Description: Cambodian Prime Minister, Hun Manet, has announced that the government would reintroduce the mandatory military conscription law, following escalating border tensions with Thailand. The law requires all Cambodians aged 18 to 30 to serve in the military for a mandatory period of 18 months, which according to Manet would be modified to 24 months along with a significant increase in defense spending. The decision arrives after bilateral tensions with Thailand significantly surged over the past couple of months, after a Cambodian soldier was killed in an armed confrontation in the disputed border region between Thailand and Cambodia. Thailand currently undergoes a political crisis with the suspension of former Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra by the Constitutional Court.
Impact: Cambodia’s reinstatement of military conscription law and the expected increase in defense spending signals further escalation of regional tensions amid the lack of diplomatic and political resolution for the border dispute. The dispute plunged Thailand into a political crisis which is still developing, while Cambodia has shown no signs or preparedness to engage in some form of negotiations except for the initial engagements between military representatives from both countries. Cambodia’s announcement arrives as Thailand is still rallying from the investigations launched against former Prime Minister Shinawatra, which could be perceived as reinforcing their position and claims on the disputed border region while demonstrating preparedness to engage militarily. The bilateral tensions have stagnated since Shinawatra’s suspension, however, the border dispute indicates that both countries are still on a confrontational path.