Thailand Headline News Agency The Cambodian Ministry of Defense issued a statement on the Thailand-Cambodia border issue today (June 9), reiterating that the Cambodian army has not withdrawn from any sovereign territory, and has clarified four key points on this:
The Cambodian army has not evacuated its long-term military positions, and all deployments are within the scope of national sovereignty. The army strictly abides by national sovereignty in operations such as stationing, mobilization, adjustment and assembly, with the sole purpose of defending Cambodia's territorial integrity. Although it supports the peaceful settlement of disputes, the military is ready to implement government orders at any time and resolutely prevent and respond to any acts of aggression. The Cambodian military supports the continued promotion of the exploration and boundary pile setting of undefined border areas through the Cambodia-Thailand Joint Border Committee (JBC), but does not cover the disputed areas to be submitted to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for trial. The statement aims to respond to recent concerns about the adjustment of military deployment on the Cambodia's border, and reaffirm Cambodia's position to firmly safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
On the same day, Cambodian Prime Minister Honmane, who was visiting France, issued a statement through his personal Facebook account, clearly stating that the Cambodian government has not withdrawn from the sovereign area it has long controlled.
Hongmanai pointed out that all deployment and preparations of the Cambodian army, including the arrangement of garrisons, the mobilization and assembly of troops, are strictly carried out within the scope of Cambodian sovereignty, and all actions are only set for the defense of the national territory. Although the military supports the settlement of disputes through peaceful means, it will still be prepared to respond to any form of violations at any time in accordance with government orders to resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He further reiterated that Cambodia will continue to cooperate with Thailand to continue to negotiate on undefinite border issues through the "Thai-Cambodia Joint Border Committee" (JBC) mechanism in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in 2000 and the principles of international law. For some areas where disputes remain, the parties will submit to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for further ruling.
Hongmanai also called on the Cambodian people to trust the judgment and decision-making of the government and the military, and avoid spreading unproven information, so as not to cause misunderstandings and intensify the situation. He stressed that Cambodia has always been committed to maintaining good-neighborly and friendly relations with Thailand and promoting the common well-being of the people of both countries.
(Compiled: WAN; Source: thestandarth, Thethaiger)
