4:00 PM, August 26, 2025
Keynote Address by H.E. Chum Sounry, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC):
1. The Royal Government of Cambodia’s strong protest against Thai Forces’ encroachment into Cambodian territory:
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation registered on 25 August 2025 the Royal Government of Cambodia’s strong protest against persistent encroachment by the Thai Forces into Cambodia’s territory. It was the third protest following the previous two made on 14 and 19 August 2025. The protests underlined that.
(1). On 25 August 2025, at 2:20 PM, Thai soldiers continued to lay barbed wire in Chouk Chey village, O’Beichoan commune, O’ Chrov district, Banteay Meanchey province. This marks a new encroachment by the Thai soldiers into Cambodia’s territory, beyond their previous position on 12-13 August 2025.
(2). This action constitutes a violation of Cambodia’s sovereignty and reflects Thailand’s deliberate attempt to further expand the conflict into civilian areas. Furthermore, such violations could further endanger the already fragile ceasefire. It is in direct contradiction to the ceasefire agreement reached on 28 July 2025 in Putrajaya, Malaysia, as well as the spirit of the agreed minutes of the extraordinary meeting of the General Border Committee on 7 August 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, which was reaffirmed most recently at the extraordinary Regional Border Committee meeting between the 5th Military Region of Cambodia and the Chanthaburi and Trat Border Defence Command of Thailand, particularly on the following points.
• Both sides agreed not to undertake provocative actions that may escalate tension, including military activities to enter the other side’s airspace and territory or position as of the ceasefire from 24:00 local time on 28 July 2025.
• Both sides agreed not to expand the scope and scale of the dispute, including provocative activities that may escalate tension.
(3). Cambodia therefore requests the Thai side to fully and unconditionally respect the above agreement and understanding, as well as to comply with and implement Article 5 of the MOU 2000, which prohibits any work resulting in changes of the environment of the frontier zone except for demarcation works as mandated by the GBC of both countries.
With the protest, the Ministry has attached the protest letter dated 25 August 2025 of His Excellency Mr. LAM Chea, the Minister-in-Charge of the State Secretariat of Border Affairs and Chairman of the Joint Commission on Demarcation for Land Boundary, GBC-Cambodian side. Address to His Excellency Mr. Prasas Prasasvinitchai, Advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, Chairman of the Joint Commission on Demarcation for Land Boundary, GBC-Thai side.
2. Cambodia clarification with Ottawa Convention Chair:
(1). His Excellency DARA In, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Cambodia to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, wrote a letter dated 21 August 2025 to Her Excellency ICHIKAWA Tomiko, Ambassador of Japan and President of the 22nd Meeting of State Parties to the Antipersonnel Mine Ban Convention, known as the Ottawa Convention.
(2). His Excellency Senior Minister LY Thuch, First Vice President of CMMA, held an online meeting on 22 August 2025 with Ottawa Convention Chair Mrs. ICHIKAWA Tomiko. In both the letter and the meeting, Cambodia categorically rejects Thailand’s accusation of newly planted antipersonnel mines along the Cambodia-Thailand border, describing them as baseless, politically motivated, and lacking credible evidence attempting to undermine Cambodia’s credibility.
• Cambodia reaffirms its full compliance with the Ottawa Convention, stressing that it has never produced, used, or laid new mines since becoming a state party in 2000.
• The international demanding organizations, including APOPO (which stands for Anti-Personnel Landmine Detection Products), MAG (which stands for Mines Advisory Group), and HALO Trust, confirm the mines discovered are remnants of past conflicts, not new deployments.
• Cambodia highlighted its humanitarian achievements in mine clearance, victim assistance, and regional cooperation, including its role as Chair of the Ottawa Convention in 2011 and 2024.
The Ottawa Convention Chair and committee members took note of Cambodia’s clarification and acknowledged its long-standing contribution to mine action. They encourage Cambodia and Thailand to pursue dialogue and de-escalation, uphold the ceasefire, and continue advancing humanitarian mine action.
Thank you.
