Thailand-Cambodia conflict: India issues advisory for citizens in both countries

News Network

July 26, 2025

Phnom Penh: India on Saturday advised its citizens in Cambodia to avoid travelling to border areas as the clash between Thailand and Cambodia over a disputed border entered its third day.

"In view of the ongoing clashes at the Cambodia-Thailand border, Indian nationals are advised to avoid travelling to the border areas," the Indian embassy here said in an X post.

It also urged Indian citizens to contact the mission in case of any emergency at +855 92881676 or email [email protected].

On Friday, India issued a similar advisory to its citizens in Thailand, asking them to exercise caution and avoid travelling to seven provinces of the country.

Advisory issued to citizens in Thailand as well

India on Friday advised its citizens in Thailand to exercise caution and avoid travelling to seven provinces in view of the situation arising out of the clashes between Thai and Cambodian troops over a disputed border.

The Indian embassy in the Thai capital urged all Indian travellers to check updates from authorities in the country before visiting tourist attractions in troubled areas.

The fighting between Thai and Cambodian troops began on Thursday.

According to reports, 16 people have been killed and thousands have been evacuated to safer places on both sides of the border.

In view of the situation near the Thailand-Cambodia border, all Indian travellers to Thailand are advised to check updates from Thai official sources, including TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand) Newsroom, the Indian embassy said in a social media post.

The mission also attached a post by the TAT that urged travellers not to visit certain places in seven provinces.

Thailand is a popular destination for Indian tourists. The Southeast Asian nation has direct connectivity with more than 15 Indian cities with over 400 weekly flights operating between Thailand and India.

All major airlines operate between the two countries.

In 2024, around 2.1 million Indian tourists visited Thailand, which is around six per cent of the total tourist inflow into Thailand, according to official data.

The total number of Indian-origin people in Thailand is estimated to be around four to five lakh, including more than 25,000 NRIs, majority of whom are concentrated in the capital city, Bangkok.

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Film on Gaza girl ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ receives Oscar nomination

News Network

January 23,2026

The Voice of Hind Rajab, inspired by the tragic final moments of a young Palestinian girl killed by Israeli fire in Gaza, has been nominated for an Academy Award in the Best International Feature Film category.

Directed by Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania, the film recounts the true story of five-year-old Hind Rajab, who lost her life in January 2024 while fleeing Israeli bombardment with her family.

The film features the real audio of Hind’s desperate call to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, where she pleaded for help moments before the vehicle she was in was struck by 355 bullets.

The haunting narrative begins with a brief call made from the besieged Tel al-Hawa neighborhood of Gaza, where gunfire and armored vehicles drowned out every sound.

After witnessing the brutal killing of her family, she made a trembling call, her voice reduced to a whisper as she spoke of the massacre and her unbearable loneliness as the sole survivor.

Premiering at the Venice International Film Festival in September 2025, The Voice of Hind Rajab garnered widespread acclaim, receiving a record-setting 23-minute standing ovation and the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize, the festival’s second-highest honor.

In her acceptance speech, Ben Hania dedicated the film to humanitarian workers and first responders in Gaza, emphasizing that Hind's voice symbolizes countless civilians affected by war.

She aims to give voice to victims often reduced to mere statistics, highlighting the broader suffering of civilians in war zones.

The film’s Oscar nomination underscores its powerful storytelling and ethical approach to depicting real-life tragedy, making it a crucial piece of contemporary cinema.

It serves not only as a narration of individual tragedy but also as an artistic and documentary response to the silence and censorship that often overshadow West Asian struggles and wars.

Using an innovative method she calls docufiction, Ben Hania bridges unvarnished reality and narrative structure, creating a work that is both artistically valuable and socially impactful.

Born in 1977 in Sidi Bouzid—later the epicenter of the Arab revolution—her background profoundly influenced her worldview and artistic approach.

She is a graduate of the Higher School of Audiovisual Arts of Tunis, Pantheon-Sorbonne University, and La Fémis in Paris, where her studies equipped her with the technical and theoretical tools needed to address complex subjects.

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