AKP Phnom Penh, May 31, 2025 -- Border issues are complex and must be resolved with patience, persistence, and through legal and diplomatic channels, said Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet.

Speaking in Tokyo this morning at a get-together with some 1,600 Cambodian people living, working and studying in Japan, the Prime Minister emphasised that border demarcation should be handled by the designated border committees of the concerned countries—not through armed conflict between their militaries.

Referring to the May 28 clash, Samdech Thipadei warned that had the situation not been swiftly addressed, the death toll could have escalated from one to potentially one hundred, and the fighting could have spread along the entire border.

He also stressed that taking border disputes to international court should be considered only as a last resort. "Once it reaches the court, negotiations will no longer be possible," he said.

Moreover, the Premier voiced strong disapproval of opposition claims that the Royal Government allowed the Thai army to fire on Cambodian troops in order to distract the public from the issue of online crime. He also condemned their efforts to discourage Cambodian forces during a sensitive time.

“This is a moment for national unity. We must support and uplift our soldiers who are risking their lives to protect the territorial integrity of our homeland,” he said, questionig the opposition’s motives for attempting to create divisions between army generals and frontline soldiers.

Samdech Thipadei reaffirmed the commitment of the Royal Government, the Ministry of National Defence, and the Cambodian Armed Forces to peacefully resolve border disputes and to safeguard Cambodia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

By C. Nika