PHNOM PENH: More than 1,100 Cambodian civilians from the An Ses border checkpoint area in Preah Vihear province are unable to return to their homes because of the ongoing military occupation, according to the Ministry of National Defence.
The ministry reported that the Asean Observer Team in Cambodia (AOT-KH) visited the border area on Wednesday (Oct 7).
It explained that 1,114 individuals from 357 families remained displaced from Choam Ksan commune and district, despite the current ceasefire that took effect on December 27, 2025.
The ministry alleged that Thai troops have continued deploying shipping containers, laying barbed wire, digging trenches and constructing fortifications in the An Ses area since the ceasefire took effect.
It also accused the Thai military of destroying infrastructure, homes and civilian property, and illegally occupying Cambodian territory, saying these activities had prevented residents from returning.
“These actions have left 1,114 innocent Cambodian civilians, from 357 families … still unable to return to their homes,” it said.
The visit allowed the Asean observers to witness their continued displacement and examine the situation on the ground for themselves.
“Cambodia does not recognise any border alterations resulting from the use of force,” the ministry said.
It reaffirmed Cambodia’s position that the boundary established by the Indochina–Siam Boundary Commission must be respected, citing the Franco–Siamese conventions and treaties, maps, boundary demarcation records and other documents previously agreed upon by both countries.
The ministry also invoked the international legal principle of uti possidetis juris, concerning the preservation of inherited boundaries.
Alongside its territorial position, the ministry reaffirmed the government’s commitment to implementing the December 27, 2025 joint statement of the third special meeting of the Cambodia–Thailand General Border Committee.
It also reiterated its commitment to the Oct 26, 2025 Joint Declaration on the Peace Agreement between Cambodia and Thailand and other relevant agreements.
The ministry said implementation of those commitments was intended to bring about a swift improvement in conditions and restore normalcy along the border. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
