Military Police on standby at Phnom Penh International Airport in March for an ASEAN event. Heng Chivoan
The National Police has prepared more than 10,000 officers for the safety of the delegations attending the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits and related meetings from November 8-13 in Cambodia.
Deputy National Police chief Chhay Kim Khoeun said that not only were the National Police organising security for the summit, but they were also planning the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting and related meetings. The National Police chief is also chairman of the sub-committee on security, order and rescue.
He said the National Police are cooperating with several international partners, including the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), ASEAN Police forces and the FBI, as well as forces from China and Australia, among others.
“Our principle role is to ensure the safety of all of the high-level delegations which will be attending the summit and its related meetings. We have also prepared in-depth plans to secure the most important locations related to their visits. These include major infrastructure like the Phnom Penh International Airport and hotels and dining halls where the delegations will be staying and meeting. There are additional one-off locations which we have identified as potential targets, and we will be deploying our resources to protect them all,” he said.
He said that the plans were already in place but he would not discuss them in detail, for reasons of operational security.
He added that the police had received support and cooperation from many of its international partners. They had shared valuable intelligence related to potential threats, as well as the defence of the summit. Training had been offered by specialised units of partner organisations.
“There are some challenges related to the summit. There are geopolitical factors at play, as several foreign actors are seeking to bring pressure to bear on some ASEAN members, whether political or economic. In addition there are opposition movements, both inside and outside the Kingdom, who may try to use the summit to cause social unrest. In short, there are several challenges we must face to maintain order,” he said.
The National Police have received material support in a number of areas, including X-Ray machines, security gates, bullet-proof vehicles, patrol motorcycles and explosive ordnance control equipment. The equipment has been provided by Japan, Vietnam and China.
