Cambodia and Thailand Discuss Border Disputes in Joint Meeting

Joint Boundary Commission Meeting in Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh, June 14: A meeting of the Cambodia-Thailand Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) took place in Cambodia's capital on Saturday to address border disputes following a recent military confrontation.

The session was co-chaired by Lam Chea, who oversees Cambodia's State Secretariat of Border Affairs, and Prasas Prasasvinitchai, a former Thai ambassador to Cambodia and advisor on border matters for Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Members of the press were permitted to capture images and videos of the meeting for a brief period before being asked to exit the venue, as reported by a news agency.

This meeting was prompted by an incident on May 28, where soldiers from both nations exchanged gunfire in the Mom Bei area, also known as the Emerald Triangle, resulting in the death of a Cambodian soldier.

The Emerald Triangle is a region where the borders of Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos converge.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet announced on his official Facebook account that this was the first JBC meeting in 12 years.

During the discussions, he stated that Cambodia would propose to Thailand the referral of four disputed border regions—Mom Bei, Ta Moan Thom Temple, Ta Moan Tauch Temple, and Ta Krabei Temple—to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague.

"I want to assure my fellow citizens that even if Thailand declines or does not respond, Cambodia will move forward unilaterally," Hun Manet emphasized.

He added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation plans to send an official communication to the ICJ on Sunday, June 15, 2025, concerning the disputes in these four areas.