Prime Minister Hun Manet has responded to comments made by senior Thai politicians, who accused the Cambodian leadership of engaging in “unprofessional” politics related to border issues and meetings, apparently due to the fact that they use social media to communicate with the public.

Speaking at the closing of the June 17 National Scout Conference in Phnom Penh this afternoon, Manet stated that sharing information on social media is the fastest way to inform the public, which is why world leaders regularly use it.

“Thai politicians accuse me and [Senate president] Hun Sen of unprofessional politics, saying we conduct politics via Facebook. What does that mean, unprofessional politics? They imply we should not discuss things via Facebook, which they think is ineffective,” he said.

He noted that Thai leaders themselves use social media to disseminate information, sometimes even threatening Cambodia, such as threatening to cut off certain services without prior discussion with Cambodia.

“One moment they talk about cutting electricity, then the internet, then building a fence between Cambodia and Thailand. Is that professional? Let’s be clear: Cambodia isn’t silent; we are very patient because we don’t want trouble,” he said.

Manet’s remarks were in response to comments by Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who pointedly told a June 16 press conference that Thailand’s government negotiations “follow international norms through official state channels”.

“The Thai government's negotiations follow international practices through official state communication channels, refraining from daily communication via other means, avoiding provocation or challenges, and preventing misunderstandings to honour negotiating partner countries, maintain an atmosphere conducive to resolving conflicts and avoid impacting political, economic and social situations,” she said.