Cambodia Exposes Thailand's Border Violations at Francophone Assembly, Calls for International Action

Cambodia Exposes Thailand's Border Violations at Francophone Assembly, Calls for International Action

PHNOM PENH, July 8, 2026 – Cambodia has laid bare Thailand's continued border violations before the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie (APF), urging the international community to uphold the rule of law and prevent the creation of unilateral "fait accompli" along its western frontier.

Speaking at the APF executive committee meeting in Cameroon on July 7, the First Vice President of the Cambodian Senate and President of the Cambodian National Group of the APF delivered a forceful intervention, expressing gratitude for the APF's solidarity and its unanimous resolution adopted in Siem Reap in May, which reaffirmed respect for Cambodia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

He reminded the assembly that while Cambodia has fully honoured the ceasefire agreement of December 27, 2025, Thailand has systematically violated its commitments. Since the day after the ceasefire took effect, Thai forces have engaged in persistent unilateral actions on Cambodian soil—clearing land, installing barbed wire and shipping containers, encircling civilian villages, reinforcing military positions, building permanent infrastructure, and damaging cultural and religious heritage sites. These actions have continued despite repeated formal protests from Cambodia.

"This is not a series of isolated incidents," he stated. "It is a deliberate pattern aimed at altering the ground reality before any final settlement can be reached."

The parliamentarian stressed that these actions directly contravene Article 5 of the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding, the de-escalation commitments of the December 2025 Joint Statement, and the legal framework established by the 1904 and 1907 treaties, as affirmed by the International Court of Justice in 1962 and 2013. By creating "fait accompli," Thailand is undermining the very conditions for a peaceful, just, and sustainable resolution.

He also condemned Thailand's unilateral termination of the 2001 Memorandum of Understanding on overlapping maritime claims, which had enabled constructive dialogue for over 25 years. Cambodia's initiation of a conciliation procedure under UNCLOS—a right under international law—has been cynically used as a pretext to suspend Joint Boundary Commission meetings, effectively paralysing bilateral cooperation.

"Cambodia has always chosen the path of law, dialogue, and multilateral mechanisms," he declared. "The international community must stand firm: no border can be changed by force or through the creation of unlawful realities."

He called on the APF and the wider international community to reaffirm their commitment to the inviolability of territorial integrity, the peaceful settlement of disputes, and the sanctity of international law—values that lie at the heart of the Francophone community and the rules-based international order.

Source: ព្រឹទ្ធសភាកម្ពុជា Senate of Cambodia

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Reported by The Khmer Today