(Phnom Penh): When U.S. President Donald J. Trump announced to the world that the Prime Ministers of Cambodia and Thailand had agreed to peace and a ceasefire, the message was unmistakable: weapons should fall silent, and diplomacy should take precedence as the means to resolve conflict. Yet what followed was neither peace nor a ceasefire.
In reality, Thai F-16 fighter jets—military assets manufactured, supplied, and supported by the United States—have continued to conduct military operations against Cambodian territory. These attacks have not been limited to border areas; they have penetrated deep into civilian zones where Cambodian people live. Homes, large commercial buildings, bridges, schools, markets, and critical infrastructure have been destroyed or severely damaged. There has not been a single day without civilians killed or injured by bombs dropped from Thai F-16 aircraft on Cambodian soil.
F-16 Strikes on Civilian Infrastructure and Cultural Heritage
Tens of thousands of civilians—including the elderly, women, and children—have been forced to flee their homes and seek refuge in safety shelters. Daily life across multiple Cambodian provinces has been paralyzed, replaced by fear, uncertainty, and trauma.
What makes the situation even more alarming is that airstrikes have affected ancient Cambodian temples, including Ta Krabey Temple, Preah Vihear Temple, and other historical sites—areas that represent Cambodia’s national identity and the world’s shared cultural heritage. Bombing these protected sites with Thai F-16 aircraft not only causes irreversible damage to humanity’s cultural legacy, but also constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law and of the principles protecting cultural property during armed conflict, particularly when such attacks involve weapons manufactured and supplied by the United States and used against specially protected sites of immeasurable value.
From a Ceasefire Announcement to Open Defiance
The situation escalated further when Thailand’s caretaker prime minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, openly rejected the ceasefire atmosphere, publicly declaring that Thailand would continue its war against Cambodia and that he would listen to no one.
This was not a routine domestic political statement. It was a direct rejection of the ceasefire publicly announced and personally confirmed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
When a national leader openly dismisses peace immediately after a U.S. President has declared it to the world, the issue ceases to be a bilateral dispute. It becomes a clear test of U.S. responsibility, credibility, and influence, and a direct challenge to President Trump’s peace initiative.
Why the United States Holds Decisive Power Over the Use of F-16s
Among all international actors, only the United States possesses real and effective leverage capable of stopping Thailand’s use of F-16 aircraft.
This is not political theory, but military reality:
- Thailand’s F-16s depend on U.S. spare parts and maintenance
- Their software systems, targeting technology, and upgrades are U.S.-controlled
- Their use is subject to End-Use Monitoring conditions
- Their operation requires ongoing U.S. training and technical support
Without U.S. authorization and logistical backing, these aircraft cannot remain combat-effective. No ASEAN mechanism or UN statement carries the same influence over U.S.-made F-16s as Washington does.
Civilian Harm Has Changed the Equation
The use of F-16s becomes profoundly grave when military operations impact:
- Peaceful civilian communities far from combat zones
- Schools, markets, bridges, roads, and social infrastructure
- Religious and cultural heritage sites
Such actions raise serious concerns under international humanitarian law and under U.S. arms export regulations, which prohibit American weapons from being used to harm civilians or destroy protected cultural property.
A Direct Appeal from Cambodian Citizens to President Donald Trump
Cambodian citizens appeal directly to President Donald J. Trump because he has already announced peace and a ceasefire in the Cambodia–Thailand conflict.
When that announcement is openly defied by Thailand’s acting prime minister—who declares that he will not stop the war and will listen to no one—silence or inaction, in international practice, risks being interpreted as tacit acceptance of continued aggression and violence, emboldening further escalation.
However, the Cambodian people do not see President Trump that way.
In the eyes of Cambodian citizens, Donald J. Trump, as a witness to the Kuala Lumpur Joint Statement, is widely recognized as a “President of Peace.” He has repeatedly pledged to use his influence to end wars and pursue fair and just peace between nations.
For this reason, Cambodians continue to believe that President Trump’s voice and decision-making power remain the key to stopping violence, protecting civilian lives, and upholding the peace he publicly declared.
Cambodian citizens therefore earnestly urge the United States to use its influence to prevent U.S.-made weapons—especially Thai F-16 fighter jets—from being used to inflict suffering on civilians and destroy Cambodia’s national infrastructure, which has only recently begun to recover after nearly three decades of war.
These measures can halt escalation without a single additional bullet being fired.
Conclusion
Under the roar of jet engines and the explosions of F-16 bombs, the Cambodian people have little time left. What they live with today is fear, loss, and a single haunting question: Will we survive until tomorrow?
The most pressing question for the international community now is this:
Can the peace announced by the President of the United States be nullified by the defiant words of Thailand’s acting prime minister—who openly rejects peace, declares continued war, and uses U.S.-made fighter jets to kill Cambodian civilians?
Cambodian citizens urgently appeal to the United States—especially President Donald J. Trump—to prevent American weapons from becoming instruments of destruction in Cambodia.
If the United States exercises its influence today, this war can be stopped—without further bombs, without more bullets, and without more innocent Cambodian lives lost.
