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Reuters
2 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Thailand and Cambodia trade accusations but fragile truce holds
BANGKOK, July 30 (Reuters) - A fragile truce between Cambodia and Thailand held for a second day on Wednesday, despite mutual accusations of violations, and Cambodia took military attaches and diplomats to a border checkpoint destroyed by fighting to verify the ceasefire. The visit took place hours after Thailand's military accused Cambodian forces of breaching the truce at three separate locations along the disputed frontier. The Cambodian government denied this. The two sides agreed at a meeting in Malaysia on Monday to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire to halt the heaviest fighting between the two countries in over a decade. There have been no reports of any exchange of heavy artillery fire since the truce was announced, but Thai and Cambodian troops were still massed along the frontier where fighting raged for five days at multiple locations. At least 43 people, many of them civilians, were killed and more than 300,000 people were displaced. At the checkpoint in Cambodia's Preah Vihear province, which was now a pile of concrete, bricks and metal, Cambodian military officials told foreign observers on Wednesday that Thailand had illegally captured 20 Cambodian soldiers, according to a government statement. "One of our soldiers managed to flee," said Major General Chan Sopheaktra, according to the statement. "We suspect two others may have died, but the rest are still being held by the Thai military, with no signs of release as of this afternoon." Thai government spokesperson Jirayu Houngsub said Thailand's military was currently holding 18 Cambodian soldiers who it said surrendered in Sisaket province. They had been provided clothes, food, water and medical care, he said. "They are expected to be sent back to Cambodia after a permanent ceasefire is reached," he said, adding the bodies of two deceased Cambodian soldiers had been returned on Tuesday. Referring to Cambodia taking defence attaches to the border, Thailand's vice foreign minister, Russ Jalichandra, said Bangkok would soon do the same, when it was safe to proceed. "Cambodia was able to act more quickly than Thailand because they were the party that initiated the attacks, which gave them immediate command and control over the area," he said The Thai army accused Cambodian forces of violating the truce overnight, including with small arms, grenade launchers and mortar fire, spread over several hours at multiple locations. Cambodia called Thailand's allegations baseless. "Cambodia strongly rejects the ceasefire accusations as false, misleading and harmful to the fragile trust-building process," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Chum Sounry said, adding the government supports a monitoring mechanism and independent observation. The ceasefire, which also agreed to halt troop movement, paves the way for a high-level military meeting that includes defence ministers on August 4 in Cambodia. Thailand and Cambodia have argued for decades over jurisdiction of various undemarcated points along their 817-km (508-mile) land border and there have been occasional skirmishes, with ownership of several ancient temples central to the disputes. In May, a Cambodian soldier was killed in a brief gun battle, which led to a troop buildup and a diplomatic crisis. The full-blown fighting erupted last week following Thai accusations that Cambodia had laid new landlines in the area that had maimed Thai soldiers. Phnom Penh rejects this.
Yahoo
5 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
The Standard
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Standard
Thai-Cambodia border shelling continues despite Trump's ceasefire call
A Cambodian military personnel stands on a BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher, around 40 km (24 miles) from the disputed Ta Moan Thom temple, after Thailand and Cambodia exchanged heavy artillery on Friday as their worst fighting in more than a decade stretched for a second day, in Oddar Meanchey province, Cambodia, July 25, 2025. (Reuters)
Times of Oman
6 days ago
- Politics
- Times of Oman
Cambodia-Thailand border clashes: UNSC convenes urgent meeting
Phnom Penh: Both Cambodia and Thailand have written to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) following two days of cross-border fighting, local media in both the Southeast Asian countries reported on Saturday. The 15-member UN body has scheduled an emergency meeting for Saturday to discuss the issue. While Thailand says the clashes began on Thursday 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. The UNSC said that it will hold an urgent private meeting under the "Threats to international peace and security" agenda item to discuss the clashes following a request from Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, in response to the border clashes that began on July 24. Both Thailand and Cambodia are expected to participate in the meeting under rule 37 of the Council's provisional rules of procedure, the UN body said. Cambodia has alleged that Thailand launched "unprovoked, premeditated and deliberate attacks on Cambodian positions along the border areas, including Tamone Thom Temple, Ta Krabey Temple and Mom Bei, in the provinces of Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey". It also dismissed Thailand's claims about Cambodia's placing of new landmines, arguing that Thai personnel "had deviated from the patrol routes previously coordinated between the two countries and created a new path through Cambodian territories, known to be officially documented mine-fields". Meanwhile, Thailand has officially submitted a letter to the UNSC, presenting evidence that Cambodia initiated the armed conflict in the latest exchanges of gunfire between the two countries. The country's Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson said on Friday that Thailand has written to the UNSC to clarify the situation and has firmly rejecting Cambodia's accusation that Thailand had violated its sovereignty "This claim is completely contrary to the facts," the spokesperson said as per the Bangkok Post. Thailand has alleged that the landmines that injured its soldiers on July 16 and July 23 were newly planted. It also maintained that Cambodian soldiers were the first to open fire on July 24, targeting a Thai military base in the Surin Province, after which Cambodia also launched "indiscriminate attacks on Thai territory across four provinces of Buriram, Surin, Si Sa Ket and Ubon Ratchathani". Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet on July 25 in a Facebook post said that Thailand agreed to a ceasefire with Cambodia, starting from midnight on July 24, following a proposal by Malaysian Prime Minister and ASEAN rotating chair Anwar Ibrahim, according to the Phnom Penh Post. The Cambodian daily cited Hun Manet as saying that "just one hour after the phone conversation with the ASEAN chair, Thailand retracted its position." 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. Thailand has accepted in principle an offer from the ASEAN Chair to mediate the border conflict, but insists Cambodia must first demonstrate a clear commitment to de-escalation according to Thailand's state news broadcaster NBT. The Thai broadcasting agency also said that the Royal Thai Army has completely rejected Cambodian claims that it used F-16 fighter jets to attack civilian areas in Cambodia, calling the reports as "distorted news." More than 130,000 people have reportedly been evacuated from conflict areas in Thailand,, according to its health ministry. The United States, China and Japan have expressed grave concern and urged de-escalation following renewed clashes while France ahs called upon Cambodia and Thailand to immediately stop the clash and solve the dispute through international law. Cambodia and Thailand have been locked in a decades-long disagreement over the jurisdiction of various non-demarcated areas along their shared land border, which stretches more than 800 kilometres. A central part of the dispute has been competing claims of ownership of the ancient Hindu temples of Prasat Ta Muen Thom and Preah Vihear, which are perched on the Dangrek Mountains that form a natural border between Cambodia and Thailand. In 2011, severe clashes between Cambodian and Thai forces in the vicinity of the Preah Vihear temple resulted in at least 16 deaths. This prompted the UN Security Council to meet in a private meeting on February 14 2011 and to issue a press statement on the same day. In late May, a Cambodian soldier was killed in a brief exchange of gunfire with Thai soldiers at a disputed border area, prompting a diplomatic crisis and the reinforcement of military presence along the border by both sides. Tensions further heightened because of two incidents, on July16 and July 23, in which Thai soldiers patrolling along the border were injured by landmines. Five Thai soldiers sustained injuries, one of whom lost a leg. Cambodia and Thailand subsequently recalled their respective ambassadors and closed many border crossings between the countries.
