HE Keo Remy, Senior Minister, Met with Mr John C. Coughenour, Senior United States Judge
HE Keo Remy, Senior Minister, Met with Mr John C. Coughenour, Senior United States Judge
Phnom Penh: On the morning of 5 February 2026, HE Keo Remy, Senior Minister, President of the Cambodian Human Rights Committee (CHRC), met with Mr John C. Coughenour, a senior United States judge, in the CHRC meeting hall.
HE Keo Remy, Senior Minister, presented the causes of the Cambodia-Thailand border dispute, highlighting that Cambodia has consistently honoured and upheld the 1904 and 1907 Franco-Siamese Conventions and Treaties, which hold official recognition under international law. In contrast, Thailand—particularly extremist factions and certain politicians—relies on a unilaterally produced map that starkly contradicts established international legal standards.
HE Keo Remy, Senior Minister, stated that during the Thai military’s invasion of Cambodian territory, Thai forces deployed heavy weapons, cluster bombs, poison gas, and fighter jets including F-16s, Gripens, and T-50s. They advanced over 90 kilometers into Cambodia, launching indiscriminate strikes on civilian villages, infrastructure, and historic temples—particularly the World Heritage-listed Temple of Preah Vihear. These acts constitute grave breaches of international law, including human rights law, humanitarian law, and the 1949 Geneva Conventions.
HE Keo Remy, Senior Minister, stated that despite the ceasefire agreement and the Kuala Lumpur Joint Statement of 26 October 2025, signed between Cambodia and Thailand in the presence of US President HE Donald J. Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister HE Anwar Ibrahim (ASEAN Chair) as witnesses, Thailand persists in provocative and inflammatory actions. These include deploying high-frequency sound to psychologically harass civilians, demolishing homes, destroying religious statues, stealing property, and erecting new structures on Cambodian soil to obliterate Cambodian national identity—while installing barbed wire and containers to block over 100,000 Cambodian refugees from returning home.
At the same time, HE Keo Remy, Senior Minister, stressed that Cambodia is a peace-loving nation with no desire to wage war with any country, having endured decades of war and thus fully grasping its devastating effects and the preciousness of peace. That said, Cambodia is duty-bound to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity under international law. He also clearly articulated Cambodia’s commitment to resolving border disputes peacefully, guided by the UN Charter, ASEAN Charter, international law, pertinent treaties and conventions, and established bilateral and multilateral frameworks. Cambodia steadfastly urges respect for territorial integrity, sovereignty, and civilian protection as top priorities, convinced that enduring stability demands dialogue, mutual respect, and faithful adherence to international law—not force or military coercion.
In response, Mr John C. Coughenour stated that HE Donald J. Trump, President and the people of the United States, have voiced full support for the Royal Government of Cambodia’s choice of patience and steadfast dedication to resolving the conflict peacefully through legal means. At the same time, the senior judge voiced disappointment over the Thai military’s actions and ambitions, which involved deploying various weapons in an unjust invasion of Cambodia, inflicting severe harm on its civilian population. He also praised the Royal Government of Cambodia’s achievements in national development across all sectors—including infrastructure and construction—as well as human rights advancements like abolishing the death penalty, fostering religious harmony, eliminating racial discrimination, and promoting and protecting LGBT rights.
Ultimately, the meeting unfolded in a cordial and empathetic environment, producing positive outcomes. 
