Cambodia Says It Will Keep Raising Border Issues Until Violations Stop

 

 

 

PHNOM PENH, April 30 — Cambodia has defended its continued public statements on border tensions with Thailand, saying they are necessary to address alleged violations of a ceasefire agreement and to protect national sovereignty.

 

Responding to suggestions that both sides should avoid rhetoric that could hinder relations, Prak Sokhonn said Thai military actions on the ground remain the core issue.

 

He said that since the ceasefire agreement reached on Dec. 27, 2025, Thai forces have continued to occupy areas inside Cambodian territory and have restricted local residents from returning to their homes.

Sokhonn added that some locations were reportedly blocked, preventing access to villages, which they said contradicts commitments made under the joint statement of the General Border Committee.

 

He said Phnom Penh has raised the issue through diplomatic channels, including official statements and engagements at international forums.

 

Prak Sokhonn stressed that Cambodia had exercised restraint to preserve the ceasefire and pursue peaceful solutions, but said it could not remain silent on matters affecting territorial integrity and the rights of its citizens.

 

Cambodia said it would continue to speak out unless the alleged actions cease, reiterating its commitment to resolving disputes peacefully in accordance with international law and bilateral agreements.

 

If a larger country can simply decide a smaller neighbor’s border no longer exists, is any country truly safe?…

 

All these Western embassies in Phnom Penh must be fully aware of what is happening and yet are apparently turning the other way for some reasons? Even countries within ASEAN are effectively in hiding. The likes of Singapore were once most vociferous in protesting Vietnam's invasion and occupation of Cambodia but today where are they? 

This is about more than the leadership of Cambodia or whether this leadership is palatable to the world community or not; more than whether Thailand is occupying a few hectares of Cambodian territory or several km squares. It's about a most basic, fundamental principle governing a peaceful, civilised world being grossly violated in broad daylight. This is an unashamed reversion to feudal times when Siam was terrorising Cambodia and other weaker nations at will and without punitive repercussions. 

 -Social media 

 

 

Cambodia deports more than 600 Thais linked to cyberscams: minister

AFP
Thu, April 30, 2026 at 12:49 PM GMT+1
2 min read

  

A general view shows the Poipet International border checkpoint between Cambodia and Thailand in 2025 (TANG CHHIN Sothy)
(TANG CHHIN Sothy/AFP/AFP)

Cambodia deported more than 600 Thais allegedly involved in online scams on Thursday, the information minister said, part of a crackdown against the multibillion-dollar illicit industry that has ballooned in the country in recent years.

Cambodia has emerged as a hub for crime syndicates running fake romantic relationship and cryptocurrency investment schemes in which scammers -- some willing, others trafficked -- defraud internet users around the world.

Operated out of hotels, casinos and fortified compounds around the region, the global cyberscam industry has reached "industrial proportions", with estimates of its annual revenues as high as $64 billion, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.

Cambodian Information Minister Neth Pheaktra told AFP "635 Thai nationals involved in illegal online business operations and transnational criminal networks were deported to Thailand" through a border checkpoint on Thursday.

Leader of Cambodia's defunct opposition loses appeal against treason conviction, lawyer says

By Reuters

April 30, 20265:28 AM GMT+1Updated 14 hours ago

  

Cambodian opposition leader Kem Sokha greets as he leaves the Municipal Court of Phnom Penh, Cambodia January 16, 2020. REUTERS/Samrang Pring/ File Photo 

    Summary

    Kem Sokha gets additional 5-year travel ban added to 27-year term
    Crackdown wipes out Cambodia's opposition, ruling CPP uncontested
    Western embassies disappointed, urge Cambodia to create space for opposition

PHNOM PENH, April 30 (Reuters) - A Cambodian appeals court on ​Thursday upheld a 27-year sentence for former opposition leader Kem Sokha for his treason ‌conviction, his lawyer said, another blow to an opposition decimated by the ruling party's long-running crackdown.

Kem Sokha, 72, co-founder of the defunct Cambodia National Rescue Party, has been held under house arrest since he was found guilty of treason in March 2023. ​He was accused of conspiring with a foreign power to topple then-premier Hun Sen.

The court upheld ​that verdict and banned Kem Sokha from leaving Cambodia for five years once his ⁠term ends, his lawyer said.

"We regret this decision," Pheng Heng told reporters. "Under this circumstance, the government ruled ​by the Cambodian People's Party should seek national reconciliation and today's decision is not as expected."

Kem Sokha's case ​was among the most prominent in a sweeping crackdown on opponents of the CPP, which has ruled the Southeast Asian country for more than four decades. The United States said at the time that his conviction was based on "fabricated conspiracy theories".

China–Cambodia 2+2 Dialogue Is a Strategic Turning Point

 

On April 22, Cambodia's Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn (2nd R) and Defence Minister Tea Seiha (R), together with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi (2nd L) and China's Defence Minister Dong Jun (L), co-chaired the First Meeting of the “2+2” Strategic Dialogue between the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Ministers of National Defence of Cambodia and China, in Phnom Penh. Photo: MFA 

 

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Defense Minister Dong Jun visited Cambodia for the first "2+2" strategic dialogue, meeting top leaders including Acting Head of State Hun Sen, Prime Minister Hun Manet, Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn and Defense Minister Tea Seiha.

On April 22, China and Cambodia inaugurated their first "2+2" Strategic Dialogue in Phnom Penh. The meeting involved foreign and defense ministers and aimed to deepen political and security ties and bilateral cooperation. 

There are reports that this framework may expand to a "3+3" structure, adding interior ministers from both countries. This would signify deeper, more institutionalized cooperation between China and Cambodia.

Through this new diplomatic initiative, China is demonstrating an intention to expand its engagement with Cambodia beyond economic issues, shifting toward a partnership also focused on political and security collaboration.

FM Wang Yi told reporters that China is willing to develop the mechanism into a “strategic platform” for enhancing political and defense security cooperation. 

He described the 2+2 strategic engagement with Cambodia as a key instrument for cementing mutual assistance and solidarity and advancing the construction of a China-Cambodia “community with a shared future”.

Myanmar’s former leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been transferred to house arrest

 

Myanmar’s former leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been transferred to house arrest, the country’s military-controlled state media announced Thursday.

 

The 80-year old state counselor was moved from Naypyidaw prison to “the designated residence” to serve the remainder of her sentence, state-run MRTV reported without specifying exactly where this residence was.

 

State media also showed a the first public photo of the former leader in several years. She was at a table with men in military and police.

 

RFA