Cambodian PM Hun Manet calls for peaceful resolution to border dispute with Thailand, denying escalation and urging a return to joint commission work

BRUSSELS: Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet has called for de-escalation and a peaceful resolution to the ongoing border conflict with Thailand.

In a rare international media interview with AFP, he stated, “We are not escalating. We want de-escalation. We want peaceful coexistence.”

The appeal follows fresh accusations from Thailand that Cambodian forces violated a December truce by firing a grenade round near a Thai patrol, a claim Phnom Penh denies.

The long-running territorial dispute flared into deadly clashes last year, resulting in dozens of casualties and displacing over a million people.

Each nation accuses the other of occupying its land, with Cambodia demanding the withdrawal of Thai forces from several border provinces.

Hun Manet declined to specify the extent of territory captured but asserted Thai forces had ventured “well over beyond” even Bangkok’s stated frontier.

He reiterated Cambodia’s commitment to peaceful solutions when asked if forces would fight to regain lost ground.

The conflict stems from a century-old dispute over the French colonial-era demarcation of their 800-kilometre frontier.

Phnom Penh has requested France’s assistance and access to historical documents to help resolve the issue.

It has also called for the resumption of work by a joint border commission, with Hun Manet saying Cambodia is ready to accept whatever result that process yields.

The prime minister expressed concern over the current “not stable” and “fragile” border situation.

His comments were made during a diplomatic trip to Brussels, where he met European Union officials after earlier visits to Washington and Geneva.

In the United States, he attended the inaugural meeting of President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, which Cambodia has joined.

Hun Manet said the decision was driven by the body’s peace-promoting goal and Trump’s earlier ceasefire efforts, not merely to “keep president Trump happy”.

He added Cambodia would seek to contribute in kind, such as by providing de-mining training in Gaza, rather than paying a USD 1 billion fee for permanent membership.

 The Sun Malaysia