Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet has appealed to the ASEAN Chair and key world leaders to support the full and effective implementation of the ceasefire and agreements reached between Cambodia and Thailand, amid escalating tensions along the border.
According to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on September 17, 2025 that Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet has sent letters to Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the current ASEAN Chair, as well as Chinese President Xi Jinping, U.S. President Donald J. Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, and Annalena Baerbock, President of the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly.
The Cambodian leader drew attention to recent Thai military actions that he said threaten peace and stability between the two nations and the wider region. In his letters, Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet outlined the widening conflict zone, which has spread beyond Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey provinces into Banteay Meanchey, where Thai forces have reportedly erected barbed wire, issued ultimatums, and forcibly evicted Cambodian civilians. At least 25 families have already been displaced, with hundreds more at risk.
On the Other hand, Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet warned that Thai forces are preparing to seize territory in at least 17 additional locations, from Pursat to Koh Kong provinces. He stressed that such actions violate the 1904 and 1907 treaties between France and Siam, the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding on land boundary demarcation (MOU 2000), and recent commitments made during General Border Committee (GBC) and Regional Border Committee (RBC) meetings, where both sides pledged to avoid provocations.
Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet also stated these unilateral measures represent an unacceptable breach of Cambodia’s sovereignty and a violation of international law, including the UN Charter, the ASEAN Charter, and the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia. He further described the actions as infringements on human rights and a potential trigger for violent confrontation.
Furthermore, Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet, Prime Minister of Cambodia called on world leaders to use their good offices to ensure strict adherence to the ceasefire and recent GBC/RBC agreements, end all unilateral actions that could escalate tensions, halt forced evictions and allow displaced Cambodian civilians to return home, resolve disputes peacefully through the JBC and GBC frameworks, rather than military means and also secure the immediate and unconditional release of 18 Cambodian soldiers currently detained in Thailand.
Reaffirming Cambodia’s commitment to peaceful resolution, Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet emphasized that the Kingdom remains dedicated to international law, ASEAN centrality, and constructive cooperation with Thailand to safeguard stability and the wellbeing of both peoples.