9 June 2026

"Hun Sen" apologized to the Khmer people for trusting Thailand too much. "Cambodia" must reclaim the territory occupied by Thailand, either through peaceful negotiations or military force if necessary.

On June 9, 69, King Hun Sen, president of the Cambodian Senate, apologized to the public for his failure to prepare for military defense, stating that it was his own mistake to trust Thailand too much and insisting that the matter was not within the responsibility of Prime Minister Hun Manet.

Hun Sen said while meeting with displaced people at a temporary shelter in Slagram, Swai Shek District, Bantyanjai Province, stating: "As a former prime minister, I have a responsibility to apologize to my brothers across the country for trusting the Thai side too much and not preparing for those who took over from me. Everyone knows that I am the one who led the country through the time of war and disunity to make peace for the country."

Hun Sen reverses that after leading the country through the Khmer Rouge era to peace, he set the goal of turning the former battlefield into a development zone and pushing the border area into a area of peace, development and cooperation. Despite the past, there was a dispute over Preah Vihear Castle with Thailand, but those events were only in the castle area and Udon Prefecture prevailed, not as broadly as today's events.

Han Sen also mentioned his former relationship with Thailand, saying that he had worked with former Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha for nine years without any problems, while giving the example of a joint ride from Poipet across Thailand, which symbolized the strong rail links and good relations of the country at the time.

Hun Sen said, "Trust me, as the full-power prime minister at the time, was not prepared to deal with hostilities, so the situation now is my fault for not preparing well for such conflicts."

Hun Sen also added that over the course of his tenure, he allocated the land to the construction of bridges, roads, and support for the public health and education sectors, never expecting a conflict that would spread from land to sea, as is happening today.

Hun Sen also reiterated that Cambodia must reclaim its Thai-occupied territories, either through peaceful negotiations or military force if necessary.