Cambodia: From Scam Empire to Security State

War with Thailand pushed Cambodia to enact a sweeping scam crackdown. Now the ruling elite is leveraging the same crackdown to consolidate its political control.

By Lindsey Kennedy and Nathan Paul Southern

August 18, 2026

The Diplomat 

The remains of Me Teuk Bridge, previously the primary route into Thmor Da, in Cambodia’s Pursat province, as seen on Aug. 6, 2026. The bridge was destroyed by a Thai F-16 airstrike on Dec. 13, 2025.

Credit: Nathan Paul Southern

 

"A spokesperson for the Thai Ministry of Information did not respond to specific questions about civilian casualties at occupied scam compounds, but claimed all operations were “directed strictly at military targets.” The spokesperson claimed that Cambodian armed forces turned scam workers into human shields by using compounds as military bases and arms depots, launching attacks on Thailand from inside these sites, and that Thailand only discovered that industrial-scale online scams were operating after threats were neutralized and inspections conducted." 

"However, on multiple visits to O’Smach and Thmor Da since July 2025 we documented Thai surveillance drones closely monitoring areas with buildings densely populated by people who were clearly unable to leave. We could find no evidence that occupied compounds targeted by Thailand were being used by the Cambodian military, and no survivors interviewed said they witnessed this.

“I never saw any [Cambodian] soldier,” said Paul. “Nobody was firing back. Just the attack from Thailand.”

 

It was two days after Christmas, just before 7 a.m., when Paul heard the first explosion. The 50-year-old Nigerian national had struggled to make a living as an English teacher in Vietnam and applied for a well-paid admin job in Cambodia, only to find he’d been sold to a criminal group running online scams. Beaten and tortured into compliance, he had been transported from site to site as bosses raced to evade a wave of raids on the country’s brutal scam compounds – by this point estimated to hold hundreds of thousands of people who, like Paul (we have changed his name for his safety), had been trafficked into forced criminal labor in the scam and illegal gambling industry.

By December, he was in Choam, a tiny jungle outpost where Khmer Rouge dictator Pol Pot is buried, confined to a scam compound complex centered around a casino that once served Thai gamblers hopping across the land border. That border had been closed since June, just before fighting broke out between Cambodia and Thailand. Now, after months of fragile peace, the conflict had erupted again.

Bosses told workers not to panic; Choam was not a target. Plus, Paul had never seen any sign of Cambodian soldiers or military vehicles from the windows of his guarded office-dormitory, and by the morning of December 27, the two sides had already negotiated a ceasefire. But hours before it came into effect, Thailand attacked.

“The next thing we start hearing, seeing drones. Blasting. Bombing upon bombing,” said Paul, his voice shaking. He says he survived by sheltering in a concrete drain, while scam bosses frantically hung Chinese flags from windows to show Thai surveillance the buildings were not Cambodian-controlled, but the main hotel-casino was hit again and again.

“A lot of people died there. And on the road, strings of bullets tearing the body of people’s cars,” he said. “If a bullet can tear a car [like that], what about a human being?”

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Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews, a former U.S. congressman who took up the Cambodia mandate in March 2026...

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UN urges Cambodia to strengthen human rights protections

    Khmer Times
    


United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, Thomas Andrews

 

United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, Thomas Andrews, has called on the Cambodian government to strengthen its protection of fundamental freedoms, saying the Kingdom faces a series of human rights challenges linked to the border conflict with Thailand, transnational cyber scams and upcoming national elections.

Speaking at the conclusion of his first official mission to Cambodia at a press conference in Phnom Penh today, Andrews said recent crises also present an opportunity for the government to demonstrate its commitment to human rights through concrete action.

“My first mission to Cambodia has left me with deep concerns: for displaced people along the border with Thailand, for those who have been trafficked, and for those who are behind bars having exercised basic freedoms,” Andrews said in a statement released on July 31.

He said he had received information indicating that more than 100 people may currently be detained in Cambodia for exercising their rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly or association.

Hun Manet is refining Cambodia’s authoritarian model

The prime minister has made repression less visible and more sophisticated, strengthening the authoritarian system he inherited.  

