On June 2, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet delivered a national televised address, saying that the government had formally notified Thailand and the United Nations Secretary-General of its initiation of compulsory conciliation under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Hun Manet said Cambodia sought to bring dialogue into an international framework to resolve the overlapping maritime claims with Thailand peacefully.
Hun Manet stressed that Cambodia had always hoped to develop friendly cooperation with neighbouring Thailand on the basis of mutual respect, but that Cambodia’s sovereignty and maritime rights must not be infringed and had to be respected.
He said the decision followed the loss of the bilateral negotiating framework on which the countries had relied for 25 years.
The two countries had previously relied on the memorandum of understanding signed in 2001 (MOU 2001) to pursue joint development and mutual benefit. Hun Manet said Cambodia had urged Thailand to reconsider leaving the framework, but Thailand had nonetheless withdrawn.
Hun Manet said Cambodia decided to initiate the proceedings after carefully assessing the peaceful and lawful options available.
Hun Manet explained that the mechanism would allow both sides to present their positions to an independent commission of five conciliators drawn from international-law experts.
Hun Manet said that initiating compulsory conciliation was not intended to create confrontation or escalate the situation, but reflected a sincere wish to resolve the dispute peacefully.
He noted that Timor-Leste and Australia had peacefully resolved their maritime boundary through this mechanism in 2018. He said conciliation would keep dialogue open and allow the two countries to seek a fair and lasting agreed settlement with guidance from international-law experts, strengthening confidence, unlocking energy resources and benefiting future generations.
He concluded by calling on the public to remain united and firmly support the government’s efforts to defend the country’s rights.
He reiterated that Cambodia would not resort to force or unilateral action, while remaining firmly committed to protecting its territorial integrity.
