Bangkok: Thailand has criticized Cambodia for bypassing bilateral negotiations and requesting United Nations compulsory conciliation over their overlapping maritime claims, stating that Phnom Penh's actions affect mutual trust.
According to Thai News Agency, the development follows Cambodia's formal notification to the United Nations and Thailand that it has initiated a compulsory conciliation process under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to resolve their long-running maritime boundary dispute.
Under this international legal framework, any signatory state can initiate this dispute resolution mechanism against another party. The case will be handled by a five-member Conciliation Commission, where both Thailand and Cambodia will appoint two representatives each.
These four appointees will then jointly select a fifth member to serve as the chairperson. This panel will review the facts and legal positions of both nations to deliver a set of non-binding recommendations, which will also be submitted in a report to the UN Secretary-General.
Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, questioned Cambodia's true intentions after it elevated the dispute to the international body. Warning that the move directly impacts the Joint Border Committee (JBC) and border security, Sihasak stated that Cambodia must take full responsibility for the consequences.
He added that Thailand was prepared for this move, scheduling a meeting with French legal advisors to safeguard Thai interests, and has cut his overseas trip short by one day to brief foreign diplomats in Bangkok and hold a formal press conference.
This development surfaced while Sihasak was leading a Thai delegation at an OECD ministerial council meeting in Paris, where he reaffirmed Thailand's commitment to joining the organization by 2028. The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that Thailand's current stable government is prepared to accelerate economic structural reforms and upgrade laws to meet international standards. These initiatives, which had faced years of delays due to political factors, are aimed at restoring confidence and driving sustainable growth for the Thai economy.