Future of Cambodia Miltary Options

[jackoff]

cambodia does not need a military. it can be protected by its big brother vietnam.

[khmaisoldier94]

naw.i don't like that.our big brother will not be vietnam and it will never be. I don't consider our big brother as vietnam. If they was, i would be sad to be from a country whose "brother" is vietnam. but i just heard they just bought some new weapons though.alot changed since the last comment was posted.

[Goombaking209]

cambodia is suspected as the main country who is selling arms for the tamil tigers in the sri lanka war

[FiRe_dRaGoN]

this type of talk wont help out anything, im not surprise tht u guys r still ranting on old ground. Well i just hope, as long as our homeland dont get torch by the flames war and the hate ever again, I ONLY HOPE FOR ALL OUR SAKES. it doesnts matter if we there or we r overseas IT HURTS ALL THE SAME, DEEP IN OUR SUBCONCIOUS, even if we dont admit it, we still KHMER. (sorry if i didnt read the whole thread) J.ONG

This post has been edited by FiRe_dRaGoN: Nov 10 2007, 11:29 PM

[kown_chma]

I have read some of what you guys posted on this site and I was very disappointed of what some you guys said. Most of people out there have no clue what is going on in Cambodia today. Cambodia has no miltary capiltabies because most of the leaders are courrpted and traitors. And most of all, most of them are not even Cambodian. They are either Vietnamese or Chinese. It is threaten that most Cambodian dont see the problem of our Cambodian problem. How can you have run a country without military or air defense? It does not matter how good your economy is or how much money you have. Who will protect you or your family when you are sleep and live your daily life? It is the police, miltary and etc who put their lives for you. Without them how can you live peaceful life? Surely in Cambodia only the strong will survive. Today, Cambodia has no miltary strengths or air defense. All their equipments are all obselete. Eversince the Khmer Rouge ended, Cambodia has not bought any new tank, weapons or air defense to defense Cambodia from their enemies. The problem with Cambodia is courrpted and traitor. U can not have a stable country if its own people are only care about money and benefit themselves. It does not how powerful its country are or many miltary strengths they have. Cambodia definitely needs more soldiers and weapons. Many soldiers who fought and died for our freedom, we should ever never forget that. They fought for us, we should always gratateful. Today, i see many Khmer tend to forget who fought and died for them. They only care about money and what benefit them. They dont care about Cambodia future as a country of it own. Most of Cambodian always depend on the Vietnamese to save them again. Cambodian never ever learn or see further ahead. Who keep taking Khmer land today? it is the Vietnamese and Thailand. Why dont Cambodian see that is the problem? Why they keep believe the Vietnamese who do good for Khmer people? They murder Khmer people and etc.. I hope you Khmer will think seriously and wisely about the future of Cambodia. We are the young generation, we must not make the same mistake as elder generation. We must be wise, cautious we must watch our steps before we walk forthward or backward. Our enemies are all surrounded us. We must know who is our friends and who is our enemy. Cambodian people must know quickly before keep contine killing our people

First of all this is the dumbest thread ever created.

Second, you might want to learn how to paragraph?

And third, since we are on the topic of military, first of all a country should be able to feed its people first before having cool toys to play with. Before you go running around screaming, oh somebody gonna invade our country you must know this, if they want to, our neighbors has enough military capability to invade us 10 times over. Also the point of us joining the organizations such as OPEC and ASEAN and what not, they won't let an invasion happen. And don't compare Cambodia to Iraq, we aren't got no oil.

These are just of the top of my head.

Go get some education before starting stupid thread like this. Gosh.

[Sovann]

Khmer_Army, do you want to be serious?

Then go to the garbage pit near Phnom Penh and slums of Sihanouville and everywhere. There, you will see children picking up rubbish and street children sniffing glues and have nowhere to go but trying to survive every day.

[Nikkie_nid]

I heard rumors from my friend that the US plans to set Military base in Cambodia. Could this be true?

[Nikkie_nid]

I heard rumors from my friend that the US plans to set Military base in Cambodia. Could this be true?

[victord1]

Khmer_Army, do you want to be serious?

Then go to the garbage pit near Phnom Penh and slums of Sihanouville and everywhere. There, you will see children picking up rubbish and street children sniffing glues and have nowhere to go but trying to survive every day.

Actually, Khmer-Army provided some good facts. And so did some of the posters.

We definitely need to improve the conditions of our armed forces. They are crucial to the security and stability of the country.

But, just like you mentioned, we should also take care of our public welfare issues.

[victord1]

I heard rumors from my friend that the US plans to set Military base in Cambodia. Could this be true?

