This story by Prachatai originally appeared on Global Voices on 26 September 2025
Between July and May 2025, tensions between Thailand and Cambodia over a border dispute devolved into violence that left at least 43 dead on both sides, dozens injured, and hundreds of thousands of people displaced. Despite signing a ceasefire agreement on July 28, hostility has remained deeply embedded in both countries, fueled by misinformation. Amidst the turmoil, Cambodians and Thais have come together to launch a cross-border campaign aimed at combating hatred and promoting empathy and lasting peace.
Thailand and Cambodia share over 700 kilometres of border, where several undemarcated sections have been long-standing sources of conflict between the two countries, since the Preah Vihear dispute beginning in the 1950s, to this year when clashes broke out on May 28th and led to fatalities on July 24th. On top of that, the countries also share historical and cultural ties, which have complicated the tensions between them, leading to deep-rooted hostility between the two peoples.
Hostility skyrocketed after the July 24 armed conflict as the conflict between the two governments trickled down to all facets of society. Cambodian and Thai netizens traded accusations on who initiated the clashes.
“We see all the problems start to unfold, and when hatreds, prejudice, and discrimination on people’s level have gone online, it was even more devastating for us, and that's why we decided to come together on the Cambodian side to rally among ourselves,” said Lim Solinn, a Cambodian social activist and artist. She later reached out to friends in Thailand in different places and then stumbled upon a group of Thai people who are a network of solidarity.
Ou Tepphallin, a Cambodian labor rights activist and campaign co-organizer, said she joined the campaign to address the suffering of migrant workers and communities caught in the crossfire of recent tensions, particularly Cambodian workers in Thailand and Thai workers in Cambodia.
They faced physical violence and racism, and they were living with fear, so their voices were unheard. On top of that, children living along the border have lost opportunities to study due to the closure of border crossings. Family members were separated, such as a child whose mother was in Thailand but whose father was in Phnom Penh, and they have no idea when they can be reunited.
In addition, according to the Thai authorities, the conflict since July 24th has also caused over 500,000 Cambodian migrant workers in Thailand to return home, since most of them felt unsafe and threatened in Thailand. This has left Thailand with a significant labor shortage as Cambodian migrants typically played an essential role in the country's agricultural industry.
Solinn stated that both Thai and Cambodian campaign organizers want the campaign to go viral in both countries and send messages to leaders saying, “Please don't use violence on Cambodian or Thai migrant workers.”
The campaigners are also trying to figure out catchy ways for this campaign to go viral and reach regular Thais and Cambodians. The campaign includes writing poems and making songs, which they believe could help calm people and encourage them not to hate simply because of what they heard or saw on the news.
“We’re just starting, even if the war ends tomorrow, the hatred continues, so we need to continue this work and reach out to more communities in Cambodia and in Thailand,” said Solinn.
Phallin added that it's time to heal those who suffered from both sides, and that is what the campaign did by starting to send healing messages to ordinary people.
In Thailand, when the armed conflict erupted and innocent Thai civilians and military personnel were killed, many Thai netizens demanded tit for tat retaliation. In addition, right-wing influencers have threatened Cambodian migrant workers and called on patriots to use violence against them.
Often, those who oppose this and call for a peaceful approach face condemnation online for being too optimistic or unpatriotic.
“All the ordinary Cambodians want nothing but peace and harmony with our neighbours, and a lot of people get caught in between these polarizations, and because of the level of their vulnerability, they cannot get their voices heard at all,” noted Solinn.
On the Cambodian side, Solinn remarked that while they wanted peace and for this war to stop, most Cambodians also became enraged and emotional when they saw news about civilians being affected, schools being bombed, or news that many people were displaced.
She disclosed that since she and her friends launched the campaign, she has been harassed by netizens from both countries. For her, it has been difficult to get through to people how the hyper-nationalistic, violent narratives are spreading hate. Solinn said:
They have been misinformed and disinformed. They believe these sets of stories, and they have these perspectives, and it's hard to change. So, instead of trying to tell them a different version, we’re trying to appeal to their consciousness. We try to appeal to their empathy.
Even though most of the information they received was not real, it was effective as it was coupled with prejudice, stereotyping, and hate speech amplified by social media. “It has added fuel to the fire of ultra nationalist perspectives. It just made it really hard for people to try to bridge across for people who are like us,” said Solinn.
She insisted that engaging with the same outrage and accusing each other of doing what each side thinks is wrong will not improve the situation, particularly for disputes that have been going on for hundreds of years, based on selective history from both sides.
Solinn emphasized that it was time to put people’s lives first. Children should be able to return to school instead of living in refugee camps, families should be able to earn their livelihoods again, and both countries need to recognize the damage the conflict has inflicted on their economies.
“We would like to urge the leaders to sit down and find a peaceful resolution and put the people first,” said Phallin. She also urged the leaders to negotiate and rebuild trust, insisting that peace can be achieved only by negotiation, not war.
In the meantime, Solinn urged the leaders to be compassionate and gentle and to reach a peaceful resolution, adding that a tremendous amount of strength is required. The campaign organizer also called on leaders on both sides to stop this war and allow everything to return to normal for the sake of the innocent people from both countries.
She suggested that Thailand and Cambodia stop promoting biases and stereotypes based on selective interpretations of history, particularly for the younger generations.
Solinn also believes that when this war ends, Thais and Cambodians will come together to create mixed communities where people from both sides could share safe spaces and raise awareness of peace and harmony.
“Educating in school or through the media wouldn't be enough. We need all the spaces, all the communities, we need a whole society to heal and to promote racial tolerance, peace, solidarity, and harmony,” said Phallin.
In terms of media, Solinn said media, particularly mainstream media, in both countries should not amplify hateful rhetoric, which has already been dominant on social media, but rather people’s stories, which would help promote reconciliation and peace, suggesting that selective parts of the history on both sides shouldn’t be allowed to frame the whole narrative about Thailand and Cambodia.
She noted that we did not know everything, but only heard different sides of the story. Each side believed the other started the war first or believed that the other side encroached upon their land.
“Trust is so fragile. It's so easy to break, and it's broken already. It's very hard to rebuild, but we must try. We do not have a choice,” noted Solinn.
(NS)
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