(Geneva): Ouch Borith, First Vice President of the Senate of Cambodia, voiced deep concern over the fragile peace along the Cambodia–Thailand border, where Cambodian civilians face forced displacement, encirclement, and threats of eviction, while 18 Cambodian soldiers remain unlawfully detained in violation of the Third Geneva Convention.

Ouch Borith spoke during the General Debate of the 151st Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly under the theme “safeguarding humanitarian action in times of armed conflict”, held in Geneva, Switzerland, on 21 October 2025.

“Despite these significant achievements, peace along our shared border remains fragile. Cambodian civilians still face displacement, encirclement, and intimidation, while 18 Cambodian soldiers continue to be unlawfully detained and that is a clear violation of the Third Geneva Convention. What is even more worrying are reports of psychological intimidation such as ghost-like sounds and screaming noises at night, which amount to acts of torture against already traumatized communities,” the first vice president underscored.

Before the international community, the first vice president emphasised that such behaviour is not an attack on a military post but rather an attack on human dignity, violating Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention and Article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

He also condemned unilateral actions such as the application of Thai domestic laws on disputed communities and the installation of barbed wire fences encroaching into Cambodian sovereign territory, calling these clear breaches of the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding on Land Boundary Demarcation, which serves as the foundation of trust for joint mechanisms.

Regarding Thailand’s accusation of Cambodia’s “militarisation” of the Preah Vihear World Heritage Site, Ouch Borith firmly rejected it as baseless. He underscored that Cambodia defends the Preah Vihear Temple not through the use of weapons but through heritage, law, and patience. He added that it was the use of bombings that had endangered the stones and spirit of the temple, which represents not only the nation’s past but also its identity and soul. Damaging such heritage is, therefore, an injury to all humanity.

He stressed that Cambodia’s actions speak louder than words, maintaining ceasefire commitments and close cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), UNESCO, and ASEAN, while submitting verified evidence to the Ottawa Convention Committee.

“Our conduct is guided by principle, not propaganda. We act according to law, not ambition. Cambodia’s defense is not for domination but for conscience. And as history will show, truth needs no weapon other than itself,” Ouch Borith continued.

Additionally, he dismissed as groundless and impossible the allegation that Cambodia has planted new landmines in foreign territory, noting that Cambodia has destroyed over three million mines, opened its territory for international inspection, and continues to be a global advocate for demining under the Ottawa Convention. If new mines are discovered along the border, he said, they are remnants of past conflicts, not the result of any new Cambodian activity.
=FRESH NEWS