Thai Government’s ‘Mental Gymnastics’ Could Win Olympic Medal, Youk Chhang Says

Thai Government’s ‘Mental Gymnastics’ Could Win Olympic Medal, Youk Chhang Says

PHNOM PENH, Feb. 26, 2026 — A prominent Cambodian researcher has criticized Thailand’s recent peace statement on bilateral relations, calling it contradictory amid ongoing border tensions.

Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow delivered Thailand’s national statement on Feb. 24 at the High-Level Segment of the 61st Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, saying Thailand’s “intention has never been confrontation because we understand that our peace is inseparable from Cambodia’s peace.”

In a statement dated Feb. 26, Youk Chhang, director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia, said the remarks were inconsistent with what he described as the continued presence of Thai armed forces on Cambodian territory.

“The Thai Foreign Ministry is remarkable in its ability to compartmentalize its foreign relations,” Youk Chhang wrote, arguing that there was a contradiction between professing peaceful intentions and maintaining a military presence in disputed areas.

He added that the “mental gymnastics exhibited by the Thai government could earn an Olympic medal,” using unusually sharp language that reflects growing frustration in Cambodia over the border dispute.

Youk Chhang said Thailand’s portrayal of itself as pursuing peaceful conflict resolution does not align with developments on the ground, where Cambodia alleges continued encroachment and infrastructure activities in contested zones.