The key findings and analysis of artistic freedom in Cambodia from the Southeast Asia Artistic Freedom RADAR, 2025.
Continuation of New Political Era
Cambodia’s political system has been dominated by one ruling party for more than three decades. In July 2023, a new PM Hun Manet, was elected, succeeding his father, Hun Sen, the longest-serving Prime Minister in the country’s history, having held office for nearly 40 years. Hun Manet’s tenure so far has been marked by significant geopolitical events that have impacted Cambodia’s political and socio-economic landscape. Among these are the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, issues related to transnational scam camp operations[1], and the ongoing border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia.
The arts have a close relationship with the political state of democracy, freedom, and development of the country. Whether it is thriving and open, or repressed, can often be sensed simply by assessing the political situation. For Cambodia, freedom of expression, of which artistic freedom is part of, is guaranteed by the Constitution of Cambodia, which allows every citizen the freedom of expression, press, publication, and assembly. Yet, Reporters Without Borders reported that Cambodia ranked 161 out of 189 countries in the 2025 World Freedom Index, a drop from 151 in 2024, indicating a deterioration of freedom of expression, press freedom, and the media landscape in the country.
Cambodia-Thailand: Beyond the Border Conflict
During the 12 months of 2025, RADAR documented 7 cases in Cambodia. Unsurprisingly, the most prominent reason for challenges to artistic freedom, impacting 4 of the 7 cases, was linked to the ongoing Cambodia-Thai border conflict. The collected data for 2025 is mostly based on media reporting, social media monitoring, and information from contacts in the arts community.[2]
In July 2025, territorial disputes between Cambodia and Thailand escalated into open conflict. While analysts attribute the crisis to a range of political and geopolitical factors, disputes over several heritage sites, including ancient temples Preah Vihear, Ta Moeun and Ta Krabey were central in the “nationalist historical narratives…mobilized for domestic political purposes”.[3] This long-standing dispute dates back to the France-Siam border treaty during the French colonial era in 1907. In 1962, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) “concluded that the Temple [Preah Vihear] was situated on Cambodian territory”.[4] The dispute reignited in 2008, when Cambodia nominated Temple Preah Vihear for UNESCO World Heritage status. It was originally supported by Thailand’s then PM, but under apparent pressure from internal forces, he rescinded his support. Since then, the dispute has escalated into armed conflict in 2008, 2011 and the current crisis. Despite several ceasefires, the situation remains tense. Edifices of cultural, historical and spiritual significance have been damaged, leading UNESCO, in Dec 2025, to urge the protection of cultural heritage sites following armed clashes between Cambodia and Thailand.[5] There has been damage along both sides of the disputed border, including Ta Krabei temple (Ta Kwai in Thai), an 11th-century ancient temple located along the border in Oddar Meanchey, a Cambodian province, which suffered heavy damage as a result of a Thai military air strike.[6]
In a separate incident, in December 2025, the Thai military demolished a statue of the Hindu deity, Vishnu, in the An Ses area, along the Cambodia-Thai border in Preah Vihear province .[7] Video of a back-hoe loader bringing down the statue circulated on social media in Thailand and Cambodia[8]. It sparked criticism in Cambodia and outside. On 24 December 2025, India’s Foreign Ministry said that “such disrespectful acts hurt the sentiments of followers around the world, and should not take place”. [9]
On top of the damages to these heritage sites, the displacement of communities and other damages, the conflict has at times resembled a broadcasting war. Social media warfare and waves of hyper-nationalism on both sides have intensified the acrimony. Thai academic, Dr. Pattharapong Rattanasevee, notes, “A major source of recent tension has been the emergence of parallel informational universes. In moments of crisis, Thai and Cambodian citizens have received drastically different narratives… This antagonism creates pressure on leaders to appear tough rather than conciliatory.”[10] As a result, the border conflict has spilled over into a series of diplomatic crises, retaliation, and cultural identity conflicts.
Less than two weeks after hostilities broke out, the Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts (MCFA) announced on Facebook that all Cambodian companies must stop importing and broadcasting all kinds of Thai content in Cambodian cinemas and channels.[11] There is no publicly available data on the actual number of films or series impacted by the directive but in July, one Cambodia company, Baramey Production announced that it would cease production of the local version of The Rapper, a franchise from Thailand, in line with the recent ban on broadcasting all types of Thai films on television and in cinemas, and also due to the company’s desire to express solidarity and respect with the nation.[12] The company has since launched its own version of the show, The Next Level: RapStar.
On social media, there was a trend of netizens calling for artists, influencers, and public figures to publicly show their support for the government and condemn Thailand’s attacks on Cambodia by posting online or uploading video. The sentiment seemed to be that if one did not speak up about the conflict, one was not patriotic enough. Artists or influencers with a platform and existing fans, who did not post in support of Cambodia, were likely to be met with harsh comments from netizens, accusing them of not loving the country.
