Cambodia Rejects Thai Media Claim of “Collusion” with China to Exclude Thai Representatives

Cambodia’s parliamentary delegation recently firmly rejected a report by the Thai newspaper The Nation, denying that it had “colluded” with China at the 151st Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) to exclude Thailand from a drafting committee. The Cambodian side said the report “distorted the facts and misled public opinion”, seriously damaging Cambodia’s international image. According to The Nation, the Asia-Pacific Group was allocated two seats on a resolution drafting committee at the IPU Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland. Cambodia was appointed vice-chair and China chair, while the Thai delegation was assigned an “adviser” role without voting rights. A spokesperson for the Cambodian delegation responded that the claim was “completely untrue”. Cambodia had been formally selected for the committee with the unanimous agreement of all Asia-Pacific Group members and had not excluded representatives of any country. “We have always upheld the principles of fairness, impartiality and cooperation,” the spokesperson said. The Cambodian side explained that membership and chairmanships of IPU committees are determined through consultations among six geopolitical groups and confirmed by the president and secretariat. Whether a country submitting a draft has voting rights depends on the groups’ formal appointment procedures. The spokesperson concluded that Cambodia has consistently promoted international dialogue and regional cooperation, particularly in combating transnational crime and online scams. “False reporting not only harms Cambodia’s image but also does nothing to help cooperation and trust among countries.” Compiled by the station