Cambodia accuses Thai troops of seizing border village in alleged attempt at annexation

PHNOM Penh has raised allegations that Thai forces have illegally occupied a border village in Cambodia, describing the action as an attempt to annex the area.

Cambodia’s Minister of Information, Neth Pheaktra, said the village of Chouk Chey had been forcibly taken over by Thai troops, who damaged public buildings, installed barbed wire and containers to demarcate the area, and stationed personnel to control the disputed territory.

"Thailand's unilateral claim of sovereignty through the use of force was also demonstrated by the raising of the Thai national flag."

“Cambodia does not recognise any change to the border that results from the use of force,” Pheaktra said, referring to Thailand’s unilateral assertion of sovereignty accompanied by the raising of its national flag.

In response, Thai military authorities claimed, without specifying the exact location, that the area in question was legitimately Thai territory previously occupied by Cambodian forces.

A Thai statement said, “The area was originally where Cambodian troops were stationed and Cambodian civilians resided, thereby encroaching upon Thailand’s sovereignty. Therefore, it is actually Cambodia that occupied part of Thai territory, and no incursion or occupation of Cambodian land has taken place.”

A map provided by Cambodia’s Ministry of Information to AFP shows Thai forces positioned in Chouk Chey, which Cambodia claims as its own territory.

According to the map, Thailand currently controls areas up to approximately 750 metres (0.5 miles) from Cambodia’s official border line in that village.

The allegations follow a ceasefire agreement on December 27, reached to halt violent confrontations along the border.

The long-standing territorial dispute between the two countries has flared multiple times over the past year, with December clashes alone resulting in dozens of fatalities and displacing more than one million residents on both sides of the border.

The border tensions underscore the fragility of peace in the region and highlight the continued challenges in resolving decades-long disputes over sovereignty in Southeast Asia. - January 3, 2025