Phnom penh: The State Secretariat of Border Affairs (SSBA) has raised three key points of protest and expressed deep concern over recent reports published on various Thai official websites, notably those of the Spokesperson's Office of the Royal Thai Navy, the Chanthaburi-Trat Border Defence Command, and The Nation Thailand. Those reports cast Cambodian citizens as literally "invading" Thailand's territory within the 17 locations along the border from Pursat to Koh Kong province, including the area of Veal Veng district, Pursat province, opposite Mueang district, Trat province, Thailand.
According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, regarding the above issue, the SSBA recalled, the Cambodian side of the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) had already submitted a letter of protest to its Thai counterpart on Sept. 24, 2025. In a statement released this evening, the SSBA clarified the concerns regarding the situation.
Firstly, the statement made by the Spokesperson of the Royal Thai Navy and the Chanthaburi-Trat Border Defence Command has been deemed a threat to apply, by force, unilateral demarcation. This act, according to the SSBA, violates the Memorandum of Understanding 2000 (MOU 2000), and infringes upon the mandate of the JBC of the two countries, undermining the outcomes and efforts already achieved, as well as the ongoing and future negotiations of the JBC of both sides.
Secondly, the SSBA stated that the aforementioned unilateral actions constitute an act of provocation that may lead to increased tension along the border. This is seen as a violation of the Ceasefire Agreement dated July 28, 2025, the Agreed Minutes of the Extraordinary Meeting of the General Border Committee (GBC) on Aug. 7, 2025, and the outcomes of the Extraordinary Meeting of the Regional Border Committee (RBC), particularly the Agreed Minutes of the 1st Special GBC Meeting dated Sept. 10, 2025, where both sides agreed to prevent any actions that undermine mutual trust, cause misunderstandings, escalate border tensions, or expand the scope and scale of the conflict.
Thirdly, the SSBA emphasized that the survey and demarcation works are an exclusive mandate of the JBC of the two countries, with no other mechanism or institution having authority over this matter. In this regard, the SSBA calls on the Thai side to address the above issue and resolve it through the JBC, whose meeting is scheduled to convene in the near future.
The SSBA also reiterated its firm and unwavering commitment to resolving the work of survey and demarcation peacefully, in accordance with international law and the agreements mutually accepted by both parties.