Cambodia has reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to resolving border disputes peacefully in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Charter, the ASEAN Charter and the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding.

Cambodia’s position has been reaffirmed in a statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Cambodia, made public on July 7th.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has noted the untrue statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand regarding the Cambodia-Thailand border dispute and the Memorandum of Understanding on the Measurement and Delimitation of the Land Border signed by the two countries on June 14, 2000.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Cambodia further said that Cambodia’s conduct on this border issue is based on good faith, adherence to the obligation to implement treaties and the principles of sovereign equality and peaceful settlement of disputes as enshrined in the UN Charter.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation continued to say that it is necessary to pointed out that Thailand has repeatedly failed to fulfill its core obligations under the 2000 MoU, particularly Article 1, which clearly states that the map produced by the French-Siamese Commission for the delimitation of the border between Indochina and Siam is the basis for the delimitation of the borders of Cambodia and Thailand.

However, contrary to its commitment to this obligation, Thailand has continued to use and has used the unilaterally drawn map to claim territory and encroach on Cambodian territory, stressed the statement, adding that these actions are a violation of international law and the MoU 2000, which remains a legal obligation of both states.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said that Cambodia’s decision to refer the dispute to the International Court of Justice is a legally-based assessment and a peaceful response to the Thai side’s continued violations of the MoU 2000, its use of armed force, provocations, and its lack of willingness to respect the agreed framework for joint border demarcation work.

By Mr. Pheara