Hun Sen reassures Japanese parliamentarian: ‘No need for third party, ICJ will resolve border issue’
Senate president Hun Sen has informed Nagashima Akihisa, special advisor to the Japanese Prime Minister, that Cambodia is not yet seeking a third party to resolve the border dispute with Thailand, prioritising the International Court of Justice (ICJ) mechanism first.
Nagashima, a member of the Japanese parliament, met with Hun Sen on July 1 at the Senate Palace, according to Chea Thirith, spokesperson for the Senate president.
Hun Sen clarified to the Japanese advisor that the current issues stem from Thai soldiers firing on Cambodian soldiers, resulting in a death, on May 28, and Thailand’s unilateral decision to close the border, escalating tensions between the two countries.
Thirith added that Hun Sen informed the Japanese advisor that Cambodia does not currently need a third party to help resolve the border dispute. Instead, Cambodia seeks to address the issue through international legal mechanisms, specifically the ICJ.
“Samdech Techo [Hun Sen] affirmed that while Cambodia does not yet require a third party to assist in resolving the Cambodia-Thailand border issue, he informed the Japanese Prime Minister’s special advisor that Japan could encourage Thailand to resolve the issue peacefully and by international law, specifically through the ICJ,” Thirith said.
Niem Chheng
The Phnom Penh Post
Asia News Network
