Cambodia Rejects Thai Proposal to Scrap Border Pact

PHNOM PENH, Mar. 26, 2026 (KPT) — Cambodia has rejected calls by a Thai Senate committee to revoke a bilateral border agreement, describing the move as “unfounded” and contrary to international law.

In a statement Thursday, the State Secretariat of Border Affairs said Thai media had reported that an ad hoc Senate committee in Bangkok had proposed scrapping the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two countries.

Cambodian authorities dismissed the proposal as politically motivated, warning it risked undermining progress made through the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC), the bilateral mechanism tasked with resolving border issues.

The statement stressed that the 2000 agreement, signed by both governments and registered with the United Nations, is a legally binding treaty providing a framework for the peaceful settlement of disputes.

It cited the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, noting that international law does not permit unilateral revocation based on domestic procedures.

Officials highlighted the JBC’s “positive results” over the years, including identifying historic boundary markers, maintaining border pillars, conducting joint surveys, and establishing a shared geodetic network.

Cambodia reaffirmed its commitment to resolving border issues peacefully through existing mechanisms and said it remained ready to continue cooperation with Thailand on surveying and demarcating the land boundary.

The statement warned that revoking the agreement could jeopardize efforts to maintain long-term peace and stability along the frontier.

Cambodia and Thailand have a long history of negotiations over their shared boundary, relying on historical treaties and joint commissions to manage disputes.