‘We Are With You at All Times,’ Cambodian Senate President Tells Frontline Soldiers

By Sophal Chhay

PHNOM PENH: Cambodian Senate President Samdech Techo Hun Sen has pledged unwavering support for the country’s forces engaged in fierce clashes along the Thai-Cambodian border, assuring frontline soldiers that the nation’s leadership stands firmly behind them.

“I, the five-star general Hun Sen, together with Prime Minister Samdech Thipadei, am always with you without rest,” he wrote on his official Facebook page on Tuesday morning. “I am not tired here. You are working far harder than me to defend our ancestral land and protect our people.”

Hun Sen said Cambodia had shown restraint, observing more than 24 hours of ceasefire to allow civilians to evacuate, but was compelled to respond after new attacks late Monday and early Tuesday. He cited Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul as saying Thai forces would strike 11 positions along the border.

“We are not even certain where these 11 positions are,” Hun Sen wrote. “To avoid confusion, all branches of our armed forces must counter every point the enemy strikes.”

He stressed that Cambodian troops were entrenched with fortified positions and weaponry: “The aggressors must advance to attack our trenches. They cannot take them—and their heads are not made of iron. This gives us the opportunity to implement our strategy of destroying enemy forces through counterattacks.”

Hun Sen criticized remarks by the Thai army chief, who said Thailand must cripple Cambodia’s defense capabilities “for a long time.” Such comments, he noted, implied Thailand considered itself more powerful than the world’s major military powers. “We will not sit back and let you destroy us as you please,” he said. “Cambodia wants peace, but Cambodia is forced to fight back to defend its territory.”

The Ministry of National Defense reported heavy Thai artillery barrages across almost all battlefields in Preah Vihear, Oddar Meanchey, and Banteay Meanchey provinces, expanding hostilities into Thma Da commune in Pursat province. According to the ministry, Thai forces continued firing nearly throughout the night and conducted drone reconnaissance over Phanom Trangorl after releasing what Cambodian authorities described as “poisonous smoke” into the area.

The ministry said two days of Thai attacks had killed at least seven civilians and wounded 20, while displacing tens of thousands. Nearly 400 schools across four border provinces have been forced to close, affecting more than 3,000 teachers and 78,500 students.

Prime Minister Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet on Monday ordered all government institutions, security forces, and citizens to stand united in defending Cambodia’s sovereignty. “All ministries, authorities at all levels, all branches of the armed forces, and all Cambodian citizens must unite for the nation and the homeland during this difficult period,” he said.