Cambodia has firmly reiterated its stance to Thailand, stating it will not withdraw troops from the Mum Bei area as requested by Thailand, citing Cambodian sovereignty.
The statement was made during a meeting between Cambodian Minister of National Defence Tea Seiha and his Thai counterpart, Phumtham Wechayachai, on the afternoon of May 5, in Aranyaprathet district, Sa Kaeo province, Thailand.
“Regarding Thailand’s request for Cambodia to withdraw its troops from the Mum Bei area, where clashes occurred on May 28, Cambodia rejected the request, as the area is within Cambodia’s sovereign territory, where troops have been permanently stationed from the beginning,” said a defence ministry press release.
“Cambodia cannot retreat from the position where its troops have been stationed for a long time, which is within Cambodia’s sovereign territory,” it added.
Both sides agreed to reduce border tensions by maintaining communication, mutual understanding and continuing peaceful dialogue in the future to avoid military clashes.
Seiha raised the issue of both sides using different maps with different scales, which makes it impossible to find a middle ground for maintaining border stability. Cambodia remains committed to respecting the memorandum of understanding (MoU) of 2000, as it has in the past.
According to the defence ministry, Seiha informed Phumtham that Cambodia has decided to submit the dispute over four areas — Mum Bei (Emerald Triangle), Ta Moan Thom Temple, Ta Moan Toch Temple and Ta Krabei Temple — to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague to resolve the conflict and clearly define the border.
“Cambodia seeks only peace and stability and prioritises the interests of the people on both sides. Thailand also expressed respect for Cambodia’s right to bring these four areas to the ICJ. Both sides agreed to continue negotiations through the GBC/JBC/RBC mechanisms on other issues in the future,” the statement said.
In Thailand, amid ongoing border tensions, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra denied any conflict between the Thai military and the Thai government.
Speaking on the morning of June 6, after a National Security Council meeting on the Thai-Cambodia border situation, she affirmed the strong unity between the military and the government, dismissing rumours surrounding the dispute.
Thai media has reported that the prime minister overruled the military’s calls to close land border crossings with Thailand, invoking the outrage of the neighbouring countries powerful generals.
Paetongtarn emphasised consultation, clear roles and a peaceful approach between the government and the military, according to the Thai government public relation office.
