Thailand says over 100,000 civilians flee clashes with Cambodia
A long-running border dispute erupted into intense fighting with jets, artillery, tanks and ground troops on Thursday, and the United Nations Security Council is set to hold an emergency meeting on the crisis later Friday.
The Thai interior ministry said more than 100,000 people from four border provinces had been moved to nearly 300 temporary shelters, while the kingdom's health ministry announced that the death toll had risen to 14 - 13 civilians and one soldier.
In the Cambodian town of Samraong, 20km from the border, AFP journalists reported hearing distant artillery fire on Friday morning.
As the guns started up, some families packed their children and belongings into vehicles and sped away.
"I live very close to the border. We are scared because they began shooting again at about 6am," Pro Bak, 41, told AFP.
He was taking his wife and children to a Buddhist temple to seek refuge.
"I don't know when we could return home," he said.
AFP journalists also saw soldiers rushing to man rocket launchers and speeding off towards the frontier.
CALLS FOR CALM
The fighting marks a dramatic escalation in a long-running dispute between the neighbours - both popular destinations for millions of foreign tourists - over their shared 800km frontier.
Dozens of kilometres in several areas are contested and fighting broke out between 2008 and 2011, leaving at least 28 people dead and tens of thousands displaced.
A UN court ruling in 2013 settled the matter for over a decade, but the current crisis erupted in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a new clash.
Fighting on Thursday was focused on six locations, according to the Thai army, including around two ancient temples.
Ground troops backed up by tanks battled for control of territory, while Cambodia fired rockets and shells into Thailand and the Thais scrambled F-16 jets to hit military targets across the border.
Both sides blamed each other for firing first, while Thailand accused Cambodia of targeting civilian infrastructure, including a hospital hit by shells and a petrol station hit by at least one rocket.
Thursday's clashes came hours after Thailand expelled the Cambodian ambassador and recalled its own envoy after five members of a Thai military patrol were wounded by a landmine.
Cambodia downgraded ties to "the lowest level" on Thursday, pulling out all but one of its diplomats and expelling their Thai equivalents from Phnom Penh.
At the request of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, the UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Friday to discuss the deadly clashes, diplomatic sources told AFP.
The United States urged an "immediate" end to the conflict, while Cambodia's former colonial ruler France made a similar call.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
18 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Cambodia says immediate ceasefire purpose of talks; Thailand questions its sincerity
BANGKOK/PHNOM PENH - An immediate ceasefire in a deadly border dispute is the purpose of talks with Thailand on Monday, Cambodia's Prime Minister said, but his Thai counterpart said there were doubts about Cambodia's sincerity ahead of the negotiations in Malaysia. Monday's talks to end the deadliest fighting in more than a decade between the Southeast Asian neighbours are being hosted by Malaysia, the chair of the regional ASEAN bloc. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said the talks were co-organised by the United States, and that China would also take part in them. Both Thailand and Cambodia accuse the other of starting the hostilities last week and then escalating them. On Monday, officials from both countries said clashes along the disputed border were ongoing ahead of the talks later in the day. "We are not confident in Cambodia, their actions so far have reflected insincerity in solving the problem," acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai told reporters ahead of his departure for Kuala Lumpur. "Cambodia has violated international law, but everybody wants to see peace. Nobody wants to see violence that affects civilians." Cambodia has strongly denied Thai accusations it has fired at civilian targets, and has instead said that Thailand has put innocent lives at risk. It has called for the international community to condemn Thailand's aggression against it. "The purpose of this meeting is to achieve an immediate 'ceasefire', initiated by President Donald Trump and agreed to by the Prime Ministers of Cambodia and Thailand," Hun Manet said in a post on X as he departed for the talks. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said State Department officials would assist the peace efforts, after President Donald Trump had earlier said that he thought both leaders wanted to settle the conflict. The tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have intensified since the killing in late May of a Cambodian soldier during a brief skirmish. Border troops on both sides were reinforced amid a full-blown diplomatic crisis that brought Thailand's fragile coalition government to the brink of collapse. