AKP Phnom Penh, February 25, 2026 --

H.E. Senior Minister Ieng Mouly, former Secretary-General of the Khmer People’s National Liberation Front (KPNLF) and former Member of the Supreme National Council of Cambodia (SNC), has rejected Thailand’s claims over parts of Banteay Meanchey province, stating that such claims are illegal and contrary to historical facts.

Speaking as a witness, H.E. Ieng Mouly recalled that in 1982 he left France to join the KPNLF, which had set up camps on Khmer territory along the border with Thailand.

These camps included Nong Chan Camp (near the Thai village named Ban Nong Chan), Rithysen Camp (near the Thai village named Ban Nong Samet), and Ampil Camp (near the Thai village named Ban Sangae). Adjacent to Ampil Camp was another camp called Samlor Chhnanh Camp on Khmer territory. 

H.E. Ieng  Mouly said in distant provinces, there were O'Bok Camp, Nam Yuen Camp, and Sok Sann Camp. Arriving directly from France, he stayed overnight at Nong Chan Camp, which at that time had Mr. Chea Rithy Chhut as Chief, Mr. Sou Kim Sun as Deputy Chief, and Mr. Chum Chheang as Chief of Administration, before he left to become Chief of Dangrek Camp, which was separated from Nong Chan Camp. All these camps were entirely situated on Khmer territory. Throughout the 1980s, all these camps came under attack from the People's Republic of Kampuchea army, with assistance from the Vietnamese army. 

During these attacks, no Thai troops or forces came out to fight to defend any of these camps because they were Khmer camps located on Khmer soil. Therefore, Thailand cannot claim that all those camps were on Thai territory, as the Thai Foreign Minister told international newspapers. In 1984-1985, all those camps were overrun and dismantled. The civilian refugees were then allowed to live in camps on Thai territory, such as Site 2 Camp for the KPNLF faction, Site B Camp for the faction of Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk, and other camps for the Khmer Rouge faction. However, since the Paris Peace Agreements came into effect, all those Khmer refugees were repatriated, leaving not a single one behind. Therefore, the Thai side's claim that some Khmer refugees have continued to live on Thai soil for decades is a complete and utter lie.

Regarding the Boeng Trakuon area, H.E. Ieng Mouly said until the end of the 1980s, this area was uninhabited. Around 1989, General Dien Del led forces to build shelters, creating the first settlement. Subsequently, it was organised into a military base named Banteay Ampil Base, located on purely Khmer territory. 

During the UNTAC period, the side of General Sak Sutsakhan and Dien Del administered the Ampil Base-Boeng Trakuon area, while the side of Grandfather (Samdech Bovoresetha) Son Sann administered the Thmar Pouk-Banteay Chhmar area. UNTAC was clearly aware of this situation, and Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk, the President of the SNC at that time, paid official visits to both areas: Thmar Pouk-Banteay Chhmar and also Boeng Trakuon-Ampil Base. At that time, Thai officials recognised it as genuinely Khmer territory, without any objection or protest, he added.

In this regards, he said, the continued occupation of Khmer territory by Thai troops is a clear violation of Cambodia's sovereignty and confirms that the Thai leadership is instigating war with Cambodia solely to encroach upon Cambodian territory, not because of fighting online scams or under the guise of combating anti-personnel landmines. 

Moreover, the war of aggression against Cambodia is also a benefit that Thai political parties exploit, following an ultranationalist sentiment, for their campaign to compete for the prime ministership in the recent elections.

H.E. Ieng Mouly further explained that if the Thai side genuinely desires a peaceful bilateral solution, Thailand must immediately allow the Joint Survey Team of both countries to conduct surveys, without waiting for the formation of a new government.

While the Thai side tells the Cambodian side to wait for the formation of a new Thai government, Thai soldiers continue to violate the ceasefire, build infrastructure, place containers, and lay barbed wire to encircle and claim Khmer territory, without waiting for the new government at all.

H.E. Ieng Mouly also declared his fully support the measures taken to resolve the dispute by Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei, the Prime Minister, as stated in his interviews with Reuters and Fox News in the United States.

 By Heng Panha