(Phnom Penh): Cambodian Minister of Information Neth Pheaktra questioned whether a recent visit by the ASEAN Observer Team (AOT) and journalists to the O’Smach area presented a complete and impartial picture of the situation on the ground, calling for independent verification of evidence and allegations presented during the Thai-organized visit.
In a social media post titled “O’Smach: A Scenario Can Be Staged, but the Truth Cannot,” Neth Pheaktra referred to the AOT and journalists’ visit to O’Smach on 7 September 2026, an area where the Thai military unlawfully conducted activities on Cambodia’s sovereign territory and in violation of its territorial integrity.
The minister said the Royal Government of Cambodia lodged a strong protest with Thailand through a diplomatic note on 8 September, condemning Thai military activities in the area as a violation of Cambodia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Neth Pheaktra questioned whether what observers and journalists were shown during the visit reflected the full situation on the ground or a selectively presented account by the Thai side.
He pointed to remarks reportedly made by Colonel Roderick T. Garcia of the ASEAN Observer Team in Thailand, who indicated following the visit that what he observed differed notably from information he had received beforehand and that further assessment and verification were necessary before conclusions could be drawn.
According to Neth Pheaktra, those remarks demonstrate that the information presented during the visit should not be interpreted as having been accepted by the AOT as established fact.
“The central issue is that the location is under the unlawful control of Thai military forces. This raises several basic questions: Who controlled the site before the AOT and journalists arrived? Who selected what they were allowed to see? Who controlled access to and from the area? And who can guarantee that what was displayed that day reflected the original condition of the site rather than a scenario prepared in advance?” the minister underscored.
“When one party controls the location, access to it, what is displayed, and the interpretation of what is displayed, such a presentation cannot be regarded as independent verification,” he said.
Neth Pheaktra argued that images and information concerning buildings, an alleged fake police station, a hospital, and other materials reportedly presented during the visit must undergo independent verification before being used to support allegations against Cambodia.
“A managed visit is not the same as verification of facts,” he underlined.
“Before asking, ‘What was inside that building?’, one must first ask, ‘Whose territory is that building located on?’” he added.
In his message, Neth Pheaktra added that criminal activity must be addressed through law enforcement, while border issues must be resolved in accordance with international law, relevant boundary instruments, and mechanisms agreed upon by the parties.
He maintained that allegations of online scam activities cannot serve as justification for occupying territory by force.
Neth Pheaktra also highlighted reports that Colonel Garcia referred to the Thai side’s explanation that it had no intention of occupying the area and was prepared to withdraw once the border issue was resolved.
The minister questioned the logic of that position.
“If this is not an occupation, why speak of being ‘prepared to withdraw’?” he asked.
He further questioned why any withdrawal should depend on negotiations through the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC), claiming that JBC meetings have repeatedly faced delays from the Thai side under various pretexts.
According to Neth Pheaktra, the situation at O’Smach should therefore not be assessed solely through images and information presented during the organized visit. Instead, independent verification should establish who controlled the site, how the visit was arranged, what observers were permitted to inspect, and what existed at the location before it came under Thai military control.
The minister reiterated Cambodia’s position that occupation by force cannot create sovereignty. Nor can a visit organized by a party unlawfully occupying the area transform allegations into established facts.
“You can control the site. You can organize the visit. You can select what people are allowed to see. You can stage a scenario. But you cannot make the truth follow your script,” Neth Pheaktra stated.
He added that if evidence presented during the visit had been staged or selectively arranged to mislead observers and journalists, such actions could not change the underlying facts.
Quoting a Khmer saying, Neth Pheaktra concluded: “The more one lies, the more one ultimately exposes oneself.”
“A scenario can be staged. The truth cannot,” he underscored.
=FRESH NEWS
