Cambodianess
Cambodia is a small country that has gone through decades of civil war and longs for peace. Peace is the number‑one priority for this impoverished nation. Peace is valued above everything else in the lives of the Cambodian people.
Because Cambodia is a peace‑loving country, the word “peace” appears everywhere — inside the country or abroad — wherever Cambodians are present.
During more than a week of armed conflict, Cambodians inside and outside the country have appealed to the world to help stop Thailand’s aggressive actions. But Thai leaders continue to declare war, ignoring calls from the United States and other foreign partners.
In Thailand, if any citizen dares to express an opinion urging their government to stop using military force and return to negotiations, that person is attacked and criticized by Thai society to varying degrees.
In this situation, Cambodia cannot maintain peace because the Kingdom of Thailand has nurtured expansionist thinking. Thailand’s expansionist mindset is not limited to territorial expansion through military force; the country also seeks to expand its cultural influence and claims shared or similar cultural heritage of some Asian nations as its own.
Furthermore, due to internal power struggles in Thailand, the rise of the middle class, the growth of a new generation of intellectuals, and the rise of extremist groups, many pretexts related to the border issue with Cambodia have been used to inflame nationalism or gain popularity for elections.
Historically, the border issue between Cambodia and Thailand should not be complicated because both countries have mutually agreed borders clearly demarcated according to the Franco‑Siam treaties of 1904 and 1907. The ongoing conflict persists because Thailand has drawn its own separate map.
Some Cambodian and foreign experts have stated that Cambodia is suffering as a result of Thailand’s internal power struggles. Thai society today is seen as divided into many groups: royalists, militarists, centrist intellectuals, young reformist politicians, and older politicians who form factional and corrupt parties.
These ideological conflicts within Thai society have affected Cambodia’s peace. To gain support and divert international attention away from domestic problems, Thai power‑hungry leaders often draw public attention to the Cambodia–Thailand border issue. Creating border conflict helps Thai leaders gain popularity for elections and hides their internal issues.
There was already a ceasefire agreement signed by Cambodia and Thailand with witnesses from the United States, China and the ASEAN chair in July 2025. Later, in October 2025, a peace agreement was reached in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with the presence of US President and the Malaysian Prime Minister as ASEAN chair. However, Thai leaders showed little concern.
Using the excuse of one or two landmine incidents along the border, Thailand immediately launched war, accusing Cambodia of threatening Thailand’s territorial integrity. Foreign analysts and Cambodians alike agree that Cambodia is a small country with few weapons and a weak economy — so how could it realistically threaten Thailand?
Regarding the landmine incident, US President Donald Trump stated a few days ago that it was a minor incident and urged both countries to return to respecting the ceasefire and existing agreements.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet welcomed the US President’s appeal but Thai Prime Minister Anutin publicly declared that the war would continue.
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