Cambodia Calls for Urgent JBC Meeting After Thailand Postpones Boundary Talks
Cambodia Calls for Urgent JBC Meeting After Thailand Postpones Boundary Talks
Phnom Penh, 5 January 2026 — The State Secretariat of Border Affairs of the Kingdom of Cambodia has informed compatriots and the national and international public that the special meeting of the Cambodia–Thailand Joint Boundary Commission (JBC), originally scheduled to take place in Siem Reap in the first week of January 2026 at the request of the Cambodian side, has been postponed by Thailand, citing the need to complete internal procedures.
In response, Cambodia has formally reiterated its request for the convening of a special JBC meeting in Siem Reap Province during the second or third week of January 2026, through a Note Verbale dated 5 January 2026, underscoring the urgency of addressing outstanding and serious border-related issues.
According to the State Secretariat, Cambodia seeks to place on the agenda critical matters, including the continuation of survey and demarcation work and the resolution of concerns arising from activities by Thai military forces that Cambodia considers to be violations of its territorial integrity and sovereignty. These activities include the laying of barbed wire, placement of containers, planting of Thai flags, construction of trenches, destruction of Cambodian civilian homes and property, and the prevention of displaced Cambodian citizens from returning to their residences.
Cambodia has further called for the resumption of technical work on survey and the emplacement of temporary boundary markers in key border segments, notably between Boundary Pillars No. 42–47 in Banteay Meanchey Province and Boundary Pillars No. 52–59 in Battambang Province, as well as in other sensitive areas including Boeung Trakuon, Thmor Da International Point of Entry, O’ Phluk Domrei, Chor 1, and adjacent border zones.
The proposed meeting would also seek agreement on the dispatch of joint survey teams to carry out demarcation works in accordance with the Agreed Minutes of the 6th Meeting of the Cambodia–Thailand Joint Boundary Commission held on 15 June 2025 in Phnom Penh.
On this occasion, the State Secretariat of Border Affairs reaffirmed that the Cambodian side of the JBC remains firmly committed to safeguarding the Cambodia–Thailand international boundary as inherited from historical delimitation commissions, in full respect of international law, including the principle of uti possidetis juris, the Franco–Siamese conventions and treaties, and all mutually agreed maps, procès-verbaux, and bilateral agreements.
Cambodia emphasized that it will continue to pursue land surveying and boundary demarcation through peaceful and technical cooperation with the Thai side, while firmly rejecting any alteration of the boundary resulting from the use of force.
The State Secretariat called upon compatriots and the general public to place full trust and confidence in the Royal Government of Cambodia and the Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission, which it said continue to uphold professionalism, responsibility, and the supreme national interest in protecting Cambodia’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty.
