AKP Phnom Penh, June 16, 2025 --

The Royal Government of Cambodia’s official submission to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding the border disputes in the Mom Bei area and the temple complexes of Ta Moan Thom, Ta Moan Tauch, and Ta Krabei has officially reached the Court.

Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet confirmed that the official letter was handed over to ICJ Registrar Philippe Gautier.

“H.E. Prak Sokhonn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, has just reported that on Monday, June 16, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. in The Hague (around 4:30 p.m. in Phnom Penh), Cambodia’s official submission to the ICJ—requesting the Court’s intervention in resolving the disputes at Ta Moan Thom, Ta Moan Tauch, and Ta Krabei temple complexes, as well as the Mom Bei area—was delivered by H.E. Ms. Kimsour Sovannary, Cambodian Ambassador to the Netherlands, to Registrar Philippe Gautier,” the Premier stated on his social media platform this afternoon.

Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet reaffirmed Cambodia’s firm stance in seeking a peaceful legal resolution through the ICJ.

“The Royal Government will pursue this effort with strong commitment and a sense of responsibility to defend the territorial integrity and supreme interests of the Cambodian nation and people,” he stressed.

Earlier in the day, Senate President Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen also voiced his full support for the government’s decision to turn to the ICJ mechanism to resolve the border dispute with Thailand.

In a special statement delivered during the 3rd session of the Senate, Samdech Techo Hun Sen emphasised that bilateral negotiations over the four sensitive areas have failed, making legal resolution through the ICJ the most appropriate and peaceful path forward.

“Cambodia does not want to resort to conflict to resolve these issues. We only want to protect our nation,” he said.

He further noted that even if negotiations continued for 100 or 200 more years, the bilateral mechanism would still be unable to settle the disputes, warning that tensions could re-emerge between the two countries in the future.

By Heng Panha