Banteay Meanchey: The ASEAN Observer Team (AOT) led by the Head of the ASEAN Observer Team (HOM AOT) Philippines observed, verified and reported on the border situation in the Sila Khmer village area, O Bei Chon commune, O Chrov district, Banteay Meanchey province, a place where Cambodian people have been cultivating and relying on for a long time.
Through a press release, Lieutenant General Maly Socheata, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense of Cambodia, said that on Sunday, May 17, 2026, the Coordination Group (CLG) of the Kingdom of Cambodia coordinated with the ASEAN Observer Team (AOT) led by the Head of the ASEAN Observer Team (HOM AOT) Philippines to observe, verify and report on the border situation in the area of Sila Khmer Village, O Bei Chon Commune, O Chrov District, Banteay Meanchey Province, which is a location where Cambodian people have been cultivating and benefiting from it for a long time and a location that Cambodia continues to occupy after the emergency ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand came into effect at 12:00 on December 27, 2025, and to review the respect and implementation of all measures in the joint declaration after the ceasefire came into effect.
Take this opportunity, the Cambodian side would like to reiterate its unwavering position that the work of surveying and demarcating the land boundary is the exclusive competence of the Joint Border and Boundary Commission (JBC).
In this sense, all types of armed forces, including the military, as well as local authorities, do not have the authority to indicate the actual border line on the ground. The verification and confirmation of the international border between the two countries on the ground is the responsibility of the Joint Survey Teams (JSTs) under the structure of the JBC of the two sides.
The Cambodian side has always stated its position that it absolutely does not recognize any changes to the Cambodian-Thai international border that are contrary to the Franco-Siamese Convention, Maps resulting from the boundary work of the Indochina-Siamese Boundary Commission, meeting minutes and demarcation minutes of the Indochina-Siamese Commission, minutes of the JBC Commission, MOU 2000 and TOR 2003, etc. In addition, the Cambodian side declares that it absolutely does not recognize any changes to the border line resulting from the use of force, past, present, or future, and urges the Thai side to agree to send Joint Survey Teams (JSTs) to the actual ground to continue work, and urges the Thai side to organize a meeting of the JBC of the two sides as soon as possible.
The Royal Government and the Ministry of National Defense of Cambodia reiterates its firm, sincere, and honest commitment to fully and steadfastly respect and implement the Joint Declaration of the 3rd Special Meeting of the Cambodia-Thai General Boundary Committee (GBC) of December 27, 2025, the Joint Statement on the Peace Agreement between Cambodia and Thailand of October 26, 2025, and other relevant agreements, in order to move towards a speedy recovery and a return to normalcy, peace, and lasting stability.
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