Cambodia Alleges Thai Border Violations to Francophone Parliament

Ouch Borith, First Vice-President of the Cambodian Senate and Vice-President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie (APF), has detailed alleged Thai violations of Cambodian sovereignty along the border during an APF Executive Committee meeting. He accused Thailand of dishonesty in evading its duties to the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) following Cambodia's decision to seek a resolution via the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Borith informed the APF that since the ceasefire agreement on December 27, 2025, Cambodia has fully respected its commitments. However, he stated that Thai forces have continued unilateral activities within Cambodian sovereign territory, including land clearing, installing razor wire and shipping container barricades, surrounding civilian villages, reinforcing military positions, and constructing permanent infrastructure. He also cited the organization of religious ceremonies at Cambodian heritage temples and the destruction or replacement of religious statues. These actions, Borith argued, contradict Article 5 of the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and the commitment to de-escalate tensions stipulated in the Joint Statement of December 27, 2025. He further asserted they are inconsistent with the legal framework defined by the 1904 and 1907 Conventions and Treaties, as interpreted by ICJ judgments. The Cambodian official warned that Thailand's attempts to create a "fait accompli" undermine the integrity of the legal framework and damage conditions for a peaceful resolution, highlighting the suffering of tens of thousands of displaced civilians and severe damage to the UNESCO-listed Preah Vihear Temple. Regarding Thailand's unilateral cancellation of the 2001 MOU on overlapping maritime claims, Borith explained that Cambodia exercised its right to request the UNCLOS conciliation procedure. He accused Thailand of using this initiative as an excuse to suspend JBC meetings, a purely technical mechanism that should not be linked to political considerations. Cambodia, he emphasized, has always adhered to legal principles, dialogue, and multilateral mechanisms for dispute resolution and appealed to the Francophone Parliament to pay close attention to the worrying situation along Cambodia's western border.