Reuters November 11, a US think tank issued a statement stating that Cambodia had dismantled a US military facility located in the Yunyang naval base without notifying the US.
According to two satellite images released by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the US-funded construction of an inflatable boat repair facility located at the Cambodian Yunlang Naval Base (Ream base, transliterated as Ream base), in October 2020 It still stood inside the base on the 1st, but on November 4, the facility had disappeared from the satellite image.
According to reports, in response to the successive dismantling of US-funded military facilities, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Duban emphasized that these dismantled facilities are too small to meet Cambodia’s needs for strengthening national defense capabilities and responding to development, so the government decided to rebuild. “This is to build better facilities to meet demand, and has nothing to do with other issues.”
Diban also emphasized that the dismantling of the above-mentioned military facilities is an internal affair of Cambodia and has nothing to do with the development of relations between Cambodia and foreign countries, and the government does not need to notify the US embassy in Cambodia in advance. “This is just a small matter and will not affect our relationship with any country.”
Earlier, the spokesperson of the US Embassy in Cambodia, Chad Roedemeier, said: “The Cambodian military dismantled another maritime security facility funded by the United States without prior notice or explanation. feel disappointed.”
According to previous media reports, in October, Cambodia also dismantled the “tactical headquarters” at Yunlang Naval Base without informing the United States. This building was also funded by the United States. The Pentagon once expressed “concern” about this move and asked the Cambodian government to explain.
According to the previous statement on Twitter by the Cambodian Prime Minister’s Office, the “tactical command” was dismantled for renovation, and related facilities were built three years ago.
The Cambodian National Maritime Safety Committee clarified that the headquarters is only a temporary building, and the relocation began as early as 2017. The committee pointed out that the tactical headquarters is too small and lacks docking facilities, which results in limited capabilities for training and other activities.
Therefore, the Cambodian side decided to build a larger facility in a new location. This will not change the existing functions of the “tactical command” and the partnership between Cambodia and foreign countries.
