AKP Phnom Penh, September 22, 2026 -- The Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) has formally lodged another strong protest against Thailand's continued violations of Cambodia's sovereignty and territorial integrity along the border.

In a press release issued on Sept. 22, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said that on Sept. 18, following land-clearing activities, Thai armed forces, accompanied by Thai monks, installed a Buddha statue in the Phnom Beng area of Anlong Veng district, Oddar Meanchey province, between Boundary Pillars No. 2 and No. 3.

The RGC described the activity as another case of Thailand's repeated use of religious structures and symbols to consolidate an unlawful occupation of Cambodian territory.

The Royal Government strongly protested the activity, stating that it constitutes a violation of Cambodia's sovereignty and territorial integrity as defined and delimited by the 1:200,000-scale maps produced by the Commissions for the Delimitation of the Boundary between Indo-China and Siam, pursuant to the Franco-Siamese Convention of 1904 and the Treaty of 1907.

The statement added that the activity also violates Article 5 of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand on the Survey and Demarcation of the Land Boundary, signed on June 14, 2000, as well as Item I on De-escalation Measures of the Joint Statement of the 3rd Special Meeting of the General Border Committee (GBC), dated Dec. 27, 2025.

The RGC reiterated that it does not accept any boundary line or territorial claim unilaterally asserted by Thailand, stressing that the activity would not prejudice Cambodia's legal rights or position with respect to its international boundary.

Cambodia demanded that Thailand cease such activities, refrain from further unilateral actions, and work to de-escalate tensions, foster mutual trust and preserve peace and good neighbourliness along the border.

The Royal Government reaffirmed its commitment to resolving all boundary disputes with Thailand, as with all its neighbours, exclusively through peaceful means, in accordance with international law and existing bilateral agreements, while firmly upholding its position that borderlines must not be changed by force.

By C. Nika