Foreign military attachés check on ceasefire implementation

Foreign military attachés check on ceasefire implementation

Synopsis: Cambodia invites foreign military attachés to witness the implementation of the ceasefire agreement with Thailand and thelp ensure its permanence amid ongoing tensions.

Oddar Meanchey – Cambodia has called on foreign military attachés to witness the implementation of the ceasefire and ensure it remains permanent, as tens of thousands of refugees have returned home despite the fragile armistice. Cambodia has blamed the Thai military for repeated violations of the ceasefire agreement reached by both sides.

A delegation of foreign military attachés accredited to Cambodia under the Military Attaché Corps Phnom Penh departed the capital yesterday for Oddar Meanchey province to conduct an on-site inspection of the situation and refugee locations.

The mission included representatives from nine countries – Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, China, France, Japan, South Korea, Laos, and Vietnam – with a total of 14 participants, according to Ministry of National Defence spokesperson Lieutenant General Maly Socheata during a press briefing.

She explained that the inspection would be joined and facilitated by senior officers of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) to ensure the mission runs smoothly and successfully. She noted that the visit follows the ceasefire agreement reached between Cambodia and Thailand on July 28.

The programme was coordinated by Lieutenant General Phat Vibolsopheak, Deputy Director-General of the General Department of Politics and Foreign Affairs and Director of the International Relations Department at the Ministry of National Defence, together with other military officers from the Ministry and the Army to ensure the mission’s smooth execution.

Yesterday, the delegation visited the Ta Moan Senchey Health Centre, Ta Moan Senchey Primary School, and a nearby petrol station – all destroyed in earlier Thai bombings.

On Saturday night, Thai soldiers used slingshots to fire more than 100 marbles and ball bearings at Cambodian military positions stationed at Ta Moan Thom Temple.

Cambodian forces exercised restraint and continued to observe the ceasefire agreement, according to Brigadier General Neak Vong, commander of Infantry Brigade 42. He said it was a clear violation of the ceasefire and an act of provocation.

Senate President Hun Sen had issued a serious warning about the evolving nature of the Cambodia –Thailand border conflict. What once involved firearms has now shifted to slingshots launching marbles and metal pellets – a development he warned could jeopardise the fragile ceasefire if left unaddressed.

As part of the delegation, Lieutenant-Colonel Paul Payne, Canadian Defence Attaché to Cambodia, visited a makeshift camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Oddar Meanchey province to assess conditions and receive updates from local authorities on the impact of recent border clashes.

“I noticed a camp designed to house a number of families that have been displaced due to the conflict in the area,” Lt Col Payne said following his tour of the camp.

“We just received a briefing from the provincial governor who outlined that at present the numbers at this particular IDP camp are starting to decline, which is a good sign. It means that the population is becoming comfortable with the ceasefire arrangements and are comfortable returning to their homes at this particular time,” he added.

When asked about his optimism regarding the permanence of the ceasefire, Lt Col Payne responded: “I hope that it is. I’d like to see that both sides can come to agreements so that the ceasefire does hold.”

On recommendations for achieving lasting peace, he stated: “The long-term solution would be for both sides to come to an agreement, ceasing all hostilities, having the forces move back to their original positions, and from there allowing people on both sides of the border to resume their normal daily lives.”

Referring to recent diplomatic efforts, Lt Col Payne noted: “They’ve already had that meeting on the 7th of August. Both sides have agreed to a series of different outcomes, and I think it’s time for both of them just to observe what they’ve agreed to and try to get back to normal life as soon as possible.”

He also commented on the protection and support of civilians who remain in the camps: “The Cambodian government has obviously put this in place to protect the civilians within the conflict area. That’s what IDP camps are designed to do. We’ve just been briefed that a number of different non-governmental organisations are here providing support. The number of families here appears to be receiving adequate assistance.”

The Japanese Embassy said on its Facebook page yesterday that Colonel Hara Takashi, Counsellor and Defence Attaché, joined a site visit to affected areas in Oddar Meanchey province as a member of the Military Attaché Corps Phnom Penh for an update briefing on the border situation hosted by the Ministry of National Defence.

Japan said it will continue to make efforts to promote steady implementation of the ceasefire agreement and de-escalation of the situation, in coordination with relevant countries.

“I would like to express my deepest sympathies to those who have been affected by the recent conflict,” Col Hara said.

He said he visited a temple and school near the border that had been damaged by air strikes, as well as shelter for evacuees. “I will report what I observed today to the capital.”