Phnom Penh: H.E. Pen Bona, Minister Delegate Attached to the Prime Minister and Head of the Royal Government Spokesperson Unit, has once again reaffirmed Cambodia’s unwavering commitment to peace and respect for international law. ‘Cambodia loves peace and respects international law,’ the spokesperson emphasised in a statement this afternoon. He explained that Cambodia’s decision to bring the Mom Bei area and the temple complexes of Ta Moan Thom, Ta Moan Tauch, and Ta Krabei before the International Court of Justice (ICJ)-following the failure of bilateral negotiations-reflects the country’s peaceful approach and adherence to international legal mechanisms.
According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, H.E. Pen Bona stressed that bilateral channels remain active for resolving other border issues not included in the ICJ case. He pointed to today’s meeting of the Cambodia-Thailand Joint Commission on Demarcation for Land Boundary (JBC) in Phnom Penh as evidence of Cambodia’s continued reliance on peaceful dialogue. ‘This demonstrates that Cambodia is a peace-loving nation, committed to resolving conflicts through diplomatic and legal means to avoid armed confrontation,’ he said. ‘The only circumstance under which Cambodia reserves the right to use force is in the case of aggression,’ he added firmly.
Now, he continued, the public opinion, both national and international, clearly sees Cambodia’s position of loving peace, respecting international law and abhorring war, while, in contrast, the Thai side has rejected the ICJ’s jurisdiction and some of its military leaders have resorted to warlike rhetoric. The first day of the 6th JBC Meeting concluded at around 4:00 p.m. this afternoon, though no official outcomes have yet been disclosed. The meeting is scheduled to resume tomorrow at 9:00 a.m.