Phnom Penh: At a joint press conference on the trilateral meeting between Cambodia, the Philippines and Thailand on the evening of May 7 in the Philippines, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said that the border line cannot be changed or determined by the use of force or by creating facts on the actual location (faits accompis).
The President reiterated that “border lines cannot be changed or determined by the use of force or by the creation of facts on the actual location (faits accompis). Cambodia calls for the full and immediate implementation of the Joint Declaration of December 27, 2025.”
The Prime Minister continued that, in particular, the third point calls for the immediate resumption of the measurement and demarcation of the land boundary by the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) in accordance with existing agreements, without further delay.
The Prime Minister emphasized that “we believe that this mechanism is absolutely necessary to ensure the completion of the establishment of faits accompis and to ensure that sovereignty, territorial integrity and international boundary lines are respected, in accordance with international law and existing treaties and agreements. This will also help to enhance trust and bring about lasting peace between the two countries.”
The Prime Minister added, “We also discussed the future direction for resolving overlapping maritime claims, with Cambodia’s decision to use the “compulsory arbitration mechanism under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) following Thailand’s withdrawal from the 2001 Memorandum of Understanding.”
Furthermore, Cambodia believes that this is a peaceful path that will lead to a just solution for both parties. Cambodia remains firmly committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes based on international law and existing agreements, including the commitments clearly stated in the Kuala Lumpur Joint Statement of 26 October 2025 and the Joint Declaration of 27 December 2025. Cambodia is ready to move forward constructively, quickly, and with goodwill.
