Cambodian Monks Honour Fallen Soldiers, Call for Peace

[geovalin]

Kiripost

 

 

Hundreds of Buddhist monks marched through Phnom Penh on Friday in a solemn tribute to Cambodian soldiers killed in recent border clashes with Thailand, while urging both nations to uphold a fragile ceasefire.

 

The procession began at Cambodia’s main religious school near the Royal Palace and ended at a nearby temple, where monks, nuns, and laypeople gathered to chant prayers and honour the dead. Inside the temple, photographs of over 40 uniformed men were displayed—though it remains unclear whether all were casualties, or included those wounded or captured.

 

The ceremony follows five days of fighting that erupted late last month along the disputed 800-kilometre border. Triggered by a land mine explosion that injured five Thai soldiers, the skirmishes left dozens dead and displaced more than 260,000 people on both sides. Cambodia has officially acknowledged six military deaths.

 

A ceasefire brokered under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump took effect on 29 July, halting major hostilities. However, both sides have since accused each other of violating the truce, and territorial tensions remain unresolved.

 

Khem Sorn, Phnom Penh’s chief monk, said the gathering was not only a memorial but a gesture of solidarity with the Cambodian government’s peace efforts. “We only want to live side-by-side with Thailand as a good neighbour,” he told the Associated Press. “Living with unity and peace with each other.”

 

Talks held in Malaysia on Thursday reaffirmed the ceasefire but failed to secure the release of 18 Cambodian soldiers captured after the truce began. Thailand insists the men are being treated in accordance with international law and will be freed once “active hostilities” cease.

 

The United States and China have both welcomed the renewed commitment to peace and pledged support for ongoing negotiations.

 

Friday’s ceremony served as a poignant reminder of the human cost of unresolved disputes—and the enduring hope for reconciliation through faith and diplomacy.

 

-2025-08-12

[portisaacozzy]

On 8/12/2025 at 9:01 AM, geovalin said:

Kiripost

 

 

Hundreds of Buddhist monks marched through Phnom Penh on Friday in a solemn tribute to Cambodian soldiers killed in recent border clashes with Thailand, while urging both nations to uphold a fragile ceasefire.

 

The procession began at Cambodia’s main religious school near the Royal Palace and ended at a nearby temple, where monks, nuns, and laypeople gathered to chant prayers and honour the dead. Inside the temple, photographs of over 40 uniformed men were displayed—though it remains unclear whether all were casualties, or included those wounded or captured.

 

The ceremony follows five days of fighting that erupted late last month along the disputed 800-kilometre border. Triggered by a land mine explosion that injured five Thai soldiers, the skirmishes left dozens dead and displaced more than 260,000 people on both sides. Cambodia has officially acknowledged six military deaths.

 

A ceasefire brokered under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump took effect on 29 July, halting major hostilities. However, both sides have since accused each other of violating the truce, and territorial tensions remain unresolved.

 

Khem Sorn, Phnom Penh’s chief monk, said the gathering was not only a memorial but a gesture of solidarity with the Cambodian government’s peace efforts. “We only want to live side-by-side with Thailand as a good neighbour,” he told the Associated Press. “Living with unity and peace with each other.”

 

Talks held in Malaysia on Thursday reaffirmed the ceasefire but failed to secure the release of 18 Cambodian soldiers captured after the truce began. Thailand insists the men are being treated in accordance with international law and will be freed once “active hostilities” cease.

 

The United States and China have both welcomed the renewed commitment to peace and pledged support for ongoing negotiations.

 

Friday’s ceremony served as a poignant reminder of the human cost of unresolved disputes—and the enduring hope for reconciliation through faith and diplomacy.

 

-2025-08-12

 

well done Cambodian monks,helping peace between friends 

[hotandsticky]

Perhaps they could also go and identify where their countryman planted the landmines.