In a week marked by escalating tensions and shifting alliances across Asia, two longstanding border disputes—one between Thailand and Cambodia, and the other involving India and China—have thrust questions of sovereignty, national identity, and great-power rivalry into the spotlight. The region is witnessing not only renewed clashes and diplomatic wrangling, but also a subtle recalibration of strategies by the world’s major powers as they seek to influence outcomes on these volatile frontiers.
On December 24, 2025, Thailand and Cambodia reported fresh fighting along their contested border, with both sides trading accusations and artillery fire. According to Thai military sources cited by Al Jazeera and Khmer Times, the clashes erupted in the Sisaket and Surin provinces of Thailand. Thai forces responded to Cambodian BM-21 rocket attacks with a barrage of artillery, tank fire, and drones, striking more than 19 Cambodian military targets in retaliation. The Thai army confirmed that one of its soldiers was injured in the Pha Mo I Daeng–Huai Ta Maria area of Sisaket province during the hostilities.
The violence was not one-sided. Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defence reported that Thai forces carried out air attacks on Banan district in Battambang province, dropping four bombs in a civilian residential area. The Khmer Times further reported that two civilians were injured by Thai shelling in Banteay Meanchey province, highlighting the human toll of the renewed confrontation. Cambodia’s Ministry of Education released a video depicting scenes of panic at a local school, with students fleeing as air raid sirens blared—a stark reminder of the conflict’s impact on ordinary lives.
These latest incidents occurred just as defence officials from both countries convened at the Ban Pakkad-Pailin border crossing for the first talks since clashes resumed on December 7, 2025. That outbreak of violence has already claimed more than 40 lives and displaced about a million people, according to official counts. The talks, held under the framework of the Cambodia-Thailand General Border Committee and observed by ASEAN countries, are seen as a crucial—if limited—step toward de-escalation. As Al Jazeera’s Assed Baig reported from Phnom Penh, "It’s very important to be clear about what this meeting is and isn’t. It’s between defence and military officials, not politicians. This isn’t a forum where a ceasefire can be agreed or signed." Instead, the dialogue is focused on stabilizing the situation and keeping communication channels open, with any lasting political solution likely requiring intervention from top leaders in Bangkok and Phnom Penh.
Underlying the border violence is a deep-seated territorial dispute stretching across an 817-kilometer (508-mile) land border, complicated by the presence of ancient temple ruins and a colonial-era demarcation. The collapse of a US- and Malaysia-brokered truce earlier in December has only heightened the sense of uncertainty, as both sides continue to trade blame for the renewed fighting and for attacks on civilians. Each claims to be acting in self-defense, and the rhetoric has grown increasingly heated.
Amid the military exchanges, cultural and religious sensitivities have also been inflamed. On December 22, 2025, Cambodian official Kim Chanpanha accused Thailand of demolishing a Hindu statue of Vishnu, built in 2014, in a disputed border area. "We condemn the destruction of ancient temples and statues that are worshipped by Buddhist and Hindu followers," Chanpanha stated. Videos circulating on social media showed the statue being toppled by a backhoe loader, fueling outrage among local communities. The Thai military, for its part, has not commented on the statue’s destruction but did issue a statement denying the use of cluster munitions against civilians, insisting that its dual-purpose artillery shells were used strictly against military targets and in accordance with the principles of "military necessity" and "proportionality." The statement also noted that neither Thailand nor Cambodia is a party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which bans such weapons.
While Southeast Asia grapples with its own border crisis, a different but equally fraught territorial dispute is simmering in the Himalayas. On December 25, 2025, a US Pentagon report submitted to Congress revealed that China has now listed Arunachal Pradesh—a northeastern Indian state—among its "core interests," placing it on the same level as Taiwan and the disputed regions of the South China Sea. According to the report, these claims are central to Beijing’s long-term goal of achieving the "great rejuvenation" of the Chinese nation by 2049, which includes building a world-class military capable of winning conflicts.
India has forcefully rejected China’s claims, repeatedly asserting that Arunachal Pradesh "has always been, and will remain, an integral part of the country." While 2024 saw a partial disengagement of Indian and Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh, tensions over Arunachal Pradesh have only intensified. In one recent incident, an Indian citizen traveling internationally was detained in Shanghai after Chinese authorities questioned the validity of her passport because it listed Arunachal Pradesh as her place of birth. She was released only after the Indian consulate intervened. In another episode, an Indian content creator was reportedly held in China after publicly stating that Arunachal Pradesh is part of India.
China refers to Arunachal Pradesh as "southern Tibet" or Zangnan, a nomenclature rooted in its rejection of the McMahon Line established during British rule in 1914. While Beijing’s initial claims focused on the Tawang region, it has since expanded its claim to the entire state and has periodically released lists renaming locations there to reinforce its position. This strategy, former diplomats argue, is part of a broader campaign to apply pressure on New Delhi and challenge India’s sovereignty in the region.
The Pentagon report also warns that China’s recent calm along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) may be a tactical move. According to the document, Beijing is pursuing a dual approach: maintaining temporary stability with India while coordinating with Pakistan to sustain military pressure and prevent India from deepening its ties with Washington. Former diplomats cited by Indian media say that the US recognition of China’s actions in Arunachal Pradesh signals a deeper understanding in Washington of Beijing’s pressure tactics—a significant shift, given that previous US focus had been largely on developments in Ladakh.
As both the Thailand-Cambodia and India-China disputes unfold, the international community is watching closely. The US, China, and ASEAN have all urged restraint and dialogue, but the path to a durable peace remains uncertain. For now, the borderlands remain tense, their futures shaped by history, ambition, and the unpredictable interplay of regional and global powers.
Whether in Southeast Asia or the Himalayas, the stakes are high and the risks real—leaving millions of lives and the stability of an entire region hanging in the balance.
