IN Sokhuon is a Cambodian scholar who focuses on Indian and Chinese soft power strategies in Southeast Asia, with particular emphasis on diplomacy, cultural relations, aid development, educational exchanges and infrastructure engagement. He, currently a Research Fellow at the Institute for Contemporary Chinese Studies and a PhD candidate in International Relations and Politics at Mahatma Gandhi University, India.
This is the story of Sokhuon, a young Cambodian professional whose journey took him to Bangladesh during a period of political unrest. From October 2023 to September 2024, he participated in a one-year knowledge exchange on community development between Cambodia and Bangladesh, facilitated by Norec. Set against a backdrop ofContinue Reading
The demolition of a statue of Lord Vishnu in the Anses area of Cambodia’s Preah Vihear province by the Thai army has raised serious concerns about the safety of cultural and religious heritage amid the Cambodia–Thailand border conflict. While the incident triggered diplomatic reactions within the region, it also drewContinue Reading
The border between Cambodia and Thailand has once again become the scene of armed confrontation. On December 7, 2025, gunfire erupted along the frontier near the Preah Vihear area, resulting in dozens of soldiers and civilians from both countries being killed, many others injured and more than half a millionContinue Reading
In a powerful demonstration of cultural solidarity, more than 50 Cambodian artists have gathered in Siem Reap province, Cambodia, to launch a collective initiative titled “Art for Peace.” The project brings together visual artists, performers and cultural practitioners to use art as a civic response to violence, human suffering andContinue Reading
After seven days of escalating violence along the Cambodia–Thailand border, the return to calm began not on the battlefield, but through urgent phone diplomacy. On the morning of December 12, 2025 (Washington time), U.S. President Donald Trump held separate phone calls with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai caretakerContinue Reading