Ancient temple, center of fresh Thai-Cambodia military clashes
The clashes followed a rapid deterioration in relations between the two Southeast Asian neighbors, triggered by earlier violence and political retaliation.
A livestream from Thailand showed panicked residents fleeing into bunkers as explosions rang out in the morning. Fighting was reported at multiple sites along the contested frontier.
The first skirmish broke out near the ancient Prasat Ta Moan Thom temple, which straddles the border between Thailand's Surin province and Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province. Both governments blamed each other for starting the shootout. Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet claimed that Thai forces attacked army positions at both Prasat Ta Moan Thom and Prasat Ta Krabey, and that the conflict then expanded toward Cambodia's Preah Vihear province and Thailand's Ubon Ratchathani province.
"Cambodia has always favored peaceful solutions, but this time we had no choice but to respond with force," Hun Manet said.
Thailand's army reported that three civilians in Surin were injured when Cambodian artillery shells struck a residential area. Authorities said the residents were later evacuated.
The gunfire came just a day after Cambodia announced it would downgrade diplomatic ties with Thailand, expelling the Thai ambassador and recalling its own diplomats from Bangkok. Thailand had already closed northeastern border crossings, recalled its ambassador, and expelled Cambodia's ambassador in protest over a land mine explosion that injured five Thai soldiers. One of the wounded lost a leg.
Tensions between the two nations have been climbing since May, when a Cambodian soldier was shot dead during an earlier border skirmish. Both countries lay claim to several small but strategically sensitive patches of land.
According to the Thai military, the latest violence began when an unmanned drone was spotted, followed by six armed Cambodian soldiers approaching a Thai position. Thai troops reportedly tried to defuse the situation by shouting, but were fired upon instead. Cambodia's Defense Ministry insisted that its forces acted purely in self-defense against what it called a "deliberate Thai incursion."
In Phnom Penh, Senate President Hun Sen urged Cambodians not to panic and to trust the government and military. Meanwhile, the Thai embassy in Cambodia warned citizens to leave the country if possible and advised against unnecessary travel due to the risk of further escalation.
The latest exchange follows a series of land mine blasts in disputed regions. Just a day earlier, a mine wounded five Thai soldiers, one seriously. A week before that, three more soldiers were hurt when one stepped on a mine and lost his foot. Thai officials blamed newly planted mines, allegedly Russian-made, in areas agreed to be safe zones. Cambodia dismissed the accusations, saying the region is littered with unexploded mines left from decades of past conflict.
Nationalist sentiment in both countries is further stoking the situation. Thailand's Prime Minister was suspended from office on July 1 amid an investigation into alleged ethics violations over her handling of the border tensions.
Border disputes between Thailand and Cambodia have long been a source of friction. The most sensitive flashpoint remains the 1,000-year-old Preah Vihear temple. In 1962, the International Court of Justice awarded the site to Cambodia—a decision Thailand has never fully accepted.
More violence erupted around the temple in 2011, resulting in about 20 deaths and the displacement of thousands. Cambodia returned to the court in 2013, which reaffirmed its ownership—a ruling that continues to irritate Thailand.
As tensions rise once again, the risk of broader conflict looms large, with both countries now on high alert along their volatile shared border.
