H.E. Ambassador Keo Chhea, Permanent Representative of Cambodia to the United Nations (UN), delivered a statement at the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) Meeting on the “Peaceful Settlement of Border Disputes in Central Asia” at the UN Headquarters in New York on Dec. 15.
According to the Permanent Mission of Cambodia, during the meeting, H.E. Ambassador Keo Chhea informed the PBC that Cambodia has been suffering from a large-scale invasion of Cambodia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity by the Thai military since Dec. 7, 2025, which has killed, injured and displaced innocent civilians, and destroyed cultural heritage and civilian infrastructure, all of which are contrary to the principle of good neighbourliness as enshrined in the UN Charter.
At the same time, he underscored that peaceful resolution of border disputes can be achieved through mutual trust and respect. However, peaceful resolution of disputes cannot occur when a country rejects dialogue, resorts to the use of military force and ignores peaceful mechanisms to resolve disputes.
Since Dec. 7, the Thai military has renewed its attacks on Cambodian territory and expanded operations across multiple locations deep inside the country. These operations have included the use of heavy weapons, F-16 fighter jets, artillery, and toxic gas, resulting in civilian casualties, damage to homes, temples, and health centres, the temporary closure of hundreds of schools, and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians. Cambodia has stated that it was compelled to respond in self-defence to repeated violations of its territorial integrity after exercising more than 24 hours of maximum restraint.
