Senate president Hun Sen travelled to Oddar Meanchey province to meet with the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) troops stationed at the border this afternoon, June 26.
“We came here to defend our territory, not to seize anyone else’s land. We do not want to fight, but we are forced to. This fight is both for self-defence and to strike back,” he told them.
His statement reflects the increasingly tense situation at the Cambodian-Thai border, with recent developments leading to border closures that only allow students and medical patients to cross into Thailand. The tension between the two countries has escalated beyond border closures, with both sides boosting the morale of their militaries. On June 26, leaders from both nations visited their respective troops to provide encouragement.
Hun Sen, who holds the highest RCAF rank of five-star general, also met with thousands of families which have been evacuated from the border area near the Emerald Triangle area in Choam Ksant district to Wat Po 5000, in Preah Vihear’s Kulen district.
He taken on the role of senior logistics coordinator and will manage the supply of the units stationed at the border.
“I am here to check on the well-being of the troops, civil servants and displaced citizens in Oddar Meanchey and Preah Vihear provinces. My presence is not to issue orders in place of the prime minister, defence minister or commander of the military, but to offer encouragement and provide aid to the armed forces that are protecting our nation and territory,” he explained, via Facebook.
“Our country is facing a serious dispute with Thailand. Unless there is a change in Bangkok’s leadership, a prolonged conflict is possible, unlike the events of 2011,” he added.
He advised citizens to dig trenches for protection and reminded them not to neglect agricultural production despite the border situation, as the rainy season has already arrived.
On the same day, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra visited the border regions of Thailand’s Sa Kaeo province, adjacent to Banteay Meanchey. She offered encouragement to he troops stationed there and met with local residents.
