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Cambodia on Sunday protested the unauthorized presence of Royal Thai Navy vessels and their illegal train of regulation enforcement inside Cambodia’s territorial sea the place three Cambodian nationals have been arrested and their vessel seized.
The incident occurred on February 22, 2026, about 7.2 nautical miles from Koh Yor, Koh Kong province, in line with the Overseas Affairs Ministry, which referred to as for the rapid launch of the boys and their fishing vessel.
“These actions represent a transparent violation of Cambodia’s sovereignty and territorial sea in addition to worldwide regulation,” learn the assertion.
Cambodia additionally requested Thailand to stop all unauthorized naval patrol and regulation enforcement exercise inside Cambodia’s territorial sea, it mentioned.
Yorn Mut, a fishing boat proprietor and the uncle of two of the boys who have been arrested, mentioned he discovered concerning the incident from one other fishing vessel which was close by. He instantly contacted the Cambodian authorities to assist safe their launch.
“It’s unfair to our fishermen as a result of we now have been fishing in that space for practically twenty years,” he mentioned.
“We’re simply residents. We’ve no energy to talk to them [the Thai navy]. Solely authorities officers can intervene to safe their launch and return our boat,” Mut mentioned, including that the vessel was inside Cambodia’s territory.
Earlier than the arrest, his nephew, Ngout Rath, who was piloting the boat, tried to flee from the Thai navy however failed as a result of the boat’s engine was damaged.
Mut mentioned the each day exercise of fishermen has been disrupted amid the surge in border tensions.
“We’re involved about our security and safety. The ocean is in entrance of our home, however we can’t exit to fish,” Mut mentioned.
“They seized our boat in an space the place we now have at all times fished,” he mentioned.
He referred to as on the related authorities of each governments to obviously outline maritime boundaries in order that Cambodian fishermen know the place they’re permitted to fish.
One other fisherman, Say Mon, expressed related issues, saying that fishing actions have constricted for the reason that border tensions.
“Beforehand, we may entry areas greater than six nautical miles offshore, however now we are able to’t as a result of the Thai [navy forces] us out,” he mentioned.
“Typically, even once we are fishing inside our territorial sea, they chase us,” he added.
“We’re involved about our security and safety when going out to fish as a result of they will arrest us with out notification. We rely solely on fishing for our livelihood. In the event that they arrest us, we can’t do something,” he mentioned.
At Monday’s press briefing, authorities spokesperson Pen Bona burdened that Prime Minister Hun Manet underscored peace as its core worth throughout his abroad go to and referred to as for the implementation of present agreements and treaties between Cambodia and Thailand.
Each international locations reached a ceasefire on December 27, following weeks of lethal clashes alongside the roughly 800 km shared border that killed over 100 folks and displaced virtually 1,000,000 on either side.
A spokesperson for Thailand’s protection ministry, Surasant Kongsiri, didn’t instantly reply to a request for touch upon the unauthorized Thai navy vessels violating Cambodian territorial sea.
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