Cambodian Information Minister: Physical Evidence of Armed Attacks Speaks Louder Than Denials

Cambodian Minister of Information H.E. Neth Pheaktra has stated that physical evidence of the Thai military’s armed attacks on Cambodian territory remains undeniable and continues to demonstrate the reality of the conflict, despite any statements rejecting or denying the incidents. Writing on his personal Facebook account on Aug. 7, the Minister said the truth could not be erased because tangible evidence of the attacks continued to speak for itself. He cited bomb craters left by airstrikes involving F-16 and Gripen fighter jets, remnants of cluster munitions and other ordnance, damage to Cambodia’s ancient temples, including the UNESCO-listed Preah Vihear Temple and Ta Krabey Temple, as well as civilian homes and property destroyed during the attacks. He also referred to civilian deaths and injuries as evidence that, he said, could not be rewritten through rhetoric. According to H.E. Neth Pheaktra, photographs and other documented evidence also record the looting of Cambodian civilians’ property, the placement of shipping containers, the installation of barbed wire, the blocking of roads, and attempts to create a fait accompli in disputed areas, which he said reflected the consequences of the use of armed force. The Minister stressed that while narratives could be disputed, physical evidence of destruction remained. He said bomb craters, damaged buildings, and the human toll of the conflict could not be erased through propaganda or statements of denial. He called for all evidence to be preserved, documented, verified, and presented to the international community to safeguard the truth, ensure accountability, and prevent the use of force from becoming a means of creating new realities on the ground in place of international law. H.E. Neth Pheaktra concluded that truth ultimately rests on evidence, expressing confidence that the international community would draw its conclusions based on the facts presented. By C. Nika