Phnom penh: The 51st Infantry Brigade of the Royal Cambodian Army has requested Thailand to cease its planned demining operations in the border areas of Chork Chey and Prey Chan villages. This request comes as the Cambodian military asserts that the operations contradict the spirit of the First Special Meeting of the General Border Committee (GBC) held on September 10, 2025.

According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, the 51st Infantry Brigade responded to a notice issued by Thailand’s Burapha Task Force on October 8. The brigade referenced point 6 from the Agreed Minutes of the GBC meeting, which outlined a phased approach for Humanitarian Demining operations along the Cambodia-Thailand border. The plan involves establishing a Joint Coordinating Task Force (JCTF), which was officially announced on September 24, 2025.

Following the establishment of the JCTF, both parties are expected to discuss and prepare Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). As of now, the SOP has undergone two revisions, with the JCTF holding its second meeting via video teleconference on October 9 to discuss these procedures. The meeting reportedly yielded positive results, with further discussions needed to finalize the SOP.

The Cambodian military emphasized that the planned demining activities by Thailand’s Burapha Task Force, scheduled for October 10, 2025, in the areas of Chork Chey and Prey Chan villages, are inconsistent with the agreements made during the GBC meeting. The 51st Infantry Brigade urged the Burapha Task Force to halt these activities and respect the spirit of the GBC meeting’s agreements, awaiting decisions from higher authorities and adhering to procedures prescribed by the JCTF’s SOP.

The letter from the Cambodian brigade expressed hope for cooperation from the Burapha Task Force in resolving this issue amicably.