PM Hun Manet Rebukes Opposition Figure Over Border Map Claims

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (Nov. 27, 2025) — Prime Minister Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet has criticized claims by exiled opposition politician Um Sam An regarding Cambodia’s border with Thailand, calling them misleading and lacking legal or technical evidence.

In a Facebook post, Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet said that while he prefers not to engage in public debates with certain politicians, it is sometimes necessary to address false information that could mislead the public and be used for political gain.

Um Sam An alleged online that Thailand had occupied hundreds of meters of Cambodian territory in Battambang province and that Cambodia’s recognition of the current border had resulted in the loss of several square kilometers of land.

Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet questioned whether Um Sam An, who claims to be a border expert, could provide official documents to support his assertions.

He noted that the opposition figure appears to rely only on photocopies of maps from the U.S. Congressional Library, without referencing treaties or legal records.

The prime minister urged politicians and commentators without technical expertise to refrain from making public claims, adding that the government is willing to arrange presentations on proper methods of map analysis and border demarcation.

Senior Minister I Chean, former governor of Pailin province, also rejected Um Sam An’s claims, saying they were fabricated to create conflict. He stressed that current border markers are based on French colonial-era documents and consistent with the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding between Cambodia and Thailand.