By any measure of international record, Cambodia has emerged as one of the most active and committed peacekeeping contributors in Southeast Asia.
Since 2006, a total of 9,199 Cambodian peacekeepers — including military engineers, medical personnel and security forces — have served under the UN in ten conflict-affected countries, among them Lebanon, Mali, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Chad, Central African Republic, Cyprus and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Cambodian contingents have earned recognition for professionalism, discipline and courage in some of the UN’s most challenging missions.
Perhaps no service reflects this transformation more clearly than Cambodia’s leadership in mine action. Having suffered one of the world’s worst legacies of landmines, Cambodia transformed its painful experience into a global service.
The Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC), established in 1992, has cleared millions of mines and explosive remnants of war domestically, saving countless lives and making vast areas of land safe for communities. Beyond its borders, Cambodian deminers have trained and assisted counterparts in Laos, Myanmar, and other mine-affected ASEAN countries, sharing expertise that is invaluable to regional security.
This is more than a matter of pride. It is an undying fact, recognized by the UN, acknowledged by ASEAN and valued by communities across the world. Cambodia today is seen not only as a survivor of conflict but as a builder of peace.
It is precisely this record that makes recent false narratives against Cambodia about mine so troubling, particularly in attempts to justify disagreements over a longstanding border dispute. Through selective claims, and even allegations involving landmines, Bangkok seeks to portray Cambodia as irresponsible and aggressive, but by doing so runs the risks of going against the truth.
Without a transparent and impartial investigation properly conducted to address the issue, such accusations collapse under scrutiny. By questioning Cambodia’s peacekeeping role, it hopes to cast doubt on the very credentials that make the Kingdom a respected voice in international forums. And by repeating these false claims through sympathetic media and platforms, it tries to manufacture credibility where none exists.
Cambodia’s record in mine clearance is internationally verified. Its peacekeeping deployments are well documented. Its contributions to regional peace and security are recognised by the UN and global partners. To suggest otherwise is to deny history and dismiss fact.
During an August 18 press conference, Senior Minister Ly Thuch, first vice-president of the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA), reiterated that “Cambodia has not, and will not, plant new landmines” and reaffirmed Cambodia’s unwavering commitment to the Ottawa Convention.
Cambodia’s response has been markedly peaceful and consistent. Phnom Penh has chosen calm over escalation, legality over provocation and dialogue over information warfare. Cambodia respects international law and regional mechanisms, and it continues to address disputes within frameworks designed to preserve peace, not fracture it.
Looking at the issue closer, the stakes go beyond bilateral disputes. Allowing false narratives to overshadow Cambodia’s peacekeeping legacy threatens not just the Kingdom’s reputation but also undermines the credibility of peacekeeping itself. If documented service under the UN flag can be casually dismissed by misinformation, then the entire system of recognition and accountability is questionable.
The world should take note of Cambodia’s story, the one of transformation: from conflict to peacekeeper, from mine victim to demining leader, from instability to international contributor. Cambodia’s legacy is written in the lives saved by demining, the communities stabilised by peacekeeping and the international respect earned through service under the UN flag. That is a truth no false claim can erase.
For ASEAN and the international community, the path forward is clear. Cambodia’s role as a responsible peacekeeper and humanitarian actor must be defended against baseless narratives. The UN should reaffirm the Kingdom’s contributions to global peacekeeping, while ASEAN must reject divisive tactics that threaten regional stability. Cambodia has earned its place as a builder of peace — and it deserves to be recognised as such in the past, at present and in the future.
Sok Sant is a social-political analyst. The views and opinions expressed are his own.
