Prime Minister Hun Manet hopes that now that their elections have been completed, Thai authorities will resume negotiations on surveying and demarcating the border through the mechanism of the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC), noting that this will alleviate the suffering of people living along the border.
He also reiterated that Cambodia will continue to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity, which are recognised by international law, not by force.
Manet shared his comments as he attended a February 10 meeting with the Kingdom’s top scholars, high school students who scored an A grade in the baccalaureate exam.
“It cannot be done yet due to the election in Thailand, but going forward, we hope that this mechanism is what will be used to ensure peace between the two countries, so that people along the borders of both countries do not face difficulties like in the past six months,” Manet said.
“Regarding the Cambodia-Thailand border, it is an international border between states and is protected by international law, especially the UN Charter. Therefore, Cambodia maintains an absolute stance in protecting national sovereignty and territorial integrity, both now and in the future, by using all means available to Cambodia, in accordance with international law.
“Cambodia absolutely does not recognise any alteration of the border line or the illegal occupation of territory under international law, which is through the use of force,” he explained.
Cambodia will resolve its border dispute through peaceful mechanisms, in accordance with prior agreements signed by both parties and documents left from the French colonial era, he explained, adding that the Kingdom is seeking to resolve this dispute definitively so that it does not continue for future generations.
The Prime Minister also affirmed that although it may not seem very public, the Royal Government is not silent; it’s just that sometimes things cannot be presented through daily press conferences.
He thanked citizens both inside and outside the country who have shown solidarity in protecting the Kingdom’s territory.
