Phnom Penh: Mr. Pen Bona, spokesman for the Royal Government of Cambodia, said that the Cambodian nation is standing on a strong national unity position towards resolving the Cambodian-Thai border issue peacefully.
In a statement on the Cambodian-Thai border situation on June 5, 2026, Mr. Pen Bona said that the Royal Government of Cambodia’s position in deciding to start using the forced mediation mechanism under the UNCLOS Convention has received full support from the highest national institutions, ministries, institutions, and sub-national administrations, and citizens from all walks of life.
He said, “It can be said that the Khmer nation is standing on a strong national unity position towards a peaceful resolution of the issue through mediation by international parties and in accordance with international law, in order to obtain a just, fair and lasting solution for both nations, as well as for peace, stability and prosperity in the entire region.”
Please note that on June 2, 2026, Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of Cambodia, announced the start of the use of the forced mediation mechanism under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). To resolve the overlapping maritime claims with Thailand after the Thai government announced its unilateral withdrawal from the 2001 Memorandum of Understanding on the Overlapping Maritime Boundaries.
When the Thai government announced its withdrawal from this long-standing bilateral framework, Cambodia asked the Thai side to reconsider. Unfortunately, the Thai side still decided to walk away from this bilateral framework, so Cambodia chose the forced mediation mechanism.
