An Interim Observer Team (IOT), composed of representatives from seven ASEAN member states, officially started its mission of monitoring the ceasefire agreement between Cambodia and Thailand on August 8, in Oddar Meanchey province.
Their operations followed the August 7 extraordinary meeting of the Cambodia-Thailand General Border Committee (GBC), which resulted in a mutual ceasefire agreement.
The ceasefire was the outcome of diplomatic efforts initiated during a special GBC session on July 28 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Led by Colonel Nazlee Bin Abdul Rahim, Malaysian military attaché to Cambodia, the observer team is conducting inspections at the ASEAN Observer Team (AOT) headquarters and other key sites in the province, to ensure that the ceasefire terms are being upheld.
“This action is a tangible result of the follow-up to the special meeting held on 28 July and the extraordinary GBC meeting on 7 August in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,” said statement from the Cambodian Ministry of National Defence.
The coordinated effort was facilitated by Lieutenant General Phat Vibolsopheak, deputy director-general of the defence ministry’s General Department of Politics and Foreign Affairs, alongside other senior officials and military officers.
The IOT includes representatives from Malaysia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam.
“The participation of these partner countries is a testament to the shared desire to achieve a successful and sustainable ceasefire to restore peace, stability, and cooperation for the people of both countries,” the ministry added.
