Cambodia’s Road Back to Peace: A Nation’s Resilience Amid Aggression
Cambodia’s Road Back to Peace: A Nation’s Resilience Amid Aggression
For decades, Cambodia has known the heavy price of war. We have spent and sacrificed so much to achieve the “full peace” that finally came in 1998, thanks to the historic Win-Win Policy of Samdech Techo Hun Sen. This peace was not given—it was earned through the blood, sweat, and unwavering resolve of our people.
Yet, on the morning of July 24, 2025, that hard-earned peace was shattered. Cambodia awoke to unprovoked military aggression from Thailand, striking at the core of our sovereignty and the safety of innocent citizens. In the face of this blatant violation, Samdech Thipadei Prime Minister Hun Manet stood firm, sending a clear and consistent message to the world: Cambodia seeks peace, not war.
For five long and devastating days, our pleas for peace went unanswered. During this period, Cambodia showed remarkable restraint, even as Thailand escalated its provocations. The Thai side engaged in misinformation and manipulation warfare, spreading fabricated narratives on the ground and on social media to justify continued aggression and to create a false pretext for military escalation. Cambodia refused to be provoked because our only mission is to restore peace for our people and region.
Finally, on July 28, 2025, through the tireless mediation of our international friends—Malaysia as the ASEAN Chair, the United States of America, and the People’s Republic of China —both sides agreed to an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire.”
Now, the eyes of the world are upon us, and Cambodia is fully committed to protecting this ceasefire. To ensure lasting peace and to prevent renewed aggression, Cambodia welcomes international monitoring on the ground, including neutral observers and ASEAN mechanisms, to verify compliance and expose any violation or provocation. This is the best guarantee that the truth will prevail and that peace will not be sabotaged by misinformation or manipulation.
The peace that we lost on July 24 is slowly returning. Our soldiers are standing down, our displaced citizens are returning to safe zones and their homes, and our nation looks toward a sky of stability and hope.
We urge the international community to stand witness and safeguard this fragile peace—not just for Cambodia, but for the people of Thailand as well. True peace must be guarded, respected, and defended against lies and provocations.
Cambodia’s road to peace has been long, our sacrifices immense, but our commitment to peace is unshakable. With the support of our friends and the vigilance of the world, we will ensure that our hard-earned peace will never again be stolen by aggression or deception.
Roth Santepheap is a geopolitical analyst based in Phnom Penh. The views expressed are his own.
