Cambodia & Border Conflict: Sacrifice and Final Hours of Soldier Un Vanna

Soldier Un Vanna gave his life when Thai forces deployed a drone to drop bombs on the trenches of the Ta Krabei Temple battlefield at around 2 p.m. on 27 July 2025. During clashes with Thai troops from 24 to 28 July 2025 in the Ta Krabei Temple area, soldier Un Vanna left behind memories and a final conversation with his wife, which she recounts...

Latest Communications from the Front

On 24 July 2025, my husband called to tell me that he and his friends Boran, Phalla, and Tola were in a trench, on the second line of defence. He told me he was fine and asked me not to worry. On 25 July, he sent me the sound of the bombing and a video of him eating with his companions in the trench. He said, ‘Boran, Phalla, Tola, and I are eating cake and instant noodles in the trench.’ I replied that if anything happened to him, he should let me know first.

On the afternoon of 26 July, my husband and other comrades attended a meeting with their commander. Afterwards, he called me and said, ‘Tomorrow morning, I have to go up the mountain to fight on the front line.’

 On 27 July, at 5 o'clock in the morning, he called me back and said, ‘Today, I have to go to the front line to fight the enemy directly.’ I asked him if he wasn't always on the second line. He replied that the front-line soldiers had been fighting for four days and were exhausted.

So this time, he and his comrades had to go to the front. He reminded me to burn incense near the big tree in front of our house and to take good care of the children. He said, ‘If you call and I don't answer, don't worry, just wait for me to call you back.’ "

Around 9 a.m. that same day, he asked me to send him £4 worth of phone recharge cards, a £2 card for his comrade Boran and two £1 cards for himself, sending me a photo taken in the trench. I replied that I had already sent him the money, but he did not respond. Finally, at around 2 p.m., he called me back and said, ‘I have to climb the mountain now!’ I cried. My husband then said, ‘My brave wife, don't cry. If you cry, I won't talk to you anymore.’ That day, I felt powerless.

Family history of Soldier Un Vanna

Soldier Un Vanna's wife is Pech Kunthea, aged 37, residing in the village of West Borey Techo (Samraong), Tboung Khmum province. She tells their family story as follows:

My husband, Second Lieutenant Un Vanna, was 55 years old. He was born in the village of Slab Kdaong, Chob commune, Tbong Khmum district, Kampong Cham province. His parents, Khem Yang and Pok Kimny, are deceased. Un Vanna had two brothers. I married him in 2013 and we had three children: two sons and a daughter.

My husband joined the army at the age of 16. Before his ultimate sacrifice, he was a second lieutenant and platoon commander in the Heroic Battalion 214, under the 21st Infantry Brigade of Military Region 2. Following the tragic death of an unarmed Cambodian soldier, Suon Ron, who was killed by Thai troops on 28 May 2025, my husband was ordered three days later to take up position on the battlefield at Ta Krabei Temple.

On 10 July 2025, he was tasked with transporting supplies to the Thnal Toteung command post in Tbong Khmum. At the time, he was suffering from flu and asked his commander for seven days' leave to rest and recover at home. I arranged for a doctor to come and give him an infusion until he recovered.

Once he had recovered, we went together to our durian plantation on a motorbike. When we arrived, he asked me to wait near the water valve while he turned on the irrigation pump. After a while, he came back and I dozed off under a tree. My husband teased me gently by spraying me with water. He always joked with me, made me laugh and teased me, making me pretend to be angry.

On 17 July 2025, he returned to the battlefield. I prepared dried food with rice for him. He always said my cooking was delicious, encouraging me with kind words.

When he arrived, he called me to say he was safe. We used to call and text each other every day, exchanging jokes and catching up on each other's news. He always took an interest in the children and the work on the plantation, and kept me informed about the situation at the border, reassuring me not to worry.

On 27 July at 4 p.m., as I was getting ready to go to the Samraong market to buy vegetables, my son called me and said:

‘Mum, someone told me that Dad is dead.’ I didn't believe it. My husband was a good man. I screamed in pain at the market and collapsed. My son took me home.

After I regained consciousness, I called his close friend, Phalla, who confirmed his death, but the soldiers had not yet been able to recover his body from the trench. My husband died at 2:10 p.m. when a Thai drone dropped a bomb on the trench. Three of his comrades were wounded, some seriously. At 6 p.m., a Cambodian officer from the 21st Infantry Battalion called me to inform me and prepare me to receive the body.

On 28 July at 4:26 p.m., his body arrived at our home. Seeing his body was an unbearable shock. I wanted to touch his head, but it was gone. After cleaning him, I realised the terrible damage: his abdomen was torn apart, his leg and head were separated.

Three Deployments and a Final Battle

To my knowledge, my husband was deployed three times to defend our homeland. The first was in 2008, near the Temple of Preah Vihear. The second was in 2017, on the Cambodia-Laos border, when I was about to give birth; he had requested a month's leave to take care of me. The third was during the armed clashes with Thai troops between 24 and 28 July 2025, his last mission. My husband died on the battlefield at Ta Krabei Temple at the age of 55.

Since our marriage in 2013, we had nothing, not even a house, only our empty hands. Together, we worked hard, never indulging in idleness, drinking or leisure. It was through these efforts that we built our life. My husband was diligent, encouraging, and always motivating for me and our children. He often asked about their studies, advising them to work hard, avoid idleness, help their parents, and do good deeds.

Memories and Eternal Love

I miss him deeply. Even at the front, he would call me to encourage and comfort me. What I regret most is when he would say, ‘After this war, my commander will give me new responsibilities and promotions. Do you have anything for me?’ I would reply, "I have a gift for you. “ I had prepared it, but he left before he could see it. He loved me deeply and said to me, 'I will do everything to make my wife happy. In my heart, you will always be beautiful.” I believe that there is no one as good as him in this life.

By Vy Sitha, Koh Thmor Documentation Centre

e: truthsitha.v@dccam.org