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Fresh Exclusive | In-depth Analysis: Hun Manet’s Strategy on Cambodia–Thailand Border Dispute and Online Scams: Sovereignty and Global Cooperation Friday, October 16, 2026
Fresh Exclusive | In-depth Analysis: Hun Manet’s Strategy on Cambodia–Thailand Border Dispute and Online Scams: Sovereignty and Global Cooperation
(Phnom Penh): A country's borders can be violated by military force, while transnational criminal networks can penetrate its territory without deploying a single soldier. Although these threats are fundamentally different, they raise a common question: How can a state defend its sovereignty when protecting national security increasingly requires international cooperation?
For Cambodia, this question has particular significance as the country confronts two challenges simultaneously: its territorial dispute with Thailand and the fight against transnational online scam networks.
Two Messages, One Strategic Approach
Addressing the Seventh Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Baku, Azerbaijan, on October 15, 2026, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet highlighted both challenges, emphasizing national sovereignty, international law, and cooperation among states.
His remarks reflected two interconnected elements of Cambodia's stated strategy: first, defending sovereignty and territorial integrity through international law rather than military force; and second, strengthening international cooperation against transnational crime while respecting the sovereignty of individual states.
The central question, however, is how Cambodia can translate these principles into measurable results, particularly in pursuing a peaceful resolution of its border dispute with Thailand and dismantling transnational online scam networks.
Territorial Disputes: Physical Control Does Not Automatically Establish Legal Sovereignty
One of the most significant legal messages in Hun Manet's speech was his assertion that:
“Borders and sovereignty must never be altered by force or faits accomplis.”
This statement reflects a fundamental principle of international law: physical occupation of territory does not automatically confer lawful sovereignty over it.
The presence of a state's armed forces in a particular area is not, by itself, sufficient to establish legal title. Territorial claims must be assessed against relevant legal instruments, including treaties, maps with legal or evidentiary significance, and other historical and legal records.
In the Cambodia–Thailand dispute, the 1904 and 1907 treaties, together with relevant maps and boundary documents, remain important sources for assessing the parties' territorial claims.
The International Court of Justice's 1962 judgment concerning the Temple of Preah Vihear and its 2013 interpretation judgment are also significant. However, those rulings did not determine the entire land boundary between Cambodia and Thailand.
At the CICA summit, Hun Manet expressed Cambodia's concern over areas that, according to his government, remain under Thai military control inside Cambodian territory.
His remarks reaffirmed Cambodia's position that territorial disputes should be resolved through international law and existing agreements rather than through military force or the acceptance of unilateral changes on the ground.
Nevertheless, the legal status of each contested area requires careful examination of the relevant treaties, boundary evidence, and applicable legal principles.
Ceasefire and the JBC: From Ending Hostilities to Resolving the Underlying Dispute
Hun Manet told the summit:
“The ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand continues to hold, but the situation remains complex. The core issues—territorial integrity and sovereignty under international law and existing agreements—remain unresolved.
His statement highlights the distinction between ending armed hostilities and resolving the underlying causes of a territorial dispute.
A ceasefire can prevent further fighting and loss of life, but it does not, by itself, establish a boundary or recognize either party's sovereignty over disputed territory. Maintaining military positions on the ground does not automatically change the legal status of a border.
This is why the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) remains an important mechanism for addressing outstanding boundary issues through treaties, maps, technical work, and mutually agreed procedures.
Hun Manet also stated that delays in implementing relevant agreements had prevented more than 20,000 Cambodian civilians from returning to their homes safely and with dignity.
This underscores the humanitarian dimension of the dispute. Beyond questions of sovereignty and maps, prolonged uncertainty affects people's security, livelihoods, and ability to return home.
For Cambodia, maintaining the ceasefire and advancing the JBC process are therefore complementary priorities: one seeks to protect lives, while the other aims to address the unresolved territorial issues.
The essential distinction is that a ceasefire may stop the fighting, but it does not settle sovereignty. A lasting resolution requires legal evidence, negotiations, and good-faith implementation of agreements by both parties.
Online Scams: International Cooperation Must Respect National Sovereignty
While Cambodia emphasizes international law rather than military force in addressing its territorial dispute, it calls for stronger international cooperation to combat online scams and other forms of transnational crime.
Hun Manet stated:
“In an increasingly digital world, cybercrime, online fraud, and scams related to transnational criminal activities are becoming more sophisticated and cannot be effectively addressed by any single country acting alone.”
Why is international cooperation essential?
An online scam network may have its organizers in one country, victims in another, technological infrastructure elsewhere, and financial transactions moving through multiple jurisdictions.
A government may shut down criminal operations within its own territory, but dismantling an entire network is far more difficult without intelligence sharing, coordinated investigations, and cross-border legal assistance.
However, cooperation does not give one state an unrestricted right to enforce its laws inside another state's territory.
Hun Manet emphasized:
“Such cooperation should be pursued with full respect for national sovereignty, international law, and the United Nations Charter, and should remain focused on fostering practical cooperation and mutual trust, rather than geopolitical rivalry.”
These principles must operate together.
Respect for sovereignty should not become an excuse for avoiding applicable responsibilities to combat transnational crime. Equally, the fight against crime should not be used as a pretext for unlawful interference or military action against another state.
Sovereignty therefore involves not only the right to protect national territory but also the responsibility to enforce the law and cooperate with other countries in addressing cross-border threats.
From the Phnom Penh Conference to CICA: International Trust Requires Tangible Results
Hun Manet's remarks in Baku built on the position he expressed at the international conference on combating online scams held in Phnom Penh on September 23–24, 2026.
At that conference, he pledged that Cambodia would not become a safe haven for online scam networks.
At the CICA summit, he referred to the Phnom Penh conference and its declaration as evidence of Cambodia's commitment to addressing transnational crime through international cooperation.
By linking the two international forums, Cambodia sought to present itself not merely as a country facing scrutiny over online scams, but as an active partner in developing international solutions.
Nevertheless, commitments must ultimately be measured against concrete outcomes.
These include dismantling criminal networks, prosecuting their leaders, confiscating illicit assets, protecting victims, and preventing scam operations from re-emerging.
International confidence cannot be built through declarations alone. It requires sustained enforcement, accountability, and results that can be independently verified.
Conclusion: Defending Sovereignty While Fulfilling International Responsibilities
Hun Manet's address to the CICA summit presented two policy positions grounded in a common principle: respect for sovereignty and international law.
In the Cambodia–Thailand border dispute, his government advocates legal and peaceful means rather than military force. In combating online scams, Cambodia calls for stronger international cooperation while respecting the sovereignty and jurisdiction of each state.
Yet the credibility of these principles will ultimately depend on practical results: progress toward resolving the border dispute, protection of affected civilians, and effective action against transnational criminal networks.
The central lesson from Hun Manet's message in Baku is that sovereignty must be defended through law, while cross-border security requires cooperation. Respect for national sovereignty and the fulfillment of international responsibilities must go hand in hand.
