In an opinion piece for the Phnom Penh Post, attorney Long Panhavuth says Thai forces have been systematically encroaching on territory Cambodia regards as its own, setting up posts, barricades and other structures despite bilateral commitments. He argues these actions violate the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU 2000) and the framework of the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC), which require both sides to preserve the status quo and resolve demarcation jointly.
According to the article, Thai authorities have continued building unauthorised infrastructure and reinforcing positions even as formal protests are filed. Long writes that the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, after on-the-ground assessments, called on authorities to respect international law and address the situation of thousands of displaced civilians.
The piece also highlights persistent dangers from unexploded ordnance and other remnants of war in contested border areas. It cites the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC), saying these hazards remain a barrier to normal life and rural development, while Cambodia has pledged to clear its territory.
Long says that physical occupation alone cannot confer sovereignty, and that Cambodia is relying on diplomatic channels and legal standards rather than war. He mentions the ICJ and ICC as possible avenues, while acknowledging international courts demand evidentiary and procedural thresholds.
He concludes that the test is whether international law and bilateral good faith still govern Southeast Asian diplomacy, or whether ‘the law of the jungle’ will be permitted to redraw the map. The views expressed in the piece are the author’s own.
Source: Phnom Penh Post
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