Latest news with #ThaiCivilians
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Why are Thailand and Cambodia fighting at the border?
On Thursday, simmering tensions between Thailand and Cambodia exploded into a deadly battle at the border. At least 12 Thai nationals, most of whom are civilians, have been killed, Thai authorities have said. How many people - if any - have lost their lives on the Cambodian side is not known. Each side is blaming each other for causing the escalation, which reportedly began with gunfire over the border. Thailand has accused Cambodia of then firing rockets, while Bangkok carried out air strikes on Cambodian military targets. So how did we get here - and where is it going? What's behind the tensions? This is not a recent dispute. In fact, the argument between Thailand and Cambodia dates back more than a century, when the borders of the two nations were drawn after the French occupation of Cambodia. Things officially became hostile in 2008, when Cambodia tried to register an 11th Century temple located in the disputed area as a Unesco World Heritage Site - a move that was met with heated protest from Thailand. Over the years there have been sporadic clashes that have seen soldiers and civilians killed on both sides. The latest tensions ramped up in May after a Cambodian soldier was killed in a clash. This plunged bilateral ties to their lowest point in more than a decade. In the past two months, both countries have imposed border restrictions on one another. Cambodia banned imports from Thailand such as fruits and vegetables, and stopped importing power and internet services. Both countries have also strengthened troop presence along the border in recent weeks. Read the full news story here What exactly happened on Thursday? Thailand and Cambodia have given differing versions of what happened. Thailand's National Security Council (NSC) claims that just after 07:30 local time (00:30GMT) on Thursday, Cambodia's military deployed drones to conduct surveillance of Thai troops near the border. Shortly afterwards, Cambodian military personnel carrying rocket-propelled grenades gathered near the border. Soldiers on the Thai side attempted negotiations by shouting, but were unsuccessful, the NSC spokesman said, adding that Cambodian soldiers opened fire at around 08:20, forcing the Thai side to retaliate. Thailand has accused Cambodia of deploying heavy weapons, including BM-21 rocket launchers and artillery, causing damage to homes and public facilities including a hospital and a petrol station along the Thai side of the border. Meanwhile, Cambodia claims that Thai soldiers initiated the conflict at around 06:30, when they violated a prior agreement by advancing on a Khmer-Hindu temple near the border and placing barbed wire around its base. Thai soldiers then deployed a drone just after 07:00, and fired shots "into the air" at around 08:30, according to Maly Socheata, a spokesperson from Cambodia's Ministry of National Defence. At 08:46, Thai soldiers "pre-emptively" opened fire on Cambodian troops, leaving them no choice but to exercise their right to self-defence, according to the Phnom Penh Post newspaper quoting Socheata. Socheata further accused Thailand of deploying excessive troops, using heavy weapons and carrying out air strikes on Cambodian territory. Will this escalate into a full war? Thailand's acting premier Phumtham Wechayachai said that its dispute with Cambodia remains "delicate" and must be addressed with care, and in line with international law. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said his country wants to resolve the dispute peacefully and that it has "no choice" but to "respond with armed force against armed aggression". While there have been serious exchanges of fire in the past, they de-escalated relatively quickly - a path our correspondent Jonathan Head thinks will be followed again. However, he warns, there's a lack of leadership with the strength and confidence to pull back from this confrontation in both countries at the moment. You can read more of his analysis here. Is it safe to travel to Thailand and Cambodia? For those travelling to Thailand, the British Foreign Office currently advises against all but essential travel to border areas within 50km of the whole border with Cambodia. While for those in Cambodia, it advises against all but essential travel to border areas within 50km of the whole border with Thailand. You can check the latest travel advice on the FCDO site. Twelve killed in Thailand-Cambodia military clashes on disputed border Thai prime minister suspended over leaked phone call Thailand closes land crossings as border dispute with Cambodia persists Solve the daily Crossword
Al Arabiya
6 days ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
What's behind the clash between Thailand and Cambodia
