AKP Phnom Penh, October 09, 2025 --

The 51st Infantry Brigade of the Royal Cambodian Army has asked the Thai side to stop its planned demining operation in the area of Chork Chey village (Cambodia) opposite to the area of Nong Chan village (Thailand) and the area of Prey Chan village (Cambodia) opposite to the area of Nong Ya Keo village (Thailand), explaining that the move contradicts the spirit of the First Special Meeting of the General Border Committee (GBC) on Sept. 10, 2025.

In response to the notice issued on Oct. 8 by Thailand’s Burapha Task Force, the 51st Infantry Brigade cited point 6 in the Agreed Minutes of the First Special GBC Meeting outlining that the Humanitarian Demining operations in the Cambodia-Thailand border areas shall be implemented step by step as follows:

1. The Cambodia and Thailand sides shall establish the Joint Coordinating Task Force (JCTF), in which this working group has officially announced on Sept. 24, 2025.

2. After establishing the JCTF working groups, both sides shall discuss and prepare the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). To this date, the SOP has been exchanged and revised twice. On the morning of Oct. 9, the JCTF working group has held its second meeting via VTC to discuss and revise the SOP, achieving positive, noticeable, and fruitful results. The remaining points will be further discussed by both sides to finalise the SOP.

3. After the SOP are in effect, the JCTF will continue the discussions towards reaching mutual agreement on the identification of priority areas and pilot sites for Humanitarian Demining.

“The notice of the demining operation in the area of Chork Chey village (Cambodia) opposite to the area of Nong Chan village (Thailand) and the area of Prey Chan village (Cambodia) opposite to the area of Nong Ya Keo village (Thailand) that is scheduled to take place on Oct. 10, 2025 by the Burapha Task Force, runs counter to the spirit agreed upon at the First Special GBC Meeting,” the 51st Infantry Brigade underlined in a letter AKP received this evening. 

Hence, the 51st Infantry Brigade requested the Burapha Task Force to halt the planned activities stated in the notice, by respecting the spirit of the agreement reached at the First Special GBC Meeting on Sept. 10, 2025, and to wait for a decision from the higher authority and pursuant to the procedures prescribed by the JCTF's SOP.

“The 51st Infantry Brigade strongly hopes that the Burapha Task Force receives this response and provide good cooperation,” the letter concluded.

By C. Nika