Cambodian Association of North Carolina 2809 Liberty Rd Greensboro NC, 27406Tel: 336-338-4318 E-Mail: CambodianAssociation.NC@gmai.com |Website: https://www.cambodianassociationnc.orgAugust 15, 2025
TO: U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee
United States Senate
423 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
RE: Call for U.S. and International Engagement in Resolving the Cambodia–Thailand Border Dispute
Dear Chair Risch, Ranking Member Shaheen, and Members of the Committee:
We, the Cambodian-American community in North Carolina, are deeply concerned for our families and friends affected by the recent fighting along the Cambodia–Thailand border.
From July 24 to July 28, 2025, heavy clashes claimed lives, displaced hundreds of thousands, and damaged homes, temples, and communities. This violence came despite decades of legal clarity from the 1907 treaty maps and the 1962 International Court of Justice judgment, reaffirmed in 2013, that awarded the Preah Vihear Temple and its immediate vicinity to Cambodia.
It was at this critical moment that President Donald J. Trump personally called the prime ministers of both Cambodia and Thailand, urging them to stop the fighting and agree to a ceasefire. His intervention helped bring about the ceasefire agreement reached in Malaysia on July 28. This direct, decisive engagement by an American president demonstrated the unique influence and moral authority of the United States in advancing peace and upholding justice.
While the ceasefire has paused open conflict, serious concerns remain. Soon after the agreement took effect, Cambodian soldiers were lured under the pretense of a handshake and photograph, then captured and taken hostage. Reports indicate that at least 18 remain in Thai custody. This act violated both the spirit and the letter of the ceasefire and further erodes trust.
Furthermore, Thailand continues to provoke Cambodia and cause distress to civilians by continuously moving their positions inside Cambodian territory and placing barbed wires on Cambodian land and denying villagers from access to their homes.
We respectfully ask the Committee to:
- Reaffirm U.S. support for the ceasefire and ask Thailand to fully comply with its terms in order to prevent any return to armed hostilities.
- Call for the immediate release of all Cambodian soldiers captured and held hostaged after the ceasefire went into effect, and condemn violations of war protocol and inhumane treatment of captured soldiers, as evidenced by signs of trauma and torture in the two already released out of the 20 taken.
- Press for the withdrawal of Thai forces from areas already decided by international treaty and court rulings.
- Support structured peace talks with strong, neutral third-party oversight, including continued U.S. engagement alongside Malaysia, ASEAN, and the United Nations, as well as on-the-ground monitoring.
- Hold Thailand accountable for damage to cultural heritage sites and for human rights abuses against civilians, as well as for the loss of soldiers and property resulting from the aggression and invasion.
- Apply diplomatic and economic pressure when necessary to deter further violations and to protect civilian lives.
- Monitor and call for an end to the discriminatory and abusive treatment and incitement to hate and violence of Cambodian migrant workers in Thailand, and urge the Thai government to uphold basic human rights and treat all Cambodians with fairness and dignity.
- Condemn the use of sophisticated advanced weaponry into Cambodian territory in clear escalation of hostility and force such as:
- F-16 fighter jets
- Saab Gripen fighters
- Fixed-wing kamikaze drones
- Artillery and mortars, including 155mm Noricum GHN-45 howitzers from Austria firing NR173/NR256 Extended Range – Full Bore (ERFB) projectiles
- 82mm PW-78 recoilless weapons with extended-range ammunition targeting Cambodian defensive positions
- Small arms and light machine guns — M16A4 assault rifles (U.S.-made) with 40mm M203 under-barrel grenade launchers firing M433 HEDP grenades; IWI Negev NG-5 light machine guns from Israel used in ground operations targeting Cambodian positions
- MK-84 bombs with identifiable serial numbers
- Cluster bombs, banned under the Convention on Cluster Munitions due to their indiscriminate impact on civilians
- Toxic gas, reported by civilians and soldiers, in violation of the 1925 Geneva Protocol and the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), with clear evidence from affected civilian communities in Srok Cham Kosan Penh
America’s leadership, as shown by President Trump’s intervention, can change the course of events and prevent needless suffering. With sustained U.S. attention and bipartisan support in Congress, a fragile truce can become a lasting peace grounded in truth, respect for sovereignty, and adherence to international law.
We thank you for your service and for considering this urgent matter. We, the Cambodian-American community, are proud to stand as Americans — in the land of the brave — standing for justice and liberty for all, using our voices to call for justice where it is needed, as is our duty in this great nation.
Respectfully Submitted,
Seyha Thach, President
Cambodian Association of North Carolina
Download PDF: Official Petition to Foreign Relations Committee
