As we enter the second week of the escalating border conflict between Cambodia and Thailand, BBC News reports that more than 480,000 people in Cambodia have been forced to flee their homes, seeking safety in temporary shelters and overcrowded displacement camps. Many of those affected are families, elders, and children living in border provinces who have already faced generations of instability. Schools have closed, livelihoods have been disrupted, and access to food, healthcare, and clean water remains uncertain for hundreds of thousands of civilians. Thailand vows to keep fighting Cambodia after Trump ceasefire claim.

Thai military shelling and airstrikes have caused serious damage to ancient Cambodian temples—sacred shrines built by Cambodian ancestors and dedicated to gods, faith, and cultural identity. These temples are not military targets. They pose no threat, commit no harm, and hold no strategic value. Yet they have been deliberately struck and vandalized.

Cambodia has actively been calling on the United Nations and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to help resolve the ongoing border dispute peacefully, emphasizing diplomacy over violence.

This conflict reopens deep wounds for my people—and for my family. The Khmer Rouge wiped out nearly a quarter of Cambodia’s population, and within just four years, half of my family was killed. I am the granddaughter of a survivor. Cambodia has endured decades of war, genocide, and displacement, yet continues to stand resilient. Cambodia will always be my home. My heart hurts. I feel helpless and guilty being across the world while my country suffers once again. To support those affected, I am offering five pay-what-you-can (PWYC) photo shoots (film and development costs not included), and all prints in my highlights will be sold for $10, with pickup in Toronto or shipping within Canada. I truly do not want anything for Christmas except peace for my country. If you were considering giving me a gift, please consider donating to the GoFundMe instead. All proceeds will be donated to help displaced families. From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much to those who helped donate.

Cambodia wants peace, not war.