Against the background of a fragile ceasefire, the president of the Cambodian National Assembly (NA) has urged Thailand to adhere to its conditions, for the interests of people of both nations. Addressing a National Assembly session today, August 25, to pass an amended citizenship law, assembly president Khuon Sudrary noted that Cambodia has strictly adhered to the terms of the ceasefire, and urged Thailand to follow suit. She added that peace with all nations is the core value of Cambodia foreign policy, noting the government’s goal of turning the border areas into places of peace, friendship, cooperation and development. Sudary…
Author: Niem Chheng
The Australian government has appointed Tennealle O’Shannessy, CEO of IDP Education, as the new Australian Business Champion for Cambodia, as part of Australia’s ongoing commitment to strengthening economic ties with Southeast Asia. According to an Australian embassy press release, O’Shannessy will use her skills and global outlook to build on longstanding economic relationships by encouraging Australian businesses to look at opportunities for trade and investment in Cambodia. “I am delighted to take on this role. Over the past three decades, IDP has seen first-hand the immense benefits that come from creating strong cultural and economic ties with Cambodia. I look…
Foreign diplomats and representatives of several UN agencies visited Banteay Meanchey province today, August 22, as part of a two-day field visit to the provinces affected by the recent Cambodia-Thailand armed clashes. The delegation was led by Prak Sokhonn, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and will continue on to Oddar Meanchey province tomorrow. The group included ambassadors, chargés d’affaires and representatives from 42 countries and UN agencies, as well as international organisations, and aimed to give them a first-hand insight into issues along the border. It included observers from Brunei, Singapore, Pakistan, Laos, Türkiye, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi…
Delegations from the 5th Military Region of Cambodia and the First Army Region of Thailand held a Regional Border Committee (RBC) meeting this morning, to determine peaceful solutions to issues on the frontier and prevent misunderstandings that could lead to further clashes. They also touched on problems such as online scams, other transnational crimes and the installation of razor wire barrier that have blocked Cambodians’ access to their homes. According to a press release from the 5th Military Region, both sides agreed to maintain regular communication between headquarters and units along the Cambodia-Thailand border, while striving to resolve all issues…
Cambodian authorities say they have intensified the fight against online scams, with the secretariat in charge releasing updated figures from their current 60-day campaign. Between June 27 and August 18, a total of 3,170 suspects of 19 separate nationalities were detained. The detentions were part of a series of operations which targeted 72 locations across 17 provinces and the capital. The raids were carried out by a joint task force, working under the Commission for Combating Online Scams. The joint force sent 66 suspected “ringleaders” and their accomplices to court for legal proceedings. More than 2,450 foreign nationals implicated in…
According to reliable sources on the ground, the Thai military is preparing to deploy heavy machinery to clear land around the Ta Oum roundabout and the homes of Cambodian citizens near the An Ses market in Preah Vihear province. It was reported that the deployment of earth moving equipment is imminent. The An Ses area was one of the most hotly contested battlefields of the July 24-28 armed clashes, with numerous homes and civilian infrastructure damaged or destroyed during the fighting. If the reports are accurate, this could constitute a major violation of the current fragile ceasefire, and may pose…
China has shared its support for the effective implementation of the current ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia, and the resumption of normalised relations. Meanwhile, a well-known analyst has warned that Thailand appears to be motivated by external pressure, rather than genuine goodwill. Wang Wenbin, Chinese ambassador to Cambodia, met with Minister of National Defence Tea Seiha on August 21 to discuss the progress of the ceasefire. Subsequently, he took to social media to share China’s strong support its implementation, as agreed in Malaysia, as well as the commitments made during a recent meeting of the foreign ministers of China, Cambodia…
Cambodia has lodged a formal protest against Thailand, which continues to accuse Cambodia of violating its territorial integrity, while urging Thailand to show a genuine commitment to implementing the current Donald Trump-backed ceasefire. Cambodia also demanded that Thailand remove the barricades which were recently erected inside Cambodia. Despite Cambodia’s tolerance and respect for the ceasefire, some of the barriers have prevented Cambodian villagers from entering their own homes. Speaking at a press briefing this morning, August 20, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation spokesperson Nong Sakol said that Cambodia has firmly adhered to the ceasefire to promote long-term peace…
The Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has warned that planned legal action against Cambodian leaders, as discussed by Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, will constitute a violation of Cambodia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and the principle of sovereign equality. An August 19 statement from the ministry was issued in response to the acting prime minister’s claims that Thailand will pursue domestic legal against Cambodian Senate president Hun Sen and Prime Minister Hun Manet. “Thailand’s legal actions against Cambodian leaders not only violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Cambodia, the principle of…
A senior official from the mine action sector has publicly stated that Thailand used landmine incidents as a pretext, or “stepping stone” to invade Cambodian territory. Heng Ratana, director-general of Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC), told journalists at an August 18 press conference that the areas with the highest concentration of mines in Cambodia are along the Thai border, which spans more than 700 kilometres. He explained that his personal opinion was that the mine explosions claimed by Thailand on July 16 and July 23, which did not escalate into war, were provocations. He suggested that Thailand used these incidents…