Cambodia Backs UNCLOS Path as Border Crisis Eases

PHNOM PENH, May 18, 2026 (KPT) — Cambodia reaffirmed Monday its commitment to resolving a maritime dispute with Thailand through international legal mechanisms, as officials reported further improvements in the humanitarian situation along the border.

The interior ministry said 25 displaced residents returned home between May 17 and 18, bringing the total number of returnees to more than 620,000 — about 95 percent of the 640,000 people uprooted by last year’s border tensions. Still, 31,123 people, including over 16,000 women and 10,000 children, remain unable to return.

Authorities noted that several public services remain suspended, with schools and health facilities in Oddar Meanchey, Banteay Meanchey and Preah Vihear provinces still closed.

The ministry reiterated support for the government’s decision to pursue compulsory conciliation under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to address overlapping maritime claims, following Thailand’s withdrawal from a bilateral memorandum of understanding.

It also endorsed Senate President Hun Sen’s guidance urging the government to proceed directly through UNCLOS mechanisms without waiting for renewed bilateral talks.

Officials called on Cambodians at home and abroad to support Prime Minister Hun Manet’s efforts to resolve the dispute peacefully through diplomacy and international law, aiming to restore sovereignty, territorial integrity and stability along the frontier.