Background
The Cambodian Liaison Group coordinated an ASEAN Observer Team (AOT-KH) field visit to Prey Chan village, O’Bei Choan commune, O’Chrov district, Banteay Meanchey province on 22 August 2026 at 10:55 a.m.Observers on the visit inspected five locations where ten shipping containers were reported as deployed by the Thai military, a deployment that the observers reported has prevented 1,435 Cambodian civilians (404 families, including 414 children) from returning to their homes.
The Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) between Cambodia and Thailand is the bilateral mechanism charged with conducting on-the-ground demarcation and surveying along the shared land boundary; point four of the Joint Statement from the 3rd Special Meeting of the Cambodia-Thailand General Border Committee (GBC) on 27 December 2025 called for commencement of demarcation work to enable civilian return. Cambodia cited the Indochina–Siam Boundary Commission records, Franco–Siamese conventions and related procès-verbaux in maintaining its position that boundary lines established by those instruments must be respected.
Key Developments
On 22 August 2026 the ASEAN Observer Team–Cambodia, led by the Head of Mission from the Philippines, conducted an on-site verification and reporting visit coordinated by the Cambodian Liaison Group. The observers documented the presence and placement of ten shipping containers across five locations in the Prey Chan village area and visited displaced civilians who remain unable to return to their residences.
Institutional Role
The Cambodian Liaison Group (CLG) functions as the national channel for coordinating foreign observer access to border field sites and displaced populations. The General Border Committee (GBC) provides a political-level forum for Cambodia and Thailand to agree on measures, while the JBC is the technical body responsible for implementing field demarcation and survey operations once political agreement is in place.
Implications for Border Governance
The observers’ verification underscored the immediate relevance of previously agreed GBC provisions that call for JBC demarcation activities to permit safe and dignified civilian return. The Ministry of National Defence statement affirms Cambodia’s position that boundary modifications arising from the use of force are not recognized and references historical treaty and commission records as the basis for the asserted boundary lines.
Official Source
Primary source: Press release by the Ministry of National Defence, Kingdom of Cambodia, 22 August 2026. Original posting: provided Ministry of National Defence social channels and the source URL cited in the record.
