More than 400 soldiers have been made brigadier generals in the military’s latest round of promotions, adding to the growing ranks of senior officers in the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces.
According to a decree published in the Royal Gazette and signed by King Norodom Sihamoni on February 27, 434 colonels were elevated to brigadier general while four navy captains were made commodores.
The promotions were for soldiers who had served since December 1979 or earlier.
Defense Ministry spokesman Chhum Socheat said the promotions had been made at the request of the soldiers’ units and the number of promotions was nothing unusual.
“It is a kind of gratitude for their participation in liberating the country and preventing genocide,” he said.
“It is more than 30 years, so we should promote them.”
General Socheat said the promotions happened at least once a year, though he could not remember when the previous round took place or how many soldiers were made one-star generals then.
He also said he could not remember how many brigadier generals there were in total in the armed forces.
