Cambodia:  Ceasefire troop positions don’t define sovereignty 

Cambodia has firmly rejected Thailand’s interpretation of last year’s ceasefire agreement, insisting that troop positions cannot be used to redraw borders or claim sovereignty.

Information Minister Neth Pheaktra issued the statement on 31 August after Thai Joint Information Centre director Lieutenant General Prapas Sonjaidee suggested the December 27, 2025 Joint Statement allowed forces to remain where they were stationed.

Pheaktra dismissed the claim as misleading, stressing that the agreement was a temporary measure to halt fighting, not a boundary treaty. “A ceasefire stops the shooting. It does not draw a new map,” he said.

The minister warned that Thailand’s stance risked creating the false impression that Cambodia had consented to Thai troops occupying its territory. He pointed to activities such as bunker construction, land clearance, flag‑raising and the demolition of homes and temples as unlawful attempts to consolidate control.

Cambodia maintains that only the Franco‑Siamese treaties and the 1:200,000 map series provide the legal framework for the frontier. Pheaktra recalled that the International Court of Justice’s rulings on Preah Vihear concerned only the temple area, not the entire border.

He urged Thailand to honour the ceasefire’s purpose by advancing Joint Boundary Commission talks and mine‑clearance operations, rather than using troop positions as a pretext for sovereignty. “A temporary cessation of hostilities cannot be transformed into a source of territorial title,” he said.

-2026-09-02