Hun Manet in Battambang: Cambodia Will Defend Its Land Through Law, Not War
Prime Minister Hun Manet told 2,001 graduating students of the University of Management and Economics in Battambang on October 8 that Cambodia will not surrender its land and will press its territorial claims through diplomacy and international law rather than war. He said Cambodia has never signed away its territory and retains the right to use lawful means to recover land the kingdom legally owns.
Hun Manet clarified that Cambodia is not claiming Surin and Buriram provinces, and that the key issue is respect for the Franco-Siamese treaties of 1904 and 1907. Future border demarcation with Thailand, he said, must involve the observer teams of both countries, and temporary technical markers are distinct from formal demarcation.
Reflecting on the 21 days in which Battambang lost its peace during the border conflict, Hun Manet said the experience underscored the value of peace. A small country can hit back and Cambodians are not cowards, he said, but a leader must not send citizens to die when other options exist; choosing war would mean endless conflict and potentially more than one million people displaced.
He expressed hope that the invasion and floods would end this year and that 2027 would bring relief, allowing Cambodia to strengthen national capacity. For Chinese families farming and trading in border provinces, Phnom Penh's stated preference for a legal path is the clearest policy signal for the safety of cross-border trade and land investments.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 马德望街景实景，摄影：佚名，CC BY-SA 3.0，来源：Wikimedia Commons（File:Battambang, Rd. No. 3..JPG）
