Cambodia Conducts 2nd Stage of Phase 1 of Heavy Weaponry Removal

Phnom penh: Cambodia carried out the 2nd stage of Phase 1 of the removal of heavy and destructive weapons and equipment at Chong Kal district, Oddar Meanchey province, on Nov. 8 at 6:00 p.m. The operation took place in accordance with the action plan signed by Lt. Gen. Pov Heng, the commander of the Military Region 4 of the Kingdom of Cambodia, and Maj. Gen. Virakyuth Raksing, the Commander of the 2nd Army Area of the Kingdom of Thailand, on Oct. 31, 2025, said H.E. Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata, Spokeswoman of the Cambodian Ministry of National Defence. According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, in line with this spirit, the Thai side has likewise conducted the 2nd stage of Phase 1 of the removal of heavy and destructive weapons and equipment under the observation and verification of the ASEAN Observer Team (AOT). This removal demonstrates the commitment of both Cambodia and Thailand to respecting and implementing the Kuala Lumpur Joint Declaration between Cambodia and Thailand signed on Oct. 26, 2025, as well as the s pirit of the 2nd Special Meeting of the Cambodia-Thailand General Border Committee (GBC) held in Malaysia on Oct. 23, 2025. The agreements mentioned above led to a special meeting on Oct. 31, 2025, between Cambodia's Military Region 4 and Thailand's Army Area 2, during which both parties agreed on a phased plan to remove heavy and destructive weapons and equipment. Under this plan, both sides designated Nov. 1, 2025, as the commencement date for Phase 1 of the removal. This phase is planned to be carried out over 3 weeks, from Nov. 1 to 21, 2025, with the current activities marking the implementation of the 2nd week of Phase 1. Cambodia holds firm hope that both parties-Cambodia and Thailand-will continue to fully and effectively implement the Kuala Lumpur Joint Declaration with sincerity, goodwill, and transparency. This initiative aims to strengthen peace, stability, cooperation, development, and restore normalcy swiftly for the benefit of both countries and their peoples for many generations to come.