11:00 AM, August 14, 2025
Intervention by H.E. Pen Bona, Royal Government Spokesperson:
Before concluding today’s press briefing, as the Spokesperson of the Royal Government of Cambodia, I’d like to draw the attention of my fellow Cambodian citizens and the international community to the following event:
Thailand is using the landmine explosion as an issue to blame Cambodia and portray itself as the victim to mislead the international community, even though it was the Thai military forces violating the ceasefire agreement by moving forces into areas with landmines left over from the war. They also were the ones laying tires, installing barbed wire, and mobilizing weapons, etc., during the implementation of the Ceasefire. These are irrefutable proofs.
To emphasize these matters, once again, I would like to highlight the 2 very vital points among the 13 points of the Agreed Minutes resulting from the extraordinary meeting of the Cambodia-Thailand General Border Committee (GBC) held on August 7, 2025, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, as follows:
Point 2 stated that both sides agree to maintain current troop deployments without further movement as it is at the time ceasefire reached at 24:00 hours (local time) on 28 July 2025. There shall be no troop movements including patrol towards the other side’s position.
And point 4 stated that both sides agree not to undertake provocative actions that may escalate tensions. This includes military activities to enter the other side’s air space and territory or positions. Both sides agree to refrain from constructing or enhancing any military infrastructure or fortifications beyond their own side.
As mentioned above, it can be indicated that the landmine incidents would not have happened if the Thai side had fully respected and implemented the ceasefire agreement by maintaining their current troop deployments without further movement, as it was at the time the ceasefire entered into force at midnight on 28 July 2025.
In this sense, Cambodia once again calls on Thailand to strictly respect and implement with good faith the spirit of the ceasefire, and demand that Thailand immediately stop using the landmine incidents to deceive the international community in order to mask its violation of the Ceasefire Agreement.
Thank you.
