July 2, 2026 — General Vong Pisen, Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF), filed a formal complaint with General Romeo S. Brawner Jr., Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, regarding a recent unannounced border crossing into Cambodian territory by members of the ASEAN Observer Team (AOT) operating from the Thai side.
The incident occurred on June 26, near the Khnar temple area in Oddar Meanchey province without prior notice or coordination with Cambodian authorities.
According to the letter dated June 30, the Thai-side AOT delegation, accompanied by Thai armed personnel, entered Cambodian territory in the Khnar temple area and proceeded to plant trees.
General Vong Pisen expressed deep concerns over this unsanctioned movement, stressing that the RCAF has repeatedly clarified through official maps that this zone falls strictly under Cambodian sovereignty.
The Cambodian military chief said such cross-border activities by the Thai-side team violate the foundational principles of neutrality, mutual respect, and trust-building that underpin the shared regional monitoring mechanism.
He warned that unauthorized actions by observers in sensitive border sectors risk undermining the confidence built between Cambodia and Thailand, potentially jeopardizing ongoing diplomatic efforts to achieve a peaceful boundary resolution.
In his letter to General Brawner, General Vong Pisen requested an official review of the incident. He urged that all AOT officers, particularly those deployed on the Thai side, strictly adhere to the agreed Terms of Reference (TOR) and maintain absolute neutrality.
He reaffirmed that Cambodia remains fully committed to working with the Philippines and other ASEAN partners to preserve peace along the border.
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