Samdech Techo Hun Sen Urges Government to Reject Bilateral Talks with Thailand, Push UNCLOS Route

PHNOM PENH, May 12, 2026 (KPT) — Senate President Samdech Techo Hun Sen today urged the Cambodian government to avoid bilateral negotiations with Thailand over overlapping maritime claims, insisting the dispute should be taken directly to international legal mechanisms under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

His remarks followed Thai media reports quoting the foreign minister as saying that, after the cancellation of the 2001 Memorandum of Understanding, resolution should proceed in stages, beginning with negotiations between the two parties.

Samdech Techo said such comments contradicted Thailand’s own actions, noting that its unilateral withdrawal had already dismantled the framework for bilateral talks.

“In my capacity as Acting Head of State, I would like to remind the Royal Government not to engage in any bilateral negotiations with Thailand on maritime issues, and instead to proceed directly to the mechanisms provided under UNCLOS without waiting for any agreement from the Thai side,” Samdech Techo Hun Sen said.

He argued that renewed negotiations under a bilateral framework were impractical, stressing that Cambodia must rely on international law to safeguard sovereignty.

Samdech Techo recalled that on May 6 he had already advised the government against creating a new bilateral mechanism to replace the cancelled arrangement.

While describing Thailand’s cancellation of the 2001 MoU as regrettable, Samdech Techo Hun Sen added that the move had effectively shifted the dispute toward international legal channels.  

Samdech Techo Hun Sen’s call today underscores Cambodia’s determination to pursue maritime resolution through global legal frameworks rather than bilateral compromise.