The report marks July 24, 2026 as the first anniversary of the Thai military’s armed incursion into Cambodian territory in Preah Vihear province. It describes the incursion as following repeated Thai provocations along the border, bringing severe suffering to local residents and leaving wounds that remain painful, and as an important event Cambodia continues to remember.
During the conflict, the report says, Thai forces shelled and bombed places including 安塞 village in 宿仙 district, Preah Vihear province, without warning. Homes, schools, temples, hospitals and other public and civilian facilities were severely damaged, forcing many people to flee. Affected residents said the sudden fighting shattered their peaceful lives, cost them their homes and property, separated relatives and left children and young people with lasting psychological trauma and fear.
Large numbers of affected people were still living in temporary shelters set up by the Cambodian government. They remained attached to their home communities and hoped to return soon to their homes, cultivate their land and resume normal life. According to the report, some Cambodian territory remained under unlawful Thai occupation after the ceasefire, and Cambodia was pursuing legal avenues to recover it.
The Cambodian government and people called on the international community to help mediate, press Thailand to withdraw its troops and return the territory they described as illegally occupied, and help displaced people return home and resume production. The report concludes that the suffering caused by the conflict deepened Cambodians’ understanding of the importance of defending national sovereignty and territorial integrity and preserving peace and stability, and that people across the country would remember the event and remain committed to defending their territory.
