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International cooperation

France Offers to Help Resolve Thai-Cambodian Border Dispute

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

France has pledged to support efforts to ease tensions between Thailand and Cambodia during a phone call between Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and President Emmanuel Macron. Macron agreed to help coordinate Thai-Cambodian negotiations to resolve ongoing border issues and expressed support for Thailand's broader efforts to combat transnational crime. The French leader also acknowledged the situation and agreed to consider facilitating cooperation with Cambodia, echoing a statement he made earlier this month during a meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet in Nice.

Key Takeaways:

  • France has agreed to help coordinate Thai-Cambodian negotiations to resolve ongoing border issues.
  • Macron expressed support for Thailand's efforts to combat transnational crime, including the proliferation of call centre scam networks in the region.
  • The Thai side emphasized the importance of bilateral negotiations as the most effective path forward, highlighting the role of the Thai-Cambodia Joint Border Committee.
  • France's support for Cambodia's sovereignty over Preah Vihear Temple was key in the ICJ ruling in 1962.
  • A series of French-drawn maps at a 1:200,000 scale was crucial in determining the temple's ownership and Cambodia's later legal claims.
  • Cambodia's Director General Kin Phea praised France's gesture as acknowledging its colonial legacy in Indochina and its moral responsibility to facilitate historical clarity.
  • Youk Chhang, Director of the Documentation Centre of Cambodia, recommended that Cambodia be cautious in any non-ASEAN brokered negotiations and exercise greater leadership and responsibility in its own peace, security, and prosperity.

Statistics:

  • 1863-1953: Cambodia was a French protectorate.
  • 1962: The International Court of Justice ruled that Preah Vihear Temple rightfully belonged to Cambodia.
  • 2013: The ICJ reaffirmed Cambodia's sovereignty over the surrounding area.
  • 1:200,000 scale: French-drawn maps used for administrative purposes and pivotal in international disputes.
  • June 12: Macron told Mr. Hun Manet that France will support Cambodia with the provision of key documents for its case against Thailand at the ICJ.

Sources:

  • Thai government spokesman Jirayu Huangsab
  • Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra
  • Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet
  • President Emmanuel Macron
  • Minister Delegate Attached to the Prime Minister in Charge of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Francois Tain
  • Kin Phea, Director General of the Royal Academy of Cambodia's International Relations Institute
  • Youk Chhang, Director of the Documentation Centre of Cambodia
  • International Court of Justice (ICJ)
  • Royal Thai Government Spokesperson
  • Documentation Centre of Cambodia

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