Samdech Techo Hun Sen calls for transparent investigation into ceasefire violation

Samdech Techo Hun Sen calls for transparent investigation into ceasefire violation

Phnom Penh, September 27, 2025 – Samdech Techo Hun Sen, President of the Senate of the Kingdom of Cambodia, issued a statement today following a serious ceasefire violation involving the use of mortars and machine guns along the Cambodia–Thailand border.

Samdech Techo revealed that he and Prime Minister Hun Manet convened an emergency online meeting, instructing Cambodian armed forces to exercise maximum restraint and refrain from retaliation. After the gunfire subsided, both Cambodia and Thailand accused each other of violating the ceasefire, with each side filing complaints to the Interim Observer Team (IOT). Cambodia has made an urgent request for the IOT to conduct an on-site investigation.

To ensure integrity, transparency, neutrality, and credibility, Samdech Techo has submitted a proposal to the leadership of the Malaysian military, which currently chairs the ASEAN-led IOT, to undertake two vital tasks:

1. Conduct ballistic forensics, given that Cambodia and Thailand use different types of ammunition.

2. Inspect the impact sites of shelling to determine the origin and trajectory of fire, clarifying whether it came from Cambodia towards Thailand or vice versa.

He emphasized that Cambodian forces are preserving shell craters and creating favorable conditions for IOT observers to conduct precise forensic analysis. Samdech Techo Hun Sen urged Thailand to demonstrate the same level of cooperation, stressing that “just as pure gold does not fear fire, any refusal to allow inspections by IOT observers would imply guilt on whichever side obstructs the process.”

Samdech Techo reaffirmed Cambodia’s firm commitment to peace, transparency, and adherence to the ceasefire agreement, while calling on Thailand to respect and implement it in good faith for the sake of regional stability and the well-being of both peoples.