Bishop Olivier Schmitthaeusler condemns global silence as Cambodian homes are demolished along the Thai border despite a December ceasefire.
Newsroom (08/01/2026 Gaudium Press ) Despite a ceasefire declared on December 27, the fragile peace along the Cambodia–Thailand border is unraveling. The Apostolic Vicar of Phnom Penh, Bishop Olivier Schmitthaeusler, has issued a public lament over continuing destruction, displacement, and what he calls the world’s “indifference to violence.” His statement, titled Silence, is a direct condemnation of inaction in the face of civilian suffering and the ongoing use of force.
“The world is debating the legitimacy of US intervention in Venezuela… but at the same time, Thai bulldozers are razing Cambodian homes for miles, while barbed wire and shipping containers are blocking access to villages. Silence from the world! Silence from all international institutions! Silence!” the bishop declared.
His plea comes as fears grow that the December truce is collapsing. On the ground, Cambodian officials report that entire communities are being uprooted, and sacred temples—once oases of peace—have been reduced to rubble.
A Ceasefire in Name Only
Cambodian authorities accuse Thailand of continuing to occupy parts of its territory and destroying civilian structures. Pen Bona, spokesperson for the Cambodian government, said Thai forces erected barbed wire, planted flags, and bulldozed homes well after the ceasefire took effect. These actions, he argued, violate the joint statement signed on December 27, 2025.
“Such actions not only caused severe loss and damage to civilian properties and infrastructure but also hindered the return of displaced civilians to their homes and normal livelihoods,” Bona stated, echoing the deep frustration of a nation that feels cornered by its larger neighbor.
Thailand, meanwhile, has leveled its own accusations. Bangkok claims a Thai soldier was injured in a mortar attack allegedly launched from Cambodian territory, calling it a ceasefire violation. Although Cambodia apologized, the Thai military has warned that it may retaliate if another incident occurs.
Power, Politics, and Silence
The renewed tension unfolds against a backdrop of shifting regional politics. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has adopted a hardline nationalist tone ahead of elections scheduled for February 8, a move analysts see as catering to domestic audiences. Thailand’s government has hinted that substantive border discussions will likely wait until after the polls.
For Cambodia, whose military capacity is dwarfed by Thailand’s, the stakes are existential. Phnom Penh has repeatedly emphasized that it remains the weaker party—its villages vulnerable, its civilians trapped in camps, its pleas largely unheard.
In his reflection on the website Ad Extra, Bishop Schmitthaeusler urged the world to reconsider its moral compass. “From Greek philosophers to Christian thinkers, can 2,500 years of work to build democracy, freedom, and sovereignty of peoples be swept away in a few months in contempt of international law?” he asked.
The Call for Moral Clarity
The bishop’s message is not only a denunciation of violence but also a meditation on humanity’s conscience. “Silence, certainly, to pray to God to enlighten us,” he wrote, “but certainly not silence to remain silent and allow the innocent to be humiliated and scorned.”
He linked Cambodia’s plight to a global pattern of indifference, drawing parallels with conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, and Venezuela. His question—“Does power only belong to the strongest?”—echoes far beyond Southeast Asia, resonating in boardrooms, chancelleries, and humanitarian agencies that have hesitated to intervene.
As border committees prepare to meet later this month in Siem Reap, the urgency of his words lingers. For the thousands displaced along the frontier, any delay in dialogue risks turning ceasefire terms into empty promises. For the world, Bishop Schmitthaeusler’s appeal is a challenge to conscience: that silence, in the face of bulldozers and barbed wire, is its own kind of complicity.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Asianews.it
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