Thai Government slams Cambodian Premier Hun Manet: Says ceasefire claim false
Spokesperson Jirayu Huangsap addressed recent claims made by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet on Facebook, where he accused Thailand of backing out of a ceasefire agreement. He added that Cambodia still reinforces troops from North to South, while continuing heavy shelling.
As the spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office and member of the Thai-Cambodian Border Situation Management Task Force (SCB), Jirayu continued that Hun Manet claimed that he had agreed to a ceasefire with ASEAN Chair Anwar Ibrahim at midnight on July 24, but that Thailand's representative, Phumtham Wechayachai, later rejected the deal and postponed talks indefinitely.
The Thai government clarified that the phone call in question was a private conversation between ASEAN Chair Anwar Ibrahim and Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai. Hun Manet was not on the call, and it was not a three-way conversation.
The call included a proposal for a ceasefire starting at midnight, which Mr. Phumtham acknowledged but said he needed to review the security situation along all seven Thai-Cambodian border provinces before making a decision.
Following this, Thailand’s national security agencies reported that Cambodia had shown no signs of de-escalation, but rather had continued to reinforce military presence along the border in all seven provinces and had intensified artillery and multiple rocket launcher attacks, including strikes targeting civilian areas.
As a result, Acting PM Phumtham called ASEAN Chair Anwar Ibrahim again to explain that Cambodian military actions remained a clear threat to Thailand’s sovereignty.
Jirayu added that Cambodia’s continued reinforcements and indiscriminate shelling of civilian zones amounted to war crimes. He revealed that from Ubon Ratchathani Province in the north to Trat Province in the south, Cambodian forces had been moving aggressively closer to the Thai border. Given the severity of the situation, martial law had been declared in the two most affected provinces.
As for Hun Manet’s Facebook post accusing Thailand of reneging on the ceasefire, the Thai government dismissed the claims as false and misleading.
The Thai government also thanked ASEAN Chair Anwar Ibrahim for his efforts and proposal for a ceasefire, reaffirming its willingness to consider peaceful options. However, Cambodia has continued its assaults throughout the day, including repeated attacks on civilian targets.
The Thai government stressed that any ceasefire must come with appropriate and realistic conditions that reflect the actual situation on the ground. The safety of Thai citizens is the government’s top priority. Given Cambodia’s ongoing aggression and lack of sincerity, the Thai government vowed to defend the nation’s sovereignty and protect its people to the fullest extent.