Armed clashes broke out Thursday between Thailand and Cambodia in long-disputed border areas, rapidly escalating months-long tensions. The fighting included gunfire exchanges, shelling, and rocket fire, which Thai authorities said killed at least nine Thai civilians and injured 14 others in three provinces. Thailand responded with air strikes. It was the second armed confrontation since a Cambodian soldier was shot dead in May and a major escalation that came hours after the two countries downgraded diplomatic relations following a land mine explosion that injured Thai soldiers. Clashes are ongoing in at least six areas along the border, the Thai Defense Ministry said. The first clash Thursday morning happened in an area near the ancient Ta Muen Thom temple along the border of Surin and Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province. Here's what to know about the dispute between the two Southeast Asian neighbors. How the dispute began: The dispute flared in May after armed forces of Thailand and Cambodia briefly fired at each other in a relatively small contested border area that each country claims as its own. Both sides said they acted in self-defense. One Cambodian soldier was killed. While the countries said afterward they agreed to de-escalate the situation, Cambodian and Thai authorities continued to implement or threaten measures short of armed force, keeping tensions high. Thailand added tight restrictions at the border with Cambodia that stopped almost all crossings except for students, medical patients, and others with essential needs. On Thursday, Thai authorities announced they were sealing the border entirely. Cambodia also banned Thai movies and TV shows, stopped the import of Thai fuel, fruits, and vegetables, and boycotted some of its neighbor's international internet links and power supply. Fighting sparks political turmoil in Thailand: Nationalist passions on both sides have inflamed the situation. Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended from office July 1 to be investigated for possible ethics violations over her handling of the border dispute following a leaked phone call with a senior Cambodian leader. In the June call, Paetongtarn referred to Cambodian former Prime Minister Hun Sen as 'uncle' and criticized Thai military leadership, remarks framed by critics as disrespectful to national sovereignty. Hun Sen was succeeded by his son, Hun Manet, in 2023 but remains influential as Senate president. He was a longtime friend of her father, Thaksin Shinawatra, a popular but divisive former prime minister, but they became estranged over the border dispute. The leaked call sparked widespread outrage and protests. Paetongtarn's Pheu Thai party-led coalition also weakened when its second-largest partner, the Bhumjaithai Party, withdrew support, citing her perceived softness toward Cambodia. Paetongtarn has apologized and argued her comments were a negotiating tactic. Her ally, former Defense Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, was appointed acting prime minister. Border claims cause periodic tensions: Border disputes are long-standing issues that have caused periodic tensions between the two neighbors. Thailand and Cambodia share more than 800 kilometers (500 miles) of land border. The contesting claims stem largely from a 1907 map drawn under French colonial rule that was used to separate Cambodia from Thailand. Cambodia has been using the map as a reference to claim territory, while Thailand has argued the map is inaccurate. The most prominent and violent conflicts have been around the 1000-year-old Preah Vihear temple. In 1962, the International Court of Justice awarded sovereignty over the temple area to Cambodia. The ruling became a major irritant in bilateral relations. Cambodia went back to the court in 2011 following several clashes between its army and Thai forces that killed about 20 people and displaced thousands. The court reaffirmed the ruling in Cambodia's favor in 2013. Cambodia has again turned to the international court to resolve the border disputes, but Thailand has rejected the court's jurisdiction.
South China Morning Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Residents of Thailand's Surin province seek shelter as gunfire erupts at border with Cambodia
Local residents in Thailand's Surin province ran and sought shelter as Thai and Cambodian forces were fighting in at least six locations along their disputed border on July 24, 2025, resulting in the death of at least nine Thai civilians and injuries to several soldiers. Thailand has also launched air strikes on its neighbour. Both countries traded blame for the first clashes in weeks, which began at the flashpoint Ta Moan Thom temple in a disputed zone near Thailand's eastern frontier with Cambodia.
Wall Street Journal
6 days ago
- Wall Street Journal
Thailand and Cambodia Exchange Fire in Deadly Border Clash
The militaries of Thailand and Cambodia exchanged heavy fire on their disputed border, killing several Thai civilians and injuring others in a significant escalation of long-running territorial tensions between the two Southeast Asian nations. Officials from both countries blamed the other for initiating Thursday's clashes, the heaviest along the jungle border since at least 2011.
