From dawn until noon today, the Thai military launched attacks on Cambodia with artillery, F-16 fighter jets, DK (recoilless rifle) rounds and armoured vehicles. Cambodian troops are standing firm against the enemy, according to the Ministry of National Defence. Just before noon, the Thai military shelled Military Region 5 in Phnom Proek and Sampov Loun districts, Battambang province. They reportedly fired indiscriminately, targeting civilians. The defence ministry reported that at 11.15am, the Thais fired two artillery shells into Chakrei commune, Phnom Proek district, Battambang province. At 11.30 a combined force of infantry and armoured vehicles assaulted Ta Sda commune, Sampov…
Author: Niem Chheng
Seventy-five Thai nationals, including 48 women, were detained by Cambodian authorities during a raid on a farm in Phum Koh Krabei 1, Sangkat Prek Thmey, in the capital’s Chbar Ampov district. The December 9 raid followed a police investigation into reports of clandestine criminal activities involving technology-based fraud at the property. The operation was carried out under the guidance and coordination of the Commission for Combating Technology Crimes (CCTC) Secretariat. During the operation, authorities confiscated material evidence, including laptops and a number of mobile phones, according to the committee. The CCTC explained that specialised authorities are cooperating with relevant units…
Senate president Hun Sen has accepted a request from frontline soldiers asking for traditional ambok, or flattened rice, as they stand their ground against the Thai military, which has continued firing into Cambodia for the fourth consecutive day since December 7. In a social media post, Hun Sen conveyed his regards to all units of the armed forces who have been stationed to “valiantly” defend the territory in the fight against what he called “land-invading bandits”. He also expressed solidarity with the hardships of all the refugees displaced by the Thai aggression. He thanked the philanthropists who contributed materials and…
The Cambodian public have decried the destruction of the ancient Khmer temple of Ta Krabei, built in the 11th century, after it a video showed it being struck by Thai bombs during the latest armed conflicts. The temple, located in Sen Monorom 1 village, Kouk Khpos commune in Banteay Ampil district of Oddar Meanchey province, is in a contested area that both Cambodia and Thailand claim. In Thai, the temple is known as Ta Kwai, which translates the same as the Khmer name, Grandfather Buffalo. In a video which went viral on social media, the temple was bombed by Thai…
Minister of Interior Sar Sokha has instructed the authorities in provinces bordering Thailand to evacuate citizens from border districts, especially high-risk areas, to the sanctuaries that have already been prepared. He has also ordered them to keep records of the damage done by Thai military strikes. In a December 9 letter, Sokha told officials to provide the displaced population with food supplies, medicine, clean water and electricity, saying they must arrange tents or shelters daily necessities, and other requirements, in an appropriate manner. “The provincial authorities should assign working groups to compile evidence of all attacks and by the Thai…
The Ministry of Interior has detailed the deaths of seven civilians and extensive damage following the commencement of Thai attacks on December 7 to the morning of December 9, as the Thai offensive continues. The seven civilian fatalities include one in Preah Vihear province, three in Oddar Meanchey and three in Banteay Meanchey. Approximately 20 serious and minor injuries have been recorded to date; most are receiving emergency treatment from provincial medical teams or have been transferred to Phnom Penh for further care. Citizens from six communes in Preah Vihear province’s Choam Ksant district — 1,491 families or 5,597 people…
As heavy fighting is renewed along the border of Thailand and Cambodia, UN secretary-general António Guterres called on Cambodia and Thailand to exercise restraint. He also expressed his concerns at the air strikes carried by Thailand, as well as the mobilisation of heavy weapons at the border. A late-December 8 UN press release noted that the border dispute between the two countries has already resulted in significant civilian casualties, damage to civilian infrastructure and displacement on both sides of the border. Guterres stressed that both parties must protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian relief. “The secretary-general reiterates his call on the…
Senate president Hun Sen has announced that while restraint has been exercised for over 24 hours to honour the ceasefire and allow time to evacuate citizens to safe zones, Cambodia is now forced to strike back to defend its territory. In a Facebook message posted minutes ago, Hun Sen shared that Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has announced plans to use force to capture 11 specific points, though Cambodia is unsure of the exact locations. He explained that to simplify matters and avoid the difficulty of locating specific targets, all branches of the Cambodian armed forces must strike back at…
December 9 marks the third continuous day that the Thai military has continued firing into Cambodian territory, with Thai forces reportedly expanding the battlefield to Pursat province. Maly Socheata, spokesperson for the Cambodian Ministry of National Defence, briefed the media this morning. She explained that Thai artillery fired “toxic smoke” rounds into Thma Da commune, Veal Veng district, Pursat province, before shelling with conventional rounds began. “The Thai military engaged in continuous shooting activities almost throughout the night in the geography of Military Region 5, in Thma Da commune. From 04.58 to 05.25 this morning, they used large drones to…
Prime Minister Hun Manet has noted his surprise at hearing the commander of Thailand’s First Army Region announced the use of force to seize sovereign territory, employing artillery fire and combined mobile units to enter Preah Chan and Chouk Chey villages in Banteay Meanchey province, as well as several other locations. The surprise was not due to the Thai invasion itself, but because the Thai side has always declared and told the international community that it is a peace-loving country, according to a social media post by the prime minister on the evening of December 8. “If Thailand truly loves…