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2025 December 24 - 2026 January 6 [WORLD]

Thailand and Cambodia should respect each other’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national identity

The conflict over the Thailand-Cambodia border has become protracted.

In 2025 alone, one Cambodian soldier was killed in an exchange of gunfire in May. Fierce border clashes between the two armies and Thai airstrikes resulted in more than 40 deaths in July. Further fighting and air raids occurred in December, killing not only soldiers but also at least 50 civilians and forcing over 700,000 people to flee to refugee camps.

Mediated by Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (ASEAN chair), U.S. President Donald Trump, and China, Thailand and Cambodia reached a ceasefire agreement in May and July, respectively. However, these agreements were violated. The two countries are blaming each other for initiating hostilities and violating ceasefires.

The two nations share an 817-kilometer-long land border, much of which remains undemarcated. In the early 20th century, France, the colonial power in Cambodia at the time, and Thailand agreed to delineate their border. However, the watershed line used as a demarcation marker does not correspond to the actual terrain, leading to discrepancies between the agreed-upon border and areas under effective control. These discrepancies are the source of ongoing disputes.

At the Special ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Kuala Lumpur on December 22, the chairman’s statement reaffirmed the importance of adhering to the UN Charter and the ASEAN Charter, as well as to the principles enshrined in the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) in order to avoid open conflict.

Both Thailand and Cambodia should respect each other’s independence, sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity, and national identity. They are required to refrain from threatening or using force and work toward peacefully resolving the border disputes in conformity with international law.