Phnom Penh: H.E. Major General Sem Ratana, Acting Director-General of the National Centre for Peacekeeping Forces, Mine and ERW Clearance (NPMEC), has highly praised the strong cooperation between the militaries of Cambodia and Australia. Through this collaboration, Cambodian forces have received extensive training from Australia.
According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, Major General Sem Ratana made these remarks during a meeting with Brigadier General Jennifer Harris, Commander of the Indo-Pacific Division at the Australian Department of Defence, at NPMEC this morning. During the discussion, he also celebrated the successful implementation of civilian protection training programmes in Cambodia. One such initiative was a two-day workshop on gender perspectives in military operations, conducted in Kampong Speu province for members of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF).
The training aimed to prepare troops for United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions in South Sudan. As a result, trainees who completed the course were deployed to South Sudan as planned, including a specialised unit led by a female commander. Major General Sem Ratana further highlighted Australia’s support for military training from 2008 to 2025, during which a total of 27 training courses were conducted, benefiting 288 participants. Among these, 13 courses were held in Cambodia, training 260 personnel, including 21 individuals specialising in mine detection using Mine Lap technology.
The training programmes covered a broad range of subjects, including UN peacekeeping operations, gender in military operations, language and technical skills, self-defence and first aid, civilian protection responsibilities, peace and security forums, and ASEAN mine action management. For her part, Brigadier General Jennifer Harris expressed satisfaction with the strong relations between Cambodia and Australia. She emphasised the importance of continued military cooperation between the two nations and reaffirmed Australia’s commitment to supporting the Cambodian armed forces, particularly in training personnel for UN peacekeeping missions.