Cambodian citizens aged 18 or older who wish to fulfil their military service obligations can obtain application forms from October 1 to 9 and submit their applications from October 10 to 15, at military police offices in their respective cities, districts and khans.

The implementation of the Law on Military Service was promogulated on May 24. The number of people recruited will be determined by the Ministry of National Defence, which has not yet published a suggested figure.

According to a sub-decree on the implementation of the Law on Military Service, all Cambodian citizens aged between 17 and 25 as of the end of December each year must register.

Applicants must provide their Cambodian national ID cards, family books or residence books, and birth certificates.

The Ministry of National Defence reported that there are currently around 5 million Cambodians within the eligible age range. Military service will apply only to those who receive call-up notices, with selection based on voluntary participation and a lottery system.

Selected recruits will then receive call-up notices informing them whether they are required to serve the 24-month military term.

If the number of volunteers exceeds the required quota, however, selection will be conducted through a lottery. Citizens who are called up for military service must report within 30 days of receiving notification.

During their service, recruits will receive a monthly allowance of 400,000 riel ($100) each, along with other benefits provided to soldiers, including daily meal allowances, additional food allowances during training, family and child support allowances, daily rice rations, uniforms and other essential equipment.

Kin Phea, director of the Royal Academy of Cambodia’s Institute of International Relations, noted that military service must be implemented transparently and fairly, with attention paid to two key areas: the selection of recruits and attempts to evade military service.

“To ensure fairness and impartial enforcement of the law, it is necessary to carefully verify the data. First, a census of eligible young people must be conducted, while the selection process must be clear and transparent to prevent corruption, such as the preparation of documents that could enable people to evade this obligation,” he said.

According to Phea, some of the exemptions that allow individuals to avoid serving could create loopholes that may be exploited by those seeking to evade their obligations.

He called for strict procedures to ensure that dishonest officials cannot take advantage of those who want to serve or assist those seeking to avoid service.