September 12, 2025
PHNOM PENH – The Ministry of National Defence on Thursday supported the deployment of the ASEAN Interim Observer Team (IOT) from Phnom Penh to Preah Vihear and Banteay Meanchey provinces to begin on-site monitoring of the ceasefire agreement between Cambodia and Thailand.
“The mission, led by Brigadier General Dato’ Pahlawan Asri bin Shukor, Head of Mission of the IOT and director of Training at the Royal Malaysian Army HQ, includes representatives from Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam,” noted the defence ministry.
“The team is tasked with observing, verifying and reporting on the situation in the border areas,” it added.
Yesterday, September 10, the ministry formally welcomed the arrival of the IOT in Phnom Penh, describing its presence as a reflection of ASEAN’s collective commitment — particularly under Malaysia’s chairmanship — to peace, stability, cooperation and development.
“This represents the active participation of ASEAN member states, particularly Malaysia in its role as chair, in supporting a peaceful resolution between the two nations,” said a ministry statement.
The deployment of the IOT follows outcomes from the July 28 Cambodia-Thailand General Border Committee (GBC) Special Meeting in Malaysia and the August 7 Extraordinary Meeting, which sought concrete steps to uphold the ceasefire and strengthen regional cooperation.