Cambodia reaffirms commitment to international law at UN decolonization anniversary

UNITED NATIONS (Dec.19,2025) — Cambodia reiterated its commitment to international law and the peaceful resolution of disputes at a high-level United Nations meeting in New York.

On Dec. 18, Cambodia’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Keo Chhea, addressed a plenary session marking the 65th anniversary of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples.

The meeting at UN headquarters was chaired by Annalena Baerbock, president of the 80th session of the General Assembly.

In his remarks, Keo said Cambodia remained firmly committed to upholding the UN Charter, respecting national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and resolving disputes through peaceful means.

He stressed that these principles were central to Cambodia’s development and vital to global efforts to promote peace and justice.

The anniversary brought together representatives from member states to reflect on the legacy of decolonization and the continued relevance of the declaration in addressing contemporary challenges.

Separately, Cambodia accused Thailand of launching new, indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas as fighting along their shared border entered its 13th day, with reports of rising casualties.

In a statement Friday, Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defence said Thai armed forces carried out “brutal attacks” with no clear military objective, alleging that schools, villages and urban areas were struck.

The ministry said the attacks showed a lack of good faith in efforts to reach a peaceful resolution and accused Thai forces of opening new fronts inside Cambodian territory.

It further alleged that Thailand used F-16 fighter jets, drones, cluster munitions and toxic substances, and deployed large numbers of troops inside Cambodia. The ministry said the actions violated the UN Charter, the ASEAN Charter and international law.

Cambodia called on the international community to condemn what it described as Thailand’s violations of a joint declaration and international law, and demanded an immediate cease-fire and the withdrawal of Thai forces.