Cambodia’s Information Minister Neth Pheaktra has renewed the government’s position that rival stories about the Cambodia-Thailand border dispute must be judged by facts and international law, not by messaging or military presence. He said neither public relations campaigns nor battlefield deployments can decide legitimate sovereignty.

Cautioning Against Diplomatic Spin

Pheaktra pointed to advice he said he had learned from the late Deputy Prime Minister Sok An, who had long experience in diplomacy and in handling disputes with Thailand. According to Pheaktra, Sok An once suggested that Thai diplomats could make serious matters appear minor or turn minor incidents into major events.

The minister said the comparison was about communication strategy rather than a blanket criticism of Thai diplomats. He explained that language and framing can strongly influence domestic and international perceptions.

Cambodia’s Allegations on the Ground

Applying that warning to the current dispute, Pheaktra alleged that Thai forces had seized sites inside Cambodian territory, installed razor wire and shipping-container barriers, and tried to create a fact on the ground through unilateral changes. He said Cambodia has filed repeated diplomatic protests and continues to compile evidence supporting its claims.

He also referred to a map showing Thai artillery fire, drone attacks and fighter jet strikes that hit Preah Vihear Temple last year.

Thailand’s Response

Thailand has dismissed Cambodia’s accusation of illegal territorial occupation. In a statement, the Thai foreign ministry said its forces had kept their positions after the ceasefire in line with agreed measures and that those deployments should not be described as occupation.

Bangkok has separately accused Cambodia of planting new landmines along the border, a claim Phnom Penh disputes.

Framing, Mines and Bomb Damage

Pheaktra questioned Thailand’s focus on mine explosions that injured Thai soldiers. He said those incidents were being used to shift attention away from damage that Cambodia blames on Thai aircraft bombs, including MK-82 and MK-84 bombs, and on Cambodia’s complaints of territorial encroachment.

Law, Evidence and Preah Vihear

Referencing Sok An’s work on the Preah Vihear issue, the minister argued that historical records, proof, international law and peaceful mechanisms remain central to resolving the dispute.

He urged the public to separate claims about what happened from the evidence available to establish it. In his view, language may shape perception but cannot alter reality; sovereignty is settled by law and proof, not by propaganda or force.