Thai foreign ministry calls Hun Sen’s ultimatum unneighbourly

Thailand has described the threat, made by Cambodia’s strongman Hun Sen today to close the border and ban the importation of Thai products if his demands are not met, as an action that “a good neighbour would not take,” said Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Nikorndej Balankura.

Without directly naming Hun Sen, the spokesman said, “Good neighbours should engage in dialogue, to seek mutually constructive solutions, instead of delivering ultimata. The impact of such measures will be felt by the people of both countries.”

He also noted that social media is not an official channel for diplomatic communication.

Hun Sen has threatened that If Thailand does not fully reopen all its border checkpoints with Cambodia tomorrow, we will impose a ban on Thai fruit and vegetables entering through any of our border checkpoints.

Thailand has imposed restrictions on the opening hours of several border checkpoints with Cambodia over the past week, amid rising tensions in the border dispute between the two countries.

Nikorndej responded by saying, “Issuing ultimata or making public statements that lead to misunderstandings reflect a lack of genuine intent on Cambodia’s part to use existing bilateral mechanisms grounded in good neighbourly relations.”

Hun Sen and his son, incumbent Prime Minister Hun Manet, frequently use social media platforms to issue official statements.

Nikorndej emphasised that, in dealing with the border tensions, Thailand prioritises the well-being of the people.

“Thailand’s countermeasures are directed at the government, not the people,” he said, adding that “The government exercises careful judgment and mature mindfulness in implementing countermeasures, without acting emotionally, and will not politicise mutual relations.”