cambodia role in global peace and secuirty in 2010

Cambodia will train more troops for joining global peace and security Cambodia will train more troops to contribute building the global peace and security through joining humanitarian mission, mines and UXO clearance, engineering unit and social movement control under the umbrella of the UN peacekeeping mission in different continents,” the senior officials said on June 22. “Some forces will be sent to Lebanon in the short upcoming,” Tea Banh, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense said in home-coming ceremony of 94 Cambodian troops after they implemented the one year -work under the umbrella of the UN Peacekeeping mission in Chad, Central Africa and Sudan. Of them are 52 de-miners from Sudan and other from Chad and Central Africa are movement controlled forces. “I remind you all that since mid-July 2008 while the situation along the Cambodian –Thai border has been tensed in the areas in front of Preah Vihear temple, the policy of sending troops to join the UN peacekeeping mission has not changed but expanded from one area to another such as Sudan to Chad, and Central Africa Republic,” Gen. Tea Banh noted in ceremony. Minister of national defense said that the achievement and activities as value assets have brought about the fame of Royal Cambodia Armed Forces as well as the great reputation of the Kingdom of Cambodia in the world area. “You all were leaving your families and country behind in the purpose of building peace on a different continent,” Gen.Tea Bah remarked. He stressed that Cambodians have never loved war ever since because we had been through enough already for many decades based on our concepts, attitude, culture and tradition. Wars have taught and provide us many tough experiences. However, we are ready to fight by all means aiming at defending our independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. He added that the skills and professional have been expanded from demining to movement control and engineering units. Along this line, the cooperation between ASEAn nations and other countries like France, India, Japan, and the U.S has been strengthened and enhance. “If we are useless, no one will need us. Our mission is to fill our job with gratitude and international ethics for all mankind and peace,” he said. We are all so proud for you all that “no causality is missing,” he noted. Speaking the homing coming ceremony, H.E Prak Sokhonn, Minister attached to the Prime Minister, and Chairman of the national coordination committee of sending troops for UN Peacekeeping Mission highlighted that at the end of 2009, the national coordination committee has dispatched an order keeping unit 306 of 42 strong for movement control mission in Chad and The central Africa republic, who have just concluded their mission and returned today. As a result, this unit has registered the movement of 45,000 travelers and deployment troops load and unload cargo 42, 00 times equivalent to 389,209 tons of shipment. He continued: We have also sent 52 military observers to Sudan, 4 of who are currently fulfilling their mission and one observer is standing by for another mission to commence soon and in total of 568 of armed forces and military observers have been sent to UN mission in Sudan, Chad, and the Central African Republic. In four years of our peacekeeping operations mission in Sudan, Cambodian forces have been cleared mines and UXO contaminated area of 77 million square meters, 2,547 anti-personnel mines, 220 anti-tank mines, 59,108 UXos, and 118,913 fragment. He stressed: We have also produced more than 44 million cubic meters of water and distributed more than 1.4 million litters of drinking water of UN forces, hospitals and Sudanese people. As testimony, representative from UN mission in Sudan has honored our de-miners and military observers with the award of 493 medals and 24 certificates and appreciation. In addition, we have also contributed to other humanitarian works such as clearance of roadside mines, road and bridges construction, food supply to Sudanese people through Red Cross, housing, treatment and transportation of patients to hospitals. “We have also conducted many skill trainings in-country to prepare our forces to take turn and stand by as well as strengthen the capacity of our officers in order to contribute to global peacekeeping mission. We have also sent our officers to training overseas to gain more experience,” he said, adding that in the coming July, we will send an engineering company accompanied by a mechanical and manual demining platoon to Lebanon under the UN mission framework. In this regard, 3 persons from our working group will depart for New York tomorrow to negotiate an MOU with the UN for signing in the near future will enable us to send more than 200 troops to the mission in Lebanon as planned. He continued that after having enhancing our troop’s capacity in peacekeeping and participated in 4 multi-national training exercise (in 2007, 2008, and twice in 2009) Cambodia will host a multi-national training exercise “ Angkor Sentinel 2010” from12 to 30 July in cooperation with the U.S. Pacific Command in accordance with the UN standard for peacekeeping operations. This exercise is comprised of Command Post Exercise (CPX) to be held in Phnom Penh and field training exercise (FTX) to be conducted in ACO in Kampong Speu province. He said that two days ago at this place, we send 52 soldiers for mine clearance to Sudan to replace old group after being trained in both theory and technical skills over the past year. And today 52 soldiers of demining and 42 police military of order keeping unit have “safely returned home with success,” these unit have demonstrated high professionalism, spirit of solidarity, and cooperation, good discipline and bravery in fulfilling its tasks in Sudan and in Chad, and the central African republic. This success is the result of right political guidance and personal attention that Samdech Techo Prime Minister Hun Sen has provided. H.E Jean Pierre De Margerie, United Nations Representative said that your contribution to the UN’s global peacekeeping efforts is very much appreciated. Your dedication to providing assistance abroad to sharing your skills and experience with countries that are suffering due to conflicts is a source of pride and inspiration. “We recognized the royal government of Cambodia’s commitment to enhancing in the world by taking part in the UN’s global peacekeeping efforts,” he said, adding that please share your story of how nations can help nations and how people can help people. ###