Hun Sen supports the Cambodian government bringing the Thai-Cambodian maritime overlapping dispute into an international mechanism, noting that Thailand's frequent changes of prime minister have hindered progress in negotiations.
On 7 May 2026, Samdech Hun Sen, former Prime Minister and President of Cambodia's Senate, posted on Facebook expressing support for the Cambodian government's efforts to resolve overlapping maritime claims with Thailand, following Thailand's unilateral announcement to cancel the 2001 maritime overlap negotiation Memorandum of Understanding (MOU 2001).
Hun Sen stated that Cambodia should not establish a new bilateral mechanism to replace MOU 2001 but should instead proceed through the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982 framework, involving a third party or international mechanism to ensure fairness, in line with remarks previously made by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet.
The former Cambodian leader expressed regret over Thailand's cancellation of MOU 2001, citing lack of progress as the stated reason. He questioned the causes behind the stalled negotiations, pointing out that Thailand knows best. Since the 2006 coup that ousted Thaksin Shinawatra, Thailand has changed prime ministers multiple times. Hun Sen noted that Cambodia has continued its efforts under a consistent government without changing negotiation mechanisms or content, while Thailand has had around 10 prime ministers, which may partly explain the lack of progress.
Nevertheless, Hun Sen emphasized that Cambodia is moving forward within the framework of international law. He stated that Thailand should not pressure Cambodia to create a new bilateral mechanism to replace the one Thailand itself canceled. He expressed hope that both countries will jointly proceed through an international mechanism with authority to appropriately settle maritime disputes.
Source: Facebook / Samdech Hun Sen of Cambodia