On a humid morning earlier this week, Nhay Suy sat at the Wat Phnom Thma Kambor sanctuary centre in Po Chas village, watching tuk-tuks and tractors with trailers slowly roll away. One by one, families who had fled the Thai-Cambodian border clashes in late July were returning home. She smiled for those leaving, but her own journey home will have to wait. “Because my house is in a heavily contested area, shells landed only about 100 metres away. The current situation does not allow me and thousands of other families to return today,” Suy said. Suy, who fled with more…
Author: Raksmey Hong
Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defence has drawn the attention of the public — and the international community — to comments made by Boonsin Padklang, commander of Thailand’s Second Army Region. Yesterday, August 10, he shared his intention to occupy Cambodian territory by force. Yesterday, with just 51 days remaining before his retirement, the Thai commander publicly announced plans to seize the Ta Krabey Temple from Cambodia’s legitimate control and declare the closure of Ta Mone Thom Temple, which lies entirely within Cambodia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. “The actions of the Thai Commander of the Second Army Region are a violation…
The Military Attaché Corps Phnom Penh (MACPP), which comprises fourteen participants from nine countries, visited conflict-affected areas in Cambodia’s Banteay Ampil district on Sunday to inspect the situation on the ground, following Cambodia’s implementation the ceasefire. “This mission stemmed from the outcomes of the Special Meeting held on July 28, 2025, in Putrajaya, Malaysia, and the Extraordinary Meeting of the Cambodia–Thailand General Border Committee (GBC), which was concluded on August 7 and reaffirmed the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement of July 28, 2025, in Putrajaya,” said the Ministry of National Defence. On Sunday August 10, the delegation inspected Thmar…
Santo Darmosumarto, Indonesian ambassador to Cambodia, shared his optimism over deepening economic and community ties between Indonesia and Kampot province, during his August 6 official visit. Welcomed by Kampot provincial governor Mao Thonin, Santo commended the local authorities for their success in developing the province into a popular tourist destination. “I am convinced that Kampot will become a preferred destination for those looking for the natural beauty and rich cultural traditions of Cambodia,” said the ambassador, as he praised the province’s growing appeal to both local and international visitors. Beyond tourism, the visit spotlighted opportunities for bilateral trade and investment. …
As the fragile ceasefire holds between Cambodia and Thailand, the human toll of the recent border clashes is starkly visible in temporary displacement camps. A delegation of diplomats from 11 nations, along with representatives from 15 UN agencies and partner organisations, visited four camps in Oddar Meanchey and Siem Reap province on August 6-7 to witness the humanitarian crisis firsthand. Their visit offered a glimpse into the pain and uncertainty felt by thousands who fled their homes under heavy fire. The camp in Soutr Nikom district is one of several makeshift shelters, primarily in pagodas and schools, accommodating families displaced…
An Interim Observer Team (IOT), composed of representatives from seven ASEAN member states, officially started its mission of monitoring the ceasefire agreement between Cambodia and Thailand on August 8, in Oddar Meanchey province. Their operations followed the August 7 extraordinary meeting of the Cambodia-Thailand General Border Committee (GBC), which resulted in a mutual ceasefire agreement. The ceasefire was the outcome of diplomatic efforts initiated during a special GBC session on July 28 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Led by Colonel Nazlee Bin Abdul Rahim, Malaysian military attaché to Cambodia, the observer team is conducting inspections at the ASEAN Observer Team (AOT)…
Sardar Umar Alam, acting UN resident coordinator and UNESCO representative in Cambodia, has urged Cambodia and Thailand to build on the recent ceasefire and move toward a lasting peace. His calls followed a two-day field visit to temporary shelters housing displaced families in Oddar Meanchey and Siem Reap provinces. During the August 6-7 joint visit, representatives from UN agencies, foreign embassies, and Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation assessed the humanitarian conditions of the thousands forced to flee their homes due to recent cross-border clashes. “UN agencies and partners witnessed the difficult conditions faced by displaced communities. Families…
The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) is deepening its partnership with Cambodia by supporting capacity building in two critical areas: public procurement and the Bio-Circular Green (BCG) economy. The KOICA Cambodia Office recently conducted a pre-departure orientation for selected officials from the Ministry of Economy and Finance, who will participate in two specialised training programs in South Korea. “Twenty Cambodian officials will attend the ‘Capacity Building on Public Procurement in Cambodia (2023–2025)’ programme from August 17 to 30,” according to KOICA. The training aims to improve the transparency and efficiency of Cambodia’s e-procurement system by introducing Korean best practices and…
Shakeel Ahmed, deputy resident representative of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Cambodia, expressed deep personal sorrow after witnessing the living conditions of displaced families during a two-day humanitarian visit to refugee sites in Oddar Meanchey and Siem Reap provinces. Ahmed was part of a joint delegation comprising diplomats from 11 countries and representatives from 15 UN agencies and partner organisations who visited Wat Phnom Thmar Kobor in Banteay Ambil and Wat Bat Thlao in Chong Kal, in Oddar Meanchey province, and Wat Chroy Neang Nuong camp in Srei Snam district and Wat Prasat Banteay Srei in Banteay Srei district,…
As the shadow of armed conflict once again casts its darkness across Cambodia’s northwestern border, the number of displaced civilians continues to rise — yet their message remains clear: they do not seek revenge. They want nothing more than peace, and to return to their homes. Not one of the 124,940 civilians displaced by border tensions across five Cambodian provinces wants to remain in the crowded, makeshift camps. From elderly farmers to young schoolchildren, all share the same heartfelt wish: to return home as soon as possible. Forced to flee their villages amid rising tensions along the Cambodian-Thai border, families…