The 6th meeting of the Joint Border Committee (JBC), hosted by Cambodia, concluded after two days, during which Cambodia took the opportunity to inform the Thai side of its stance: non-recognition of the map drawn unilaterally by Thailand and the cessation of discussions on border points that Cambodia has referred to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The meeting, held from June 14 to 15, included the Cambodian delegation led by Lam Chea, Minister in charge of the Secretariat of Border Affairs and Chairman of the Cambodia Joint Border Committee, and the Thai delegation led by Prasas Prasasvinitchai, Advisor to the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the Thai Joint Border Committee.

According to a press release from the Secretariat of Border Affairs, issued after the meeting, the Cambodian side took this opportunity to propose that the Thai side join Cambodia in bringing the border disputes in the areas of Mumbei, Ta Moan Thom Temple, Ta Moan Tauch Temple, and Ta Krabei Temple to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Lam Chea also reiterated Cambodia's position to independently initiate legal procedures, "even if the Thai side rejects the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice (ICJ)."

"Furthermore, the Cambodian side affirmed to the Thai side that, from now on, the four aforementioned areas will no longer be a subject or object of discussion and resolution within the framework of the Cambodia-Thailand Joint Border Committee (JBC)," said the release.

"The Cambodian side categorically rejects and does not recognize the map that the Thai side has unilaterally drawn and used as a basis, which has been the primary source of chronic border disputes in the past, as well as at present and in the future,” added the release.

Cambodia urged the Thai side to implement the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) of 2000, in which both parties agreed to use maps at a scale of 1/200,000 in accordance with the spirit of the Franco-Siamese Convention of 1904 and the Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907, to carry out border demarcation and boundary pillar placement.

Regarding the formal and technical aspects, both sides reviewed and approved the minutes of the 4th meeting of the Joint Technical Sub-Committee on Border Affairs (JTSC), Cambodia-Thailand, dated July 14, 2024, in Siem Reap, and reviewed and discussed the amendment of the 2003 TOR concerning the production of orthophoto maps (Step 2 in Point 4 of the TOR).

The JBC also discussed and approved the deployment of a joint survey team to survey and demarcate the border on the ground, between the actual locations of the agreed boundary pillars, and discussed guidelines for surveying in Sector 6 (Point IX of the 4th meeting and the special JBC meeting of 2009).

The meeting was held concurrently with Cambodia sending an official letter to the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, on June 15, the 63rd anniversary of the Preah Vihear Temple victory on June 15, 1962.