Civil war to UN peacekeepers: Can Cambodia’s blue helmets find peace – for themselves?
Fuelled by a sense of debt from its civil war, Cambodia makes an outsized contribution to UN peacekeeping. Some of its forces have paid the ultimate price – while those who return must deal with the trauma alone
By Erin HandleyMech Dara
3 Jun 2018

It was after nightfall when a spray of bullets raked the convoy of trucks carrying Cambodian peacekeeper Thuch Thim. He and his fellow blue helmets had been returning from building a road in the heart of the Central African Republic when they encountered a series of roadblocks set up by guerilla fighters. For hours, they negotiated, making it through the first two encounters unscathed. Then the shooting began.

The ambush by the Christian terrorist anti-Balaka group claimed the lives of four of Thuch Thim’s compatriots – the first Cambodians to die in combat during peacekeeping missions – and a Moroccan colleague. Those killed – Im Sam, Mao Eng, Seang Norin, and Mom Tola – were last week honoured with a posthumous award, along with 125 others who lost their lives in peacekeeping operations abroad.

The awards have served to highlight Cambodia’s outsized contribution to UN peacekeeping. Since 2006, the country has sent 5,257 troops on such missions. This month alone, that figure was 813, making it the 32nd-highest contributor – an astonishing ranking given the Southeast Asian nation is only 72nd in terms of total population. It’s a contribution Thuch Thim and others take pride in – many see it as a way of repaying the UN peacekeepers that once helped the kingdom as it emerged from civil war and the horrors of the Khmer Rouge...
http://www.scmp.com/week-asia/geopoliti ... lmets-find

Half their salary goes to their command back home and they have to bid to get a slot, cash up front. Also given as rewards for loyal guys that did...stuff...for command. And as usual, nepotism for those in various chains of command with higher ranked kin.

Cambodia to Dispatch 216 Peacekeeping Forces to Central African Republic
15/10/18 19:00

Phnom Penh (FN), Oct. 15 - The Royal Government of Cambodia will dispatch 216 of its peacekeeping troops to join a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Central African Republic late November, according to Kosal Malinda, spokeswoman for Cambodia's National Centre for Peacekeeping Forces and Explosive Remnants of War Clearance, on Monday.

"The new trained group will replace the previous forces, whose one-year term had come to an end,” said Kosal Malinda.

Since 2006, Cambodia has sent 5,571 peacekeepers, 264 females, to carry out UN peacekeeping missions in Sudan, South Sudan, Lebanon, Cyprus, Syria, Chad, Mali and Central African Republic.
=FRESH NEWS

UN Ranks Cambodia 29th in Sending Forces to UN Peacekeeping Mission
17/10/18 15:02
Phnom Penh (FN), Oct. 17 - Cambodia is ranked 29th (17th for female) out of 122 countries in the United Nation for sending forces to UN peacekeeping mission, according to General Neang Phat, Secretary of State at the Ministry of National Defense, on Wednesday.

Since 2006, the Royal Government of Cambodia has sent 5,571 blue berets, 264 females, to overseas missions.

He said that the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) has cooperated with countries inside and outside the region, especially in the fields of counterterrorism, maritime security, disaster relief and cooperation, peacekeeping operations, human resource and capacity building through exchange programs.

General also said that RCAF also works on promoting gender by appointing women to leadership positions at all levels.
=FRESH NEWS

Cambodia Dispatches 216 Peacekeeping Forces to Central African Republic Today
03/11/18 08:36
Phnom Penh (FN), Nov.2 - The Royal Government of Cambodia, on Friday morning, dispatched 216 of its peacekeeping troops, 10 females, to join the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Central African Republic.

General Pol Sareoun presided over the Send-off Ceremony at Pochentong Air Base for Construction Engineer Unit 594 to Participate in the Multidimentional Integrated Stabitization Mission to Central Africa.

Engineering force 594 is the fifth group to replace the previous one, whose one-year term had come to an end.

The welcoming ceremony for the repatriated peacekeeping force will be presided over by Cambodian Minister of National Defense Tea Banh at 08:00 AM, on 5 November, 2018 at Pochentong Air Base, Phnom Penh.
http://en.freshnewsasia.com/index.php/e ... 18-20.html

January 29, 2019
Blue helmets leave for mission
Cambodia on Sunday sent off 184 blue helmets to join a United Nation peacekeeping mission in Lebanon.

General Sem Sovanny, director-general of the National Centre for Peacekeeping Forces, said during the sending off ceremony at Phnom Penh International Airport that the peacekeepers would replace a previous batch who will return to the Kingdom today after completing their year-long mission.

“This is the 40th time that Cambodia has sent its forces to join a UN peacekeeping mission and the ninth time that we have sent our blue helmets to Lebanon,” he said.
NCPF spokesman Major General Phal Samorn yesterday said the 184 peacekeepers sent to Lebanon yesterday included 13 women. He added that Cambodia has sent nearly 6,000 blue helmets to join the UN peacekeeping missions in conflict areas around the world since 2006.

https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50573205/b ... r-mission/

Photo Kohsantepheap
March 22, 2019
Tea Banh praises UN peacekeepers
Defence Minister General Tea Banh yesterday during a homecoming ceremony for blue helmets lauded their contribution to peace in some of the most dangerous parts of the world.

Gen Banh presided over a ceremony for 184 members of Multirole Engineer Unit 963 who completed their mission in Lebanon in January. During his speech, he said the blue helmets are recognised for their contribution worldwide.

“According to information listed by the United Nations’ official website, at the end of 2018, we were ranked 24th out of 123 countries, 10th out of 24 countries in Asia and 3rd out of 10 Asean countries to have contributed the most the most number of soldiers to UN Peacekeeping Missions,” Gen Banh said.
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50589395/t ... cekeepers/

Cambodia Dispatches 300 Peacekeepers to Mali
17/05/19 23:10
Phnom Penh (FN), May 17 - The Royal Government of Cambodia dispatched 298 blue berets, 25 females, to Mali on Friday to carry out United Nations peacekeeping missions, according to General Sem Sovanney, director-general of Cambodia's National Center for Peacekeeping Forces and Explosive Remnants of War Clearance on Tuesday.

The send-off ceremony was held on Friday at Phnom Penh International Airport, presided over by General Pol Saroeun, Senior Minister responsible for sending Cambodian forces to participate in UN peacekeeping mission.

The demining peacekeepers will be based in Gao, Anefis, Tombuktu, and Mopti, while the airport engineering forces at Kidal and Tessalit, according to General Pol Saroeun.

Since 2006, Cambodia has sent 6,053 peacekeepers, 285 females, to carry out UN peacekeeping missions in Sudan, South Sudan, Lebanon, Cyprus, Syria, Chad, Mali and Central African Republic.
=FRESH NEWS