By Mu Sochua
Former member of parliament, Cambodia, and vice president of the Cambodia National Rescue Party.
Published On 7 Aug 20267 Aug 2026

 
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet attends the signing of a Cambodia-Thailand peace deal at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on October 26, 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia [Andrew Harnik/Getty Images]

 

When Hun Sen handed Cambodia’s premiership to his eldest son, Hun Manet, in August 2023, many diplomats and regional observers saw the succession as an opportunity for change. The carefully stage-managed handover fuelled hopes that a new generation of leaders, headed by a prime minister educated at West Point, New York University and the University of Bristol, might reopen Cambodia’s political space after decades of authoritarian rule.

Writing at the time, I argued that this optimism was misplaced, not because the leadership was changing, but because the political system was not. Western policymakers were eager to believe that a dynastic transfer might create room to recalibrate relations with Phnom Penh. But they failed to recognise how deeply the Cambodian People’s Party’s survival depended on preserving the very institutions that had forced opposition figures such as me into exile. Hun Sen’s sweeping crackdowns on the opposition, independent media and civil society were not aberrations, but expressions of a governing model he had built and the ruling elite continued to sustain: one based on patronage, coercion and the elimination of political competition. As long as that model remained intact, there was little reason to expect a new leader to rule any differently.

Three years on, this assessment has been borne out. Hun Manet has not governed as the liberal reformer many hoped he would. Instead, he has preserved the foundations of his father’s rule while making its repressive machinery less visible and more institutionally sophisticated. Although violence has become less conspicuous, the regime increasingly relies on elite patronage, legal repression, digital surveillance and tighter control over communications. The result is a quieter but arguably more resilient authoritarian state.

Tom Andrews វាយបកថៃ

 

Tom Andrews is learning just what is like when dealing with Thai politicians and their ferocious PR trolls. Bangkok is exploiting a weak world order and indifference at this point in time and letting its abuse unpunished will set a dangerous precedent for like minded rogue states around the world to do the same. After all, if Thailand had legitimate grievances these can be resolved through existing peaceful legal mechanism instead of resorting to raw violence. The UN still has its voice and sticks - use them to good effect. 

-Social media 

អន្តរជាតិចាប់ផ្ដើមបង្ហាញភស្តុតាង

ធនាគារជាតិកម្ពុជា ដកអាជ្ញាបណ្ណធនាគារ ៣ ក្នុងថ្ងៃតែមួយ ! ទាំង ៣ សុទ្ធតែជាប់ទណ្ឌកម្មអាមេរិក ចោទពាក់ព័ន្ធបណ្ដាញឆបោក

Thai Outrage Cannot Erase the Reality of Cambodian Suffering

 

Thailand’s decision to attack the findings of the United Nations special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia reveals a troubling reality: when confronted with credible, independent evidence of humanitarian suffering, Bangkok has chosen to challenge the messenger rather than address the message.

Following his recent mission to Cambodia, UN special rapporteur Thomas Andrews raised serious concerns about the plight of more than 20,000 Cambodian civilians who remain unable to return to their homes because of the continued consequences of the border conflict. He described seeing with his own eyes blocked roads, shipping containers and razor-wire barriers, and hearing first-hand accounts from displaced Cambodian families whose homes had reportedly been destroyed. His appeal was straightforward: civilians have the right under international law to return safely and swiftly to their homes.

Rather than engaging constructively with these findings, Thailand chose to challenge the credibility of the special rapporteur. This response is disappointing, but perhaps not surprising. Governments confronted with uncomfortable facts often find it easier to discredit independent observers than to confront the realities those observers document.

The office of the UN special rapporteur exists precisely to provide independent assessments free from political influence. Governments are entitled to disagree with their conclusions, but disagreement should be supported by evidence, transparency and constructive engagement — not attempts to undermine the independence and integrity of the UN human rights system.

កត្តាចម្បងៗ ដែលធ្វើឲ្យថៃ ចិន និងអាមេរិក សុខចិត្តគាំទ្រខ្មែរក្រហម ក្រោយឆ្នាំ 1979

UN expert flags human rights concerns over Cambodia after talks with PM in Phnom Penh

By  SOPHENG CHEANG
Updated 3:04 PM BST, July 31, 2026



 

“It is a matter of international law that those displaced by armed conflict have the right to return to their homes,”  

 

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — A U.N. official said Friday that Cambodia faces serious human rights issues, including people being displaced by armed conflict, human trafficking by cyberscam operators and the jailing of those exercising their freedom of expression.

