According to the original article, Hun Sen wrote on social media that Thai media had reported on May 11 that the Thai foreign minister said the cancellation of the 2001 Memorandum of Understanding should be followed by the stages provided under the law-of-the-sea convention, with the principal approach
being bilateral negotiations first. Hun Sen said that, if this was an accurate account of the minister’s words, prioritising bilateral negotiations contradicted Thailand’s unilateral cancellation of MOU 2001 and the existing bilateral framework for overlapping maritime claims.
AKP reported on May 12, 2026 that Hun Sen, speaking in his capacity as Acting Head of State, urged the government not to open bilateral maritime negotiations with Thailand, but to seek a 1982 law-of-the-sea mechanism directly without waiting for Thai agreement. This was advice to the government, not an announcement that international judicial proceedings had begun.
Hun Sen also referred to his May 6 reminder not to replace the bilateral mechanism cancelled by Thailand with a new one. He expressed regret over the cancellation of MOU 2001 while thanking Thailand for creating an opportunity to use an international mechanism instead. These remarks are relayed by the original article. By: Pai Sokhim (ប៉ៃ សុឃីម)
Original report illustration: a composite of portraits and Thai media imagery, not a bilateral meeting.
