Hun Manet Says Border Cannot Be Changed “By Force” After Trilateral Talks

Terry Felix On May 7, 2026 - 1:15 pm In Politics 2mn Read

CEBU, May 7, 2026 — Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said on Thursday that Cambodia remained committed to resolving its disputes with Thailand peacefully through international law and existing agreements, following trilateral talks hosted by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit.

Speaking after the meeting with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Marcos, Hun Manet said discussions focused on de-escalation measures, trust-building and restoring mechanisms aimed at maintaining lasting peace and normalized relations between the two neighbouring countries.

“We have just met with a collective result for lasting peace,” Hun Manet said during a joint press briefing.

He said both sides discussed resuming existing bilateral mechanisms, including the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC), General Border Committee (GBC) and Regional Border Committee (RBC), following the establishment of Thailand’s new government.

Hun Manet also praised the role of the ASEAN Observer Team (AOT), thanking ASEAN member states for continued support and welcoming the Philippines’ assumption of leadership of the observer mission from Malaysia.

“Cambodia has extended full cooperation and calls for strengthened roles of AOT to verify and ensure the implementation of the ceasefire and all agreed measures,” he said.

The Cambodian leader emphasized that borders could not be altered “by force or through fait accompli,” and called for full implementation of agreements reached during earlier Cambodia-Thailand negotiations, including the joint statement issued on Dec. 27, 2025.

He specifically urged the immediate resumption of border survey and demarcation work under the Joint Boundary Commission, saying such mechanisms were essential to preserving sovereignty, territorial integrity and respect for international law.

Hun Manet also addressed the ongoing maritime dispute in the Gulf of Thailand, reiterating Cambodia’s decision to pursue compulsory conciliation under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) after Thailand withdrew from the 2001 bilateral memorandum (MOU2001) governing overlapping maritime claims.

“Cambodia believes this is the peaceful path towards a fair solution for both parties,” he said.

The Cambodian prime minister reaffirmed Phnom Penh’s commitment to peaceful dispute settlement under international law and existing agreements, including commitments made in the Kuala Lumpur Joint Declaration of Oct. 26, 2025, and the Dec. 27 joint statement.