The situation at the Thailand/Cambodia border continues to deteriorate, with increasing social unrest. As the conflict at the Thai-Cambodian border escalates, violence against Cambodian citizens in Thailand has emerged, with some social media influencers and public figures inciting anti-Cambodian sentiments, sparking widespread concern and criticism.
The spokesperson for the Cambodian Ministry of Defense, General Mary Sothicheat, strongly condemned this series of violent acts at a press conference held on July 28, calling them "despicable and unacceptable," and demanded that the Thai side take measures to ensure the safety of Cambodian citizens.
She cited a report from the Ministry of Labor indicating that since the outbreak of the conflict on July 24, more than 203,000 Cambodian workers in Thailand had returned home by July 27 alone. On July 27, over 120,000 people left Thailand to return to Cambodia. The number of returnees is expected to exceed 150,000 on July 28, with a cumulative total nearing 400,000 within five days, marking an unprecedented mass exodus of workers.
According to statistics, as of July 27, over 130,000 people have fled their homes due to the border conflict, including a large number of women, children, and the elderly and disabled.
To address the crisis, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet departed for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on the same day to initiate ceasefire negotiations with the acting Prime Minister of Thailand, Prayut. Hosted by Malaysia and co-hosted by the United States, with China also sending representatives, the goal is to promote an immediate ceasefire to prevent further escalation of the situation.
This negotiation is based on a mediation initiative proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump on the evening of July 26, aimed at restoring peace and stability to the border region. The international community is closely monitoring whether this high-level dialogue can alleviate the sudden regional conflict and humanitarian crisis.
