An opposition political party in Cambodia is calling on the government to urgently strengthen the country’s defence sector, amid reports that Sweden continues to sell weapons, including fighter jets, to Thailand.
The president of the New Generation Party says Cambodia must move quickly to develop a more robust national defence capability, arguing that arms-producing countries such as Sweden continue to supply weapons to Thailand that, he claims, have been used in military actions against Cambodia.
He says it is standard practice for countries to invest heavily in modern military equipment to safeguard sovereignty and territorial integrity. Arms manufacturers, he adds, do not produce weapons merely for display but for sale, based on diplomatic relations, alliances, or commercial agreements, often tied to specific conditions.
Sweden, which manufactures the Gripen JAS 39 light fighter jet through the defence company Saab, is described as operating no differently from other major arms producers, including companies in China, India, the United States, Russia, and several European countries. Cambodia, for its part, has also purchased weapons from China for similar defensive purposes.
Speaking to The Cambodia Daily, the New Generation Party leader argues that after what he describes as two recent wars in which Thailand invaded Cambodia, the Cambodian government should clearly understand what reforms are needed to ensure long-term national defence. He highlights the military sector and corruption as key areas requiring urgent attention.
He says that alongside urging Phnom Penh to strengthen its armed forces, his party has submitted petitions to the governments of Sweden and the United States, calling for a halt to further arms supplies to Thailand until an independent international investigation is conducted into the conflict.
The party is also urging the Cambodian government to take a long-term view of the country’s future, including carefully assessing which major powers should be considered strategic allies. It says the experience of a 21-day war with Thailand should be examined to determine which countries genuinely supported Cambodia.
These statements follow a formal petition by the New Generation Party asking Sweden to stop supplying weapons to Thailand, to prevent their future use against Cambodia.
On January 9, 2026, the party submitted petitions to the United States Congress and the Swedish Parliament, calling for an immediate suspension of arms transfers to Thailand and for the technical systems of Thai-operated Gripen fighter jets to be disabled.
The petition sets out four conditions, including suspending the technical capabilities of the Gripen aircraft used by the Thai military, citing what it describes as a severe military imbalance. It argues that Thailand deployed advanced fighter jets against Cambodia, which has no comparable combat aircraft. The petition does not address questions surrounding Cambodia’s existing air assets, including older MiG aircraft and helicopter gunships, which commentators have questioned why they were not deployed and where they are currently based.
The party also calls for a halt to weapons sales, maintenance services, technical support, and further transfers of fighter jets or drones to Thailand, arguing that Sweden should not be seen as complicit in alleged violations of international law by supplying arms to an aggressor.
A Cambodian political analyst has previously commented on social media that arms-producing nations generally sell weapons for national defence purposes, not for use in invading other countries.
The New Generation Party is urging the United States and Sweden to investigate the conflict based on historical treaties, including the 1904 and 1907 border agreements, under international law.
According to the party, the two rounds of Cambodia–Thailand fighting lasted a total of 26 days, during which Thailand used a wide range of combat aircraft, including Swedish-made Gripen jets, to carry out air strikes deep inside Cambodian territory.
Data cited from the Small Arms Survey indicates that Thailand’s air force includes T-50TH aircraft purchased from South Korea, F-16 fighters from the United States, Gripen jets from Sweden, Northrop F-5 Tiger II aircraft, and Alpha Jet A light attack aircraft.
On December 24, 2025, the president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia said Thai aircraft had dropped bombs as far as 98 kilometres inside Cambodia, near the Phnom Sampov tourist area in Battambang province.
Thai public broadcaster Thai PBS reported that on the same day, Thailand carried out air strikes on what it described as hidden weapons depots in remote border areas of Battambang province, including a site located within a casino complex in Thmor Da, Pursat province.
