AKP Phnom Penh, November 08, 2025 --

H.E. Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata, Spokeswoman of the Ministry of National Defence of Cambodia, this afternoon issued a press release updating the public on the progress of the humanitarian demining operations in priority areas along the Cambodia-Thailand border.

The full press release reads as follows: 

1. With the aim of protecting the lives of civilians and contributing to socio-economic development, and based on the spirit of the 1st Special Meeting of the General Border Committee (GBC) held in Koh Kong Province on September 10, 2025, both Cambodia and Thailand agreed to establish the Cambodia-Thailand Joint Coordinating Task Force (JCTF) led by GBC secretariat of both sides with the participation of CMAC and TMAC to determine and agree on pilot border area and priority border areas for the humanitarian demining as agreed by the JCTF.

2. The humanitarian demining activities along the Cambodia-Thailand border shall fall under the mandate and mechanism of the JCTF. No unilateral demining operations are permitted. Both Cambodia and Thailand must respect the agreed-upon principles and comply with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) established on October 23, 2025.

3. The JCTF has the duty to determine and approve the pilot and priority border areas, as well as approve the action plan for the humanitarian demining operations. Upon the JCTF's approval of the action plan for the humanitarian demining operations, the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) and the Thailand Mine Action Centre (TMAC) will coordinate with demining operators to separately and independently conduct the humanitarian demining operations at the agreed priority border areas. Aside from the identified and agreed priority border areas, no unilateral humanitarian demining operations are permitted in the border areas that are not yet demarcated, pending the decision from the Cambodia-Thailand Joint Coordinating Task Force (JCTF).

4. All humanitarian demining activities and the coordinates of minefield polygons in the agreed pilot and priority border areas are without prejudice to the survey and demarcation of land boundary between Cambodia and Thailand, or shall not be used to create faits accomplis on the ground or boundary claims. The survey and demarcation of land boundary fall under the mandate of the JBC.

5. The pilot border area and priority border areas that have been cleared of mines shall preserve status quo ante. For the post-clearance area, both sides shall refrain from carrying out any work resulting in change of environment of the frontier zone in accordance with Article V of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand on the Survey and Demarcation of Land Boundary, dated June 14, 2000 (MOU 2000).

6. In accordance with the spirit of the 2nd Special GBC Meeting held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on October 23, 2025, and the JCTF meeting on October 31, 2025, the pilot border area within the priority border areas was designated at O’Beichoan commune, O’Chrov district, Banteay Meanchey province, Kingdom of Cambodia, opposite to Nonmak Moon commune, Khok Song district, Sa Kaeo province, Kingdom of Thailand. CMAC and TMAC were tasked to meet and continue technical work on the ground on November 7, 2025, to verify the agreed coordinates of minefield polygons within the agreed priority border areas. CMAC and TMAC shall develop a detailed action plan for the humanitarian demining operations in the pilot border area within the agreed priority border areas to get approval from JCTF before carrying out the humanitarian demining operations.”

AKP