The foreign ministry of Cambodia recently issued a sharp rejection of allegations. They denied claims from Thailand about using civilians as human shields near their shared border. Mr. Chum Sounry, spokesperson for Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, made the statement on August 28, 2068. He firmly asserted that such accusations have no basis in reality.
Sounry explained that people have lived in these border areas for a very long time. He argued that these residents are not shields. Instead, they are the ones suffering from one-sided actions by Thai soldiers. These actions include installing barbed wire and other barriers. Such barriers prevent villagers from reaching their homes and farms.
He pointed to a specific event that happened just days earlier. On August 25, around 2:20 PM, Thai soldiers reportedly tried to remove barbed wire. This occurred in Sreng Kang Village, O’Beichoan Sub-district, O’Chrov District, in Cambodia’s Banteay Meanchey Province. This spot sits opposite Nong Chan Village, Khok Sung District, in Thailand’s Sa Kaeo Province. Cambodian villagers and officials present quickly stopped the soldiers. They forced the military to collect their wire and leave.
Cambodia’s government formally protested these ongoing incursions. A diplomatic note was sent to Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on August 25, 2068. The note highlighted constant intrusions into their border areas. It specifically mentioned places where Cambodian citizens live. The government also restated its unchanging position. Cambodia remains committed to finding peaceful solutions to border disagreements. They seek friendship and respect international law. Boundaries, they stressed, cannot be changed by military force.