Phnom Penh: Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, has reaffirmed that Cambodia's decision to refer its border disputes with Thailand to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) remains unchanged. The Senate President made the clarification in response to comments on his official Facebook page on Sunday night, following an announcement by the Ministry of National Defence earlier the same day. The ministry had reported that the Cambodian and Thai militaries had agreed to reposition their forces to reduce tensions along the border.
According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, Samdech Techo Hun Sen emphasised that the recent military movements represent a strategic repositioning rather than a withdrawal. He clarified, "This is a force adjustment, not a withdrawal. We are not withdrawing troops from our territory, but we must appropriately reposition our forces within our own borders." He elaborated further by comparing the adjustment to changing sleeping positions, stating, "Adjustment is like lying on a bed. Previously, we slept with our heads to the north; now we sleep with our heads to the east. Our territory remains our territory."
Samdech Techo Hun Sen also reiterated Cambodia's right to self-defence, stating that Cambodian forces are instructed to retaliate only if provoked. "If they [Thai troops] fire at us first, we will fire back to defend ourselves and our land. However, we are strictly forbidden from firing first or entering their territory," he asserted.
H.E. Gen. Tea Seiha, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence, confirmed that the Cambodian army remains stationed within the country's sovereign territory as part of their duty to protect national territorial integrity. He underlined that the deployment along the border is purely defensive in nature, with the sole objective of protecting Cambodia's sovereignty. Cambodia, he stressed, has neither the intention nor the ambition to invade any other country.