Hun Sen Says Thailand’s Actions Contradict Calls for Bilateral Negotiations
Hun Sen Says Thailand’s Actions Contradict Calls for Bilateral Negotiations
PHNOM PENH, May 12, 2026 — Cambodia’s acting head of state Hun Sen said Cambodia should avoid entering new bilateral negotiations with Thailand over overlapping maritime claims and instead proceed directly through mechanisms provided under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
In a social media post published on Tuesday, Hun Sen responded to Thai media reports quoting Thailand’s foreign minister as saying that negotiations between the two countries should remain the primary method for resolving maritime disputes following Thailand’s cancellation of the 2001 Memorandum of Understanding.
Hun Sen argued that such remarks contradicted Thailand’s own actions, saying Bangkok had already dismantled the bilateral negotiation framework by unilaterally cancelling the MOU 2001 concerning overlapping maritime claims.
“If this report accurately reflects the words of the Thai Foreign Minister, then the phrase ‘the primary method should first be negotiations between the two parties’ clearly contradicts Thailand’s own actions,” Hun Sen wrote.
He said Cambodia should proceed directly to dispute-resolution mechanisms under the 1982 UNCLOS framework without waiting for further agreement from Thailand.
“In my capacity as Acting Head of State, I would like to remind the Royal Government not to engage in any bilateral negotiations with Thailand on maritime issues,” he said.
Hun Sen added that he had previously advised the Cambodian government not to establish a new bilateral mechanism to replace the cancelled agreement.
He said Cambodia regretted Thailand’s decision to terminate the 2001 memorandum but added that the move had effectively accelerated Cambodia’s path toward international legal mechanisms.
The comments come amid heightened diplomatic tensions between Cambodia and Thailand over overlapping maritime claims in the Gulf of Thailand, following recent discussions about dispute resolution under international law.
