Cambodia's Information Minister Demands Accountability and Adherence to International Law in Conflict with Thailand

Cambodian Minister of Information H.E. Neth Pheaktra has called for accountability and concrete actions to uphold international law, stating that repeated denials cannot erase evidence of the consequences of the armed conflict between Cambodia and Thailand. In a Facebook post on the evening of Aug. 8, H.E. Neth Pheaktra said that repeated lies, denials, and distortions cannot turn wrongdoing into right, stressing that claims of “professionalism,” “necessity,” “proportionality,” and “respect for international law” must be reflected in actual conduct. The minister recalled that the Thai military conducted two major rounds of hostilities against Cambodia on July 24 and Dec. 7, 2025, which he described as attacks on Cambodia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity based on a unilaterally drawn map. He added that the consequences affected numerous civilian sites, including pagodas, ancient temples, homes, schools, hospitals, health centers, bridges, roads, and other civilian infrastructure. Cambodian civilian homes were also destroyed and bulldozed, even after ceasefire arrangements had been reached, he said. H.E. Neth Pheaktra questioned how civilians, children, women, elderly people, pagodas, schools, hospitals, and civilian homes could become military targets if military operations were conducted professionally. He cited Cambodian figures of 32 civilian deaths and nearly 100 injuries, while approximately 650,000 people were displaced at the height of the crisis. More than 20,000 displaced Cambodians, he said, remain unable to return to their homes, villages, and normal lives. “This is not a rhetorical question. It is a question of accountability,” the minister stressed. He called on Thailand to take concrete steps to facilitate the return of displaced civilians, including removing shipping containers, dismantling barbed wire, reopening access routes, and ending actions that prevent civilians from returning home, if it genuinely respects international law and its commitments. The minister stressed that the right of displaced people to return to their homes safely, voluntarily, and with dignity is grounded in fundamental principles of human rights and international law, and has also been underscored by the United Nations Special Rapporteur. H.E. Neth Pheaktra further called for faithful implementation of the commitments made on Dec. 27, 2025, including the advancement of border survey and demarcation through mechanisms agreed upon by both sides, without unilateral actions intended to create new facts on the ground. On the boundary issue, he said its settlement must be based on valid legal instruments, including the 1904 Franco-Siamese Convention and the 1907 Franco-Siamese Treaty, as well as the resulting boundary arrangements inherited by the successor states. A map unilaterally drawn by one party, he argued, cannot replace treaties or independently establish sovereignty over another country’s territory. The minister also stressed that professionalism should be demonstrated through conduct, including respect for international law, protection of civilians, necessity and proportionality, transparency, accountability, and responsibility for the consequences of military actions. “When the reality on the ground includes bomb craters, damaged civilian infrastructure, destroyed homes, civilians killed and injured, and tens of thousands of people still unable to return home, repeating the words ‘professionalism’ and ‘respect for international law’ a hundred times cannot erase that evidence,” he said. H.E. Neth Pheaktra concluded by urging respect for the law through actions, professionalism through accountability, and peace through allowing displaced civilians to return to their homes, stressing that evidence carries more weight than denial, actions matter more than words, and truth ultimately outlives falsehood. By C. Nika