Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet has accused Thailand of maintaining forces in Cambodian territory despite a ceasefire agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump, warning that the border situation remains fragile and calling for urgent demarcation work.
In his first interview with international media, conducted with Reuters while traveling to Washington DC, Hun Manet said Thai troop positions extend “deep into Cambodian territory in many areas” and go “further beyond even Thailand’s own unilateral claim border line.”
Hun Manet stated that Thai troops had placed shipping containers and barbed wire inside areas long recognised as Cambodian, preventing residents from returning home. “This is not an accusation but it’s a statement of the facts on the ground,” he said, adding that Cambodia could not accept such actions as they constitute a “violation of our sovereignty or territorial integrity.”
The disputed 817-kilometre border has been a source of tension for decades. The latest escalation, beginning in July 2025, displaced hundreds of thousands of people and disrupted cross-border trade. An October 2025 peace accord, signed in Kuala Lumpur and witnessed by Trump alongside Malaysia’s prime minister, collapsed within weeks. A subsequent ceasefire took effect on 27th December 2025.
Hun Manet, who succeeded his father Hun Sen in 2023 following elections dominated by the Cambodian People’s Party, welcomed the potential role of Trump’s Board of Peace. Initially established to oversee a Gaza peace plan, the board could assume broader responsibilities. Hun Manet attended a meeting in Washington this week and expressed hope it would help de-escalation.
“The only way to verify that is using the technical mechanism that we have, based on treaties, based on all the agreements we have,” he said of the border claims. “So we hope that Thailand will agree and start to allow the JBC (Joint Boundary Commission) to work as early as possible.”
He noted that Thailand had cited its 8th February 2026 national election as a reason to delay demarcation. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, riding a wave of nationalism linked to the border conflict, secured a strong victory for his Bhumjaithai Party in that poll. “Now the election is done, we hope that Thailand can start, at least on a technical level, to start measuring, start demarcating in the hot zone, so that we can go back to life,” Hun Manet added.
Thailand’s Defence Ministry spokesperson, Rear Admiral Surasant Kongsiri, told Reuters that Bangkok is adhering to the joint statement by maintaining existing troop deployments without reinforcement. “There has been no reinforcement,” he said, describing positions as part of de-escalation measures and denying occupation.
Hun Manet, 48, a West Point graduate, highlighted improving ties with Washington amid Cambodia’s historically closer alignment with China. He described relations with both powers as “not mutually exclusive” and said Cambodia had “nothing to hide” regarding the China-upgraded Ream naval base.
On domestic issues, he defended Cambodia’s record amid international criticism. Reporters Without Borders ranked the country 161 out of 180 in its 2025 World Press Freedom Index, citing journalist detentions. Hun Manet argued democracy encompasses health, education, and press freedom beyond political expression.
He also addressed cyber scam centres, which have drawn US Treasury sanctions. “Yes, they exist. They have been existing. Does that mean that we allow them, we endorse them or we not do anything? No,” he said, pointing to deportations, compound closures, and forthcoming legislation.
The border tensions underscore the risk of renewed conflict despite international mediation efforts, including US involvement and a separate China-brokered element to the December truce.
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