VZCZCXRO4093
RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHPF #0275/01 1210556
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 010556Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0650
RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PHNOM PENH 000275 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV MARR MASS MOPS CB
SUBJECT:  CAMBODIA EXPANDS PEACEKEEPING ACTIVITIES ABROAD 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary.  Cambodia plans to expand its peacekeeping 
operations beyond the existing mission in Sudan, and will deploy 
peacekeepers in support of the newly forming United Nations 
peacekeeping mission in Chad and the Central African Republic 
(MINURCAT).  U.S.-supported Global Peace Operations Initiative 
(GPOI) training has been instrumental in building the capacity of 
Cambodia's armed forces to contribute to peacekeeping missions. 
However, to ensure that it can meet its PKO commitments down the 
road, the RGC needs to develop a longer-term strategy, to include 
identifying future training needs and clarifying responsibilities 
within the Armed Forces.  End Summary. 
 
Expanding PKO 
------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Greater participation in international Peacekeeping 
Operations (PKO) illustrates Cambodia's growing interest in raising 
its international profile and engagement with the international 
community.  Since 2006, approximately 400 Cambodian deminers have 
served as part of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Sudan. 
Cambodia now plans to expand its peacekeeping operations and deploy 
peacekeepers in support of the newly forming United Nations 
peacekeeping mission in Chad and the Central African Republic 
(MINURCAT).  The RGC will provide one 125-person Military Police 
Company and a 40-person Movement Control Platoon for two six-month 
rotations.  The RGC accepted the mission in March 2009 and the units 
are expected to deploy in July. 
 
¶3. (SBU) A United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations 
(DPKO) pre-deployment site survey team is expected to visit in early 
May to assess the units' readiness for deployment.  Following this 
assessment, DPKO will send a training team to conduct two to three 
weeks of pre-deployment training targeting the shortfalls identified 
in the assessment.  The units will deploy within forty-five days of 
the completion of the UN training, which would likely be in the 
middle of July. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Peacekeeping units in Cambodia are under the control of the 
Royal Cambodian Armed Forces' National Center for Peacekeeping 
Force, Mine Clearance, and Explosive Remnants of War Center (NPMEC) 
commanded by Lieutenant General Sem Sovanny.  Until recently, this 
center was known as The Mine Clearance Center (TMCC) and focused 
exclusively on military demining and UNPKO demining. Because of the 
UNPKO demining units this organization fielded, it was chosen as the 
partner in the Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI) by U.S. 
Pacific Command for increasing PKO capacity.  GPOI has trained this 
organization in general PKO skills over the past three years and 
NPMEC accordingly stood up the 306th Company manned with personnel 
trained under the GPOI program. 
 
¶5. (SBU) The 306th Company will form the first 125-person Military 
Police (MP) unit.  According to the NPMEC, the GPOI Lanes training 
program conducted by the 306th Company in December 2008 and April 
2009 has provided sufficient common skills for the 306th to pass UN 
certification for deployment.  The troops not used in the first 
rotation will partially fill a second company for the follow-on 
rotation.  The Cambodians intend to train the additional personnel 
to fill the second MP Company through internal training and 
participation in GPOI Capstone Exercise Garuda Shield in Indonesia 
in June and GPOI Exercise Khaan Quest in Mongolia in August. 
 
Too Far, Too Fast? 
------------------ 
 
¶6. (SBU) The RGC's acceptance of the mission in March, for 
deployment in July, has left Cambodia's military planners scrambling 
to meet the significant challenges of a short fuse deployment. 
Additionally, significant technical shortcomings exist in NPMEC's 
ability to field the UN Movement Control Platoon.  This unit will be 
responsible for planning and coordinating all air and ground 
movement operations in support of MINURCAT.  The Cambodian Armed 
Forces does not have experience in coordinating logistical movement 
support of that scope or scale.  The NPMEC acknowledges that the 
first deployment will have shortcomings, given the lack of 
sufficient training, especially for the movement control platoon. 
Nevertheless, they are committed to meeting RGC's PKO obligations 
and are confident that GPOI training will adequately prepare their 
MP unit and the UN pre-deployment training will enable the movement 
control platoon to make it through the first deployment.  NPMEC 
expects to have fully trained and prepared units for the second 
rotation in 2010. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) In expanding their international PKO efforts, Cambodia may 
be heading into deployments for which it may be just barely 
prepared; this in turn raises questions about the sustainability of 
 
PHNOM PENH 00000275  002 OF 002 
 
 
the PKO expansion.  The RGC stepped up to volunteer for a mission 
despite lacking all the requisite capabilities for it, and with 
relatively little time to complete training.  Without a long-term 
plan that outlines their strategies and objectives for PKO and types 
of missions and skills needed in the medium- and long-term, the RGC 
may find itself over-committed.  In the meantime, UN certification 
appears to be imminent for the MP and Movement Control units, and 
Cambodian PKO soldiers are so far rising to the occasion as they 
deploy to Africa. 
 
RODLEY