The Aryavarth Express
Geneva [Switzerland]: Fresh clashes along the Thailand–Cambodia border have killed eight people and injured dozens more, prompting United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to urge both nations to exercise restraint and recommit to their ceasefire agreement.
According to a report by Khmer Times citing Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defence, seven Cambodian civilians were killed and 20 others injured in Thai military strikes over the past two days. Meanwhile, the Bangkok Post, citing the Thai Army, reported that one Thai soldier died and 18 were wounded during the same period of fighting.
In a statement posted on X on Tuesday, Guterres expressed deep concern over the renewed violence:
“I’m concerned by reports of renewed armed clashes between Cambodia & Thailand. I urge both parties to exercise restraint & avoid further escalation, recommit to the ceasefire & use all mechanisms for dialogue… The @UN stands ready to support all efforts aimed at promoting peace, stability & development in the region.”
The Bangkok Post also reported that Thai aircraft conducted strikes on military targets inside Cambodian territory in retaliation. Authorities have instructed residents living near the border to evacuate to safer areas.
Amid the escalation, Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation convened an emergency meeting on December 9 with 30 foreign diplomats and representatives from three international organizations—including the UN—to present evidence of what it called Thai attacks in violation of existing agreements.
Former Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen, in comments cited by Khmer Times, stated: “Cambodia needs peace, but Cambodia is forced to fight back to defend our territory.”
The renewed hostilities come just weeks after Thailand suspended a peace agreement signed in Kuala Lumpur in late October—an accord hailed as a diplomatic milestone and witnessed by former U.S. President Donald Trump. Thailand paused its obligations under the deal in November following a landmine explosion that injured two of its soldiers.
The latest tensions also follow Trump’s recent remarks in Washington, where he claimed to have “settled 8 wars in 10 months,” saying Cambodia and Thailand were among them.
Border disputes between the two Southeast Asian neighbors have persisted for decades, fueled by disagreements over colonial-era maps. The frontier has seen repeated outbreaks of violence, including major clashes in July involving jets, missiles, and ground troops that killed dozens and displaced nearly 200,000 people.
