Phnom penh: Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Acting Head of State, has proposed the Interim Observer Team (IOT) to carry out two key tasks to determine the party responsible for violating the ceasefire agreement. ‘A ceasefire violation occurred involving the use of mortars and machine guns. Prime Minister Hun Manet and I convened an emergency online meeting, instructing our armed forces to exercise restraint and refrain from retaliation,’ said Samdech Techo in a social media post this evening.
According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, after the gunfire subsided, both sides accused each other of violating the ceasefire. Each party filed complaints to the IOT, with Cambodia in particular making an urgent request for the IOT to conduct an on-site investigation.
The Acting Head of State has submitted a proposal to the leadership of the Malaysian military, who currently chairs the ASEAN-member-led IOT team, to ensure integrity, transparency, neutrality, and credibility. The proposal includes two critical tasks: conducting ballistic forensics, as both countries use different types of ammunition, and inspecting the sites where the shells landed to determine the origin and direction of fire.
Samdech Techo emphasized that Cambodian forces are preserving shell craters and creating conditions for IOT observers to perform accurate forensic analysis and inspections. He expressed hope that the Thai side would cooperate similarly, warning that any refusal to allow inspections by IOT observers would imply guilt on either side, Cambodia or Thailand.