Prak Sokhonn: “Cambodia Does Not Need to Play the Victim — We Are Already Victims”

Prak Sokhonn: “Cambodia Does Not Need to Play the Victim — We Are Already Victims”

PHNOM PENH, October 22, 2026 — Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn has rejected Thai accusations that Cambodia is portraying itself as a victim in the ongoing border dispute, saying the country has already suffered harm and will continue presenting its account of events to the international community.

Speaking in an interview with National Television of Cambodia (TVK) broadcast on October 20, Prak Sokhonn discussed the outcomes of the second meeting of the Cambodia–Thailand conciliation commission under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

“Cambodia does not need to play the victim because we are already victims,” he said, responding to Thai accusations.

Prak Sokhonn said the UNCLOS conciliation commission had recognised Cambodia’s right to speak internationally about what Phnom Penh describes as the unlawful occupation of Cambodian territory. He also accused Thailand of previously attempting to prevent Cambodia from raising its account of the dispute on international platforms.

Cambodia Demands Respect for Sovereignty and Return of Displaced Residents

Prak Sokhonn said Cambodia would firmly defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity and would not recognise what it considers the Thai military’s occupation of Cambodian territory, particularly villages inhabited by Cambodian citizens.

He called for more than 20,000 people to be allowed to return to their homes without obstruction.

According to the Cambodian foreign minister, the right of displaced residents to return was included in the bilateral agreement and joint statement of December 27, 2025, but the provisions had not been implemented.

His remarks underline Cambodia’s position that existing commitments must be respected and that affected residents should be able to return home.

Cambodia Says Land and Maritime Disputes Require Separate Mechanisms

Prak Sokhonn stressed that land-border and maritime disputes are separate issues governed by different legal frameworks and dispute-resolution mechanisms.

He said the two issues had been handled separately over the past 25 years and should not be linked together, even if developments in one area could affect the other.

He explained that Cambodia had turned to compulsory conciliation after Thailand unilaterally terminated the 2001 Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries.

According to Prak Sokhonn, Thailand subsequently argued that agreements concerning the resolution of land-border issues had been suspended or terminated. Cambodia presented its position to the UNCLOS commission that land and maritime disputes were distinct matters and should be treated separately.

UNCLOS Commission Encourages Implementation of Existing Agreements

Although the UNCLOS conciliation commission’s mandate concerns maritime issues, Prak Sokhonn said Cambodia had asked it to encourage both countries to implement agreements they had previously reached but had yet to carry out.

The Cambodian foreign minister said the commission had encouraged both sides to honour their existing commitments.

Cambodia continues to advocate resolving the border dispute peacefully through bilateral agreements, applicable legal instruments and international law, while maintaining its position on sovereignty and the return of displaced residents.