Cambodian media reported on September 25 that a satellite map unilaterally drawn and released by the Thai military had sparked controversy along the border. According to the report, Thai residents had occupied and cultivated parts of land in Victory village, O Bei Choan commune, Ou Chrov district, Banteay Meanchey, and extended an asphalt road into Cambodian territory. Cambodian representatives reacted strongly and expressed concern about escalation.
Cambodian officials said the Thai military and local authorities in Sa Kaeo were using the map as an official reference to advance the placement of boundary markers. They said this heightened tensions and forced some Cambodian villagers to leave their homes, raising concerns about possible large-scale expulsions.
Major General 清坤, identified in the source as director of the Ministry of National Defence’s geography management department, said the red and blue lines were unilateral Thai reference lines, rather than a mutually accepted boundary. He said location diagrams bearing the signatures of both survey-team leaders only confirmed marker positions and could not serve as a legal basis for the boundary.
According to the Cambodian investigation described in the report, Thai residents had illegally occupied Cambodian land between markers 44 and 47. The major general said both countries had the legal, institutional and technical means to resolve the issue under the 1904 convention, 1907 treaty and 1:200,000 maps. He said 74 markers had been jointly established and reaffirmed in the 2000 memorandum on surveying and demarcating the land boundary.
He reiterated Cambodia’s commitment to historical treaties and official maps, defended its sovereignty and said it had never sought Thai territory. He called on Thailand to stop unilateral actions and respect Cambodian sovereignty to avoid further damage to bilateral relations and border stability.
Compiled by this station.
