Foreign Military Attachés Visit An Seh Area, International Witness to Cambodian Sovereignty

Cambodia's Minister of Information, Net Pheaktra, stated on his official Facebook page on July 30, 2026, that the visit of foreign military attachés to the An Seh area last July, after the first round of conflict, served as international testimony recognizing the region as sovereign territory of Cambodia. The minister emphasized that this visit clearly demonstrated the actual situation on the ground and became international evidence of the consequences left by the Thai military's invasion from July 24 to 27, 2025. During that period, the Thai military attempted to attack and occupy the An Seh area but failed to achieve its objective. He further stated that the presence of foreign military attachés at this location was not a mere visit but a direct observation of the post-ceasefire situation, serving as living testimony to the impact of Thai military actions and confirming that the An Seh area is under the sovereignty and de facto control of the Kingdom of Cambodia. Senior officials from the Secretariat of State for Border Affairs recently confirmed that the An Seh area is within Cambodian territory based on historical documents and legally valid maps, including maps on a scale of 1:200,000 and the procès-verbaux (PV) of the Indochina–Siam Boundary Commission from 1908 and 1919. Furthermore, even the L7017 map on a scale of 1:50,000, prepared unilaterally by the Thai side, shows consistency with the demarcation of this location within Cambodian territory. Based on this, Net Pheaktra stressed that the inspection by foreign military attachés not only monitored the implementation of the ceasefire but also provided international testimony about the reality on the ground and Cambodia's sovereignty over the An Seh area, which is based on both de facto control and recognized historical legal documents. It should be noted that the An Seh area is located in Chamkar Lek village, Chamkar Lek commune, Tbeng Meanchey district, Preah Vihear province. Before the conflict, many Cambodian families lived and traded in the market there, and there was also a casino and a passage known as the 'An Seh Pass.' According to expert officials, the Cambodian and Thai governments, before becoming hostile, had agreed to upgrade the An Seh passage to an international border crossing, but due to ongoing issues, this upgrade has been stalled. During the first round of invasion in July 2025, Thai troops attempted to advance and seize this area but were unsuccessful. The remnants of this invasion left destruction to shrines and statues of 'Ta Um,' a revered figure among Cambodian citizens, as well as some structures. Subsequently, in the second invasion lasting 21 days in December, the Thai side launched a stronger attack, using all types of munitions to occupy the An Seh area. During the conflict in the region, the Thai side altered the de facto situation on the ground, destroying evidence by demolishing the 'Ta Um' statue and the statue of Vishnu, replacing it with a Buddha statue, and placing shipping containers deep into Cambodian territory. Recently, senior officials from the Secretariat of State for Border Affairs confirmed that Thai troops are attempting to draw a new map incorporating the An Seh area, which Thailand invaded and seized from Cambodia, and is currently illegally occupying, into its own territory. Expert officials stated that the unilateral production of a new map by the Thai side has no legal value or effect.