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had proposed ceasefire talks soon after the border dispute erupted into conflict on Thursday, and China and the United States also offered to assist in negotiations. Anwar said he expected to chair the negotiations after being asked by the two governments to try to find a peace settlement, state media agency Bernama reported on Sunday. "So, I'm discussing the parameters, the conditions, but what is important is (an) immediate ceasefire," Anwar said. Thailand and Cambodia have bickered for decades over undemarcated points along their 817-km (508-mile) land border, with ownership of the ancient Hindu temples Ta Moan Thom and the 11th century Preah Vihear central to the disputes. Preah Vihear was awarded to Cambodia by the International Court of Justice in 1962, but the situation worsened in 2008 after Cambodia attempted to list it as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Skirmishes over several years brought at least a dozen deaths. Cambodia said in June it had asked the court to resolve its disputes with Thailand. Bangkok says it has never recognised the court's jurisdiction and prefers a bilateral approach. REUTERS
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Abbot of China's iconic Shaolin temple under probe for corruption, sexual misconduct
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Venerable Shi Yongxin took office in 1999 as abbot of the famous temple, and had faced similar allegations in 2015. BEIJING - Chinese authorities are investigating the head of the temple where gongfu was born over alleged embezzlement and other misconduct, the monastery said. Abbot Shi Yongxin, known as the 'CEO monk' for establishing dozens of companies abroad, is suspected of embezzling project funds and temple assets, the Shaolin Temple said in a statement on WeChat on July 27 . It said Abbot Shi had seriously violated Buddhist precepts, including by allegedly engaging in 'improper relationships with multiple women. Multiple departments were conducting a joint investigation, the temple said. Abbot Shi has previously been accused by former monks of embezzling money from a temple-run company, maintaining a fleet of luxury cars and fathering children with multiple women. China's government exercises authority over the appointment of religious leaders, and improper conduct is often grounds for removal from office. A hashtag related to the temple scandal had been viewed over 560 million times on social media platform Weibo, as at the morning of July 28 . Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Tanjong Katong sinkhole backfilled; road to be repaved after LTA tests Singapore Tanjong Katong Road sinkhole did not happen overnight: Experts Singapore Authorities say access to Changi intertidal areas unaffected by reclamation, in response to petition Singapore SIA flights between S'pore and Cambodia, S'pore and Thailand, operating normally amid border dispute Singapore Police statements by doctor in fake vaccine case involving Iris Koh allowed in court: Judge Singapore New Mandai North Crematorium, ash-scattering garden to open on Aug 15 Singapore Not feasible for S'pore to avoid net‑zero; all options to cut energy emissions on table: Tan See Leng Singapore With regional interest in nuclear energy rising, S'pore must build capabilities too: Tan See Leng The last post to the abbot's personal account on Weibo declared: 'when one's own nature is pure, the pure land is here in the present'. Abbot Shi faced similar allegations in 2015 which the temple called vicious libel. The 59-year-old took office as abbot in 1999 and in the following decades expanded Shaolin studies and cultural knowledge overseas. He helped the temple in China's Henan province to establish dozens of companies – but received backlash for commercialising Buddhism. The temple, established in AD495 , is known as the birthplace of Zen Buddhism and Chinese gongfu . Abbot Shi was first elected vice-chairman of the Buddhist Association of China in 2002 and has served as a representative to the National People's Congress, the country's top lawmaking body. AFP
New Paper
2 hours ago
- New Paper
SIA flights from S'pore to Cambodia and Thailand operating normally amid border dispute
All Singapore Airlines (SIA) flights between Singapore and Cambodia, as well as between Singapore and Thailand, continue to operate normally despite a deadly border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia. A spokesperson for the SIA Group said its top priority is the safety of customers and its employees. "We will continue to monitor the situation closely and will adjust our flights where necessary," the spokesperson added. A long-simmering border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia escalated to deadly violence on July 24 as their military forces clashed at multiple spots, leaving at least 12 people dead. The flare-up is part of a broader disagreement with origins stretching back more than a century and involves parts of a region known as the Emerald Triangle, where the boundaries of Thailand, Cambodia and Laos meet. The leaders of Thailand and Cambodia will attend mediation talks over their deadly border conflict in Malaysia on July 28 at 3pm local time at the Malaysian Prime Minister's Office in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim invited representatives from both countries. Malaysia, which chairs the regional grouping Asean, has informed the Thai government that Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet would also be attending the talks, the statement said. According to The Nation, flights between Thailand and Cambodia are continuing as normal, as Cambodia's declared restricted area is limited and does not significantly impact air traffic departing from Thailand. Alternative flight paths are also readily available.
