Cambodians Rally Worldwide as Border War Displaces More Than 420,000 Civilians

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (Dec. 16, 2025) — Cambodian communities across the United States, Canada and France staged protests over the weekend, demanding an immediate end to Thailand’s military operations as fighting has displaced more than 420,000 civilians.

From Washington, D.C., to Ottawa and Paris, demonstrators accused Thailand of expanding attacks far beyond the disputed frontier, striking civilian areas deep inside Cambodian territory and triggering one of the country’s largest humanitarian crises in recent years.

Cambodian authorities said that as of 6 p.m. Dec. 15, at least 15 civilians had been killed and 74 injured since clashes erupted Dec. 7. The violence has forced 126,204 families — about 421,853 people, including more than 216,000 women and 127,000 children — to flee their homes.

In Washington, about 300 protesters gathered outside the White House, urging U.S. President Donald Trump to intervene. In Ottawa, roughly 150 demonstrators rallied at Parliament Hill despite heavy snowfall. In Lille, France, Cambodian residents condemned what they called Thailand’s escalating aggression.

Cambodia’s Interior Ministry reported Thai forces using F 16 fighter jets, artillery, naval units and ground troops across seven provinces, with airstrikes more than 70 kilometers inside Cambodian territory. Officials also accused Thai forces of deploying toxic smoke and striking without distinction between civilian and military areas, intensifying international concern.