General Romeo S. Brawner Jr., Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, inspected the border situation in the area of the Boeung Trakuon checkpoint in Thma Puok district, Banteay Meanchey province, where he personally observed the shipping containers and razor wire barricades that the Thai military placed illegally after the ceasefire came into effect.
He accompanied the Cambodian Liaison Group (CLG) and the ASEAN Observer Team (AOT) to the site shortly after 2pm this afternoon, February 13, according to Maly Socheata, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defence.
“This visit demonstrates a high level of attention from the Philippines, which will continue to lead this work in its capacity as the rotating ASEAN chair and as the head of the ASEAN Observer Team (AOT), succeeding Malaysia,” she said.
According to photos released by the defence ministry, Brawner Jr. personally witnessed the shipping containers and razor wire that the Thai military placed to block the road, preventing many families from returning to their homes, as guaranteed in the December 27 ceasefire.
Socheata stated that since the ceasefire entered into force, Cambodia has respected and adhered to it, the Joint Statement on the Peace Agreement between Cambodia and Thailand, and other relevant agreements.
Brawner Jr. met with Prime Minister Hun Manet and defence minister Tea Seiha on February 12, during his first official visit since the Philippines assumed the rotating ASEAN chairmanship for 2026.
“The AOT really need to be more aggressive in publicizing violations and making it clear where this is disrespectful to the US and ASEAN. It’s not just a violation of Cambodia’s sovereignty, it’s a blatant disrespect to the US and ASEAN,” said Youk Chhang is director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam).
