Phnom Penh: Dr. Kin Phe, a political science expert at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said that the Royal Government of Cambodia’s decision to use the forced mediation mechanism after Thailand unilaterally withdrew from the 2001 Cambodia-Thailand Memorandum of Understanding (MOU 2001) is of international standards, highly professional, and based on international law.
On the evening of May 5, 2026, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen announced that he would use the forced mediation mechanism under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to find a peaceful solution after Thailand unilaterally withdrew from the 2001 MOU (referred to by the Thai side as MOU44).
Dr. Kin Phe told the Doem Ampil Information Center on May 6 that Cambodia’s decision is a good strategy for Cambodia that will gain more trust from the international community. Because it is a stable actor in respecting international law, but on the contrary, the Thai side could be further tarnished due to legal insecurity.
He stated that “The fact that the Royal Government of Cambodia has decided to use the forced mediation mechanism to find a peaceful solution based on the law to resolve the overlapping maritime claims between Cambodia and Thailand is a response that is highly professional and based on international law.”
The political expert emphasized that Cambodia’s transition from working in a bilateral format to an existing mechanism using the forced mediation mechanism demonstrates the maturity of the Royal Government’s strategy. In addition, he expressed hope that in the short term, Cambodia’s decision to use the forced mediation mechanism will lead to increased international control over the overlapping maritime areas between the two countries.
On May 5, 2026, the Thai Cabinet officially approved the decision to terminate the 2001 MOU. In response to this issue, Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cambodia, issued a national statement immediately responding to the Thai side that Cambodia considers the termination or withdrawal from the 2001 Memorandum by the Thai government to be a departure from the political will that has determined that the two countries determine a framework for resolving peacefully and based on international law issues related to overlapping claims and the settlement of their maritime borders.
