BANGKOK — Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Monday rejected comments by a United Nations human rights expert regarding the recent Thailand-Cambodia border clashes, saying the official had not yet heard Thailand’s side of the story.
Anutin was responding to a statement by Tom Andrews, the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, who said around 650,000 Cambodian people had been displaced following the border clashes.
“The Foreign Ministry will provide details. At this stage, Mr. Andrews’ statement was made without hearing information from the Thai side,” Anutin told reporters on 3 August 2026.
“Thailand does not accept that opinion,” he said, urging the public to wait for clarification from the Foreign Ministry.
The prime minister also addressed Cambodia’s plan to submit a letter to the United Nations on 7 August 2026 seeking recognition of the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU 43) and a 1:200,000 scale map as a basis for border negotiations with Thailand.
Anutin said Thailand had maintained a clear position on the agreement and that any negotiations must follow established principles.
“We have always adhered to our principles regarding MOU 43. If Cambodia wants to negotiate with Thailand, it must first consider the conditions required for talks to take place,” he said.
“No one can force us, regardless of where they submit complaints. We are confident in our position and do not need to explain ourselves to anyone,” Anutin added.
Regarding maritime boundaries, Anutin said that after the cancellation of the 2001 MOU (MOU 44), discussions would need to proceed through compulsory conciliation under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982.
