I have listened to the message from Mr. Um Sam An in response to my invitation to him and his border expert team to bring all the documents and evidence he possesses regarding the Cambodia-Thailand border between boundary pillars No. 52 and 59 to discuss straightforwardly with the professional border team of the State Secretariat of Border Affairs in Cambodia. This is to demonstrate transparency, accountability, accuracy, and our responsibility before the citizens regarding the border issue with Thailand, especially during this phase when the Cambodia-Thailand border has not yet been fully resolved.
In his message of approximately 80 minutes, apart from repeating the same baseless issues he has frequently raised in the past, Mr. Um Sam An has not yet given a specific response regarding my invitation.
What I understand is that he seems not to dare to come to Cambodia following the invitation to hold discussions because he fears for his life or safety—concerned that someone might snip at him from an ambush or smash his head (according to his words). He stated that if we meet outside the country, he would meet.
Regarding the statements made by Mr. Um Sam An, I would like to clarify:
1. Regarding the safety of Mr. Um Sam An and his team:
- I reiterate the guarantee of safety for him and his team during their presence in Cambodia until they depart from Cambodia.
- If he does not trust me and the Royal Government, he may request safety monitoring support from any foreign embassy in Cambodia or any civil society organization he trusts.
- If I had any malicious intentions toward Mr. Um Sam An, I would not need to provide such a public guarantee, because if anything were to happen to him, I would be the biggest loser, losing trust as a leader and facing various accusations.
2. Regarding the location for discussion:
Designating Cambodia as the location for the discussion serves two objectives:
- First Objective: To provide an opportunity for Cambodian citizens within the country—especially journalists, party representatives, civil society organizations, students, intellectuals, the general public, including his supporters—to attend, listen to, and bear witness to the discussion. Therefore, if Mr. Um Sam An still trusts and values Cambodian citizens within the country, he should not refuse to hold discussions inside Cambodia, unless he feels that Cambodian citizens within the country are untrustworthy or not worth as much as his personal safety.
- Second Objective: I do not want the discussion to be limited to just sitting at a table using papers on each side, as doing so clarifies nothing definitive. It would only waste time and could cause further confusion among the Cambodian citizens following this case. In the event that the table discussion remains unclear or inconclusive, only actual verification on the ground can provide clarity. Therefore, only holding the discussion within Cambodia allows us to conduct on-site physical verifications if necessary.
I still hope that Mr. Um Sam An and his team will come to discuss in Cambodia as invited, to demonstrate transparency, accountability, accuracy, and our responsibility before the citizens regarding the border issue with Thailand, especially during this phase when the Cambodia-Thailand border has not yet been fully resolved. This would also demonstrate the level of trust and value that Mr. Um Sam An places in the Cambodian citizens within the country.
