Prime Minister Hun Manet has urged 5,000 newly recruited soldiers to embrace strict military discipline, teamwork and personal sacrifice, stressing that discipline is essential to achieving victory in combat as they begin their 24-month military service.
Mr Hun Manet made the remarks on November 9 at the opening ceremony of the first 2026 conscription training course, held at the Koh Chne Defence Command in Kampong Speu province.
Mr Hun Manet said:
“Over the next 24 months, starting today, there is no need for me to tell you anything other than the absolute truth. The reality is that you will gain many positive things, including benefits and new knowledge, but you will also face challenges.
The first challenge is adapting to a new lifestyle. You are transitioning from civilian life, where some of you might not have woken up until 10am or gone to bed after midnight. Those days are now over. Your daily routine will be supervised, including when you sleep, move around and sit down.
The second challenge is learning to live under strict regulations, particularly military discipline. An army without discipline cannot win battles; it has no real strength, especially because we operate as a team.
The third challenge is changing the way you work. Some of you may have been accustomed to working alone and preferred not to collaborate with others, but in the military, teamwork is unavoidable. From day one, you have already begun to experience this.
Why do we call it a ‘uniform’? Because it requires you to set aside your individual differences. Everyone wears the same attire, wakes up at the same time and performs tasks together, supporting one another. This is a challenge, but it is also an opportunity to move away from an individualistic and competitive mindset, in which the focus is solely on winning or losing against others, towards a team-based approach, in which you work collectively to strengthen both yourselves and the group.
You will undergo rigorous physical, mental and emotional training. For instance, if you feel you cannot yet run 10 kilometres, you will have to keep training until you can. Through this process, you will be pushed beyond your comfort zone. You must abandon the desire for comfort and instead cultivate self-motivation and willpower.
You may have been accustomed to complete freedom, perhaps even being overly sheltered by parents who love you dearly. But now, things must change. Your mothers may never have spoken harshly to you, but here you are, facing the stern commands of your instructors.
This challenge is designed to instil discipline and order, shaping you into strong individuals, not only physically but also mentally and emotionally. True individual strength lies in your mindset and spirit. Especially during the most difficult moments, you must keep moving forward, stand united and never abandon one another.”
- Tags: Cambodia, Hun Manet
