(Phnom Penh): Cambodian Information Minister Neth Pheaktra said a visit by foreign military attachés to the An Seh area following the Cambodia-Thailand ceasefire gave the international community firsthand evidence of the aftermath of the July 2025 border conflict and reaffirmed Cambodia's sovereignty over the area.

In a commemorative message marking the first anniversary of the Thai military's aggression against Cambodian territory, Neth Pheaktra recalled that on the morning of 30 July 2025, more than two days after the ceasefire took effect and following the dangerous “handshake incident," foreign military attachés accredited to Cambodia travelled to the An Seh area to inspect the situation on the ground and monitor compliance with the ceasefire. Their visit took place in the presence of numerous national and international journalists.

According to the minister, the mission provided a direct view of the realities on the ground and became an important form of international witness to the consequences of the Thai military’s armed aggression from 24 to 27 July 2025.

During that period, he added, Thai forces attempted to advance into and seize the An Seh area but failed to achieve their objective. Their attacks instead destroyed a local shrine and the statue of Lok Ta Oum, a site of spiritual and cultural significance to the Cambodian people, leaving visible evidence of the use of armed force on Cambodian territory.

The minister said the presence of foreign military attachés at the site went beyond a routine visit, describing it as a direct observation mission of the post-ceasefire situation.

According to Neth Pheaktra, what they witnessed provides living testimony to the consequences of the Thai military’s actions and confirms that the An Seh area lies under the sovereignty and effective administration of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

He said this position is consistent with the explanation provided by officials of the State Secretariat of Border Affairs, who have affirmed that the An Seh area is located within Cambodian territory on the basis of historical records and legally relevant cartographic evidence.

The minister cited the 1:200,000-scale map and the procès-verbaux (PVs) of the Indochina-Siam Boundary Commission of 1908 and 1919 as supporting documents. He further noted that Thailand's own L7017 map, produced unilaterally at a scale of 1:50,000, is also consistent with the location of the An Seh area on the Cambodian side of the border.

Neth Pheaktra said the visit by foreign military attachés was therefore more than a ceasefire-monitoring mission as it provided international witnesses with direct access to the facts on the ground and reinforced the evidence that the An Seh area forms part of Cambodian territory.

He reaffirmed that the conclusion is supported not only by Cambodia’s effective administration of the area, but also by historical boundary records, official maps, and even Thailand’s own cartographic materials.

“The truth is clear: An Seh is Cambodian territory, and no use of force, military incursion, or unilateral act can lawfully alter that reality,” the minister said.
=FRESH NEWS