Former U.S. congressman Tom Andrews said he visited a relocation site on the Cambodian border where 20,000 people are still displaced by last year’s conflict between Cambodia and Thailand. Many told him they had been unable to return to homes in territory now occupied by the Thai military.

Andrews, who is the U.N. Special Rapporteur on human rights in Cambodia, was speaking in the capital, Phnom Penh, after meetings Prime Minister Hun Manet and other senior officials.

Despite the challenges laid out in a prepared “end of mission” statement, Andrews said he was hopeful for the future of the Southeast Asian nation, which he praised for raising living standards through impressive economic development.

“While we may not have agreed on every point, there was an agreement to move forward on the issues that I had identified,” said Andrews, who previously had been the Special Rapporteur for Myanmar, whose military rulers he was fiercely critical of.

Thailand hits back at ‘inaccuracies’ in UN expert’s Cambodia findings

Bangkok says no efforts were made to verify the claims of UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews with Thai authorities

 

A concrete sign bearing the word “SIAM” is displayed at the base of a gate along a section of the border fence between Thailand and Cambodia in Pong Nam Ron district, Chanthaburi province, in Thailand on July. Photo: Reuters


Published: 7:00pm, 3 Aug 2026



Thailand has issued a full-throated rebuttal of comments by a UN human rights specialist whose visit last week to Cambodia found 20,000 people remain displaced by the border war, as the neighbouring nations engage in a battle for international opinion over their deadly territorial dispute.
Thailand and Cambodia fought a brief but bloody border war in July and December last year that killed scores and displaced roughly a million people across both sides of the disputed frontier.

A December 2025 ceasefire has roughly held, despite occasional firefights across an 800km (497 miles) border now marked by fences, shipping containers and barbed wire.

Both sides blame the other for starting the conflict and targeting civilians, in an eruption of violence between Southeast Asian nations that has sunk their relations to a nadir.

 

Tom Andrews, UN special rapporteur on human rights in Cambodia, speaks at a press conference in Phnom Penh on Friday. Photo: EPA

German broadcaster DW reports from Cambodia’s border provinces

ការកម្ចាត់អំពើពុករលួយរបស់លោក ស៉ី ជីនពីង

មូលហេតុប្រជាជននៅភាគខាងត្បូង ចង់ផ្ដាច់ទឹកដីពីប្រទេសថៃ

Scams and the art of spin ...

 

It's all part of Thai government/regime's disinformation campaign to justify its war crimes and illegal occupation of Cambodia's territory to Thai people as well as the international community through social media platforms and Thailand's own national propaganda outlets. Unfortunately, people's opinions about others are or can be shaped and influenced by what they read or hear at face value no matter if the piece of information received is selective, falsified or all the facts pertaining to it unverified. 

Thus, for example the Thai military and media recently claimed Cambodia 'deployed 250 drones over Thai territory in one day' or so while there has been no concrete evidence to substantiate the claim. Yet, Thai politicians and their aligned media keep repeating such claims as long as doing so helps to deflect domestic and international scrutiny away from the truth and Thailand's own culpability. 

As for drone use Thailand's military is equipped with some of the most sophisticated drones existent and is known to be manufacturing these weapons by itself and the Thai military had used them widely throughout the recent clashes with Cambodia along with cluster ammunitions and toxic gas. 

Thus, claiming that Cambodia deployed drones during and in the aftermath of the war at least helps to leverage and lessen the burden of guilt in Thailand's actual exclusive deployment of these weapons vis a vis an ill-equipped adversary? 

In terms of transnational crimes such as scam activities Cambodia is perhaps not perfect but these are hardly confined to the country alone and recent credible media reports over Thailand's own involvement in these illicit trades and activities, including stockpiling of hundreds of tons of cocaine as well as the on-going prosecution cases of Thai and foreign nationals caught smuggling heroin from Thailand would seem to indicated Thailand to be the heart and hub of these transnational crimes. 

 

-Social media

 

 

Japan Bets on Southeast Asian Autonomy with Cambodia Aid

 

Two Japanese naval ships dock at Ream Naval base in April 2025. Photo by AP

    By: Sao Phal Niseiy
    July 22, 2026, 7:15 PM
    CamNess

 

PHNOM PENH – Japan has provided Cambodia with a new aid package under its Official Security Assistance (OSA) scheme, signaling growing defense engagement with the country and with Southeast Asia.

The move comes as Cambodia's border standoff with Thailand continues to simmer, though the aid is modest and analysts caution against reading too much into the timing.

