No Progress in Peace Despite Thailand-Cambodia Defense Talks

According to Cambodia’s state news agency citing the Ministry of Defense, on Friday morning Thai warplanes dropped more than a dozen bombs in the Chouk Chey village area in northwest Cambodia, causing widespread destruction of homes, property, and government infrastructure.

Later in the morning, Thai forces also carried out artillery strikes in the border Stung Bot area, according to the Agence Kampuchea Presse. The Cambodian Ministry of Defense condemned the attack as “serious aggression” and said it deliberately endangered civilian lives and infrastructure, calling it “extremely cruel and inhumane.”

This is the latest incident of violence since new clashes began on 8 December. A ceasefire mediated by the United States and Malaysia in October was broken again. The recent clashes killed at least 96 people and displaced around one million.

Thailand and Cambodia’s defense officials met for the first time on Wednesday after the conflict, but no major diplomatic progress was reported. Cambodian defense spokesperson Mali Sokieta said both sides plan further discussions under the border committee on Friday, aiming to restore peace, regional stability, and allow displaced people to return home.

The root cause of the conflict lies in the 800-kilometer-long border’s colonial-era division and disputes over the ruins of ancient temples near the border. Both sides blame each other for starting the clashes, claiming self-defense. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet to propose new talks and emphasized full implementation of the Kuala Lumpur peace agreement. Russia also encouraged both sides to seek a bilateral diplomatic solution.