As Cambodia continues to implement the hard-won peace agreement by withdrawing highly destructive heavy weapons and after the displaced population have returned to their homes, Thailand appears to be moving in the opposite direction, digging trenches and announcing that it is preparing to evacuate citizens from areas near the border, traditional a prelude to combat operations. The Thai cabinet held an emergency meeting today, November 12, following a landmine incident that injured three soldiers, some seriously, near Phnom Trop, not far from Preah Vihear Temple. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced the results of the meeting, with several ministries given…
Author: Niem Chheng
A senior analyst from one of Cambodia’s premier think-tanks believes that Thailand’s announcement that it will cease the implementation of the October 26 peace agreement reveals Thailand’s true colour and character, which he described as “always dishonest with one excuse after another”. One of the many conditions in the joint declaration between Cambodia and Thailand, signed in Kala Lumpur and witnessed by US President Donald Trump and ASEAN chair Anwar Ibrahim, stipulated the removal of mines along the border. This was included because the Cambodia-Thailand border is littered with landmines left over from past Cambodian wars, which have in the…
Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defence has urged Thailand to avoid patrolling the scenes of old battles and minefields, warning that the risk of encountering mines remains high in several locations. It also refuted Thai accusations that Cambodia has laid new mines. In a November 11 press release, ministry spokesperson Maly Socheata warned that they should not patrol areas which are internationally recognised as mine-contaminated zones resulting from past conflicts, to prevent potential dangers that could cause unnecessary tensions. The release was issued a day after a November 10 mine explosion injured several Thai soldiers who were patrolling near Phnom Trop,…
The government of Cambodia is gravely concerned about media reports indicating that Thailand has suspended the implementation of the Joint Declaration between the Prime Ministers of Cambodia and Thailand. The declaration was signed and witnessed by US President Donald Trump and Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia and ASEAN Chair, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on October 26. Reports of the cessation of what is also known as the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord emerged after three Thai soldiers were injured in a landmine explosion in the Cambodia-Thailand border area of Phnom Trop on the morning of November 10, according to a…
Thai government and military leaders declared today that they have ceased all recent agreements with Cambodia, including the hard-bargained Thai-Cambodian Joint Declaration, known as the Kuala Lumpur Peace Agreement, as they accused Cambodia of continued hostility. The declarations, released on social media by the Royal Thai Air Force and a Thai cabinet spokesperson, came just an hour after a reported landmine explosion led to the amputation of the leg of a Thai soldier in Si Sa Ket province, opposite Preah Vihear temple. Another Thai soldier was reportedly also injured in the blast. The decision has also caused a delay to…
Cambodia and Thailand will implement the second stage of the first phase of the removal of heavy and destructive weapons and equipment on November 8, after both sides successfully carried out their first stage of the removal early this month. The removal of heavy and destructive weapons and equipment is in line with an action plan signed by Lieutenant General Pov Heng, the Commander of Cambodia’s Military Region 4, and Major General Virakyuth Raksing, the Commander of Thailand’s Second Army, on October 31. “Both parties had successfully carried out the first stage of the removal of heavy and destructive weapons…
Cambodia and Thailand agreed today to withdraw three types of heavy weapons from the border, with the first phase starting from tomorrow, November 1 till 21, under the observation of ASEAN Observer Teams (AOT) in both countries. The Regional Border Committee (RBC) meeting on the removal of heavy and destructive weapons between the 4th Military Region of Cambodia and the 2nd Army Area of Thailand was held today, October 31, in Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey province. It was co-chaired by Lieutenant General Pov Heng, commander of Cambodia’s Military Region 4, and Lieutenant General Weerayuth Raksilp, commander of the Second Army Area…
The Ministry of Information has called on media organisations and the public to play their part in the effective implementation of the Cambodia-Thailand peace agreement by adhering to ethical and professional codes and refraining from sharing false information that could create tension at the border. The leaders of Cambodia and Thailand signed a joint statement, known as The Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord, in Malaysia, on October 26. The signing was witnessed by US President Donald Trump and ASEAN chair Anwar Ibrahim. The agreement includes a provision to avoid spreading information that could escalate tensions. Ministry spokesperson Tep Asnarith noted today,…
Cambodian Minister of Tourism Huot Hak announced on October 31 that the safety and security of tourists visiting Cambodia is guaranteed. He noted that Cambodia remains a safe destination, with a high level of hospitality. He stated that Cambodia is a destination where every visitor is warmly welcomed with trust and dignity. In particular, he added, the Royal Government of Cambodia has taken strict and immediate measures to suppress all online scam activities. Hak emphasised that the seventh-mandate government has been and continues to pay close attention to the issue of online scams and acknowledges the concerns raised by the…
Cambodian authorities have deported 59 Vietnamese nationals after they were identified by Vietnamese authorities as members of an online scam syndicate that defrauded victims of approximately $12 million. According to the General Department of Immigration, they were expelled from Cambodia on Wednesday, October 29, through the Prek Chak International Border Checkpoint in Kampot province. The deportation followed the discovery that they were residing and working illegally in the kingdom, without passports, and were also involved in online scam activities. Vietnamese news outlet VnExpress reported that the 59 were part of an online scam group. They posed as delivery drivers, police…