Thai soldiers have reportedly placed shipping containers to illegally occupy Cambodian territory in Banteay Meanchey province. - Photo: Thai-Press
PHNOM PENH: Borders are not drawn by shipping containers, planted flags or rolls of barbed wire. They are established by treaties, agreements and internationally recognised legal instruments.
Thailand’s recent actions along the Cambodian border – installing containers, erecting fences, planting flags and deploying troops – are not acts of administration. They are acts of unilateral force that violate Cambodia’s sovereignty and international law.
The boundary between Cambodia and Thailand is governed by binding bilateral treaties, joint agreements and internationally recognised maps.
These include colonial-era instruments incorporated into modern international law, as well as subsequent bilateral mechanisms agreed upon by both states.
Most importantly, both countries have formally committed to resolving all border issues through the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC), the only legitimate forum for surveying and demarcation.
No provision in international law allows a state to redefine a border by physically occupying land, erecting infrastructure or declaring "facts on the ground".
Such actions constitute faits accomplis, which international law explicitly rejects – especially when they are created through military presence or coercion. Cambodia does not, and will not, recognise one-sided claims manufactured by force.
Thailand’s claim that its actions are "within Thai territory" or intended for "safety and de-escalation" collapses under scrutiny. If the area were unquestionably Thai, there would be no need to install military containers, fences or flags under armed protection.
These measures are not defensive; they are deliberate attempts to prejudge unresolved boundary lines and impose a unilateral reality before legal processes can proceed.
This behaviour directly contradicts Thailand’s obligations under the UN Charter, which prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity of another state.
It also violates Asean principles of peaceful dispute settlement and mutual respect for sovereignty. De-escalation does not involve destroying civilian property, restricting local residents or militarising contested zones.
Cambodia’s position is clear and consistent: all border issues must be resolved peacefully, through dialogue, technical survey work and legal mechanisms already agreed upon by both sides.
The Cambodian side of the JBC stands ready to resume joint surveying and demarcation at the earliest opportunity, precisely to prevent misunderstandings and conflict.
What Cambodia rejects – firmly and unequivocally – is the idea that borders can be redrawn by bulldozers, barbed wire or armed patrols. Sovereignty is not negotiable, and it is certainly not subject to unilateral reinterpretation.
If Thailand truly seeks stability and peace along the border, it must dismantle illegal installations, cease unilateral military activities and return fully to the JBC process without preconditions.
Respect for international law is not optional – it is the minimum requirement for responsible state behaviour.
Containers can be moved. Flags can be removed. Barbed wire can be cut. But treaties endure – and Cambodia’s sovereignty is not up for occupation or negotiation by force. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
[Ros Darath is a political analyst based in Phnom Penh. The views and opinions expressed are his own.]
