Cambodia has called for an “immediate” ceasefire with Thailand, as the two countries have seen more than 30 people killed in the ongoing border clashes.
Simmering tensions between Thailand and Cambodia exploded into a deadly border battle last Thursday. Each side is blaming the other for causing the escalation by firing the first shots over the border.
Thailand has accused Cambodia of then firing rockets, while Bangkok carried out air strikes on Cambodian military targets.
At least 32 people – soldiers and civilians – have been killed and nearly 200,000 displaced. Officials in Bangkok said 19 people – 13 civilians and six soldiers – have been killed in the country since Thursday. Nearly 140,000 people have been evacuated. Cambodia’s defence ministry has reported 13 killed – eight civilians and five soldiers. It said more than 35,000 people have fled their homes.
Fighting continued for a third day on Saturday.
Thailand said Cambodia launched attacks in a new area in the south, but were pushed back by the navy. Earlier, Thailand reported fighting in its Surin, Ubon Ratchathani and Srisaket provinces, along the border with Cambodia. It has declared martial law in eight districts bordering Cambodia. Thailand also accused Cambodia of firing into civilian areas and evacuated all villages deemed to be within the radius of its rockets.
On the other hand, Cambodia has accused Thailand of using cluster munitions. Cluster munitions are banned in much of the world because of their indiscriminate effect on civilian populations. Thailand has not responded to the allegations.
Calls for a ceasefire
Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai on Friday warned that the clashes could “move towards war”. He said the fighting now included heavy weapons and had spread to 12 locations along the border.
Cambodia’s ambassador to the UN, Chhea Keo, said his country asked for a truce “unconditionally”. He added that Phnom Penh (Cambodia’s capital) also wanted a “peaceful solution of the dispute”.
Thailand’s foreign minister Maris Sangiampongsa said Cambodia needed to show “genuine sincerity in ending the conflict” for ceasefire talks to proceed.
Meanwhile, global leaders have appealed for an immediate ceasefire. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who chairs the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean), had earlier offered to facilitate talks between the two countries. The US also called for an “immediate cessation of hostilities, protection of civilians and a peaceful resolution of the conflict”.
Sangiampongsa told Reuters there was “no need” for third-party mediation in the conflict.
Travel Advice
On Saturday, Smartraveller updated its advice on both Thailand and Cambodia saying: “Due to the ongoing armed conflict along the Thailand-Cambodia border, we now advise do not travel to areas within 50 kilometres of the Thailand-Cambodia land border.”
However the overall advice level for Cambodia is ‘Exercise normal safety precautions’ (green), whereas the advice for Thailand is ‘Exercise a high degree of caution’ (yellow). The page for Thailand advises against travel throughout the provinces of Buriram, Si Saket, Sa Kaeo, Surin, Ubon Ratchathani, Chanthaburi and mainland Trat.
What’s behind the tensions?
Thailand says the clashes began with Cambodia’s military deploying drones to conduct surveillance of Thai troops near the border. Cambodia says Thai soldiers initiated the conflict when they violated a prior agreement by advancing on a Khmer-Hindu temple near the border.
But the dispute between the two countries dates back more than a century, to when the borders of the two nations were drawn after the French occupation of Cambodia. There have been sporadic clashes over the years which saw soldiers and civilians killed on both sides.
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.
The latest tensions ramped up in May this year 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.
