Thai military deploys armored vehicles, troops to O’Smach crossing, Cambodia rejects claims

Thai military deploys armored vehicles, troops to O’Smach crossing, Cambodia rejects claims

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The Thai military illegally deployed two armored vehicles and approximately 70 personnel to the O’Smach International Border Crossing in Oddar Meanchey province on April 2, prompting a strong response from Cambodia, which rejected Thai claims of provocation as “entirely untrue and baseless.”

According to Lieutenant General Maly Socheata, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defence, the deployment took place at around 6:20 a.m. at the O’Smach International Border Checkpoint in Samraong City, Oddar Meanchey province, which Cambodia says has been partly under illegal occupation by Thai forces since military aggression in December 2025.

The move came despite recent verification by the ASEAN Observer Team (AOT), which assessed the situation at the crossing on March 29, 2026.

In a statement, the spokeswoman said the Thai military also reinforced barbed wire in areas under what Cambodia described as illegal occupation and carried out activities without prior notification to Cambodia’s Military Region 4 Liaison Team.

Following the incident, Cambodia’s Military Region 4 Liaison Team immediately contacted Thailand’s Military Region 2, calling for an immediate halt to the activities and urging the Thai side to respect existing agreements.

The statement was issued in response to a post on the Royal Thai Army’s official Facebook page, which alleged provocative actions by Cambodian forces.

“These claims are entirely untrue and baseless,” Lt Gen Maly Socheata said, stressing that Cambodian forces “consistently perform their duties in strict compliance with military discipline, leadership directives, and professional principles.”

She added that Cambodian forces continue to exercise restraint and responsibility while safeguarding national sovereignty and maintaining stability along the border.

The Ministry of National Defence also reaffirmed Cambodia’s commitment to existing bilateral agreements, including the Joint Statement of the Third Special Meeting of the Cambodia–Thailand General Border Committee dated December 27, 2025, and the Joint Declaration on the Peace Agreement dated October 26, 2025.

Cambodia called on Thailand to act with “consistency, goodwill, and honesty” to ensure a return to normalcy, peace, and long-term stability along the border.

-Khmer Times-