Cambodia’s representative to the UN in New York addressed a UN Peacebuilding Commission meeting regarding Thailand’s aggression and its rejection of dialogue, noting that Thailand has instead turned to using military force to violate Cambodian sovereignty.
On December 15, Keo Chhea, ambassador and permanent representative of Cambodia to the UN, delivered a statement at the UN Peacebuilding Commission meeting on the “Peaceful Settlement of Border Disputes in Central Asia”, at the UN Headquarters in New York.
“The settlement of border disputes must be done peacefully through dialogue, not by military force,” he said.
During the meeting, he informed the UN Peacebuilding Commission that Cambodia has suffered from large-scale illegal aggression by Thai military forces against Cambodia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity since December 7, 2025.
This has resulted in the loss of innocent civilian lives, injuries and war refugees. Furthermore, this aggression has destroyed cultural heritage and civilian infrastructure, acts which are contrary to the principles of good neighbourliness enshrined in the UN Charter.
“Peaceful settlement of border disputes is possible through mutual trust and respect. However, peaceful conflict resolution cannot occur when one country rejects dialogue, turns to the use of military force and ignores peace mechanisms in resolving the conflict,” he said.
On the same day, Chhea also participated in the UN Security Council’s open debate for December on “Leadership for Peace”. In his statement, he raised the issue of the loss of civilian lives and damage to Cambodia’s civilian infrastructure caused by the Thai military.
“Thailand’s escalating shelling and airstrikes up to 90 kilometres into areas inhabited by Cambodian civilians are clear acts of aggression, not a border dispute, nor are they self-defence,” he said.
“Thailand portrays itself as a peace-loving country, but instead rejects all peaceful solutions. Thailand has refused to resolve the conflict through the mechanism of the International Court of Justice, unilaterally suspended the Kuala Lumpur Peace Agreement, announced the closure of negotiations, rejected all ceasefires and confirmed its intention to break Cambodia’s military capability,” he continued.
According to the ambassador, this crisis underscores the need for leadership for peace based on international law. He called on the UN Security Council and the international community to defend the UN Charter, noting that silence could normalise aggression and undermine multilateralism.
