In a heartfelt appeal for peace, Cambodia has called for an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire” with neighboring Thailand following deadly clashes along their shared border. The violence, which has intensified over the past two days, has prompted fears of a wider conflict and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes.
At a closed-door United Nations Security Council meeting, Cambodia’s UN Ambassador Chhea Keo pleaded for an end to the hostilities and emphasized the need for diplomacy over destruction.
“We are not the aggressors. We seek peace. We ask, not just for our soldiers, but for our civilians—our elders, our children—to be spared from this violence,” Chhea Keo said.
The clashes, centered in the disputed areas near Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey province, have already claimed the life of a 70-year-old Cambodian man and left five others wounded. On the Thai side, the toll is even higher—15 lives lost, including a soldier, with 46 others injured. More than 138,000 people have been evacuated from border areas in Thailand.
Artillery fire, rocket systems, tanks, and airstrikes were all reported on Thursday and Friday, with both sides blaming the other for initiating the violence. Despite the escalating firepower, signs of de-escalation have emerged, with Thailand indicating openness to dialogue—possibly through ASEAN chair Malaysia.
“We’re ready to talk. Whether directly, or through ASEAN partners like Malaysia, we’re open. But we haven’t heard back from Cambodia yet,” said Thai Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nikorndej Balankura.
The roots of this bitter dispute stretch back decades, with border tensions flaring between 2008 and 2011, and now again after a Cambodian soldier was killed in May. A 2013 UN court ruling once helped cool tensions, but the peace was fragile.
Ordinary citizens caught in the crossfire are now bearing the brunt. In Samraong, a Cambodian town just 20 kilometers from the frontline, families are fleeing with whatever they can carry.
“I live very close to the border. We are scared,” said 41-year-old Pro Bak as he loaded his family into a vehicle bound for a local Buddhist temple.
With both nations deeply intertwined economically and culturally—and with millions of tourists visiting each year—the current escalation risks not just human lives but regional stability.
The United Nations has urged maximum restraint and a swift return to diplomatic channels. In the words of one Cambodian official: “We don’t need more destruction. We need dialogue, understanding, and peace.”
