Cambodia has asked France to step in as tensions with Thailand over their disputed frontier continue to escalate. Prime Minister Hun Manet has written directly to President Emmanuel Macron, requesting access to colonial-era maps and technical expertise that could bolster Phnom Penh’s case.

The move highlights how fragile the situation has become. Fighting flared last year around the Preah Vihear temple, a centuries-old site claimed by both nations. More than 149 people have been killed and hundreds of thousands displaced, with Cambodian migrants forced to abandon their lives in Thailand.

At the heart of the dispute is history. The 817-kilometre border was first mapped by French officials in 1907, using the watershed principle to separate river basins. Cambodia insists those maps place the temple firmly on its side. Thailand argues the line was drawn incorrectly and that the site should fall under Bangkok’s control.

International courts have sided with Cambodia before. In 1962, the International Court of Justice ruled the temple belonged to Phnom Penh, a decision reaffirmed in 2013 after renewed clashes. Cambodia now hopes that French archives will again prove decisive, strengthening its legal position as it prepares to seek another ruling from the ICJ.

But France faces a delicate balancing act. Any perception of bias could inflame nationalist sentiment in Thailand, where colonial-era boundaries remain a sensitive issue. Analysts warn that even technical assistance could be misinterpreted as Paris reviving its old authority in the region.

Hun Manet’s appeal also touches on a wider debate: how Southeast Asia continues to wrestle with borders drawn under colonial rule. From Myanmar to Borneo, disputes rooted in those maps still spark conflict today.

For Cambodia, the stakes are clear. As the smaller nation facing a militarily stronger neighbour, it is leaning on international law and external support to defend its sovereignty. For France, the question is whether it can provide help without worsening the crisis.

With ceasefires fragile and mistrust high, the next steps taken in Paris could determine whether this border row cools or erupts once more.

-2026-02-19

We heard that Anutin really likes aged French cheeses, and very expensive Bordeaux and Burgundy wines. Could you send him several kilos of cheese and a few cases of wine? That might really help to smooth things over. Hun Manet refuses to allow us to use any of his ill gotten fortune or state money for such a gesture.