extremists attempt to terrorise people or create social instability, he said the military would be responsible for stopping them.

“The Army has an important role, as it must maintain the peace and territorial integrity of our country. As I am sure we all know, without peace, the development we all enjoy today would not have been possible, and in fact, many people would not have been alive to see the Kingdom’s rapid growth. We are all aware of the suffering that is taking place in parts of the Middle East and in Ukraine,” he said, referring to the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas armed conflict.

He reiterated that should acts of rebellion – or threats to security or territorial integrity – occur, the army must defend the nation.