Cambodia files complaint following another Thai attack
by Hun Manet
Voltaire Network | Phnom Penh | 12 November 2025
I have the honour to bring to your attention a matter of the utmost seriousness concerning a clear and deliberate act of violence committed by the Thai Armed Forces against unarmed Cambodian civilians. On 12 November 2025, at 15:50 and again at 17:54, Thai troops opened fire without provocation on Cambodian civilians in Prey Chan village, Ou Beychoan Commune, Ou Chrov District, Banteay Meanchey Province, resulting in one death and three injuries.
This use of lethal force against civilians constitutes a flagrant violation of international law, the fundamental principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the Kuala Lumpur Joint Declaration – the peace agreement signed by Cambodia and Thailand on 26 October 2025 under the witness of Donald J. Trump, President of the United States of America, and Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia.
The deliberate killing and injuring of unarmed civilians is a grave breach of international obligations and a direct challenge to the peace framework established under the Joint Declaration. Cambodia calls for a thorough, independent and impartial investigation into this act and for those responsible to be held fully accountable. Thailand must immediately cease all unlawful actions, refrain from the use of force, and fully comply with its obligations under international law and the Joint Declaration.
Allow me also to refer to the related events that preceded this attack. On 10 November 2025, several Thai soldiers illegally crossed into Cambodian territory to lay barbed wire. The area where this occurred has long been a minefield – a remnant of past conflicts – of which Thailand is fully aware. This unlawful incursion directly caused a landmine incident inside Cambodian territory, as evidenced by the map produced by the Franco-Siamese Mixed Commission and relied upon by the International Court of Justice in its 1962 judgment.
While serious and deserving of investigation, this incident was subsequently used by Thailand as a pretext to justify further acts of aggression and military buildup along the border, culminating in the fatal shooting of Cambodian civilians two days later. Such conduct represents a clear violation of the Joint Declaration, the Ceasefire Agreement, and the commitments made before the international community to resolve all differences peacefully and to refrain from the threat or use of force.
Thailand’s unilateral suspension of the Joint Declaration and its use of military force have undermined the progress achieved under this peace framework and created new risks to regional stability and security. Cambodia remains fully committed to the Joint Declaration and to the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and international law.
In the light of the foregoing, and pursuant to the mandate of the Security Council to maintain international peace and security, I respectfully request the Security Council to:
• Condemn the killing and injuring of unarmed Cambodian civilians by the Thai Armed Forces as a serious violation of international law and a threat to peace and security.
• Demand that Thailand immediately cease all unlawful acts and the use of force against Cambodian civilians, withdraw its forces to their original positions, and fully respect Cambodia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
• Convene an urgent open meeting of the Security Council to consider Thailand’s violations and their implications for regional peace and stability.
• Call for a thorough, independent and impartial investigation into the incident and ensure that those responsible are held fully accountable in ·accordance with international law.
• Dispatch a United Nations fact-finding mission to Prey Chan village, Ou Beychoan Commune, Ou Chrov District, Banteay Meanchey Province, to independently verify the facts, assess the situation, and report its findings to the Council.
Cambodia remains committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes and to the full and effective implementation of the Joint Declaration. We trust that the Security Council will take appropriate measures to ensure accountability and to uphold the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.