Prime Minister Cites Thai Army Threat to Use Force, Urges Adherence to Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) Mechanisms
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia – Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet has issued a strong challenge to Thailand, demanding that it demonstrate its claim as a peace-loving nation by immediately ceasing military threats and resolving all border issues through agreed-upon peaceful mechanisms.
In a social media post this evening, Samdech Thipadei addressed the severe contradiction between Thailand’s public statements and recent military action.
Contradiction: Military Threat vs. Peaceful Declarations
The Prime Minister noted that Thai leaders have consistently declared through international media and forums that Thailand is a peace-loving country that respects international law.
“Therefore, it is truly shocking to see the news published on Dec. 8, 2025, that Thailand’s 1st Army Area has announced it will use force to reclaim what it calls Thailand’s sovereign territory,” Samdech Thipadei stated.
This threat reportedly includes firing artillery and mobilizing troops into populated areas like Prey Chan and Chouk Chey villages, and several other locations along the Banteay Meanchey border.
Adherence to Peaceful Mechanisms
Prime Minister Hun Manet firmly stressed that if Thailand is sincere about its commitments, it must immediately return to diplomatic solutions:
- Avoid Force: He warned that using military force to attack civilian villages under the pretext of reclaiming sovereignty is fundamentally incompatible with respecting international law.
- Use JBC: “If Thailand truly loves peace… the Thai government and military should adhere to peaceful settlement of border issues, using agreed mechanisms and currently being implemented by both sides,” he stressed.
Cambodia maintains its unwavering principle of respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its neighbors, but will not allow any country to violate its own.
Successful Border Demarcation Underway
To underscore the viability of peaceful resolution, the Prime Minister highlighted the ongoing success of the Cambodia–Thailand Joint Boundary Commission (JBC).
The JBC’s work, which is based on legitimate documents from the French colonial era (notably the Procès Verbaux from 1908–1909 and 1919–1920), has seen recent productive cooperation:
- Progress: Joint survey teams recently agreed to deploy to emplace temporary markers along segments between Boundary Pillars No. 42–47 (Banteay Meanchey) and No. 52–59 (Battambang).
- Completion: Work between Pillars No. 52–59 is almost 100 percent complete, and progress on the disputed 42–47 segment has been progressing well in accordance with treaties.
Samdech Thipadei concluded that the 1st Army Area’s declaration to use military force in the area of Pillars No. 42–47 is “totally contrary to the spirit of a peaceful border settlement through demarcation in accordance with international laws.”
“I sincerely hope that the Thai side… will continue to use peaceful and lawful means… Whatever the results of the survey may be, Cambodia will respect them. I hope that Thailand will have the sincerity to do the same.”
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