Hun Sen: Cambodia Must Be Strong to Protect Territory and Peace

Hun Sen, president of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), declared that the link between his party and the people is rooted in the essence of the nation, which nothing can destroy, and which is an essential factor in all national victories. In a June 28 message released to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the CPP, he stated that Cambodia has learned an additional lesson: only a strong Cambodia can protect its territory and peace. “Furthermore, the lessons we learned from the situations of 2025 and early 2026 have made it clear to us that only by uniting our efforts to make Cambodia strong, both economically, militarily and politically, can we protect our sovereignty, territorial integrity, peace and national identity,” he said. “No one gives us peace; peace comes from our efforts and must be absolutely protected by our strength,” he added. According to his message, in the first six months of 2026, despite being negatively affected by complex developments in the international situation and the impact of Thailand’s aggressive war on Cambodia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, Cambodia continues to move forward on the path of development, with economic growth expected to reach 4.2 per cent. While the border issue remains unresolved, with the Thai military occupying several locations within Cambodian territory and the Thai government evading the JBC mechanism, Hun Sen reiterated that the CPP is determined to protect sovereignty, territorial integrity and lasting peace, continuing to strive for strong economic development, strengthening justice, equity and equality in society, and improving the lives of the people. He said his party adheres to its foreign policy of building good relations with all neighbouring countries based on mutual respect for independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, equality and mutual benefit, to ensure peace, friendship and long-term stable cooperation. He also explained that Cambodia does not recognise any border lines established through the use of force, occupation or unilateral territorial claims, and will not accept any attempt to change the status of Cambodian territory by creating what has already occurred on the ground. The party also supports the decision to use the compulsory conciliation mechanism of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to find a peaceful, law-based solution to overlapping maritime claims between Cambodia and Thailand. The implementation of the military service law also received support from the party, with Hun Sen stating that it aims to build a society with disciplined, moral and capable human resources, with a patriotic conscience, courage, strong will, who are always prepared to stand for the cause of national defence and the motherland. He called on the people to participate in promoting Cambodia’s independence, self-reliance and self-sufficiency, and to support the heroic Cambodian armed forces. “In this spirit, we must continue to strive to expand domestic production and promote the use of national products by all,” he said.