Youk Chhang, executive director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia, says the filing of lawsuits in Thai courts against Senate President Hun Sen and Prime Minister Hun Manet while diplomatic negotiations are underway is inappropriate and risks undermining ongoing diplomatic efforts.
Writing on the Documentation Center of Cambodia Facebook page, Youk Chhang said civil lawsuits filed by senior Thai officials against Cambodian leaders in Thai domestic courts, at a time when the two countries are negotiating a border dispute, run counter to the spirit of peaceful resolution. He described the move as embarrassing and said it suggested Thailand lacked a unified foreign policy.
He argued that effective state-to-state diplomacy depends on coherence between military command and foreign policy. If one arm of the Thai government seeks diplomatic solutions while another turns to domestic or international courts, he said, it raises questions about who is truly directing Thai policy.
Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on January 29 that it strongly opposed a lawsuit filed by the secretary general of Thailand’s National Security Council against Hun Sen and Hun Manet in a Thai court. The Thai complaint accuses the two Cambodian leaders of instigating conflict along the Cambodia-Thailand border.
The Cambodian government said the legal action was obstructing efforts by both countries’ leaders to build trust and was contrary to the shared commitment to uphold a ceasefire. It added that the move violated the spirit of the ASEAN Charter and the bilateral principles of friendship previously agreed by the two countries.
On January 27, Thailand’s National Security Council secretary general Chatchai Bangchawad told reporters that he and Thai prosecutors had filed complaints in a court in Surin province against Hun Sen and Hun Manet. He alleged they were responsible for the fighting that resulted in deaths, injuries, and property damage to Thai civilians in border areas.
Chatchai Bangchawad said the legal proceedings would continue following a decision by Thailand’s caretaker cabinet and were intended to pursue both civil and criminal liability. He added that if the Cambodian leaders held assets in Thailand, those could be seized to compensate alleged victims, and that Thai authorities would cooperate with international police mechanisms to seek their arrest.
Cambodian sources also referred to fighting in December 2025, during what they described as a second Thai military offensive. They alleged that Thai forces used weapons prohibited under international law and that civilian homes, temples, schools, and ancient Khmer sites were hit, resulting in civilian deaths and injuries. Thailand has not publicly responded to those claims.