The assistance was formalized through the signing of notes worth about $3 million between Japanese Ambassador Ueno Atsushi and Defense Minister Tea Seiha on July 19. The package covers military communications equipment for the Royal Cambodian Army and patrol boats for the Royal Cambodian Navy.

The Japanese Foreign Ministry said Cambodia sits at the core of the Southern Economic Corridor in the Mekong region and is a comprehensive strategic partner, adding that its development matters for stability and prosperity "not only in ASEAN but also in the entire region."

"This project is to provide communications equipment to the Royal Cambodian Army and patrol boats to the Royal Cambodian Navy, and contributes to enhancing security capabilities of Cambodia," the ministry said, adding that it would also help maintain regional peace and stability and strengthen security cooperation between the countries.

Cambodia is separately seeking to establish its first Communications School, a project expected to be developed in cooperation with the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force and the Royal Cambodian Army.

UN human rights envoy to visit Cambodia for 12‑day fact‑finding mission

– The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, Tom Andrews, will begin a 12‑day mission to the country Monday to assess a wide range of rights issues, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) announced.

The visit, running from July 20 to 31, will cover concerns including human trafficking, border disputes, freedom of expression, freedom of association and peaceful assembly, as well as the rights of people in vulnerable situations.

According to the OHCHR, Andrews will meet government officials, local authorities, civil society representatives, victims and survivors of alleged abuses, and other stakeholders.

His itinerary includes Phnom Penh, Banteay Meanchey province and Siem Reap province.
A press conference is scheduled for 14:30 local time on July 31 at the Himawari Hotel Apartment in Phnom Penh, with attendance limited to accredited journalists.

The findings of the mission will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council in October 2026. Andrews was appointed Special Rapporteur on Cambodia by the Council on March 31, 2026.

The OHCHR said the mission aims to provide an independent assessment of the human rights situation and to engage with all parties concerned.

It added that the Special Rapporteur’s recommendations would be intended to strengthen protections and encourage constructive dialogue between the Cambodian government, civil society and international partners.
------------
By: Minea Son
©KPT English

បទវិចារណកថា

Cambodia aspires to shed its dependencies while staying connected

As it seeks connectivity, Phnom Penh must build diplomatic bridges with as much effort as it constructs ports and canals

 

People arrive at the construction site of the Funan Techo canal along the Prek Takeo channel in Kandal province, Cambodia, on August 5, 2024. Photo: EPA-EFE

Stefano Arroque is a researcher in EU affairs, Central European politics and EU-Southeast Asia relations.

Published: 5:30am, 15 Jul 2026
scmp

  

Connectivity can be an ambiguous term. Different states use it in different ways at different times. In Southeast Asia, as in other regions where regional diplomacy exists in the backdrop of ever-stronger great power disputes, connectivity lies in the conflux of economics, trade necessities and the unyielding pressure of geopolitics.

In few countries is this more evident than in Cambodia, where investment in transport logistics has been a political and diplomatic fixture for at least two decades.
Last year’s brief but intense armed conflict with Thailand, and the border closures that ensued, were nonetheless a watershed moment. The border closures sent major shock waves through Cambodia’s economy. Until May 2025, the border was one of the main entry points for Cambodian goods into the global economy, benefiting from Thailand’s port infrastructure and already established maritime network.

From the beginning of the hostilities, analysts questioned the nature of Cambodia’s economic resilience. Reliance on Thai companies and exports in certain strategic sectors such as oil and energy, the heavy use of Thai roads and ports, and the prospect of a long war cast doubts on Cambodia’s short-term economic prospects. For Cambodia’s connectivity plans, the border conflict appeared at first to be a swansong. It was, instead, a perfect storm.

 

Resurrecting the jungle law: Thailand’s toxic mix of strategic paranoia and opportunistic irredentism

 

Cambodia re-proposes to Thailand that a meeting be convened on border demarcation. Supplied

KT

Statesmen do not resort to severing ties with neighbouring countries easily. In the theatre of regional politics, a familiar pattern usually emerges during electoral periods: political factions stoke border tensions just to win an election, only to quietly normalise relations later. Yet, the Thai administration has shown absolutely no effort to normalise relations in the aftermath of its political transition, choosing instead to sustain an atmosphere of hostility. When the standard electoral playbook is abandoned so completely, we are forced to look at the second major pattern of international friction: the perception of an existential threat.

