Phnom penh: As of today, Thai armed forces have not yet dismantled the barbed wire they laid in the Anseh area, which is located within Cambodian sovereign territory, according to a statement released by the Ministry of National Defence around noon.
According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, the Ministry added that both sides are currently engaged in discussions to resolve the issue. On August 4, at approximately 11:00 a.m., Thai armed forces, accompanied by heavy machinery including excavators, entered the Anseh area and laid barbed wire, despite strong objections from Cambodian forces.
In response, the Cambodian armed forces immediately contacted their Thai counterparts, demanding the immediate removal of the barbed wire and the withdrawal of all Thai equipment from Cambodian territory. "This act by Thailand obviously constitutes a flagrant violation of the ceasefire agreement and poses a grave threat to peace and security along the border between the two countries, as well as the wider region as a whole," underlined H.E. Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata, Under Secretary of State and Spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defence, at a press briefing in Phnom Penh this morning.
She added that Cambodia urges the international community, particularly the partner countries that helped broker the hard-won ceasefire and wish to see it fully and effectively implemented, to demand that Thailand immediately cease its aggressive actions and fully respect international law, including Cambodia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. "Thailand must put an end to its hostilities, remove the barbed wire, and withdraw all machinery from Cambodia's sovereign territory. The Thai side could not use any pretext to obscure the truth," the spokesperson concluded.