Royal Government of Cambodia
Spokesman Office
No. 300 SBRK

Press Release
The Royal Government Cabinet Meeting

On 03 September 2004 at 8.30 A.M, the Cabinet Meeting of the Royal Government of Cambodia was held under the high presidency of His Excellency Sar Kheng, Acting Prime Minister of the Royal Government of Cambodia to consider the:

1. Draft Legislation on Military Service
2. Draft Sub-Decree on the Establishment of Forest Zone Conservation for bio-mass preservation, Elephant Corridor Preservation and the Rehabilitation Center for the sustainability of Animal Species

After discussion and exchange of views and ideas on the above-mentioned two draft legislation, the Government Cabinet Meeting has agreed and approved these draft legislation prepared respectively by the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery.

Draft Legislation on the Military Service

The Government Cabinet Meeting has agreed and approved the draft legislation prepared by the Ministry of National Defense in pursuant to the article 1, 2, 49 and 59 of the 1993 Constitution, which stipulates that every Khmer Citizen must respect the Constitution and laws. Every Khmer Citizen is duty-bound to take part in national construction. The obligation to defend the nation shall be determined by laws and regulations.

The purpose of this draft law is to lay out a clear-cut plan for new military personnel recruitment who is physically and morally strong through on-going rotation of all and every Khmer citizens, particularly to backstop the process of reforming and restructuring the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces into the one which is orderly and well-balanced between the army officers and rank-and-file soldiers worthy to be the core force to defend and develop the country.

Khmer citizen of both sexes whose age reaches from 18 to 30 is duty-bound to engage in military service as required by this law. With regard to the military service to be carried out by female citizen who reaches the age from 18 to 30 years old, this will be applied according to needs and requirements of the Ministry of National Defense. As for the Khmer citizens who are holding two nationalities and having a permanent residence in the Kingdom of Cambodia, he/she is duty-bound to engage in army service in the Kingdom of Cambodia.

The length of army service is 18 months counting from the day of entering into service. Every Khmer citizen who reaches the age of military service will be invited to register their names in order to enroll into the army.

Khmer citizen whose age reaches from 18 to 30 whose names are on the list to fulfill the military service, will be notified about the date and place for registration. The invitation for registration and joining the military service shall be conducted via their own local territorial authority. The terms for census, recruitment, invitation as well as modalities and the implementation of the law on military service shall be defined by Governmental sub-decree.

Draft Sub-Decree on the Establishment of Forest Zone Conservation for bio-mass preservation,
Elephant Corridor Preservation and the Rehabilitation Center for the sustainability of Animal Species

The Government Cabinet Meeting has also agreed and approved the above-mention draft Sub-decree which was prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery in pursuant to the Law on Forestry in order to comply with the forestry reform policy aiming at ensuring the better management of forestry as well as the conservation of plant, forest and animal species which are vulnerable to extermination of its race.

The Government Cabinet Meeting ended its plenary session at 11.45 a.m. of the same day.

Phnom Penh 03 September 2004