The central riddle of this crisis lies in the sheer, staggering asymmetry of the conflict and Bangkok’s reckless disregard for the global legal order. No official explanation from Thailand could ever convince a rational observer that Cambodia was genuinely invading its territory or posing an existential threat to its survival. No conventional logic can justify Thailand’s actions as an act of legitimate self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter.

The scope of Thai military aggression has completely shattered any legal framework of proportionality and necessity. The deployment of advanced F-16 and JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets to execute deep-strike missions, the dropping of massive, one-tonne MK84 bombs on Cambodian soil, and the heavy utilisation of military drones for cross-border attacks and surveillance have converted a localised frontier dispute into a brutal campaign of aerial devastation. Most damningly, the indiscriminate bombardment extending up to 80 kilometres deep into Cambodian territory represents a severe, unprovoked violation of Cambodia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Border Tensions Rise as Thai Political Turmoil Spills Over; Experts Urge Diplomacy

 

— Rising political uncertainty in Thailand is casting a shadow over the fragile ceasefire with Cambodia, with experts in Phnom Penh warning that domestic pressures in Bangkok could heighten tensions along the frontier. Yet they stress that a new armed conflict is not inevitable.

Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul faces mounting challenges, including protests by shrimp farmers, legal disputes and a fragile coalition. Critics argue his administration should focus on domestic economic and governance issues rather than disputes with Cambodia.

Cambodian experts say such instability has historically coincided with renewed attention on border disputes, often used to stoke nationalist sentiment and divert attention from internal problems.

Political analyst Kin Phea said the risk of escalation exists but depends on multiple factors, including the role of the Thai military and what he described as Thailand’s territorial ambitions.

He urged Cambodia to prepare for all scenarios by maintaining military readiness, protecting sovereignty and supporting civilians if tensions worsen.

At the same time, he called for continued use of diplomatic channels — bilateral mechanisms, ASEAN frameworks, the United Nations and international law — to reduce misunderstandings.

Geopolitical analyst Gnel Rattha echoed that assessment, saying tensions were real but the likelihood of a third armed conflict remained low.

Korean Traveler Defends Cambodia Against 'Malicious' YouTube Video, Questions Thailand's Motives

 

Cambodia is seen by her neighbours - to the East and West generally - as a poor country with half of the population known to be "beggars" and the people are still "mentally and intellectually backward and uneducated". 

 

Thailand, for example, on the other hand is a country of over 70 million people with far greater income per capita; better educated and wealthier citizens, some of whom are part of Thailand's organised cyber army online formed to project a positive image of Thailand on the international stage while painting negative pictures of its neighbours such as Cambodia. In the wake of the recent border conflict Thailand attempted to cripple Cambodia further economically by shutting down border crossings between the two countries as well as reportedly cutting access to the internet via Thailand. 

 

Most of international media reporters who came to cover the border conflict were based in Bangkok (as they were in the 2008 -11 war) and viewed the situation through Thai lens - or 'Thailand'! When one travels and observes one will often find that most countries have their share of things that are either positive or unsavoury while the unsavoury ones generally have nothing to do with the greater majority of the people in those countries. 

 

The vast majority of Cambodian people possess that warmth, caring and nobility in their national trait or character and the 'poorer' they are the more pronounced these characteristics become. It's arguably partly or mainly this instinctive national trait that places trust, kindness, principle and fraternity before caution and craft that has rendered Cambodia an easy prey for her voracious neighbours - as being witnessed to this very day.

 

- Social media 

 

 

 

 

 

PHNOM PENH, July 6, 2026 – A Korean traveler has publicly condemned a YouTube video that allegedly portrays Cambodia as a dangerous "scam site," defending the Kingdom's safety and criticizing what he described as an attempt to distort the country's image for views.

 

In a social media post, Kwon Jae-min expressed strong disapproval of the video, stating that he has visited Cambodia many times and knows the local situation well. He described Cambodia as a country rich in historical and cultural heritage, such as Angkor Wat, and emphasized that the locals are "innocent and kind." He added that travelers can visit safely if they follow basic safety protocols and obey the law.

 

Mr. Kwon accused the YouTuber of spreading false incitement and extreme fear to raise views, calling the content "malicious" and "provocative." He questioned why the YouTuber did not address issues in Thailand, including taxi and ferry thefts, call center fraud, and land scams targeting foreigners—problems that, he said, regularly appear in the news.

