PHNOM PENH, March 16 – Cambodian government spokesman Pen Bona on Monday urged national unity in response to the border dispute with Thailand, citing recent statements by Senate President Hun Sen and Prime Minister Hun Manet on sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Pen Bona said the government’s position was to defend Cambodia’s territorial integrity through peaceful means under international law, according to the statement.
He cited Hun Sen’s Jan. 7 message marking the anniversary of the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime, in which the Senate president called for patriotism, self-reliance and solidarity. Pen Bona also referred to Hun Manet’s Dec. 29 message after a ceasefire took effect and a Feb. 10 statement in which the prime minister said protecting territorial integrity and the population remained the government’s highest priority.
The statement linked those remarks to the latest developments along the Cambodia–Thailand border, where Phnom Penh on March 13 lodged a formal protest over what the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation described as unlawful Thai construction in disputed areas.
The ministry said the activities included road building, excavation, and the placement of Buddha statues and guard posts in areas near Preah Vihear Temple, Ta Krabey Temple, and the Bosbov–Choam Tae area.
Cambodian officials say such works violate the 2000 memorandum of understanding, which bars unilateral changes to the physical environment in disputed border zones. Thai military officials have said their activities are security measures aimed at countering transnational crime and scam operations, according to the evidence package provided by the user.
Pen Bona said Cambodia’s border position remained based on the Franco-Siamese conventions, maps, and demarcation records cited by Phnom Penh as the legal basis for the frontier. The statement said Cambodia did not recognize any border alteration resulting from force.
The dispute has remained active despite a Dec. 27, 2025 ceasefire, with both sides reporting incidents short of major fighting in recent months, according to the evidence package.
