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Cambodia Confirms Participation in JBC Meeting with Thailand, Excludes Disputed Temples Referred to ICJ

This Week

Cambodia has confirmed its participation in the upcoming Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) meeting with Thailand, scheduled for 14 June, with Phnom Penh serving as host.

However, four contested temple sites, Mom Bei, Ta Moan Thom, Ta Moan Tauch, and Ta Krabei—will be excluded from the meeting agenda following their formal referral to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on 2 June.

The development follows a border clash on 28 May between Nam Yuen District in Thailand’s Ubon Ratchathani Province and Techo Morokot village in Cambodia’s Choam Ksan district, Preah Vihear Province, which resulted in the death of one Cambodian soldier.

On 4 June, Cambodia reiterated its commitment to bilateral dialogue but clarified that the temple disputes now fall under ICJ jurisdiction and will be addressed solely through international legal proceedings in The Hague. The Cambodian government condemned the incident as an unprovoked violation of sovereignty and cited it as evidence of the limitations of current dispute resolution mechanisms.

Cambodia has expressed hope that Thailand will engage constructively in the ICJ process in line with principles of peaceful conflict resolution and neighborly cooperation. 

Thailand, however, has rejected ICJ arbitration, instead expressing a preference for resolving the border issue through bilateral negotiations. 

In response to rising tensions, Thailand’s Ministry of Interior issued a directive today  to governors of seven border provinces, Trat, Chanthaburi, Sa Kaeo, Ubon Ratchathani, Sisaket, Surin, and Buriram, calling for enhanced security and emergency preparedness. 

The directive includes increased surveillance by local authorities and village defense units, updated evacuation and contingency plans, public communication campaigns to prevent panic, expedited incident reporting, and increased readiness among territorial defense volunteers, particularly in high-risk areas such as Chong Bok, where the fatal clash took place.

Both countries now appear to be pursuing parallel strategies: Cambodia is pursuing a legal path through the ICJ, while both sides maintain diplomatic engagement through the JBC to manage broader border coordination.

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