Cambodia briefs foreign military attachés on 'fragile' Thailand border situation

Cambodia's Ministry of National Defense informed foreign military attachés stationed in the country that the situation along the border with Thailand remains "fragile" despite a ceasefire agreement. The briefing was attended by 22 military attachés representing 18 countries. According to a press release from the Ministry of National Defense, Undersecretary of State General Rath Dara Rat explained the evolution of the situation, leading up to the armed clashes along the border and the eventual ceasefire in December 2025. He also detailed the current security context in the border areas and Cambodia's past efforts to resolve border issues with Thailand. General Rath stated that the Thai side continues to move troops, install barbed wire, deploy shipping containers, and construct permanent structures, which he described as "changing the actual situation on the ground." He further noted that these actions are hindering the return of civilians to their residences, highlighting these issues as challenges requiring immediate resolution. Despite the fragile ceasefire, Cambodian officials reiterated Cambodia's firm commitment to sincerely and strictly adhering to the Joint Declaration of the 3rd Extraordinary Meeting of the Cambodia-Thailand General Border Committee (GBC) dated December 27, 2025, the peace agreement between Cambodia and Thailand, and other related agreements. This commitment aims to improve the situation and return to normalcy, peace, and long-term stability. Furthermore, representatives from the Border Affairs Secretariat briefed the attachés on the progress and achievements of past work, particularly the temporary border post installations between border pillars No. 52 to 59 and No. 42 to 47 during November and December 2025, prior to the second round of border clashes. Representatives from the Border Affairs Secretariat also highlighted Cambodia's efforts to push for Joint Border Committee (JBC) meetings and requested Thailand to dispatch Joint Survey Teams (JSTs) to continue on-the-ground work. This is an existing bilateral mechanism between Cambodia and Thailand aimed at finding a permanent solution to the border issues between the two countries. The military attachés present at the briefing represented major countries such as the United States, Russia, China, Japan, France, India, and Australia, as well as ASEAN nations including the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos, and Brunei.