 

"If you are going to destroy someone else's country, please look at your own country's fraud and crime issues first," he wrote.

 

Mr. Kwon also pointed out that the Cambodian government has been taking strong measures to combat international financial crimes and illegal call center operations, and that major tourist destinations such as Phnom Penh and Siem Reap are safe for travelers who exercise basic common sense.

 

He further questioned whether the real scam and crime targeting tourists is in Thailand, citing notorious land fraud around the royal palace, unfair fines targeting foreigners, and the country's role as a money laundering corridor for large-scale illegal call center fraud.

 

"Before blaming others, solve the serious crime rate and judicial gap in your own country," he concluded.

ជាដំណឹងល្អសម្រាប់ពលរដ្ឋខ្មែរដែលរដ្ឋអាជ្ញានៃតុលាការ​ព្រហ្មទណ្ឌ​អន្តរជាតិ (ICC) បានអញ្ជើញតំណាងរដ្ឋាភិបាលកម្ពុជាឯករាជ្យ២៣តុលានិងមេធាវីអន្តរជាតិ

New York Gallery Surrenders 20 Artifacts Thought Looted From Cambodia

The Madison Avenue business turned over stone statues and other items that it had purchased from an art dealer accused of trafficking in illicit objects.

 

A stone statue of a mythological creature from Cambodia, thought to have been created in the 10th century, was one of the 20 artifacts surrendered by a Manhattan gallery. Credit...via U.S. District Court filing 

By Tom Mashberg and Graham Bowley
July 2, 2026, 6:08 p.m. ET
NYT

 

A New York gallery has surrendered 20 valuable ancient artifacts linked to Douglas A.J. Latchford, an art dealer who was accused of trafficking in items looted from Cambodia, according to court documents filed last week.

The stone and bronze items, dating from the 2nd century B.C. to the 13th century A.D., include depictions of Khmer deities and mythical figures carved from sandstone and bronze ceremonial objects. They were acquired from Mr. Latchford by the gallery between 1995 and 2005, according to a forfeiture complaint filed in the Southern District of New York on June 25.

Investigators said the gallery had decided to relinquish them after being approached by the Department of Homeland Security with evidence that the objects had been illegally looted from Cambodia. Mr. Latchford, the filing said, had provided the gallery with false provenance documents.

Homeland Security Investigations took custody of the objects in 2022 and 2023, but the paperwork filed in court on June 25 completed the seizure before the return of the items to Cambodia. The court papers credited the gallery with voluntarily surrendering the artifacts it had purchased from the dealer after learning more about Mr. Latchford’s activities and the history of the items.

បងប្អូនប្រជាពលរដ្ឋខឹងយ៉ាងខ្លាំងចំពោះអ្នកបូកខ្សាច់នៅស្រុកពាងរក ស្ពានអ្នកលឿង #ខេត្តព្រៃវែង ធ្វើឱ្យបញ្ហាបាក់ដី -02/7/2026

No refuges

Russia's Defense Offer Comes With Costs Cambodia Cannot Ignore

PM Hun Manet shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Kazan on the sidelines of the ASEAN forum. Photo by Presidential Office

    By: Sao Phal Niseiy
    June 29, 2026, 8:15 PM
    CamNess

A week after the Kazan Summit marked the 35th anniversary of Russia-ASEAN relations, Moscow has signaled its intent to deepen ties with Cambodia in a more strategic arena. Speaking at a recent press conference, Russian Ambassador Anatoly Borovik said Russia is ready to help strengthen Cambodia's defense sector.

The offer has drawn attention, not least because Russia remains one of the world's largest arms exporters. It also comes at a sensitive moment, with Thailand's occupation of Cambodian territory fueling public calls for stronger national defense. Against that backdrop, many Cambodians may be less concerned about who provides military assistance than whether it enhances the country's ability to safeguard its sovereignty.

Russia's proposal, however, is far from unprecedented. For decades, Moscow has expanded its influence across the developing world through arms sales and defense cooperation, including in Southeast Asia.

Before the war in Ukraine, Russia supplied everything from fighter jets and submarines to advanced air-defense systems, often at prices well below those of Western competitors. It also distinguished itself by offering flexible payment arrangements—including barter deals involving commodities such as palm oil and coffee—while attaching few political conditions to its military partnerships.

