Interior ministry shared support for Board of Peace, highlights Thai ceasefire breaches
IMAGE: The Thai military has used heavy machinery to bulldoze the homes of Cambodian citizens in occupied territory. FB
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The Ministry of Interior has announced its support for Cambodia’s participation in the Board of Peace, an initiative launched by US President Donald Trump. Prime Minister Hun Manet announced the Kingdom would join as a “founding member” on January 27.
“The ministry respectfully and fully supports, and takes immense pride in, the astute decision and clear vision of Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, to prepare to join as a founding member of the Board of Peace,” said the ministry, in a January 27 press release.
“The goodwill to love peace, and to support and contribute to peacebuilding and peacekeeping, are principles that Cambodia has always consistently upheld, particularly through sending peacekeeping forces under the UN umbrella to fulfil missions in various countries suffering from war,” it added, quoting Manet.
The ministry also called for citizens to continue standing shoulder-to-shoulder in support of the government’s mission to resolve the current border dispute with Thailand based on peaceful principles and international law, while protesting Thai military actions during the current ceasefire.
“Cambodia absolutely protests against the activities of the Thai armed forces, which, from the time the ceasefire came into effect until the present, have continued actions that undermine efforts to de-escalate tension, specifically illegal occupation, the destruction of homes, theft of property and prevention of civilians from returning to their residences,” it said.
These actions constitute a grave violation of international humanitarian law, as stipulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Geneva Conventions of 1949, it noted.
It highlighted that the prohibition of the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity of any state is a violation of international law, in accordance with Article 2(4) of the UN Charter.
“The peaceful settlement of disputes is the only legal obligation that member states must implement, particularly the resolution of disputes through the International Court of Justice, which is a trusted mechanism that ensures long-lasting peace for member states,” it continued.
The ministry appealed to all Cambodian patriots to maintain the spirit of unity and solidarity as one, standing upon the single Khmer national soul.
-Phnom Penh Post-
