Cambodia Defense White Paper: Security, Development and International Cooperation, 2006

Preface: In the past years, the security outlook of the

Kingdom of Cambodia has changed due to the evolving

regional and global security situation. The win win policy

and the spirit of national reconciliation of the Royal

Government with Samdech Hun Sen as leader, has

ended the internal crisis that troubled and destroyed the

nation for decades. However, Cambodia still faces the

need to address other major non-traditional issues that

threaten national security and development such as

international terrorism and transnational crime.

In its efforts to integrate into the international

community, Cambodia has undertaken duties for the

common interests of nations in the region as well as in

the world. Cambodia has fully cooperated in many areas

including security. The Royal Government is strongly

determined to combat terrorism. This will is revealed

through a number of major measures taken by the Royal

Government not only for the security and harmony of the

people of Cambodia but also for the wellbeing and

common interests of people in the region and the world.

Following the ascendancy of peace in late 1998,

Cambodia has endeavored to strengthen stability and

internal security as a strong basis for restoring and

rebuilding the nation. The RCAF is an important force for

carrying out the Royal Government’s policies, under both

the triangle and the current rectangle strategies.

Everyone acknowledges the difficulty of reform under the

circumstances for the RCAF that are not so favorable.

While just emerging from war, the reform process has

met endless obstacles including some major problems

such as a lack of resources, unsuitable structure,

complicated bureaucracy, inadequate military bases and

accommodation and living conditions for soldiers, etc.

Nevertheless, the RCAF has achieved some great

success in its reform process. Apart from ensuring

security for the nation, the RCAF actively contributes to

rehabilitating physical infrastructure, rescuing people

during disasters and, in since April 2006, participating

in international peace missions. The prestige of the

Kingdom of Cambodia is further enhanced in the

international arena as more than one hundred young

Cambodians are devoting their physical and mental

strength to the humanitarian cause and to the happiness

of a nation in Africa. Our mission does not end in Sudan.

Although the capability and resources of the RCAF is

limited, Cambodia will continue its efforts to participate

with the UN in other humanitarian peacekeeping

missions in the future.

Although progress is being made proudly in its

reform process, the RCAF still has many major tasks to

perform to comply with the strategic initiatives provided

in the following chapters of this Defense White Paper

2006. As recommended earlier by Samdech Prime

Minister Hun Sen, “the Defense White Paper is a

compass for the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces to

implement the defense policy of the Royal Government

successfully.”

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