That's what I've heard, too.

If Hun Sen is as smart as I thought, he should grab this opportunity.

[FiRe_dRaGoN]

That's what I've heard, too.

If Hun Sen is as smart as I thought, he should grab this opportunity.

hrmmmmm, i guess its 50 good / 50 bad if they do go in. but im still abit of a sceptic whn it comes to american military installations.

[VietICan]

What need is there for a military build up when the average citizen is still struggling to make a decent living? Let's not forget Cambodia is not being threatened by any external power ATM, so its a good time to develop your economy first.

[khmaisoldier94]

You guys are a bunch of $hitty! Vietnam saved your @$$ and now you come back and bite it. If Vietnam didn't overthrown the khmer Rouge, then 99% of Cambodian would be dead by now, and there's no more Cambodia on the face of this planet. In otherwords, without Vietnam you guys would exist until today.

shut up and go back to vietnam or where ever you came from. if you gonna talk trash, say that $hit somewhere else or stay in vietnamese chat. damn yuon. and ham let if you readin this you better not warn or go tell on me again.

[khmoozi]

This is an interesting topic, but I really don't like how it stirs up traditional resentments between nations. Yes, Cambodia needs an army and it is obvious that corrupted leaders are an obstacle, but how will Cambodians maintain it? Maintaining a standard army is extremely complicated in the modern era. It isn't buy this and that equipment. It requires other aspects of the nation to be reformed as well. Education is key to this reformation. The technical knowledge or know-how of the people is important. How can you finance an army if you can't organize it and run it properly? A system of bureaucracy in the likes of which the Khmer people are alien to is needed. This is why nations like Tibet, who's military know-how was quite antequated, lost to a more structured entity, that of the People's Army of China. Tibetan leaders were not corrupt, nor is their history marked by constant land loss and cultural degradation. It was the lack of military know-how and the inability of the Tibetan nation to evolve with changing times. Many Tibetan soldiers (even monks) lost their lives fighting and my sorrow is given unto them. I don't mean to degrade or ridicule their cause in anyway. Rather, there are lessons to be learned by the Cambodian nation. Since the Classical period of Angkor (circa 802 AD - 1327 AD) we lacked such know-how, as noted in the records of Zhou Daguan, a Chinese pilgrim who's keen observations of Classical Khmer society is very accurate and correlates with archaeological findings. While Europeans have their On War (by Karl Von Clausewitz), or the Chinese have their Sun-Tzu Bing Fa (Art of War), the Khmers lack this martial tradition. Then, there is our economy which is in shambles, and since ancient times was always reliant on foreign involvement. Khmers need to revolutionize their society and learn to depend on their own ingenuity. We need people who are mentally theoretical, not just practical. We need people who's minds are geared towards revolutionary progress, not just exagerrated nostalgia of a glorious past which wasn't without flaws. We are at fault for most of what plagues us today, regardless of whether we want to admit it or not. A good study that was the first attempt at understanding the Khmer psyche was entitled 'Proloerng Khmer' written by a late Khmer professor in Australia. I have since lost a summary outline of this study, and I forget the Khmer professor's name. This study helps illustrate further what I briefly mentioned on Khmer mentality. I hope I find it someday.

Now about animosities between our neighbors (like Vietnam), its doing more damage than good. Of course I understand why there is such hatred. Vietnam still has control over Khmer territories and its current political relations with Cambodia is marked with corruption, but to blame Vietnam for much of our troubles isn't going to help. Vietnamese aid did not give rise to Saloth Sar's (known by his nom de guerre 'Pol Pot') vision of a radical 'agrarian utopia'. Nor did the disenfranchised citizens that joined the ranks of the Khmer Krahom join out of Vietnamese persuasions. They joined because they were poor, uneducated and suffered from social problems that were still going on in Cambodia. They blamed the French, the Chinese, the Chams, the rich, the educated for their problems. They just blamed and blamed, then acted upon this with their violence. My dad's family (ethnic Chinese) lost their lives because of this, even though he regards himself as a Khmer and will die as a Khmer. This is just like the Jews in Nazi Germany. The Khmer Krahom were our invention. Lost souls of Saloth Sar's failed, radical visions. Progress comes to those who realize the problem and figure out reasonable solutions. First, we must focus on our poor, our sick, our politics and economy. Military visions can wait for now, we are not in immediate danger. Land issues must be negotiated with clear minds and uncorrupted characters. And it is not the Vietnamese people in total that are against the Khmers. We must seek some co-existence. Native Americans in the US today would be wrong to try and suddenly get rid of every non-Native American in the US to reclaim their lost lands and heritage. Vietnam must at least acknowledge the historical presence of the Chams, Khmers, Degar tribes, etc. prior to their settlement. Vietnam needs to reform its policies towards the Khmer Krom, allowing them some autonomy, like Native American nations in the US today. The Law No. 49-733 of June 4, 1949 granting Vietnam Kampuchea Krom should be re-examined and Hun Sen's Historical Waters Treaty of 1982 (and other treaties like it) should be nullified. An emphasis on education should be the main concern for Khmers right now, as the power of education gives birth to new ideas and enriches our lives, helping us to better the pathway for the future of our motherland Kampuchea.

