(Phnom Penh) Lieutenant General ឯក សំអូន, commander of Military Region 5, replied on October 5 to Thailand’s First Army Region commander, who had requested the evacuation of Cambodian residents from three areas before an RBC meeting scheduled for October 10–12 in Banteay Meanchey. Cambodia’s Region 5 urged Thailand to respect agreements reached at the GBC and leave border settlement to specialists.
He told First Army Region commander Worayos Luangsuwan that convening the Regional Border Committee (RBC) between the two military regions implemented the mandate of the two countries’ General Border Committee (GBC) and arrangements made at the first extraordinary Cambodia–Thailand RBC meeting on August 22, 2025.
For Chouk Chey and Prey Chan villages, raised by Thailand’s First Army Region, he said the GBC agreement of September 10, 2025, should apply, particularly point 8 of the minutes assigning the issue to the competent Joint Boundary Commission (JBC). Military-level RBC talks were responsible for facilitating matters on the ground, reducing tensions and finding peaceful solutions, but were not empowered to determine the boundary line.
ឯក សំអូន added that field observations had identified some areas where Thai residents occupied and farmed land that Cambodia regarded as falling within its sovereignty. He said this illustrated the complexity and difficulty of border issues and the need to respect previous agreements and principles. Cambodia would await JBC outcomes concerning Chouk Chey and Prey Chan, including areas with Thai structures and activities extending beyond certain boundary markers, and urged an early JBC meeting.
He also asked Thailand to adhere strictly to previous GBC agreements. Cambodia stressed the need for conditions conducive to a peaceful settlement, particularly avoiding actions that could affect residents’ safety and livelihoods on either side while awaiting decisions by the two countries’ JBC.
Preah Sihanouk Provincial Television — by ចិន្តា ទីទិ
