Displaced Residents Appeal For Peace Amid The Cambodia-Thailand Border Conflict

On July 25, Thailand’s Public Health Ministry announced that 14 civilians had been killed and 31 wounded by Cambodian artillery attacks.

The conflict intensified on July 24, displacing thousands of civilians affected by airstrikes, bombings, and grenade blasts

Published on:

31 Jul 2025, 4:30 pm

By Mong Palatino

Thai and Cambodian citizens are calling for de-escalation amid the intensified border conflict between the two neighboring countries in Southeast Asia.

The border dispute has existed for several decades as the two countries disagree over the ownership of an ancient Hindu temple in Preah Vihear. Violence has erupted numerous times due to the dispute, leading to exchanges of gunfire in 2008 and 2011.

The tension eased in recent years, but it sparked again two months ago after a minor clash involving soldiers from both sides. The contested area focused on Ta Muen Thom and Ta Kwai temples in Thailand’s Surin province and Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey provinces in north Cambodia.

The conflict intensified on July 24, displacing thousands of civilians affected by airstrikes, bombings, and grenade blasts. A truce was tentatively enforced on July 29, but both countries have accused the other of violating the ceasefire agreement.

On July 25, Thailand’s Public Health Ministry announced that 14 civilians had been killed and 31 wounded by Cambodian artillery attacks. Over 100,000 people from border areas were evacuated, while 852 schools and seven hospitals were closed for safety reasons.

I started to evacuate around 8:30 am. When we heard loud explosions, we immediately started running to the car. Before we could get to the car, a large bomb fell nearby and we were scared, so we decided to run to the shelter that we had dug in preparation. We waited until 12pm when the sound of explosions were silent. Again, we ran to the car, but bombs fell nearby again and we had to run to the shelter again until 2pm when we could move out from there.

Over 12,000 displaced civilians are facing harsh conditions in an evacuation center in Koh Ker, as shown in this video.

Youk Menglong, a Cambodian studying in Thailand, highlighted the plight of residents living near the border conflict.

Those of us living near the border carry the heaviest burden. We are not the ones cheering war from safe distances in Bangkok or Phnom Penh. We are the ones whose lives are being torn apart. Right now, families on both sides are suffering. So before anyone rushes to support this senseless war, think of the disabled, the elderly, the sick, and especially the children — children who are now learning to distinguish the sound of drones and missiles before they learn to read. This war will leave scars that last far beyond the battlefield.

Aside from residents, migrant workers are also affected. There are reports of attacks targeting Cambodian and even Myanmar workers in Thailand. Myanmar independent media Mizzima noted that “this case is a reminder that public sentiment and the realities on the street are closely linked, and migrants often suffer due to conflicts they cannot control.”

As the conflict led to massive displacement, concerned citizens appealed for peace while mobilizing public support to gather donations and supplies for civilians in refugee centers and church shelters.

Human rights group Forum Asia asserted that “civilians living in the border areas should not have to live in fear.” Cambodian civil society groups signed a statement urging both governments to restore stability and address the humanitarian crisis in the border area.

All parties must refrain from actions that could further inflame tensions and endanger lives. De-escalation is crucial to preventing a broader humanitarian crisis and restoring stability for communities on both sides.

Thailand-based news website Khaosod English pointed out the irony of the violence surrounding sacred sites.

The current militarization of these sacred spaces represents a profound irony: sites once dedicated to spiritual harmony and cross-cultural exchange now serve as flashpoints for nationalist tensions, surrounded by barbed wire and military installations rather than pilgrims seeking enlightenment.

Khaosod English senior writer Pravit Rojanaphruk has this piece of advice to avoid the misleading propaganda being shared by ultranationalists from the two countries.

Take off the ultranationalist helmet and put on the critical thinking hat. Put on the hat of humanity that transcends narrow and petty nationalism. Then, seek diverse information from foreign media, both Western and Asian, including English-language Cambodian media, and compare it with news published by Thai media. This is because many Thai media outlets have become cheerleaders for war and conflict, making it almost impossible to find impartial coverage and good reasoning.

[GlobalVoices/VS]