12/12/2025
Fresh Exclusive Commentary: Where Is Justice in Foreign Media Reporting on the Cambodia–Thailand Border Conflict?
(Phnom Penh): For many Cambodians, the deepest pain of the ongoing border crisis is not only the destruction of ancient temples or the tragic loss of innocent lives. What hurts most is the injustice found in the way some foreign newspapers portray the conflict—consistently echoing one side while ignoring the suffering of an entire nation.
While Cambodia has exercised extraordinary restraint—even as tens of thousands of its citizens fled artillery fire, homes were burned to ashes, and Cambodian soldiers were captured and brutally killed by Thai troops using knives, with video evidence clearly confirming these acts—the international media often presents a narrative that depicts Thailand as the “victim.”
This profound distortion raises a fundamental question: Where is justice?
What Foreign Reports Consistently Overlook: Cambodia’s Suffering
The renewed outbreak of violence along the border, triggered by Thai military aggression since 7 December 2025, has been documented by numerous verified frontline recordings. These include:
- Thai tanks crossing into Cambodian territory and firing into the village of Prey Chan;
- The use of chemical smoke against local civilians;
- The killing of Cambodian prisoners of war with knives—an explicit violation of international humanitarian law;
- Thai soldiers shouting and cheering as artillery and aircraft bombarded ancient Khmer temples such as Ta Krabey and Preah Vihear, causing devastating damage.
Yet what have many foreign newspapers written about these acts of aggression?
Have they verified:
- Video evidence of Thai military incursions,
- Satellite imagery showing Thai shelling inside Cambodian territory,
- Eyewitness testimonies from Cambodian victims,
- Or the official findings of the ASEAN AOT mechanism?
Despite the availability of overwhelming evidence, most foreign reports remain silent, choosing to ignore the Cambodian side entirely. Their narratives mirror only one voice—Thailand’s.
Why Do Some Foreign Newspapers Report a Distorted Reality?
There are several reasons, all rooted in structural bias and a lack of journalistic balance.
Many foreign correspondents are stationed in Bangkok, not Phnom Penh. Their daily access to information comes almost exclusively from Thai government and military spokesmen. As a result, they rely heavily on prepackaged, politically motivated narratives crafted in Thailand—without independently verifying the facts on the Cambodian side.
Reporting without cross-checking both sides is dangerous.
No party responsible for triggering conflict will ever openly admit wrongdoing.
Consequently, many foreign articles have become little more than one-sided advocacy pieces, reinforcing Thailand’s preferred narrative while ignoring Cambodia’s historical, legal, and humanitarian realities.
Their lack of understanding includes—and often completely omits—internationally recognized documents such as:
- the 1904–1907 French–Siam maps,
- the 1962 International Court of Justice (ICJ) judgment,
- the 2013 ICJ interpretation,
- the 2000 and 2001 MoUs on border demarcation.
These documents, accepted by the international community, clearly affirm Cambodia’s territorial rights. They are not unilateral Thai claims.
A responsible journalist must:
- listen to both sides,
- examine objective evidence,
- and never allow geographic convenience or political alignment to dictate accuracy.
The question Cambodian victims are now asking foreign news outlets is direct and unavoidable:
Do you want to report the truth—or only what is convenient for you?
The Question Foreign Media Refuse to Ask: If These Temples Truly Belong to Thailand, Why Celebrate Their Destruction?
There is one obvious truth that exposes the contradiction in Thailand’s narrative:
If the ancient temples truly belonged to Thailand, why did Thai soldiers cheer loudly as they watched them being bombed?
No owner celebrates the destruction of his own heritage. Only an invader does.
Cambodia possesses authentic frontline footage showing Thai troops celebrating as artillery and aircraft targeted Ta Krabey, Preah Vihear, and other ancient Khmer sites. Yet foreign newspapers never ask this simple, critical question—nor do they verify these extensive materials.
Cambodia’s Patience Does Not Erase the Truth
Cambodia has responded with restraint, discipline, and full respect for the Kuala Lumpur Peace Declaration. Using the mechanisms of law, diplomacy, and ASEAN cooperation, Cambodia has meticulously documented every violation.
This is not weakness. It is responsible statecraft.
But when foreign media deliberately twist battlefield realities to conceal Thai aggression, the result is a profound injustice.
The world cannot remain indifferent to the suffering of the Cambodian people, who are again facing military aggression from Thai forces.
Conclusion
Any foreign newspaper that depicts Thailand as the “victim” while ignoring Cambodia’s suffering—without verifying evidence from both sides—is not reporting news. It is engaging in one-sided propaganda that misleads global opinion.
Responsible journalism requires:
- giving voice to Cambodian victims, just as attentively as to the Thai side;
- presenting complete evidence without distortion or omission;
- and reporting on both sides of the conflict based solely on facts—not on geography, convenience, or political alliances.
Cambodia has stood firm with patience, discipline, and respect for international law.
The Cambodian people demand nothing more than truth.
We expect the international media to report that truth honestly and without bias—so that history may record that, in this critical moment, foreign journalism did not abandon its duty to fairness, accuracy, and justice.
