Cambodia Urges Full Implementation of Thailand Ceasefire at ASEAN Forum

MANILA, July 27, 2026 (KPT) – Cambodia has urged the full implementation of its ceasefire agreement with Thailand, warning regional foreign ministers that obstacles preventing thousands of displaced civilians from returning home remain a serious concern despite a halt in fighting.

Speaking at the 33rd ASEAN Regional Forum in Manila on Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn said the border dispute was not merely bilateral but touched on fundamental principles of international law and the ASEAN Charter.

“The border conflict between Cambodia and Thailand is not simply a matter between two countries,” he said, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “It directly concerns ASEAN and the world at large.”

Sokhonn said the dispute involved respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, renunciation of force and peaceful settlement of disputes.

He thanked ARF participants for supporting peaceful resolution but cautioned that conditions remained fragile.

Although the ceasefire continued to hold, he said more than 20,000 Cambodian civilians were still unable to return home due to obstructions around occupied villages.

He called for full implementation of the Joint Statement of December 27, 2025, ensuring civilians could return safely and with dignity.

Sokhonn also defended Cambodia’s decision to pursue international legal mechanisms after Thailand terminated a 2001 memorandum on maritime boundaries. He said Cambodia had initiated compulsory conciliation under UNCLOS, describing the approach as “peaceful, lawful and constructive.”

On land boundaries, he reaffirmed Cambodia’s commitment to resolve disputes using treaties and colonial‑era maps, stressing maritime and land issues should not be linked.

“Our objective remains a just, peaceful and lasting settlement that would allow the two peoples to live side by side in peace, stability and shared prosperity,” he said.

The Manila forum, involving ASEAN members and major powers including the United States, China, Japan, South Korea, Russia and the EU, adopted the ARF Manila Plan of Action (2026‑2036) to guide future work on confidence‑building and preventive diplomacy.