Thailand and Cambodia traded accusations on Tuesday as the Southeast Asian neighbours took a long-running dispute over maritime territory and resources to international mediators in Singapore.
The hearing at the Singapore office of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) follows two rounds of deadly border clashes between the countries last year, which killed dozens and displaced more than 1 million people before a truce was reached.
Bangkok accuses Phnom Penh of playing victim
Opening Thailand’s case before a five-member panel of international legal experts, Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow accused Cambodia of “portraying itself as a victim” and spreading what he called “false narratives”.
“Cambodia seeks to vilify Thailand through false narratives, distortion of facts, and unfounded accusations,” Sihasak said, accusing Phnom Penh of using international forums to claim the moral high ground.
Thailand withdrew in May from a 2001 framework agreement known as MoU 44, which was designed to address overlapping maritime claims.
Bangkok said the withdrawal followed a lack of progress in implementing the agreement and denied that it was connected to last year’s border fighting.
Cambodia seeks joint resource development
Cambodia subsequently initiated a UN-backed conciliation process at the PCA, saying it wanted to return to constructive negotiations.
Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn told the panel that Phnom Penh viewed the process as “a means to rebuild trust, not as a form of escalation.”
Cambodia wants the two countries to agree on a single maritime boundary or, alternatively, jointly develop and equitably share resources until a boundary is established, Sokhonn said.
“Cambodia sincerely hopes that Thailand will engage constructively in this process,” he added.
The disputed area covers around 27,000 square kilometres of resource-rich maritime territory claimed by both countries. The two sides have negotiated their overlapping claims for more than two decades.
Sihasak said Thailand also sought maritime delimitation and wanted to rebuild trust with Cambodia.
The PCA, established in 1899, is the world’s oldest intergovernmental dispute-resolution body. Its Singapore office is its first in Asia.
The conciliation recommendations are non-binding, and the process is expected to take about a year.
