Cambodia Protests Strongly Against Thai Buddha Statue Installation, Citing Sovereignty Violation

The Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has strongly protested the installation of a Buddha statue by Thai armed forces and monks on Cambodian territory in Phnom Trop, Anlong Veng district, Oddar Meanchey province, located between border posts No. 2 and No. 3. According to the ministry's announcement on September 22, this action, which occurred on September 18, 2026, is described as another instance where Thailand uses construction and religious symbols to reinforce its illegal occupation of Cambodian territory. The Cambodian government vehemently opposes this act, deeming it a clear violation of Cambodia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as defined and demarcated by the 1:200,000 scale map produced by the Committee for Demarcation of Borders between Indochina and Siam, in accordance with the French-Siamese Convention of 1904 and the Treaty of 1907. This activity also infringes upon Article 5 of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Royal Government of Cambodia and the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand on Land Border Demarcation and Marking, signed on June 14, 2000, and Point 1 (Measures to Reduce Tension) of the Joint Declaration of the 3rd Extraordinary Meeting of the General Border Committee (GBC) dated December 27, 2025. The Cambodian government reiterates that Cambodia absolutely does not recognize any unilateral border lines or territorial claims by Thailand, and asserts that the aforementioned actions will not affect Cambodia's legal rights or position concerning its international borders.