Prime Minister Hun Manet urged Cambodia and Thailand to resume joint surveys of their border, saying about 20,000 Cambodians could not return home after the 2025 clashes, Anadolu Agency reported Sunday.
On Nov. 3, Cambodia's Ministry of National Defence said 7,873 residents in the Boeung Trakuon border area remained unable to return home, as EconoTimes reported.
Anadolu reported that two rounds of deadly clashes took place in 2025 and a ceasefire took effect Dec. 27, 2025. Manet said the fighting had claimed lives and displaced families.
At the 20th Francophonie Summit in Phnom Penh, Manet called for respect for international law. Anadolu, citing a Phnom Penh daily, reported that Manet said the border had been delimited more than a century ago.
The agency said Manet thanked the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other international partners for supporting the ceasefire and dialogue. He also proposed a Francophone mechanism to help states prevent conflicts and pursue peaceful solutions, with dialogue support available at their request.
The appeal put a regional border dispute before a summit attended by leaders and representatives from about 20 countries, Anadolu reported. Its account gave no date for the proposed surveys to resume.
