Expert Urges Parallel Border Talks to Avoid UNCLOS Process Stalling in Cambodia–Thailand Dispute

PHNOM PENH, July 22, 2026 (KPT) – Cambodia and Thailand should continue bilateral negotiations on their land border while pursuing compulsory conciliation under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) over their maritime dispute, a Cambodian foreign affairs expert said this week.

Pou Sothirak, Senior Advisor at the Cambodian Center for Regional Studies and former Minister of Mines and Energy, warned that suspending one process in favor of the other risks prolonging tensions and undermining prospects for a comprehensive settlement.

“The compulsory conciliation should not be linked to the land border issue,” Sothirak said during a fireside chat on the Cambodia–Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. “Both sides should continue meeting through the Joint Boundary Commission and other bilateral mechanisms while the UNCLOS process moves forward.”

His remarks followed Cambodia’s accusation that Thailand was deliberately delaying border demarcation talks, despite commitments under a 2000 Memorandum of Understanding and a joint statement reaffirmed in December 2025. Cambodia turned to UNCLOS conciliation after Thailand withdrew from a 2001 MoU on maritime delimitation and joint offshore resource development.

Sothirak said the success of conciliation depends on goodwill, diplomacy and compromise. “The conciliators can facilitate dialogue, but ultimately Cambodia and Thailand themselves must decide what compromises they are prepared to make,” he noted.

He cautioned that delaying land border talks until maritime conciliation concludes would deepen mistrust and prolong uncertainty for border communities. Confidence‑building on land, he said, could help reduce tensions at sea.

Looking ahead, Sothirak said the coming months will be critical as four appointed conciliators select a fifth chairperson to lead the UNCLOS panel. He expressed cautious optimism, stressing that sustained political commitment from both governments is essential for progress.