A love story that spanned more than two decades was shattered by Thai shelling on December 17 when Khlang Thoeun, an Oddar Meanchey police officer, succumbed to the shrapnel of a Thai artillery round. He left his beloved wife, Duch Phirun, devastated and alone, along with the couple’s 13- and 15-year-old children. Phirun, 44, is from Kouk Mon village and commune, in Oddar Meanchey’s Banteay Ampil district. Her husband was born in a neighbouring village. They met at school, fell deeply in love and were married in 2010. They eventually settled in Kouk Mon, where Phirun ran a small grocery…
Author: Niem Chheng
Prime Minister Hun Manet is using his trip to the US to raise concerns about Thai violations of Cambodia’s sovereignty. The prime minister is currently in Washington, DC, to attend the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace. Thai media reports have suggested that the Thai government is watching Manet’s activities closely. Manet was quoted by international media as stating that the Thai military continues to control parts of Cambodian territory after the ceasefire brokered by US President Donald Trump. He called on Thailand to return to the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) mechanism for measuring and demarcating the border. The…
Refugees at a temporary shelter in Oddar Meanchey province are working together with locals to grow and harvest vegetables, and also receiving a steady supply of duck eggs and fish from the local community and authorities, while they await permission to return home. As of February 17, almost 75,000 displaced Cambodians were still unable to return to their homes, because their properties are surrounded by Thai military barricades or so close to the fortifications that their neighbourhoods have been declared red zones. They are among more than 640,000 people who fled to safety when fighting erupted in December, according to…
Although the sounds of firing have faded since the heavy fighting of December, the Thai military continue to occupy Cambodian territory in at least 14 locations. What is worse is how they appear to be breaching the December 27 ceasefire by reinforcing their positions and erecting large barricades, preventing many displaced families from returning to their homes. Many commentators have suggested that the Thais are attempting to create a fair accompli, hoping that their control of the captured territory will become normalised. A group of artists are determined to ensure that does not happen, by designing and painting a large…
The Deputy Minister of National Defence of Laos has shared how his nations military will strive to cultivate closer relations with their Cambodian counterparts, noting that both neighbouring nations will continue to cooperate to maintain a peaceful and secure border. Deputy defence minister Saichay Kommasith, Chief of General Staff of the Lao People’s Army, paid a courtesy call on Senate president Hun Sen on February 17. During the discussions, he highlighted the excellent cooperation between the armies of both countries. Chea Thyrith, Senate spokesperson, explained that Hun Sen considered the visit “an important impetus for promoting bilateral relations between Cambodia…
As the situation at the border remains tense, Prime Minister Hun Manet is embarking on oversea mission in the US and Europe, with analysts believing that the key to a successful mission lies in the proactive and constructive partnership Cambodia could play. Manet departed for the US on February 15, where he will attend the inaugural meeting of the Trump-initiated Board of Peace and will then proceed to Europe where he will meet with several European leaders. He recently requested that France provide support with document for finding a resolution to the Cambodia-Thailand border conflict. “It is realistic to anticipate…
Residents from O’ Suo Sdei and Sangkum Thmey villages in Thma Da commune, Veal Veng district, Pursat province, continue to live in uncertainty, despair and fear, fearful of returning to their homes, which are now surrounded by Thai barricades of shipping containers and razor wire. One 74-year-old Ouk Meun, from O’Suo Sdei village, cannot return. His home, located approximately 300 metres from the border, is currently considered a red zone. He does not dare to go back because Thai soldiers have occupied and cleared land and homes of Cambodian people in that area, and he personally fears being shot by…
Prime Minister Hun Manet will attend the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace, initiated by President Trump, in the US, before travelling on to Europe. According to a February 14 press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace will take place on February 19, at the Donald J. Trump US Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C. The meeting marks the formal commencement of the Board’s mandate, in accordance with the Resolution of the UN Security Council adopted on November 17, 2025, which aims to promote peace and advance…
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung appears to have changed his tone on South Korean-Cambodian cooperation on working toward the elimination of transnational crime. A social media post on the evening of February 13 differs from his previous tone, where he often used strong language, vowing to “destroy” those who harm South Korean citizens, sometimes in the Khmer language. In a message posted in both Korean and Khmer, Lee stated that the Cambodia-Korea joint task force — established and launched through an agreement between himself and Prime Minister Hun Manet — has achieved remarkable results. In the two months since its…
General Romeo S. Brawner Jr., Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, inspected the border situation in the area of the Boeung Trakuon checkpoint in Thma Puok district, Banteay Meanchey province, where he personally observed the shipping containers and razor wire barricades that the Thai military placed illegally after the ceasefire came into effect. He accompanied the Cambodian Liaison Group (CLG) and the ASEAN Observer Team (AOT) to the site shortly after 2pm this afternoon, February 13, according to Maly Socheata, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defence. “This visit demonstrates a high level of attention from…