(Tokyo): While on an official visit to Japan, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet addressed the nation following an armed clash between Cambodian and Thai troops at the Emerald Triangle (Mom Bei) area of Preah Vihear Province on the morning of May 28.

Writing from Tokyo, the prime minister emphasized that despite his overseas engagement, the responsibility for national security and military command—including decisions regarding troop deployments—remains firmly under his authority.

In his social media post, Prime Minister Hun Manet wrote the following full statement:

“News of the armed clash between Cambodian and Thai troops along the border yesterday at the Emerald Triangle (Mom Bei) area—as well as the mobilization of troops and heavy weapons to the border during a time when the prime minister is not in the country—has caused concern among many citizens, along with uncertainty over the situation on the border. Will war break out? Who is managing the situation or ordering the troop movements when the Prime Minister is abroad?

I would like to briefly reassure fellow Cambodians that, even though I am in Japan with a full schedule of meetings, the command system and hierarchy for major military operations such as troop movements remain under my full responsibility as Prime Minister.

All developments at the border are regularly reported to me through the deputy prime minister, minister of national defence, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and the commander of the army, including the outcomes of communications between the Cambodian and Thai military counterparts. The aim is to prevent further escalation and restore calm and constructive relations between our frontline forces.

Moreover, any major decisions—including troop and arms mobilization to the border—must be made with my approval or direct orders.

I do not wish to see armed conflict between troops from both sides, which would bring no benefit to either nation or our people—especially those soldiers stationed directly at the frontline.

For this reason, I hope that the upcoming meeting between the Cambodian and Thai army commanders will produce positive results to preserve stability and good military communication between the two countries, as we have done in the past.

As I have publicly stated before, Cambodia has no intention of invading any country. We want to resolve border disputes based on technical grounds and international law.

However, Cambodia also reserves the right to use all necessary means to protect its territorial integrity—including military force—should any aggression or encroachment occur.

Therefore, I urge all Cambodian citizens to remain calm and not to panic over certain unverified information being circulated. I also appeal to everyone to prevent this issue from escalating into a national conflict, and instead place full trust in the Royal Government and our armed forces to seek solutions responsibly.”

Prime Minister Hun Manet also shared two photographs to underscore his continued leadership. The first image, taken during a previous confrontation, shows him near a frontline command post in Samraong City, Oddar Meanchey Province. The second captures the past negotiation between Cambodian and Thai military commanders at the Choam Sa-ngam Border checkpoint, aimed at de-escalating the clash.
=FRESH NEWS