[choson1]

While Europeans have their On War (by Karl Von Clausewitz), or the Chinese have their Sun-Tzu Bing Fa (Art of War), the Khmers lack this martial tradition.

I think you have martial traditions all wrong. 'On War' was written in the 19th century. Are you saying that before this book was written, Europe didn't have a martial tradition?

[khmoozi]

No, but I guess I used a very bad example. There are a few good examples dating back to the Medieval and Renaissance Era that I can't remember. One was about drills and the concept of esprit de corp that's relevant to it (where the drill sergeant's tradition can be traced back to). The other pertains to Artillery (my specialty!) which is called "Artis Magnae Artilleriae pars prima" (the Complete Art of Artillery, part 1), but I'm not familiar with the author and this one dates back to 17th century (its contents can be traced back to artillery guilds of the Medieval era). The other book, I found out about through reading "War Made New" by Max Boot (a very good book I read after graduating basic training) and the second one from reading a book on artillery history in the library on base. Anyways, we can see Europe is rich in military knowledge and tradition compared to Cambodia.

Even though 'On War' is somewhat modern it's still revelant to what I said. It still shows how far more advanced the military traditons and knowledge of Europe is compared to Cambodia. Cambodians have never came around to formulating a martial tradition like we find in places such as Europe, the Middle East or East Asia. Talking with a former Cambodian Army conscript, who use to live with a cousin of mine, he told me about how unorganized and undisciplined the Cambodian military really was. (He ended up deserting the Cambodian Army during the Civil War when the Khmer Krahom came into power.) There's just no sense of esprit de corp or military ethos and values within the Cambodian military. The history of Cambodian warfare is also lacking in such traditions. So theres no formal martial tradition to which the Khmer people of the modern era can use to form the foundations of a truly modern and well organized military. Thanks for reading my post by the way, I was afraid it was too damn long, but I'm really into this kind of stuff.

(By the way, has anybody heard of this newly published book, "Armies of Angkor : Military Structure and Weaponry of the Khmers" by the leading authority on Khmer military history, Michel Jacq-Hergoualc'h? I MUST ADD IT TO MY BOOK COLLECTION!!! I pre-ordered a copy from Barnes & Nobles, but they failed to obtain any copies when the book came out, so it's not available! I heard its already obtainable in the UK!)

[Goombaking209]

^ Siri, is that you?

[lemongrass]

^ Siri, is that you?

No, I don't think he is. Khmoozi is a soldier in an artillery unit in Camp Casey, South Korea. I know where that is because I have been to Korea many times. Only serviceman like us know where those places are.

[lemongrass]

This is an interesting topic, but I really don't like how it stirs up traditional resentments between nations. Yes, Cambodia needs an army and it is obvious that corrupted leaders are an obstacle, but how will Cambodians maintain it? Maintaining a standard army is extremely complicated in the modern era. It isn't buy this and that equipment. It requires other aspects of the nation to be reformed as well. Education is key to this reformation. The technical knowledge or know-how of the people is important. How can you finance an army if you can't organize it and run it properly? A system of bureaucracy in the likes of which the Khmer people are alien to is needed. This is why nations like Tibet, who's military know-how was quite antequated, lost to a more structured entity, that of the People's Army of China. Tibetan leaders were not corrupt, nor is their history marked by constant land loss and cultural degradation. It was the lack of military know-how and the inability of the Tibetan nation to evolve with changing times. Many Tibetan soldiers (even monks) lost their lives fighting and my sorrow is given unto them. I don't mean to degrade or ridicule their cause in anyway. Rather, there are lessons to be learned by the Cambodian nation. Since the Classical period of Angkor (circa 802 AD - 1327 AD) we lacked such know-how, as noted in the records of Zhou Daguan, a Chinese pilgrim who's keen observations of Classical Khmer society is very accurate and correlates with archaeological findings. While Europeans have their On War (by Karl Von Clausewitz), or the Chinese have their Sun-Tzu Bing Fa (Art of War), the Khmers lack this martial tradition. Then, there is our economy which is in shambles, and since ancient times was always reliant on foreign involvement. Khmers need to revolutionize their society and learn to depend on their own ingenuity. We need people who are mentally theoretical, not just practical. We need people who's minds are geared towards revolutionary progress, not just exagerrated nostalgia of a glorious past which wasn't without flaws. We are at fault for most of what plagues us today, regardless of whether we want to admit it or not. A good study that was the first attempt at understanding the Khmer psyche was entitled 'Proloerng Khmer' written by a late Khmer professor in Australia. I have since lost a summary outline of this study, and I forget the Khmer professor's name. This study helps illustrate further what I briefly mentioned on Khmer mentality. I hope I find it someday.