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Canada News.Net
5 hours ago
- Canada News.Net
Ancient temple, center of fresh Thai-Cambodia military clashes
BANGKOK, Thailand: Thai and Cambodian troops exchanged fire across several disputed border zones on July 24, injuring at least three civilians and escalating an already tense diplomatic standoff. The clashes followed a rapid deterioration in relations between the two Southeast Asian neighbors, triggered by earlier violence and political retaliation. A livestream from Thailand showed panicked residents fleeing into bunkers as explosions rang out in the morning. Fighting was reported at multiple sites along the contested frontier. The first skirmish broke out near the ancient Prasat Ta Moan Thom temple, which straddles the border between Thailand's Surin province and Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province. Both governments blamed each other for starting the shootout. Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet claimed that Thai forces attacked army positions at both Prasat Ta Moan Thom and Prasat Ta Krabey, and that the conflict then expanded toward Cambodia's Preah Vihear province and Thailand's Ubon Ratchathani province. "Cambodia has always favored peaceful solutions, but this time we had no choice but to respond with force," Hun Manet said. Thailand's army reported that three civilians in Surin were injured when Cambodian artillery shells struck a residential area. Authorities said the residents were later evacuated. The gunfire came just a day after Cambodia announced it would downgrade diplomatic ties with Thailand, expelling the Thai ambassador and recalling its own diplomats from Bangkok. Thailand had already closed northeastern border crossings, recalled its ambassador, and expelled Cambodia's ambassador in protest over a land mine explosion that injured five Thai soldiers. One of the wounded lost a leg. Tensions between the two nations have been climbing since May, when a Cambodian soldier was shot dead during an earlier border skirmish. Both countries lay claim to several small but strategically sensitive patches of land. According to the Thai military, the latest violence began when an unmanned drone was spotted, followed by six armed Cambodian soldiers approaching a Thai position. Thai troops reportedly tried to defuse the situation by shouting, but were fired upon instead. Cambodia's Defense Ministry insisted that its forces acted purely in self-defense against what it called a "deliberate Thai incursion." In Phnom Penh, Senate President Hun Sen urged Cambodians not to panic and to trust the government and military. Meanwhile, the Thai embassy in Cambodia warned citizens to leave the country if possible and advised against unnecessary travel due to the risk of further escalation. The latest exchange follows a series of land mine blasts in disputed regions. Just a day earlier, a mine wounded five Thai soldiers, one seriously. A week before that, three more soldiers were hurt when one stepped on a mine and lost his foot. Thai officials blamed newly planted mines, allegedly Russian-made, in areas agreed to be safe zones. Cambodia dismissed the accusations, saying the region is littered with unexploded mines left from decades of past conflict. Nationalist sentiment in both countries is further stoking the situation. Thailand's Prime Minister was suspended from office on July 1 amid an investigation into alleged ethics violations over her handling of the border tensions. Border disputes between Thailand and Cambodia have long been a source of friction. The most sensitive flashpoint remains the 1,000-year-old Preah Vihear temple. In 1962, the International Court of Justice awarded the site to Cambodia—a decision Thailand has never fully accepted. More violence erupted around the temple in 2011, resulting in about 20 deaths and the displacement of thousands. Cambodia returned to the court in 2013, which reaffirmed its ownership—a ruling that continues to irritate Thailand. As tensions rise once again, the risk of broader conflict looms large, with both countries now on high alert along their volatile shared border.
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Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. 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Many border villages are mostly deserted, with many schools and hospitals shut. Evacuees hope for a swift end to the fighting Pichayut Surasit, an air-conditioning technician in Thailand, said the sudden outbreak of fighting meant leaving his work in Bangkok to return home to protect his family. 'I didn't have the heart to continue with my work when I heard the news. I wanted to come back as soon as possible, but I had to wait until the evening,' he said. Now at a shelter in Surin housing some 6,000 evacuees, Pichayut worries for his wife and twin daughters, hoping the conflict will end soon so they can return to their home in Kap Choeng district, one of the hardest hit by shelling. Bualee Chanduang, a local vendor who moved to the same shelter Thursday with her family and pet rabbit, is counting on swift negotiations to end the violence. 'I pray for God to help so that both sides can agree to talk and end this war,' she said. At the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV said he was praying for all those affected by war in the world, including 'for those affected by the clashes on the border between Thailand and Cambodia, especially the children and displaced families.' Story continues below advertisement The U.N. Security Council has called on ASEAN, a regional bloc, to mediate peace between the two members. Human Rights Watch has condemned the reported use of cluster munitions, weapons banned by International law, in populated areas, and urged both governments to protect civilians. The 800-kilometer (500-mile) frontier between Thailand and Cambodia has been disputed for decades, but past confrontations have been limited and brief. The latest tensions erupted in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a confrontation that created a diplomatic rift and roiled Thailand's domestic politics.
