Cambodia rolls out two top warlords before clashes with Thailand

One of the most telling signs was the first public reappearance in four months of Lt Gen Sray Deuk, deputy army commander and commander of Cambodia’s 3rd Support Division, on Wednesday (December 3).

His return came after persistent rumours that he had been killed in Thai F-16 air strikes during border fighting between July 24 and 28.

Sray Deuk is regarded as one of Hun Sen’s closest battlefield lieutenants, taking orders directly from the Cambodian Senate president and former prime minister.

Also back in the frame is Gen Hing Bun Heang, commander of Cambodia’s Bodyguard Headquarters (BHQ).

Cambodian online media splashed prominent reports and images confirming that Sray Deuk was alive, appearing alongside Gen Mao Sophan, deputy commander-in-chief and army commander, and Kim Rithy, governor of Preah Vihear province.

The trio were reported to have attended a meeting with Prince Men Sam Orn, senior adviser to the King, at the headquarters of the 9th Support Brigade in Choam Khsant District, Preah Vihear province. The base lies around 25 kilometres south of Chong Bok in the Nam Yuen district of Ubon Ratchathani province on the Thai side.

One day before the latest clash, on Saturday (December 6),  Sray Deuk and Hing Bun Heang joined Deputy Prime Minister Hun Many on a visit to the Preah Vihear border area, where they handed out supplies and offered moral support to front-line troops.

Another factor shaping the current tension is Cambodia’s setback at the 22nd Meeting of the States Parties to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (Ottawa Convention) at the United Nations.

At that meeting, Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow and his team presented video evidence of Cambodian troops secretly laying anti-personnel mines inside Thai sovereign territory, incidents that left seven Thai soldiers losing their legs.

The move was aimed at undermining Phnom Penh’s narrative that a “bigger” Thailand bullies its “smaller” neighbour.

On the Thai side, the stance of the military leadership has hardened. Army commander-in-chief Gen Phana Klaewplodthuk has ordered 100% combat readiness, issuing guidance for combat units in all Army regions to support the 2nd Army Area in its operations.

“If we fight, we must win, and we must stay safe. If we win the battle but our men suffer heavy losses and civilians are not safe, that is unacceptable.

Everyone must be kept safe, the mission must succeed, and damage must be kept to an absolute minimum,” the Army chief declared.

That approach is also reflected in the work of Army chief-of-staff Gen Chaiyapruek Duangprapat, who has been tasked with revising the “Chakrabongse Bhuvanath” operational plan after the previous round of fighting failed to achieve its strategic aim of eliminating Cambodia’s capacity to pose a military threat.

“The objective is for the Army to render Cambodia’s military capability ineffective for a long time to come, for the safety of our children and grandchildren,” he was quoted as saying.

In this latest round of clashes, the Army is seeking to secure three key areas in a decisive manner: Hill 350 and Prasat Ta Kwai in Phanom Dong Rak district; Prasat Khana in Kap Choeng district of Surin; and Huai Ta Maria, near Phu Makua in Si Sa Ket.

Air operations are being used to “carpet” and open the way for advancing ground forces.

A source in the 2nd Army Area said Cambodia’s chain of command differs fundamentally from that of Thailand.

While Thai forces follow a clear hierarchy, all Cambodian military decisions are taken directly by Hun Sen alone.

The people he trusts most, the source added, are Sray Deuk and Hing Bun Heang, a factor that helps explain why Cambodian front-line units and policymakers often appear to think and act differently.

The source went on to say that Hun Sen employs an “old communist-style” model of centralised power, with little in the way of formal procedures or established protocols, instead relying on individual expertise such as local terrain knowledge and jungle warfare.

On the Thai side, the source noted, battlefield conditions in rugged forest and mountain terrain mean that tactics often cannot follow training scripts exactly.

Both armies have to adapt their methods to gain an edge, while also fighting with their minds, through intelligence work, strategic thinking and the use of more sophisticated equipment.

“What makes this difficult is that we still cannot read Hun Sen’s game. We do not know exactly what he is thinking, or what his front-line troops are thinking. We have to assess the situation day by day. Hun Sen lives in an older world; he thinks for himself and sets the entire game himself,” the 2nd Army source said.

Clashes between Thailand and Cambodia remain ongoing and are widening.

What began in the 2nd Army Area has now spread into the 1st Army Area, including the villages of Nong Chan and Nong Ya Kaeo in Khok Sung district of Sa Kaeo, where forces from both sides are locked in a stand-off.

Military analysts expect the conflict zone to expand in the coming days towards the Border Defence Command in Chanthaburi and Trat, under the Royal Thai Navy.

Evacuation of residents from high-risk areas is already underway.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who has repeatedly expressed confidence in the capabilities of the Thai armed forces, has meanwhile sent a clear political signal: he wants the border problem “swiftly closed” with no negotiations or compromise until Cambodia accepts Thailand’s conditions without reservation.