តើកម្ពុជាអាចយកដីដែលថៃបំពាននោះ បានមកវិញដែរឬទេ?

 

The first thing Cambodia will have to start doing is implementing internal reforms. This means first of all executing zero tolerance policy against corruption at all levels of national administration, including the military, finance and economy. 

Increased national budget and a heathy economy devoid of corruption and nepotism will contribute massively to modernisation and related reforms required to support a strong national defence needs from aiding a disciplined standing army, navy, air force and arms of relevant size and proportions needed to equip them. 

Vietnam and Singapore are the most obvious examples of these internal reform and modernisation. When a state is strong and clean internally it is much easier to attract economic investments and build diplomatic relations with other countries and this will in turn strengthen both its own national defence means and its voice or influence on the regional and global stage. 

-Social media 

 

សម្ដេចធិបតី បបួលថៃដោះស្រាយបញ្ហា ទៅតាមឯកសារស្របច្បាប់ ជាមួយគ្នា

 

The need to save and protect human lives by evacuating population away from potential flash points or border regions or by exploring all available peaceful legal mechanisms first is the right approach. 

However, thinking that the other side will also willingly come to the negotiating table while they believe their more superior military muscle and de facto gains on the grounds remain unchallenged could be a grave mistake. Russia would not retreat or be willing to talk to Ukraine eventually unless the victimised party - Ukraine - is able to exert sufficient military pressure on Moscow to do so. The same scenario also applies in the Middle East. If the US and its Israeli ally could decisively defeat Iran through military force alone then there would be no room or necessity for 'talks' with Iran. 

It's partly Cambodia's own neglect in building her own defence sufficiently to contain or neutralise potential foreign aggression in the first instance that encouraged Thailand's attack, and it is this perceived weakness of Cambodia to resist further military aggression or pressure by Thailand that still prevents Bangkok from resuming comprehensive GBC-JBC talks or recognising existing border treaties or boundaries as defined by the 1904 - 1907 Franco-Siam Treaties. What all this does show is that neither legality nor illegality - peaceful diplomacy/conventions vs. arbitrary military power - can be relied upon as repository or guarantor of lasting peace and of respect for each other's national territorial integrity. 

Thus, the fundamental challenge for Phnom Penh (beside safeguarding lives) is how to bring enough pressure on Bangkok in order to coerce it to relinquish all Cambodian territory currently under Thai armed occupation and to make it think twice and hard before considering further future attack against its neighbour. 

-Social media 

ចៅៗគ្មានអ្វីក្រៅពីអរគុណទៅដល់លោកយាយនោះទេ

នៅពេលភាពក្លែងក្លាយ ក្លាយជាទៅជារឿងធម្មតាក្នុងសង្គម អ្នកប្រកាន់ជំហរដាច់ខាតលើការពិតត្រូវបានគេចម្អកថា ជាមនុស្សឆោតល្ងង់

អ្នកវិភាគថៃ អះអាងថា ប្រទេសថៃ នៅតែបន្តក្លាយជាចំណាប់ខ្មាំង នៃទស្សនៈជាតិនិយមជ្រុល…

សាស្ត្រាចារ្យសេដ្ឋកិច្ច​ថៃនៃសាកលវិទ្យាល័យរាមាកំហែង​វិភាគពីផលប៉ះពាល់នៃ​ជម្លោះព្រំដែនកម្ពុជា-ថៃក្នុងរយៈពេលវែងសម្រាប់ពលរដ្ឋនិងសេដ្ឋកិច្ចប្រទេសទាំងពីរ។

 

Most Thais are proud to boast that they have never been 'colonised' by European powers. Yet at the same time they also feel humiliated by colonial France who coerced Thailand into returning Western Cambodian provinces annexed by Thailand/Siam prior to the arrival of the French to Cambodia or French Indochina. In fact Thailand was not the only neighbour of Cambodia to have annexed parts of Cambodia during that period. Vietnam and Laos had also seized large chunks of Cambodian territory. 

When France was defeated in Europe by Nazi Germany Japan replaced France as colonial power in SE Asia and Thailand offered to play the role of an accomplice, in exchange of having Japan's patronage over the return of those "lost territories" to Cambodia/France back to Thailand. 

If one follows Thai ultra nationalist line of logic to its conclusion therefore the longer term ambition of these ultra nationalists is not limited to Cambodia's hinterland in the border areas but also ultimately this is extended to all those provinces, including Battambang and Siem Reap, Thailand feels were "lost" to Cambodia following Japan's defeat in 1945. 