The Guardian
24-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Why are Thailand and Cambodia engaged in a border conflict?
A long running border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia escalated dramatically on Thursday, with Thailand launching airstrikes on Cambodian military targets and accusing Cambodia of firing rockets and artillery. At least 11 Thai civilians, including an eight-year-old boy, and a Thai soldier, were killed in the violence. It is not yet clear if there are Cambodian casualties. Both Thailand and Cambodia accused each other of opening fire first. The dispute between Thailand and Cambodia dates back more than a century, to when France, which occupied Cambodia until 1953, first mapped the land border. The dispute over the border, which stretches across more than 817 km (508 miles), has repeatedly erupted over the years, fanned by nationalist sentiment. The most recent episode began in May, when troops briefly exchanged fire at a contested area, killing a Cambodian soldier. This led to a series of tit-for-tat actions by both governments: Thailand imposed border restrictions with Cambodia, while Cambodia banned imports of fruit and vegetables, broadcasts of Thai films, and cut internet bandwidth from Thailand, among other measures. Tensions escalated further on Wednesday when five Thai military personnel were injured by landmines while on patrol. Thai officials, who have alleged the landmines were freshly laid, closed their northeastern border crossings with Cambodia, withdrew their ambassador and expelled the Cambodian ambassador in protest. Cambodia also said it was downgrading diplomatic relations with Thailand to their lowest level and recalling all Cambodian staff from its embassy in Bangkok. It has denied laying new landmines. Cambodia is effectively a one-party state. It was ruled by the authoritarian leader Hun Sen for almost four decades, before he handed power to his son, Hun Manet, in 2023. Hun Sen is now the president of the senate and remains hugely powerful in the country. He may be attempting to shore up his son's position by fanning nationalism, says Matt Wheeler, a senior analyst at International Crisis Group, who adds that Hun Manet, 'governs in his father's shadow and lacks an independent power base'. Others note that the dispute may provide a welcome distraction from economic problems. Both Cambodia and Thailand are facing the prospect of 36% US tariff from 1 August. Thailand is gripped by a period of political instability, with its prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, suspended from office and her party accused of failing to act quickly over the border dispute. Paetongtarn, the daughter of the influential former leader Thaksin Shinawatra, faced strong criticism over her handling of the border crisis after a recording of her discussing the problem with Hun Sen was leaked. She could be heard calling Hun Sen 'uncle' and saying that if there were anything he wanted, she would 'take care of it'. Paetongtarn also made disparaging remarks about a senior Thai military commander – undermining an institution that is very powerful in Thailand, and which has frequently intervened in politics. The call recording was especially damaging to Paetongtarn because Hun Sen is known to have been an old friend of her family – and critics accused her of putting personal connections before her country's interests. Her party, Pheu Thai, is 'in a very fragile situation right now', said Tita Sanglee, an associate fellow at the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute. 'They don't have much option but to go along with what the military wants.' she said. The government may feel that taking a stronger stance could win back public support. Cambodia earlier asked the international court of justice (ICJ) to resolve the border dispute. However, this is unlikely to lead to a resolution as Thailand does not accept the court's jurisdiction. Anwar Ibrahim, the prime minister of Malaysia, which now chairs the regional bloc Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), called on both Thailand and Cambodia to 'stand down'. However, it is improbable, said Sanglee, that Asean, known for its non-interference policy, would be capable of trying to mediate the dispute – or willing to try. 'China is the only viable external mediator because it has direct leverage over Cambodia and also Thailand,' she added. However, while China has strong economic ties with both countries, it is considered to be more closely aligned with Cambodia. This may create unease among officials in Bangkok. Neighbouring countries, which are already concerned about China's dominance in the region, may also feel uncomfortable about Beijing playing such a role, added Sanglee. Thailand's caretaker prime minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, said fighting must stop before there can be negotiations. There had been no declaration of war and conflict was not spreading into more provinces, he said on Thursday. Hun Manet has requested the UN security council convene an 'urgent meeting' to discuss the crisis, accusing Thailand of 'unprovoked military aggression'.
