UBON RATCHATHANI, Thailand – A delegation from the ASEAN Interim Observer Team (IOT) encountered a hostile reception from Cambodian soldiers during a field visit, hosted by the Royal Thai Army to Chong An Ma pass in Ubon Ratchathani province on Tuesday.
The Cambodian soldiers, shouting and appearing agitated, refused to allow the Thai officials to bring the full party, which included representatives from Brunei, Malaysia, Laos, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam, as well as journalists, to survey the area and to examine reports of Cambodian forces cutting barbed-wire fencing. This action is considered a violation of the ceasefire agreement and an act that undermines trust between the two countries.
The Cambodians claimed that the Thai side had brought an excessive number of people and journalists to the site. The soldiers only permitted the observers to approach the Ta-Om monument, while journalists and Thai officials were confined to a nearby market area.
Chong An Ma is a strategic area that has been the site of past clashes between Thailand and Cambodia. Both sides now maintain unarmed troops at the pass under a standing ceasefire agreement.
The IOT delegation later traveled to Pha Mor E Daeng in Si Sa Ket province, where they were briefed on multiple Cambodian ceasefire violations in the border areas. Located on a cliff with a clear view of disputed areas, the site provided an ideal vantage point for the delegation. The on-site visit was aimed at providing the delegation with a comprehensive understanding of the situation.
The observers also visited Kritsana Base (Phu Makheua) to investigate a recent incident on August 9 in which a Thai soldier was injured by a newly planted PMN-2 landmine. (TNA)
