Dear brave soldiers, police officers, and our fellow countrymen, whom we deeply respect and love!
Today, at a time that our beloved Cambodia has been suffering the tragedy of the war of aggression after achieving complete peace in 1998, as the Head of the Royal Government, I would like to send a message to all my fellow countrymen. Cambodia has endured hundreds of years of war, including the genocidal regime, which led all Cambodian citizens to be aware of the true value of “peace,” and in this situation, we truly have no other desire than peace and the ability to develop the country.
In this sense, (1) Cambodia places the highest value on “peace and development” and always supports and participates in the fair implementation of regional and global order based on international law, treaties, conventions, and agreements that Cambodia has accepted, especially the United Nations Charter and the ASEAN Charter, with the goal of peaceful and positive coexistence with all countries, both neighboring, regionally and globally.
In this spirit, the Royal Government of Cambodia has always maintained a peaceful resolution of the issue and continued to make every effort to negotiate in all possible ways to end the armed confrontation, and returns to resolving the border issue in accordance with the technical mechanisms and legal framework in force. After the most patient negotiation efforts, Cambodia and Thailand have agreed to implement an “immediate ceasefire on the spot” which will come into effect from 12:00 noon, December 27, 2025 onwards.
Choosing (2) to implement this ceasefire does not mean that Cambodia has surrendered or is willing to trade its territorial integrity for peace, nor does it mean that Cambodia has lost its ability or given up its right to self-defense. On the contrary, this decision shows that Cambodia has decided to follow the path of peace and to place the lives and well-being of its people as its highest and most important priority, no matter what the pressures or difficulties it has encountered.
Even if we can continue to fight, as a small country, we still have nothing to gain from prolonging this long-term conflict. Right now, more than half a million displaced people are waiting for the day they can return to their homes, thousands of children are waiting for the day they can return to school, and thousands of families of soldiers and police officers are anxiously waiting for their fathers, husbands, children, uncles, aunts, brothers, and sisters to return from the battlefield.
Therefore, (3) while the possibility of finding a peaceful solution to this border dispute still exists, the Royal Government has decided to pursue negotiations to end the fighting before it escalates further in order to minimize the pain and suffering of our compatriots and to stop the sacrifices and injuries of our brave soldiers, brave police officers, and innocent civilians, who to date 32 civilians have lost their lives and 93 are injured.
In fact, “immediate ceasefire in place” means that both sides must implement the ceasefire by maintaining their forces at their respective positions at the time of the ceasefire’s commencement. In this regard, I would like to emphasize that (4) maintaining forces at their respective positions at the time of the ceasefire’s commencement is officially recognized by both sides as having no bearing on the demarcation of the border between the two countries, which the Cambodian government has clearly requested in the “Joint Declaration of the Special Meeting of the General Boundary Committee (GBC) between the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Kingdom of Thailand dated 27 December 2025.”
This clearly states that (5) the international border between Cambodia and Thailand remains determined by existing treaties and conventions, and Cambodia fully retains the right to resolve this border issue with the Thai side in accordance with international law, treaties, conventions, and bilateral mechanisms in force.
With the assurance that (6) the arrangements in the Joint Statement on the Ceasefire will not affect the work of surveying and demarcating the border between the two countries, the two sides agreed to entrust the Joint Border Commission (JBC) to resume the work of surveying and demarcating the border as soon as possible in accordance with the existing agreements between the two countries, especially in the affected border areas where civilians used to live, in order to ensure lasting peace along the borders of the two countries.
The terms of (7) the ceasefire have also paved the way for displaced people living in border areas to return to their homes without hindrance and with safety and dignity in their respective areas. In this regard, I would like to take this opportunity to inform my compatriots that I have instructed the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Interior, and relevant ministries, and institutions to designate safe locations and make arrangement so that our refugees can return to their homes as soon as possible.
For areas that are not yet conducive to safe return, the Royal Government will seek solutions for those living in those areas. Furthermore, under the terms of this joint declaration, (8) after the ceasefire is fully implemented for 72 hours, (the) 18 (captured) Cambodian soldiers will also be released back to Cambodia, in line with the spirit of the Kuala Lumpur Joint Declaration signed on October 26, 2025.
In addition, (9) the Joint Statement highlights the shared commitment between the two sides to continue to promote the implementation of a certain number of priority cooperation activities using existing mechanisms and agreements. In this regard, the Joint Statement continues to implement what has been agreed upon previously, including the Joint Press Statement of the Ceasefire on July 28, 2025 and the Kuala Lumpur Joint Statement on October 26, 2025, including other agreed documents that have been adopted under this Agreement, as well as other existing Agreements between Cambodia and Thailand.
As the Head of the Royal Government of Cambodia, I would like to take this opportunity to express my deep gratitude to the friendly countries and the international community, especially the United States, the People’s Republic of China, and the ASEAN countries, under the coordination of Malaysia as the ASEAN Chair, who have supported and actively participated in this process from the very beginning, namely since the preparation of the ceasefire on July 28, 2025, until now.
I would like to emphasize that (10) Cambodia is committed to the full and honest implementation of the Joint Declaration on the Ceasefire and welcomes the participation of friendly countries and the international community in supporting the full and effective implementation of the Joint Declaration, especially in strengthening the role of the ASEAN Observer Team (AOT) to verify and ensure the effective implementation of the measures agreed upon in the Ceasefire.
As the Head of the Royal Government of Cambodia and as a Cambodian citizen, I would like to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation to His Majesty the King of Cambodia and Her Majesty the Queen Mother of the Cambodian Nation, who have always supported the Royal Government in fulfilling its mission for the nation and the homeland and have always paid the utmost attention to the well-being of their children and their people in all circumstances, especially in these immediate difficult times.
I would like to express my deepest gratitude for the invaluable sacrifices of all the brave soldiers and police officers in fulfilling the noble task of protecting national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and I would also like to express my deepest appreciation and gratitude for the patriotism and national solidarity in protecting national sovereignty and territorial integrity of all monks and fellow citizens from all directions, both at home and abroad. These merits are truly valuable above all else and will be recorded in history for every Cambodians and generations.
The hardships and sacrifices of our heroes on the battlefield are a reminder that we must never forget for a second that “Division is death, unity is life.” Therefore, in line with the old saying, “A bundle of sticks cannot be broken,” we must take this difficult time as an opportunity for all Khmers to join hands to build the Khmer nation stronger and better, with resilience, under the cool shade of our revered King.
Once again, (11) Cambodia’s bitter war experience has shown that war cannot be ended by war, and only by choosing a peaceful, law-based, and mutually acceptable solution can we end the war and avoid the loss of life, pain, and suffering of our fellow citizens.
I hope that our fellow citizens, from all walks of life and all directions, will continue to have strong faith in the Royal Government and unite in the spirit of one Khmer nation, using the value of peace to develop themselves into outstanding citizens of Cambodia and become a strong and indestructible force in the defense of national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and in the development of the nation and our beloved Cambodian homeland, to steadily grow stronger and become a nation with pride and high prestige on the international stage.
Finally, I would like to covey my blessings to all the venerable monks and my beloved compatriots, and the five Buddha’s blessings of longevity, caste, happiness, strength, and wisdom./.