-Social media

 

 

Cambodia Renews Calls for Thailand to Stop Land Encroachment

Military Attachés Corps visited Chey Chomneas Border Checkpoint in Pursat province. Photo from Information Minister Neth Pheaktra

    By: Teng Yalirozy
    June 20, 2026, 12:00 PM

    
PHNOM PENH — Cambodia has filed another protest against Thailand’s armed forces' ongoing encroachment activities in Pursat and Oddar Meanchey provinces, demanding the cessation of all unilateral actions on Cambodian soil.

In a statement issued on June 19, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation reported that the Thai armed forces on June 17 had raised Thai national flags at the Thmor Da International Border Checkpoint in Pursat and set fire to a warehouse located on the Royal O’ Smach Hotel and Resort grounds in Oddar Meanchey.

The Thai forces also built concrete fences in the area of Ta Krabei temple in Oddar Meanchey province, the ministry stated, adding that Thailand is violating Cambodia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity as defined by the 1:200,000-scale maps.

However, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Chanvirakul refused to use the maps produced by the Commissions for the Delimitation of the Boundary between Indo-China and Siam pursuant to the Franco-Siamese Convention of 1904 and the Treaty of 1907. Instead, he said that Thailand is now using the 1:50,000-scale map, which further complicates the issue and escalates the border situation.

តំបន់ជនភៀសសឹក ផ្ទះ៣០០០ខ្នង ភូមិរង់ចាំ បងប្អូនក្នុងភូមិដាំបន្លែ ដើមឈើ សឹងតែគ្រប់ផ្ទះហើយ

The New Golden Age of Laos and Cambodia

 

 

Once caught in the crossfire of America’s “secret war,” Laos and Cambodia have carried the imprint of generational trauma alongside indomitable beauty and strength.

 

By Pilar GuzmánPublished: Jun 18, 2026 2:59 PM EDT

“Remember not to make eye contact,” said the night watchman as I knelt nervously outside the front gate of my hotel, a basket filled with sticky rice at my knees. At 5:30 a.m. on my first morning in Luang Prabang, I was getting ready to participate in the daily ritual of Tak Bat, or morning alms, in which hundreds of barefoot monks—some as young as 7—walk in saffron-colored robes from their local temples through the main streets to receive food offerings from locals and, in this case, tourists. I was wary of a certain kind of “cultural immersion” that can verge on commodification—or worse, appropriation—especially in a ceremonial context. But with guidance from the staff at Amantaka, I felt appropriately invisible. As instructed, with a shawl draped over my shoulder and my gaze turned downward, I emptied the basket one handful of rice at a time until the end of the procession.

This quiet ritual was my introduction both to Luang Prabang, the spiritual capital of northern Laos, located near the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers, and to this unlikely 24-room hotel. Occupying a former French colonial hospital just south of the city’s sacred Mount Phousi, the Amantaka lovingly and meticulously reimagines the original 1923 structure as a peaceful garden sanctuary. Like so many buildings in this jewel of a town, the hotel’s design deftly commingles Buddhist mysticism and European charm: White stucco structures with green shutters and casement windows give way to spare guest rooms that blend colonial French details with Laotian teak and rattan furnishings. There is a graceful continuity between property and place; located within walking distance of the night market, restaurants, and the Mekong River, the hotel, with its lush gardens and gracious pool and dining patio, is both an extension of and a retreat from the surrounding activity.

With limited time in this city, we stuck mostly to the UNESCO-protected old quarter—a cultural haven of 33 gilded Buddhist temple-monasteries, museums, and open-air cafés and restaurants, and called on the travel experts at Abercrombie & Kent to help distill the highlights. First up, the Royal Palace Museum, which was built along the Mekong in 1904 by the French for King Sisavang Vong, in a style blending French Beaux-Arts and traditional Lao. Serving as the royal residence until 1975, when the monarchy was overthrown, and converted into a national museum in 1995, the palace counts an impressive 14th-century gold, silver, and bronze Buddha statue called the Phrabang (after which the city itself was named) among its national treasures. In addition to all manner of crown jewels, the museum showcases the royal family’s perfectly preserved living quarters, vintage car collection, and assorted gifts from foreign countries, including a piece of moon rock from the U.S.