PACOM Strategic Focus: Cambodia

8/11/2019 PACOM Strategic Focus: Cambodia

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PACOM Strategic Focus:

Cambodia

Sophal Ear, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Naval Postgraduate School

24 June 2010

Disclaimer: Material contained herein is made available for the purpose of peer review and discussion anddoes not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Navy or the Department of Defense.


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1970: Sideshow to Vietnam War


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"There are no American

combat troops in

Cambodia. There are no

American combatadvisers in Cambodia.

There will be no

American combat

troops or advisers in

Cambodia. We will aid

Cambodia. Cambodia is

the Nixon doctrine in itspurest form."

President Richard Nixon,

November 1971


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1975-79: The Killing Fields

1 in 4 Cambodians

dies


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1.7 Million Deaths


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Vietnam Invades and Occupies

Cambodia 1979-1989


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12-15 May 1975: SS MayagezIncident

17-18 July 2006: AdmiralFallons get-to-know-youmission

24-25 Jan 2007: AdmiralRoughead

9-13 Feb 2007: USS Gary visit,1st US Navy ship in 30+ years

20-22 Aug 2007: AdmiralKeating

USS Gary, 9-13 February 2007

SS Mayaguez, 12-15 May 1975

Cambodias & US 60th:

Dating But Not Exclusive


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2007: USS Essex visits along with

Admiral Willard


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15 June 2010: USNS Mercy and JDS

Kunisaki arrive in Cambodia as part of

Pacific Partnership 2010 (First Time)


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Good news is that

Cambodia is

mentioned only

once


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And only in the

context of

PACOMs AOR


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Bad News: At Least 5 of 9 Challenges in

Realm of Possible for Cambodia Transnational violent extremism that promotes

disorder, disrupts stability, and opposes freedom;

Transnational and international criminal activity toinclude narco-trafficking, trafficking in persons, and

piracy; Humanitarian crises such as pandemic, famine or

drought;

Historic animosities, territorial disputes, and strongnationalist tendencies; and,

Poor environmental stewardship and resourcemanagement, pillaging of shared resources, anddisputes over resource sovereignty.

For all the challenges in the AOR Strategic Environment, see page 4 of USPACOM Strategy

P 36


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Page 36:

Cambodia's ability toinvestigate potentialterrorist activities was

limited by a lack oftraining and resources porous borders,endemic corruption,massive poverty, high

unemployment, a pooreducation system, anddisaffected elementswithin the ChamMuslim population,

which makes upapproximately fivepercent of thepopulation, areconditions that

terrorists could exploit.


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Page 11:

Tiny sandals provide a

reminder of the youngest

victims exploited a

brothel in Cambodia


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Illegal

logging

inside

BokumSakor

National

Park


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Territorial Disputes: Preah Vihear


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February 2003:

Burn Down

Thailands Embassy

November 2009:Cambodian PM bear hugs Thaksin

(and makes him Advisor)


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March 2010: Postcard to Thailand

200 Russian-made BM-21 rockets and launchers (truck-mounted 122-mm rockets)


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Perennial Droughts: Climate Change or

Chinese Damns? Cambodian PM says not

China!

Pandemics: Save that for my next panel


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1999: Speaking of Chinese LargessCambodian Senate Complex

(which has its own golf range)


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2009: Tomb-like Council of Ministers Building


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Not Just Architectural Monstrosities

2005-2007 China delivered15 patrol boats to Cambodia

to bolster its ageing fleet.

AFP: The [latest] hand-over

came less than a monthbefore the expected visit of

the American warship USS

Essex, the latest in a series

of high-profile US Navy

stops in Cambodia.


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Mula too

China surpassed the USas a donor to Cambodiain 2006, when the US

disbursed $51 million $600 million in aid

often cited

$1.2 billion in

investment signed inDecember 2009 duringvisit of China's VicePresident Xi Jinping


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Documents

PACOM Strategic Focus: Cambodia