AKP Phnom Penh, December 11, 2025 --   

Pope Leo XIV, Head of the Catholic Church, has called for an immediate halt to the renewed fighting along the Cambodia-Thailand border.

“I am deeply saddened by the news of the renewed conflict along the border between Thailand and Cambodia, which has claimed civilian lives and forced thousands of people to flee their homes. I express my closeness in prayer to these dear peoples, and I call on all sides to immediately cease fire and resume dialogue,” Pope Leo XIV wrote on X on Dec. 10. 

In a message posted by the British Embassy in Cambodia, H.E. Ms. Seema Malhotra MP, UK Minister for the Indo-Pacific, urged both sides to urgently show restraint, protect civilians, and return to dialogue. 

Since Dec. 7, the Thai military has renewed its attacks on Cambodian territory and expanded operations across multiple locations in Preah Vihear, Banteay Meanchey, Oddar Meanchey, Battambang, and Pursat provinces. These operations have included the use of heavy weapons, F-16 fighter jets, and toxic gas, resulting in civilian casualties, damage to homes, temples, and health centers, the temporary closure of hundreds of schools, and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians. Cambodia has no choice but to counterattack in self-defence to repeated violations of its territorial integrity after exercising more than 24 hours of maximum restraint.

By Phal Sophanith