Hun Manet: Cambodia Prioritises People’s Livelihoods Over Arms Spending

Hun Manet: Cambodia Prioritises People’s Livelihoods Over Arms Spending

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 16, 2026 — Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said Cambodia will continue seeking peaceful, law-based solutions to its border disputes with Thailand rather than diverting national resources toward weapons, arguing that public funds should instead be used to protect livelihoods and support the economy.

Speaking at the inauguration of Luang Mae Hospital in Phnom Penh on Wednesday, Hun Manet said Cambodia’s approach to both its land and maritime boundary issues was to pursue negotiations and established mechanisms in accordance with international law.

The prime minister said the government had chosen to spend substantial public resources on measures designed to ease economic pressure on citizens rather than directing the money toward renewed armed confrontation.

“We spend money on this, which is better than taking the money to buy BM [munitions] to shoot at each other,” Hun Manet said, referring to government assistance for vulnerable households.

Hundreds of millions spent to cushion households

Hun Manet highlighted the financial burden of government measures to shield citizens from rising living costs.

He said the government had spent more than US$360 million through tax reductions for fuel-importing companies to prevent domestic fuel prices from rising sharply.

The government had also allocated more than US$50 million through Electricité du Cambodge (EDC) to help absorb energy costs and prevent electricity prices from increasing significantly.

The prime minister further pointed to recently approved financial assistance for more than one million vulnerable households, saying the programme would require hundreds of millions of dollars in state expenditure.

He said the government had also intervened to ease bank-interest burdens for vulnerable citizens, military families, displaced people and Cambodians returning from abroad.

Peaceful approach to Thailand border issues

Hun Manet reiterated that Cambodia remains committed to resolving outstanding border issues with Thailand through peaceful mechanisms, negotiations and international law.

He said Cambodia has not abandoned its territorial issues and has not ceded territory through the agreements reached with Thailand to halt fighting.

The government continues to address unresolved land-boundary questions through mechanisms including the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC), while Cambodia is pursuing compulsory conciliation under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) over its maritime dispute with Thailand.

Hun Manet’s remarks came as Cambodia continues to face economic and humanitarian pressures stemming from the border conflict, including support for displaced families and communities in affected provinces.

He said national resources should prioritize helping citizens recover and strengthening the economy, particularly for families living in border areas of Banteay Meanchey, Oddar Meanchey and Preah Vihear.

The prime minister’s comments reinforced the government’s stated position that territorial disputes should be addressed through diplomatic and legal processes rather than renewed armed confrontation.