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Roundup: Military Demobilization, Cambodia's Top Priority in Reform
The military demobilization becomes one of the top priorities in reform set forth by the second-term coalition government (1998-2003) since Cambodia has gained peace, political stability and territorial integrity.
At present Cambodia spends some 30 to 40 percent of annual budget expenditure on the military sector, while other sectors, such as education, health care and rural development receive small portion. So the government is determined to implement military reform.
The government made an inventory of military and police numbers so as to remove those irregular soldiers. It has so far discovered 15,551 ghost soldiers and 159,587 dependents on the government's payrolls, the removal of these irregular soldiers and their dependents can save about 2.3 million U.S. dollars a year to the national budget which can be used in other social development programs.
Cambodia has more than 200,000 armed forces including police, and the government has planned to make a reduction of 79,000 within next 5 years.
The military demobilization program started in May 2000 which had originally planned to reduce 1,1500 soldiers in the year 2000 in provinces of Kampot, Kompong Thom, Battambang and Banteay Meanchey, and 10,000 more for the year 2001 and another 10,000 in 2002.
But the downsizing plan for 2000 failed to be completed due to the delay of provision of their pledged assistance by international organizations and donor countries.
Svay Sitha, general secretary of the Council of Demobilization of the Armed Forces (CDAF) said that in 2000 the process of demobilization had been smooth, manageable, transparent and cost effective "while difficulties and problems that we have been facing are only of technical and procedural nature."
"Due to the fact that the external fund mobilization and disbursement in the year 2000 was late, it is so necessary that this year we have to work in an accelerated speed from now on to catch what we missed to do last year because we planned to downsize 10,000 military personnel after we complete the Pilot Demobilization," he added.
The demobilization programs in the country have been directly supported by international community such as World Bank, World Food Program, Germany, Japan, the United States and Australia.
In February last year, 16 donor countries and seven international aid agencies pledged to provide assistance to Cambodia worth 470 million dollars within a year, but on condition that the government implements the reforms in military demobilization, civil service, fiscal management, forestry, security and public order.
Svay Sitha has revealed that the full demobilization and reintegration program of 30,000 soldiers could cost at most 45 million dollars of which 22.5 million are needed for this year to downsize 1,500 military personnel.
The first full-scale of the program will be started from May or June 2001, said Svay Sitha.
He, meanwhile, appealed to the foreign donors to commit their pledge and disburse the cash as soon as possible so to guarantee the military demobilization to reach the target.
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