Cambodia will begin to conscript civilians in its soldiers from next year, said Prime Minister Hun Manet on Monday, in the midst of simmer tensions along its border with Thailand.
Hostilities between neighbors have increased in recent weeks after a Cambodian soldier was killed during a shooting incident on May 28 along a disputed border area.
Since then, certain border areas have seen closures, Cambodia has requested the International Court of Justice and prohibited certain Thai imports, and Thailand has suspended its Prime Minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, in the midst of a negative reaction to a telephone call disclosed with the former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.
“This episode of confrontation is a lesson for us and is an opportunity for us to review, assess and set our goals to reform our soldiers,” said Hun Manet during a ceremony in a military training center.
The Cambodia Parliament promulgated a law in 2006 which would oblige all Cambodians aged 18 to 30 to serve in the army for 18 months. The law had not been activated before.
The CIA World Factbook estimates that the Cambodia army has around 200,000 people; He indicates that the soldiers of Thailand have about 350,000.
During his speech on Monday, Hun Manet called for Cambodia to increase his military budget and Thailand to reopen the border passages he had closed.
Includes the reports of agency-France Presse and the Associated Press.