Brickinfo English
Hun Sen Urges Cambodia to Bypass Bilateral Maritime Talks with Thailand, Citing MOU44 Cancellation
Brickinfo News Agency – Cambodian Senate President and Acting Head of State Hun Sen has issued a formal statement advising the Cambodian government to cease bilateral maritime negotiations with Thailand. This move comes as a response to Thailand’s unilateral decision to cancel the 2001 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU44), a framework previously used to discuss overlapping claims in the Gulf of Thailand. Hun Sen argued that by dissolving this agreement, Thailand has effectively dismantled the existing mechanism for direct dialogue, prompting Cambodia to seek resolution through international legal frameworks instead.
The statement, released on May 11, 2026, followed reports from Thai media quoting the Thai Foreign Minister, who suggested that resolving disputes under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) should ideally begin with bilateral discussions. Hun Sen contested this logic, asserting that such a stance contradicts the Thai government’s own actions. He maintained that since Thailand initiated the cancellation of MOU44, the established bilateral path has been terminated by the Thai side.
Acting in his capacity as the Acting Head of State, Hun Sen issued a stern directive to the Cambodian administration. He stated, “I warn the Cambodian government not to reopen bilateral negotiations with Thailand on maritime issues again and to proceed directly to the processes under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) without needing to wait for Thailand’s approval.” This position reinforces his earlier warning from May 6, 2026, where he urged the government not to establish any new bilateral mechanisms to replace the one Thailand discarded.
Despite the diplomatic friction, Hun Sen expressed a strategic shift in Cambodia’s approach to the overlapping claims area (OCA). He noted that while the cancellation of the 2001 agreement was regrettable, it served as a catalyst for Cambodia to pivot toward global standards. “I must thank Thailand for pushing Cambodia to utilize international mechanisms instead of the previous bilateral negotiations,” he remarked, signaling a firm transition from private regional talks to the international legal stage.
