Cambodia Protests Thai Military's Border Encroachment in Udor Mean Chey Province

The Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has strongly protested alleged encroachment by Thai military forces into Cambodian territory. According to a statement released by the ministry on July 22, 2026, Thai armed forces have been continuously engaged in activities such as road construction and the installation of barbed wire between border pillars (numbers 8-9 and 19-20) in the Ta Tum and Chup Teum Khnor areas of Udor Mean Chey Province since mid-to-late July. The ministry asserts that these actions constitute a clear violation of Cambodia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as defined by the 1:200,000 scale maps produced by the Franco-Siamese Boundary Commission, established under the Franco-Siamese Treaties of 1904 and 1907. Furthermore, these activities are said to violate Article 5 of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Royal Government of Cambodia and the Royal Government of Thailand on Land Border Demarcation (MOU 2000), signed on June 14, 2000, and Point 1 (Measures to Reduce Tension) of the Joint Declaration of the 3rd Special Meeting of the General Border Committee (GBC) dated December 27, 2025. The latter agreement stipulated that the Joint Border Committee (JBC) would be tasked with expediting border demarcation and pillar installation work, in line with existing agreements between the two countries. The Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared that the Royal Government of Cambodia absolutely does not recognize any unilateral border lines or territorial claims by Thailand, and emphasized that the aforementioned activities will not affect Cambodia's legal rights or position regarding its international border line. The ministry demands that Thailand immediately cease such activities in the mentioned areas as well as in other areas illegally occupied by Thai armed forces, in order to reduce tension, promote mutual trust, and facilitate peaceful dispute resolution, thereby restoring peace, stability, and good neighborly relations along the Cambodia-Thailand border. Cambodia reiterated its commitment to peacefully resolving all border disputes with Thailand, as well as with all neighboring countries, in accordance with international law and existing bilateral agreements. The government also reaffirmed its principled stance that border lines must not be changed by force.