Bloomberg has published an article on Cambodia’s recent messaging articulated by Cambodia's Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Sun Chanthol, amid renewed border tensions with Thailand. Rather than appealing for sympathy or engaging in reciprocal accusations, Cambodia’s statements focus on shaping how the conflict itself is interpreted internationally.
During the second round of border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia in 2025, Thai government increasingly framed their military actions as part of a broader campaign against cross-border scam centres. These scam ecology, which have affected several countries in mainland Southeast Asia, have drawn growing attention from both the United States and China.
Cambodian does not deny the existence of scam operations within the country. The issue of this point centres on whether criminal activity can justify the use of military force across an international border. As Mr. Sun Chanthol stated, this should not be used “to invade another country.”
Cambodia argues that treating law-enforcement challenges as grounds for unilateral military action risks weakening the principle of sovereignty. From Cambodia’s perspective, allowing crime to serve as a justification for force could blur the boundary between policing and warfare, particularly in regions where governance gaps and cross-border criminal networks are common.
Thailand, for its part, claims that the scale and cross-border nature of scam operations require stronger security responses, especially where criminal activity is perceived to spill across borders. Cambodia rejects this logic because criminal enforcement and territorial integrity should remain distinct, and that disputes should be managed through legal and diplomatic channels rather than military escalation.
Cambodian officials have also emphasised the need to “lower the temperature” following weeks of clashes that resulted in military and civilian casualties and displaced more than 600,000 people. In official statements, de-escalation is presented as a practical necessity to allow displaced populations to return home and to prevent further humanitarian harm. In order words, Cambodia is saying it chooses restraint to avoid further damage, not because it is surrendering or conceding politically.
The arrest and deportation of Chen Zhi, an alleged scam figure wanted by American authorities, is cited by Cambodian officials as evidence of cooperation when credible evidence exists and legal thresholds are met.
Taken together, Cambodia is trying to show that it is neither a safe place for criminals nor an aggressive country. Instead, it argues that cross-border problems should be handled through laws, institutions, and calm cooperation, not military force. This approach aims to avoid turning governance problems into security conflicts, while keeping stability as a foundation for economic and social recovery.