Truly professional, mature militaries are not dependent on or founded upon the leadership of a single general or generals and claiming otherwise indicates the weakness in the military organization. Truly professional and mature militaries are not built on personalities of generals but a collective military discipline, values and esprit d’corps. Furthermore, any government that advertises the primacy of its generals actually undercuts the credibility of its civilian control over the military.
Notably, Thailand has a well known history of multiple military coups that support this view.
YOUK CHHANG
Director, Documentation Center of Cambodia
October 1, 2025
