(Bangkok) – Thailand and Cambodia should fully abide by international humanitarian law in any fighting along their border, Human Rights Watch said today. Both sides have used explosive weapons with wide area effects during the five days of fighting in July 2025 and since December 8, which have killed and wounded civilians and displaced thousands of people.
On December 22, the Cambodian Interior Ministry stated that 20 civilians, including children, had been killed and 79 injured by Thai airstrikes and rocket and artillery attacks. The Thai government stated on December 15 that one civilian had been killed and five injured during recent fighting. Human Rights Watch could not corroborate this information.
“Clashes along the Cambodian-Thai border have put civilians at risk along with schools, medical facilities, and religious and cultural sites,” said John Sifton, Asia advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. “Thai and Cambodian authorities should take all steps necessary to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure as required by international humanitarian law.”
The fighting in December has quickly spread to areas in Surin, Ubon Ratchathani, Si Sa Ket, Buriram, Sa Kaeo, Chanthaburi, and Trat provinces in Thailand and Preah Vihear, Oddar Meanchey, Banteay Meanchey, and Siem Reap provinces in Cambodia. Cambodian forces have carried out rocket and artillery attacks on Thailand. Thailand has deployed F-16 and Gripen jets and drones for airstrikes along with artillery and rocket fire.
More than half a million civilians have been displaced in the two countries. Thai authorities said they have closed at least 1168 schools and 212 hospitals for safety reasons.
Cambodian authorities have alleged that Thai forces have carried out targeted airstrikes and artillery fire at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Preah Vihear Temple and other cultural heritage sites, including Takrabei Temple and Ta Moan Temple. Thailand has accused Cambodia of using those cultural heritage sites as military bases in violation of the laws of war.
Cambodia also accused Thailand of using internationally prohibited cluster munitions. Neither Thailand nor Cambodia are parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM), which bans all use, but Human Rights Watch considers any use of the weapon in populated areas to be unlawfully indiscriminate. Thailand’s last confirmed use of cluster munitions was during border clashes with Cambodia in July 2025. Thailand and Cambodia should not use cluster munitions and should ratify the CCM, which currently has 111 states parties, Human Rights Watch said.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) should promptly establish an effective, impartial, and transparent monitoring mechanism to report on violations of the laws of war and humanitarian issues. Under the October peace agreement between Thailand and Cambodia, both countries agreed to an ASEAN Observer Team to ensure compliance, as well as to help dispel disinformation by both sides. This observer team should be deployed immediately so that it can go to border areas to investigate alleged violations of the laws of war.
International humanitarian law, or the laws of war, obligate parties to a conflict to distinguish between combatants and civilians at all times. Civilians may never be the deliberate target of attacks. Warring parties are required to take all feasible precautions to minimize harm to civilians and civilian objects and provide effective advance warnings of attacks unless circumstances do not permit. Attacks that fail to discriminate between combatants and civilians, or may be expected to cause disproportionate harm to civilians compared to the anticipated military gain, are prohibited.
Using explosive weapons with wide area effects, such as multiple-launch rocket systems, in populated areas poses a grave threat to civilians given the weapons’ inherent inaccuracy, large blast radius, and rapid delivery of multiple munitions at the same time. When used in villages, towns, and cities, explosive weapons cause immediate harm to civilians and civilian structures. Reverberating, or long-term, effects include damage to buildings and critical infrastructure that interferes with services such as health care and education.
Explosive weapons also cause displacement of the population and destroy cultural heritage sites and the environment. Both Cambodia and Thailand endorsed the 2022 political declaration committing to adopt and implement national policies and practices to help avoid and address civilian harm, including by restricting or refraining from the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.
Thailand and Cambodia ratified the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, which comprehensively prohibits any production, transfer, stockpiling, or use of antipersonnel mines. Under the treaty, countries are obligated to prevent and suppress any noncompliance, including by taking measures to prosecute and punish those responsible for use of antipersonnel mines on their territory.
On November 10, four Thai soldiers were injured by a landmine while patrolling along the disputed border in Kantharalak district of Si Sa Ket province. Thailand alleged that Cambodia had recently laid antipersonnel mines in Thai territory and consequentially suspended the bilateral peace agreement with Cambodia. Cambodia and Thailand should set a timeline to urgently establish a fact-finding mechanism within the framework of the Mine Ban Treaty.
“Diplomatic efforts on the Thai-Cambodia border dispute should prioritize protecting civilians,” Sifton said. “There should also be a concerted international support for accountability for serious violations of international humanitarian law and human rights.”
