(Phnom Penh): Keo Chhea, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Cambodia to the United Nations in New York, affirmed that due to Thailand’s indiscriminate attacks, Cambodia has requested the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to determine Thailand’s responsibility for the civilian deaths, injuries, and property destruction caused by these actions.

"Thai armed forces continue expanding their attacks into other non-combat, civilian zones within two other Cambodian provinces—Pusat and Battambang… resulted in numerous death and injuries, including innocent civilians, extensive destruction of their homes, public infrastructure, and protected national heritage monuments, including the Temple of Preah Vihear," according to press release seen by Fresh News on Thursday (Dec. 11).

"Thailand’s deliberate and indiscriminate targeting of civilian areas constitutes a serious breach of international humanitarian law, in particular with regards to its obligations to distinguish at all time between civilian and military targets and prohibition of attacks at civilians.

Cambodia has remained fully committed to its obligations as set forth in the Charter of the United Nations—most importantly Article 2(3) on the peaceful settlement of disputes and Article 2(4) on the prohibition of force.

Cambodia does not wish to be compelled into considering means of response other than through diplomacy and dialogue to defend its people and uphold its territorial integrity… Cambodian forces have exercised maximum restraint and refrained from retaliatory response for 24 hours… However, Cambodia reserves its right to self-defence in accordance with Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations.

In relation to the existing mechanisms and agreements to which Thailand and Cambodia are parties including the principle of uti juris possidetis, Keo Chhea emphasized that, “Thailand’s actions represent a flagrant and continuous violation of the Ceasefire Agreement of 28 July 2025 and a fundamental breach of the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord, signed on 26 October 2025, whereby Thailand has unilaterally announced its suspension, undermining it through its offensive cross-border military operations based on unilaterally-drawn maps contrary to the mutually agreed maps at the scale of 1/200,000, which are the results of the demarcation work of the Commission of Delimitation of the Boundary between Indo-China and Siam established by the Convention of 1904 and the Treaty of 1907 between France and Siam, recognized by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and reaffirmed by Cambodia and Thailand in the Memorandum of Understanding on the Survey and Demarcation of the Land Boundary signed on 14 June 2000 (MOU 2000)… registered at the United Nations by Thailand on 25 May 2011 and was published in the UN Treaty Series.”

After having urgently appealed the UNSC to take decisive action, Keo Chhea reiterated that, “Cambodia remains firmly committed to peaceful dialogue, diplomacy, and adherence to international law… to fully implement the Ceasefire Agreement and the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord… However, Cambodia cannot—and should not—be expected to endure these unrelenting and unlawful aggression indefinitely.”

As of 10 December 2025, Thai military incursions have killed 10 Cambodian civilians, including an infant, and injured 60 others.

In this sense, Cambodia calls on the international community to strongly condemn Thailand's violations of the Joint Declaration and its repeated war crime and unlawful activities, as well as demands that Thailand take full responsibility for such brazen violations.”
=FRESH NEWS