Unfortunately, the ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia appears to have been brief, as civilians find themselves still in a war zone even after the fighting had allegedly stopped.
Thailand accused Cambodia of violating the ceasefire right away, reporting grenades and small arms fire from across the border, while Cambodia denies the charges and accuses Thailand of violating the truce. Thailand is still holding 18 Cambodian soldiers hostage. Whatever the truth of the ceasefire violation debate, innocent civilians continue to fear for their lives after much of the world reported the ceasefire and lost interest in the conflict that didn’t actually end.
A Cambodian named Samnop (read his remarkable story in our previous articles on the Khmer Rouge wars and genocide) emphasized the ongoing danger and tragedy in an interview with PJ Media. He began by stating that Cambodia is at a disadvantage because of how much bigger Thailand is, with an economy “more than 11 times larger than Cambodia based on 2024 GDP, and its military force significantly outnumbers ours.”
“In recent days, Thailand has violated the ceasefire agreements, repeatedly provoking conflict, escalating tensions,” he said. “Although a ceasefire was officially announced, the Thai Army has continued to undermine it. In a deceptive act, a Thai soldier approached a Cambodian force under the pretense of friendship, requesting to take a picture together. Instead, they detained 20 Cambodian soldiers [in what] amounts to kidnapping.”
While two of the Cambodians have been released, the remaining 18 soldiers have not. The two who were returned to Cambodia were injured, and Samnop says that is because they were “tortured and had to be rushed to the hospital upon arrival.”
Thailand, he said, has used “chemical weapons in the battlefields against Cambodia,” landing a number of soldiers in the hospital, an accusation Thailand has so far denied. “In addition, it also deploys F16 fighter jet[s] with laser-guided bombs to target Preah Vihear Temple, a UNESCO world heritage site, and the surrounding area. This is a serious humanitarian and diplomatic issue that requires urgent global attention.”
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The Thai military, even now, according to Samnop, “is also increasing its presence along the border, deploying heavy artillery and weapons in what appears to be an attempt to occupy Cambodian territory by force. It also sent a bulldozer to [the] An Ses area and fenced it off despite Cambodian resistance, and this was an area visited by foreign defense attachés from the Cambodian side, just after the ceasefire had taken effect.” The Thai military presence in the An Ses area was a major point of contention, but Cambodian officials announced that Thailand has now removed its barbed wire and machinery from the area.
Samnop said, “As a Khmer citizen, I am pleading with [the] international community to intervene and help prevent further violence. Cambodia doesn’t want war. We seek peace. Our nation has already endured over 40 years of suffering from conflicts. We do not want future generations to face the same horrors.” After the years of the Khmer Rouge genocide and war, Cambodia still hasn’t recovered, and its people long for peace.
Sam hopes to see all the parties involved “respect international law, uphold [the] ceasefire and secure the safe return of our captured soldiers. We need peace, not war.”
Note: Sam’s last name is not used to protect him from possible targeting as he discusses contentious issues in a war zone.
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