Hanoi has officially reacted to Phnom Penh’s request to “identify” and “take strong action against” Vietnamese nationals who purportedly left insulting comments on Cambodian Premier Hun Sen’s Facebook page, criticizing him for supporting Beijing’s claims over the South China Sea.

In a written statement, Le Hai Binh, spokesman for the Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the personal opinions apparently posted by Vietnamese writers “do not reflect Vietnam’s stance.”

“We ... do not support those who used freedom of speech to make personal insults and provocative attitude in order to drive a wedge between the peoples of the two countries,” the spokesperson said.

Last week, the Cambodian government condemned the “verbal attacks” accusing Hun Sen of betraying his eastern neighbor as “immoral” and “highly offensive.”

Huynh Ngoc Chenh, a Vietnamese media expert, said he was surprised by Vietnam’s response.

“It shows the increased impact of social media — Facebook in particular — on the ruling authorities, especially the Vietnamese ones,” said Chenh, adding that even Vietnamese Premier Nguyen Xuan Phuc was recently forced to publicly apologize after his motorcade swept through narrow Hoi An streets reserved for pedestrians, resulting in widespread rounds of condemnation on Facebook.

Premier's response

The Cambodian premier on Monday took to the social network to hit back at his South China Sea detractors, calling on Vietnam to respect Cambodian sovereignty and "[educate] their people not to bother me anymore."

"Again, I want to reaffirm with you that I am not a Vietnamese puppet serving the benefits of Vietnamese country, and I’m also not a boss of Vietnam," the Cambodian leader posted. "I’m not asking Vietnam to serve Cambodian political interest either. The South China Sea conflict should [be resolved] ... peacefully by the Chinese and Vietnamese governments. It’s better than [resolving] it through war, as you’ve mentioned in your comment on my Facebook.”

Filipinos and Vietnamese residents shout during a Filipinos and Vietnamese residents shout during a rally outside the Chinese Consulate in the financial district of Makati, east of Manila, Philippines, Aug. 6, 2016. They called on China to respect the international arbitration ruling favoring the Philippines on the disputed group of islands in the South China Sea. Filipinos and Vietnamese residents shout during a rally outside the Chinese Consulate in the financial district of Makati, east of Manila, Philippines, Aug. 6, 2016. They called on China to respect the international arbitration ruling favoring the Philippines on the disputed group of islands in the South China Sea.

Ou Virak, founder of the Phnom Penh-based Future Forum think tank, told VOA's Khmer service that although he agreed the criticism of his premier didn't reflect the stance of Vietnamese officials, he questioned Hun Sen's political prudence in personally responding to the slights of random internet users, let alone in the manner of a formal diplomatic statement.

"I believe there are people who build the premier's Facebook page," he said. "If he does not like how people comment [on his posts], he can just ignore them."

Vietnamese spokesperson Binh told VOA's Vietnamese service that the foreign ministry attaches importance to “friendly, neighborly and comprehensive relations with Cambodia,” and that it has "made efforts to maintain these ties for the common interests of two peoples.”

Border dispute

On Tuesday, Vietnam and Cambodia concluded closed-door discussions on a territorial border dispute, jointly agreeing to "seek international consultants to advise on ways to demarcate the border.”

Var Kim Hong, leader of the Cambodian delegation, told reporters that the two sides “failed to reach an accord.”

Tran Cong Truc, a former Vietnamese official in charge of border affairs who has repeatedly engaged with Cambodian counterparts, struck a slightly more optimistic tone.

Var Kim Hong (R) shakes hands with Vietnamese Depu FILE - Chairman of Cambodia's border committee Var Kim Hong, right, shakes hands with Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung before a meeting about the border between Cambodia and Vietnam in Phnom Penh, Aug. 29, 2016. FILE - Chairman of Cambodia's border committee Var Kim Hong, right, shakes hands with Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung before a meeting about the border between Cambodia and Vietnam in Phnom Penh, Aug. 29, 2016.

"Vietnam has shown its willingness to solve the border issue by agreeing to have a third party, especially France, joining in the demarcating process," he said, adding that France prepared the original map delineating the shared border during the colonial era.

The head of the Cambodian delegation, however, said Phnom Penh observes the border with Vietnam as it was set in 1983, according to maps of Indochina — the former French colonial territory that now comprises Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

Tensions have mounted in recent weeks as Phnom Penh has accused Hanoi of illegally digging ponds and building outposts inside Cambodian territory — assertions that Vietnam denies.

This report was produced in collaboration with VOA's Vietnamese and Khmer services. VOA's Ith Sothoeuth and Hul Reaksmey contributed reporting from Phnom Penh.</s>Washington, DC - Secretary of State John Kerry: "On behalf of President Obama and the American people, it is with great pleasure that I wish the people of Vietnam a joyous National Day this September 2.

"The relationship between our two countries and peoples is stronger than it has ever been. We are poised to make even more progress in the months and years ahead as we work together to implement the historic initiatives announced during President Obama’s visit to Vietnam in May.

"I was honored to accompany President Obama on his visit -- my third trip to Vietnam as Secretary of State -- and was struck, as I always am, by the remarkable transformation in our bilateral relations.

"From the first time that I stepped foot in Vietnam as a young soldier in 1968 to my most recent visit in May, I’ve seen incredible changes taking shape, from the growing city skylines to the pulsating entrepreneurial energy to the increasing flow of people, goods, and ideas from every corner of Vietnam to the United States and elsewhere.

"In the midst of these changes, what remains constant for me, and what I’ve always loved about Vietnam, is the warmth, and generosity, and ingenuity of the Vietnamese people.

"It is their resiliency and innate desire to move beyond the shadow of the past toward a more prosperous, healthy, and free society for their children and future generations that had shaped Vietnam’s trajectory.

"Vietnam is a country of tremendous potential, and I’m confident it will have a bright future thanks to the dedication of its young people, business community, and active civil society.

"We look forward to continuing to deepen our comprehensive and increasingly strategic partnership with Vietnam to advance our shared interest in building and sustaining a rules-based order, not only in the Asia-Pacific region but throughout the world.

"On this festive occasion, I wish the people of Vietnam peace and prosperity in the coming year."
Cambodia and Vietnam fail to agree on a resolution regarding their border dispute.