Cambodian PM Hun Manet says Thai forces remain on disputed land, calls for urgent border demarcation to prevent renewed conflict.
WASHINGTON: Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet has accused Thailand of occupying Cambodian territory despite a ceasefire brokered by former US President Donald Trump.
In his first international media interview, Hun Manet called on Thailand to allow a joint boundary commission to begin demarcating their disputed 817-kilometre border. He described the December ceasefire as “fragile” and said Thai forces remained deep inside Cambodian territory.
“We still have Thai forces occupy(ing) deep into Cambodian territory in many areas,” Hun Manet told Reuters. He stated Thai troops had placed shipping containers and barbed wire inside areas long recognised as Cambodian land, preventing residents from returning home.
“This is not an accusation but it’s a statement of the facts on the ground,” he said. The Cambodian leader said this constituted a “violation of our sovereignty or territorial integrity” that his country could not accept.
READ MORE: Cambodia demands Thai troop withdrawal one week after border truce
He urged Thailand to allow technical demarcation work to begin, especially in conflict “hot zones”. Hun Manet noted Thailand had previously cited its February 8 general election as a reason for delay.
Thailand’s Defence Ministry rejected the occupation claim. Ministry spokesperson Rear Admiral Surasant Kongsiri said Thailand was adhering to the joint ceasefire statement by maintaining existing troop deployments without reinforcement.
“A JBC can convene when a new government is formed,” Surasant told Reuters. The renewed fighting, which began in July, was the worst in over a decade and displaced hundreds of thousands of people.
An initial October peace accord brokered by Trump and Malaysia’s prime minister broke down within weeks. Hun Manet was in Washington to attend a meeting of Trump’s Board of Peace, a body initially created for Gaza but which Trump said could take on a broader role.
The 48-year-old prime minister, a West Point graduate, took power from his father Hun Sen in 2023. His ascension and Trump’s involvement in the border dispute have warmed US-Cambodia relations, which had been moving closer to China.
Hun Manet said relationships with China and the US were “not mutually exclusive”. He defended the Chinese-upgraded Ream naval base, stating Cambodia had “nothing to hide”.
“Democracy is not just defined by political party expression, but health, education, freedom of press and others,” Manet said regarding US concerns over human rights. Reporters Without Borders ranked Cambodia 161 out of 180 countries in its 2023 press freedom index.
He also addressed US sanctions related to cyber scam centres operating in Cambodia. Hun Manet said his government was cracking down, drafting a new law, and deporting people working at the scam compounds.
