Cambodia Protests Thai Military Activity Near Boundary Pillar No. 9
Cambodia Protests Thai Military Activity Near Boundary Pillar No. 9
PHNOM PENH, Sept. 17, 2026 — Cambodia has formally protested what it described as another violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity by Thai armed forces, accusing Thai troops of using heavy machinery to level ground and construct an earthen trench near Boundary Pillar No. 9 in Oddar Meanchey province.
According to a September 16 press release from Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the activity took place on September 15, 2026, in the Ta Tum area of Anlong Veng district.
The Cambodian government said the construction constituted a violation of Cambodia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity as defined by the 1:200,000-scale maps produced by the historical Commissions of Delimitation of the Boundary between Indo-China and Siam under the 1904 Franco-Siamese Convention and 1907 Treaty.
Cambodia also said the reported activities violated Article 5 of the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding on the Survey and Demarcation of the Land Boundary, as well as the December 27, 2025 Joint Statement of the Third Special Meeting of the General Border Committee (GBC).
Under the December 2025 statement, Cambodia and Thailand agreed to refer outstanding boundary issues to the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) for the resumption of survey and demarcation work in accordance with existing bilateral agreements. Similar Cambodian complaints over Thai road construction and other activities along the border have been issued previously.
Cambodia rejects unilateral boundary claims
The Foreign Ministry reiterated that Cambodia does not accept any boundary line or territorial claim that Thailand asserts unilaterally.
It said the latest activities would not prejudice Cambodia’s legal rights or position concerning its international boundary.
The ministry called on Thailand to immediately cease what Cambodia described as such activities and to honour its commitments to de-escalation, mutual trust and peaceful settlement of outstanding disputes.
Cambodia also stressed that it remains committed to resolving all boundary disputes with Thailand exclusively through peaceful means, in accordance with international law and existing bilateral agreements.
At the same time, Phnom Penh reiterated its position that international borders must not be changed by force.
The latest protest follows a series of Cambodian complaints over alleged Thai military construction and other activities along disputed sections of the border. In July, Cambodia similarly accused Thai forces of constructing roads between Boundary Pillars No. 8 and 9 in the Ta Tum area and between Pillars No. 19 and 20 in another part of Oddar Meanchey.
Thailand’s position on the specific September 15 allegation was not included in Cambodia’s September 16 statement.