Now about animosities between our neighbors (like Vietnam), its doing more damage than good. Of course I understand why there is such hatred. Vietnam still has control over Khmer territories and its current political relations with Cambodia is marked with corruption, but to blame Vietnam for much of our troubles isn't going to help. Vietnamese aid did not give rise to Saloth Sar's (known by his nom de guerre 'Pol Pot') vision of a radical 'agrarian utopia'. Nor did the disenfranchised citizens that joined the ranks of the Khmer Krahom join out of Vietnamese persuasions. They joined because they were poor, uneducated and suffered from social problems that were still going on in Cambodia. They blamed the French, the Chinese, the Chams, the rich, the educated for their problems. They just blamed and blamed, then acted upon this with their violence. My dad's family (ethnic Chinese) lost their lives because of this, even though he regards himself as a Khmer and will die as a Khmer. This is just like the Jews in Nazi Germany. The Khmer Krahom were our invention. Lost souls of Saloth Sar's failed, radical visions. Progress comes to those who realize the problem and figure out reasonable solutions. First, we must focus on our poor, our sick, our politics and economy. Military visions can wait for now, we are not in immediate danger. Land issues must be negotiated with clear minds and uncorrupted characters. And it is not the Vietnamese people in total that are against the Khmers. We must seek some co-existence. Native Americans in the US today would be wrong to try and suddenly get rid of every non-Native American in the US to reclaim their lost lands and heritage. Vietnam must at least acknowledge the historical presence of the Chams, Khmers, Degar tribes, etc. prior to their settlement. Vietnam needs to reform its policies towards the Khmer Krom, allowing them some autonomy, like Native American nations in the US today. The Law No. 49-733 of June 4, 1949 granting Vietnam Kampuchea Krom should be re-examined and Hun Sen's Historical Waters Treaty of 1982 (and other treaties like it) should be nullified. An emphasis on education should be the main concern for Khmers right now, as the power of education gives birth to new ideas and enriches our lives, helping us to better the pathway for the future of our motherland Kampuchea.

It is an honor to have met someone of such intellect as you. As I have told you before, your travel and exposure will expand your mind as mind have been. Khmer people will have a lot to gain from your insight. Its the visions that shope the future.
When you are done with your enlistment, will you go to college or reenlist? If you are going back to school, I will see you around because I will be in school too. Whatever, your decisions will be avoid Iraq at all cost. You'll find the way.

[khmoozi]

Thank you Lemongrass, I do plan to go to college and use the GI Bill after my service is over. My interests lie in theoretical physics or robotics engineering however and I'm afraid that I will never have the time or patience to pursue my studies on Khmer history and culture, or to help out the Cambodian nation as a humanitarian. I don't know what I really want to do yet. It's hard to choose because I love these fields all equally. (I even had to give up visual art and learning how to kickbox to focus more on these subjects). My goal as of now is to someday get a Ph.D in theoretical physics, but this might change.

My mom said the same thing to me also, that I need to avoid Iraq at all costs. She wants me to become an engineer, specializing in mining for natural resources so that I can move to Cambodia and help the motherland's ability to search for and properly mine natural resources, like oil, which will further economic growth. I'm not sure. I'm very glad to have met another serviceman in AF, especially one of Khmer descent. I remember meeting you way back when I barely joined and so far I haven't been on much because my platoon has been doing a great deal of work since then. There's alot of responsibilities and my unit just recently got back from the field. (I hate cleaning TA-50 and my ACUs and boots are all jacked up now!)

As for Goombaking209's question, no, I'm sorry, but I don't know who this person, Siri, is. Like Lemongrass' reply, I'm a soldier currently stationed in South Korea. My MOS is 13P , which is an artillery MOS that's refered to as FDC (Fires Direction Control). (I basically help launch rockets via the MLRS by inputting data into a special computer which does many things like calculate rounds and ammo type or indicates if it's safe to fire a rocket into a given area).