PETALING JAYA – In a deeply personal and urgent call, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has urged both Thailand and Cambodia to immediately halt escalating hostilities and seek a peaceful, diplomatic solution to their border conflict—an eruption of violence that has already claimed the lives of at least nine civilians.
Speaking with visible concern after attending the ASEAN Semiconductor Summit 2025, Anwar didn’t mince his words.
“This is a very worrying matter. I’ve already sent messages to both prime ministers, and I plan to speak to them personally tonight,” he said. “These are not just ASEAN members—they are our neighbours, our friends. The least we can expect is for them to stand down. Peace is the only option.”
Anwar’s role as the current ASEAN Chair puts him in a vital position of influence, and he’s using that platform to push for de-escalation. While he stopped short of confirming ASEAN-led mediation, he stressed that “open channels and honest communication” are the first and most urgent steps.
The conflict has spiraled quickly. What began as a land mine blast that injured five Thai soldiers has since escalated into an all-out border confrontation. On Thursday alone, deadly airstrikes and artillery fire were exchanged, with both sides blaming each other. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai now face the test of leadership in what has become a dire humanitarian and diplomatic crisis.
Reports from the Thai-Cambodian border are grim—children and families caught in the crossfire, hospitals allegedly hit, and ancient heritage sites turned into battlefields. Clashes have broken out near temples such as Ta Muen Thom and Preah Vihear, locations of historical tension between the two nations. This latest violence marks one of the most serious escalations since the 2011 military confrontations that left around 20 people dead.
Despite the chaos, Anwar holds out hope. “Both sides have shown, in the past, an interest in peaceful resolutions,” he noted. “We must not let pride or politics cost more innocent lives.”
His words carry more than diplomatic weight—they’re a human appeal. A reminder that in conflicts like these, it’s not governments but ordinary people—families, farmers, children—who pay the highest price.
Let us hope they listen. Because the time to talk is now, before more lives are lost.
