In brief
On Monday, Prime Minister Hun Manet marked the start of Cambodia’s first conscription training for 10,000 male citizens aged 18 to 25. The new law obliges all men in that age bracket to serve 24 months, while women may volunteer. Recruits will undergo tactics, discipline and professional conduct training before joining reserves until age 45.
On Monday, 9 November, Cambodia officially began its first wave of military conscription training at a base in western Kampong Speu province, a ceremony that Prime Minister Hun Manet broadcast live on state‑run TVK.
The Prime Minister described the event as a historic milestone and emphasized that the training would strengthen recruits’ bodies and spirits. He said that the conscripts would learn military tactics, discipline and professional conduct, and that the experience would offer a chance to serve the nation, master skills and achieve personal development.
Under the new legislation, all male citizens aged 18 to 25 must fulfil a 24‑month active duty term. The Ministry of National Defense was authorized last month to recruit 10,000 citizens for the 2026 service period. Participation remains voluntary for women, and the law allows them to volunteer for the program.
After completing their active duty, recruits are expected to transition to the reserves where they will serve until the age of 45. The launch was reported by Xinhua and corroborated by a report from KPS99TV, both confirming the mandate for 10,000 new recruits and the training’s location in Kampong Speu.
In the absence of any public counter‑claims, the details from both outlets are treated as verified by the outlets themselves. No independent eyewitness reports outside of the broadcasts have yet emerged to challenge the statements on the new law or the training schedule.