PHNOM PENH, A senior Cambodian border official said the An Seh area, known in Thailand as An Ma, lies entirely within Cambodian territory under historical border treaties and official boundary demarcation records, while accusing Thai military forces and civilians of illegally occupying Cambodian land.

The remarks were made by Mr. Soeu Bora, Director General of the General Department of Border Affairs Technical Affairs at Cambodia's State Secretariat of Border Affairs, during a video interview released on July 27.

According to Seu Bora, the An Seh area is located wholly within Cambodia's internationally recognized territory under the Franco-Siamese Treaties, the Annex I Map at a scale of 1:200,000, and the official demarcation protocols (Procès-Verbal or PV) prepared by the Indochina-Siam Mixed Boundary Commission in 1908 and 1919.

"The An Seh area is entirely located within Cambodian territory according to the 1:200,000-scale map and the demarcation protocols (PV) of the Indochina-Siam Delimitation Commission of 1908 and 1919," Seu Bora said.

 

He added that even Thailand's L7017 series map, at a scale of 1:50,000, which Cambodia says was unilaterally prepared by Thailand, also places the An Seh area inside Cambodian territory.

"Even under the L7017 series 1:50,000-scale map, which was unilaterally drawn by Thailand, the An Seh area still clearly falls inside Cambodian territory," he said.

 

Mr. Soeu Bora further alleged that Thai military forces and Thai civilians are illegally occupying Cambodian territory in the area by altering infrastructure, constructing religious and civilian structures, and installing barbed wire and shipping containers inside land that Cambodia considers to be under its sovereignty.

"Thai military forces and Thai civilians are illegally occupying Cambodian territory by modifying infrastructure, constructing both religious and civilian facilities, and installing barbed wire and shipping containers inside Cambodian territory," he said.

 

The Cambodian official said Phnom Penh does not recognize any unilateral actions carried out by Thai military personnel or civilians in the area.

"Cambodia categorically rejects and does not recognize any unilateral actions undertaken by Thai military forces or civilians in Cambodian territory," Seu Bora said. "Cambodia will continue to pursue its border position and resolve border issues with Thailand on the basis of national and international law, supported by historical treaties, official maps and other documentary evidence."

 

The video comes amid continuing sensitivities over sections of the Cambodia-Thailand land border, where the two countries have long maintained differing interpretations of boundary alignments in certain areas.

Cambodia has consistently maintained that the land boundary with Thailand should be determined in accordance with the Franco-Siamese Treaties, the Annex I Map, and the official records of the Indochina-Siam Mixed Boundary Commission, which Phnom Penh says constitute the legal basis for the international boundary.

Thailand has historically maintained different interpretations of parts of the frontier in some disputed areas. Thai authorities had not immediately commented on Seu Bora's remarks.