One significant case involved a Cambodian filmmaker who was severely attacked online on social media. He was accused of “not having nationalism” for planning a trip to Thailand to attend an international film festival in Bangkok, where his short film had been selected for screening. This incident affected the filmmaker emotionally and mentally and resulted in his decision to quit using his social media account. Particularly disheartening was the fact that pressure came from fellow artists as well.
The Artist Code of Conduct, introduced by the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts in 2024 which imposed an obligation on creators to refrain from producing art deemed immoral or capable of undermining the dignity of the nation’s traditions, culture, and customs, continues to impact the scene directly or indirectly. As noted in previous RADAR reports, “What these cultural standards are remains unclear, potentially placing an undue burden on artists to self-censor themselves”. Prescribing a rigid and narrow framing of culture and traditions fails to recognise that tradition, cultural practices and customs are dynamic forms that evolve and change all the time. It restricts the free expression of artists and can contribute towards the ossification of culture. This pattern of moral policing could be seen throughout the phases of this research. In one confidential RADAR case[13], a creator whose work questioned traditionally prescribed gender roles, was pressured to not release the work publicly. While the artist described feeling mental and emotional pressure, they did, ultimately, publish the work, with the support and advice of other collaborators.
Another pattern that continues from previous years is the desire for the state to manage the reputation of Cambodia internationally. In view of the recent high-profile reports of “scam camps” in Cambodia, the state appears motivated to steer artists away from any content that may portray Cambodia as dangerous or repressive. In previous years, the state has banned or censored films for similar reasons, including No 3.50 (2013), No Escape (2015), Kingsman (2017), and No More Bets (2023). While there were no such public cases this year, artists have, under conditions of anonymity, recounted being asked by authorities to re-adjust scenes and character profiles, plot lines, and other elements in fictional works, in order to avoid tarnishing the country’s reputation. These challenges often occur in the course of obtaining licences, permits, funding or other kinds of government endorsements necessary to produce or release arts and cultural works in Cambodia. These acts may come under the guise of advice, suggestions, or artistic critiques by state officials, who frame the cuts and changes as necessary to avoid false or negative representation of Cambodia. It puts state arts bureaucrats in the position to control content in ways that the artists themselves sometimes may not realise is censorious.
Conclusion
The situation in Cambodia has illustrated how inseparable art and culture are from politics. The ongoing armed conflict between Thailand and Cambodia has its genesis in disputes over cultural sites against the backdrop of the emergence of the modern nation state following the end of European imperialism in the Mekong region. As it plays out today, these same cultural sites are both the sought after prize, and the victim of politics, at the national and transnational level.
Footnotes
[1] 2025 Trafficking in Persons Report: Cambodia, US State Department .
[2] There have been reports of additional behind-closed-doors challenges to artistic freedom in this period; however, these could not yet be verified and had to be excluded from the data collection for now.
[3] Raymond, Gregory V. et al., “ASEAN’s Unwanted Conflict: Thailand-Cambodia Border Hostilities in 2025” in Asia Policy 21.2, 29 April 2026.
[4] ICJ, International Court of Justice, Temple of Preah Vihear (Cambodia v. Thailand).
[5] UNESCO urges protection of cultural heritage following armed clashes between Cambodia and Thailand, Unesco.org, 10 Dec 2025 .
[6] Ousa, Rin, “A Heritage Crime: Cambodia Rebukes Thailand for Second Strike on Ta Krabei”, Cambodianess, 12 Dec 2025
[7] Cambodia slams demolition of Hindu statue by Thai army, Straits Times, 24 Dec 2025
[8]@Jacobincambodia, X, 24 Dec 2025.
[9] “‘Decorative piece’: After India slams razing of Hindu statue, Thailand offers explanation”, Times of India, 25 Dec 2025.
[10] “Toward Long-Term Peace Between Thailand and Cambodia: Small Steps for a More Stable Southeast Asia” by Pattharapong Rattanasevee, Asia Research Institute, NUS.
[11] MCFA, Facebook, 13 June 2025.
[12] Baramey, via Facebook page, 11 July 2025.
[13] To protect our sources, confidential cases are not visible in our public database, although the case data is included in our statistics. If the case is referenced in any reports, the details are anonymised to protect the identity of those involved.
Ath Manin
Manin is from Cambodia. With a degree in social work, Manin started her career in the Education sector as an academic support in the social work department. She then worked with an NGO running a campaign for advocacy for women’s rights, and gender equality. Currently, she workswith CICADA as a consultant on data collection and her interests lie in learning more about the culture and art sector.
