In response to comments made by some Cambodian opposition activists abroad regarding border issues, Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet has called on them to stop pretending to possess greater expertise than professional border specialists. He said recent public remarks demonstrated a clear lack of understanding of mapping and territorial demarcation.
“I would like to suggest that if you or your group do not clearly understand maps or border affairs, do not pretend to be more knowledgeable than the border experts who have worked on these issues for decades. If you are not hesitant or afraid of being seen as less informed and wish to learn about the methods or techniques of map usage (especially the maps you copied from the U.S. Library of Congress), you may request the Royal Government to have a real border expert give a brief presentation on the technical foundations of map interpretation,” he underlined in a social media post this afternoon.
Samdech Thipadei added that a basic understanding of mapping techniques would help commentators speak more rationally and accurately when addressing issues related to the truth.
He noted that while he generally prefers not to respond to Cambodian politicians when the country is dealing with border matters, it is sometimes necessary to clarify issues to prevent political actors from exploiting misinformation to mislead the public.
The Prime Minister also referred to the clarification made by Senior Minister H.E. Gen. Y Chhean, a former commander in the 1980s, rejecting claims made by self-exiled politician Um Sam An. The latter alleged that H.E. Gen. Y Chhean had said Thailand encroached hundreds of metres into Cambodian territory in the Pong Nam Ron area, adjacent to Kamrieng district, and that Cambodia’s recognition of a “new border” would result in the loss of several square kilometres of land.
Samdech Thipadei highlighted H.E. Gen. Y Chhean’s response that the claims are entirely fabricated, describing them as provocative misinformation aimed at creating social unrest and serving political interests. He stressed that border affairs handled by the Royal Government and the Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) are based on international law, conventions, treaties, maps, and French-era documents.
