Stockton is seen as an incredibly diverse city, home to many people from different countries, including those from Southeast Asia, such as Thai and Cambodian people. Places such as Angel Cruz are showcases for the diversity and community that can be built between people of different ethnicities, which makes it all the worse when military conflict between their countries puts extended families in danger.
Rachna Yan is an example of that. She is a Cambodian student here in Stockton that shared her views on how the conflict affects people who aren’t directly in the fire.
“As a Cambodian, it’s very hard not to feel pressure to take a side [in the conflict] because this isn’t theoretical. Our history, land, and identity have repeatedly been questioned, claimed, or minimized. When disputes involve temples, borders, or cultural heritage, it feels less like diplomacy and more like defending who we are,” Yan said.
Right now, as we speak, a conflict has reignited in Asia, leading to the suffering of both Cambodian and Thai people. If you aren’t following the ongoing events, then let me explain. There was a conflict between the two countries in late July, and they signed a peace agreement in October. Recently, in early December, attacks have resumed, and even though it is unclear which side restarted the hostilities, critics have blamed Thailand for retaliation as the larger country.
Many social media content creators are being vocal about the situation and are spreading the word, but one is speaking a lot of truth about the ongoing violence. A TikTok creator named @thebadvoodoo is one of the voices on social media who provides sources and critiques of Thailand’s recent actions. On a video posted 12/9 with 98.9k views, the user discusses how Thailand urges the U.N. to investigate landmines along the Thai Cambodian border.
SUMMARY OF THE CONFLICT
On December 18, the Thai Air Force sent F-16 fighter jets on a mission to drop bombs around the shared border. People from both sides of the border had been ordered to leave their homes and evacuate. As a result, 59 people were injured and 11 killed.
A recurring theme is that both sides are pointing fingers at each other to determine who started the recent attacks. Former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said, “[The Thai Government] was the one who was mostly visible, who was making all the pronouncements,” and Thai spokesperson for the minister of defense Surasant Kongsiri had accused Cambodia of “provocation” and they had used heavy weapons.
The issue for me is the fact that Thailand has escalated the situation. While Cambodian officials want to talk and have investigations open, Thailand responds with bombings of temples and attacks. The Cambodian prime minister pushed to call Donald Trump for peace, while the Thai prime minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, refuted with threats of more violence. “Thailand will continue to perform military actions until we feel no more harm and threats to our land and people.”
“This has reinforced a sense that Cambodia is constantly being asked to “prove” what we already know to be ours. The Thai government has claimed to say they just wanted to “defend themselves”, but from what? You have people suffering in Thailand, even from floods, but you have nothing to do to help your people but start a war with another country, even after the CEASEFIRE,” Yan said.
Thailand is currently approximately 100 kilometers into Cambodian territory, as far as the city of Siem Reap, site of the famous temple Angkor Wat, which is a national Cambodian symbol that appears on its flag. It’s ripping apart our culture and what makes us Cambodian.
“Angkor is not just a Cambodian site,” Yan said. “It is evidence of a powerful Khmer civilization that existed long before modern nation-states. When tensions rise between Cambodia and Thailand, many Cambodians fear that even globally recognized heritage can be indirectly undermined through political narratives or cultural claims.”
When Khmer temples, traditional clothing, dance, or artistic forms are claimed without clear acknowledgment of their origins, it feels like erasure rather than cultural exchange, Yan said. “Though they already have more land than us, out of jealousy, they decide to take the most important out of history and culture, which is our temples and people.”
Thai forces are conducting military actions such as destroying buildings, bombing Cambodian territory, especially near schools with children. This is not a matter of border conflict.
This is a fully fledged battle that is near the point that it seems like Thailand wants to invade and conquer Cambodia. One nation promises peace and shelter for its people, while the other one promises destruction and aggression.
AID AND CALLS FOR PEACE
More than 700,000 Cambodians and Thai refugees are living in camps near temples, away from their homes, relying on organizations or other sources to provide water & food.
One organization that is doing what it can to provide aid is a Stockton organization called Khmer Aid. Founded in 2025, their goal is to raise funds from events and donations to send over to a partner company in Cambodia. You can find their organization and donate here.
The ceasefire that was placed in October was only a pause in the conflict. Some things that came out of it were temporary calm and recovery from both sides. Though tensions and worry were still there, as both sides still had hostages that weren’t sent back home.
It seems that the ceasefire was less as a means to stop fighting but more to shake off the pressure and international duress placed on them. Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said, “China least wants to see the two sides engage in armed conflict, and is deeply saddened by civilian casualties caused by the clashes.”
Trump claimed he had already set up a ceasefire recently with just a phone call and said, “Both countries are ready for peace.” Despite claiming that this fighting is still happening, while people are continuing to suffer.
All everyone wants is peace, as it makes no sense for the fighting to even happen. Thailand is already facing issues with heavy floods and the weather. Cambodia is still recovering from the July attacks and doesn’t have the military strength to even be fighting in the first place.
This conflict, or rather, senseless fight, is hurting both sides, and this article is not to bash any of its people but the Thai government. “I don’t hate Thai people, but if the government wants peace, then give peace to your citizens by not creating war,” Yan said. It’s time for people to open their eyes and just see what’s happening to my people, my culture, and my home.
