Cambodian Senate Commission Chair Chhiv Yiseang Rejects Nophadol's Claims

Chhiv Yiseang, chairman of the Cambodian Senate Commission on Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Information, categorically dismissed the September 2 statement by Thai Senator Nophadol In-na. He said 'a temporary ceasefire framework cannot be selectively exploited to legitimise an unlawful military occupation,' rejected Nophadol's 'Cambodia fired first' framing, and cited the Franco-Siamese Convention of 1904 and Treaty of 1907 as the legal basis for Cambodia's territorial claims. He called Nophadol's characterization of nearly 20,000 displaced Cambodians as leverage 'cruel rhetoric,' saying displaced civilians retain 'an unassailable right to return safely and with dignity to their lands.'