Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen has ordered the country’s armed forces to collect all U.S.-made military weapons and materials, keep them in caches or burn them.

The move came after the U.S. on Wednesday imposed an arms embargo on Cambodia, banning the export of its military equipment to the Southeast Asian nation.

“I’ll like to order all military units to immediately check the military weapons and materials that Cambodia is currently using and to collect all the U.S. military weapons and materials,” said the PM. “If found, it should be kept in caches or to have them destroyed based on the practical situation. Those that used American weapons systems lost the war, such as during the Khmer Republic of Lon Nol, who then used the American weapons system and imported a lot of weapons to Cambodia, making Cambodia indebted to the U.S.”

He added that U.S. weapons users lost the war in Afghanistan more recently.

“I believe in the courage and fighting spirit and spirit of the fighters in defending Cambodia’s territorial integrity, rather than on weapons alone,’’ added the Cambodian leader.

He further stated that he had made the right decision since 1994 not to buy U.S. military weapons and materials.

“This is a warning message to the Cambodian government in the next generations that if it wants independence in the defence sector, please do not use the U.S.-made weapons,” explained the PM. 

(Xinhua/NAN)