Cambodia reiterates position on disputed border farmland during AOT visit in Banteay Meanchey

The AOT is led by current ASEAN chair the Philippines. Defence ministry

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Cambodia has reaffirmed that the disputed farming area between Border Markers 48 and 49 in Banteay Meanchey province remains under Cambodian occupation and administration, as an ASEAN Observer Team (AOT) visited the site following reports that Thai military personnel had prevented Cambodian farmers from ploughing the land.

The ASEAN Observer Team, led by the Philippines, visited the area of Seila Khmer Village in O’Bei Choan commune, O’Chrov district, on May 17 to observe the border situation.

According to Lieutenant General Maly Socheata, spokeswoman for Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defence, the Cambodian Liaison Group (CLG) coordinated the mission with the ASEAN Observer Team at 9am to “observe, verify, and report on the border situation” in the area.

The ministry stated that the location “has long been cultivated and utilised by Cambodian citizens, and has remained under continuous Cambodian occupation and administration since the emergency ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand took effect at 12:00pm on December 27, 2025.”

The mission also assessed the implementation of stabilisation measures outlined in the Joint Statement issued following the ceasefire agreement between the two neighbouring countries.

The Cambodian side reiterated that border survey and demarcation work falls solely under the mandate of the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC), stressing that military forces and local authorities do not have the authority to determine or indicate border lines on the ground.

“The verification and clarification of the international boundary of the two countries on the terrain is the mandate of the Joint Survey Teams (JSTs) under the structure of the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) of the two sides,” the statement said.

Cambodia also reaffirmed that it “does not accept any alteration of the Cambodian-Thai international boundary” that contradicts existing Franco–Siamese treaties, official boundary maps, agreed JBC minutes, the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding, and the 2003 Terms of Reference.

In the statement, Cambodia “strongly rejects any alteration of the boundary resulting from the use of force, in the past, present, and future”, while urging Thailand to dispatch Joint Survey Teams to resume border demarcation work and convene a JBC meeting “at the earliest”.

The Royal Government and the Ministry of National Defence also reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the Joint Statement of the Third Special Meeting of the Cambodia–Thailand General Border Committee on December 27, 2025, as well as the Joint Declaration on the Peace Agreement between Cambodia and Thailand signed on October 26, 2025.

The ministry said the commitment aims to ensure “rapid recovery, restoring normalcy, and long-lasting peace and stability.”

-Khmer Times-