5 days ago
Why Thailand and Cambodia are fighting again over the long-disputed border
Long-simmering tensions between Cambodia and Thailand erupted into open conflict Thursday as Thailand launched airstrikes at Cambodian targets along their disputed border.
The rift goes back more than a century. Here's the history behind it.
Relations between the Southeast Asian neighbors have been contentious since 1907, when the French colony of Cambodia and the independent Kingdom of Siam (as Thailand was known until 1939) signed a treaty delineating the 500-mile border between them. The problem: The treaty's map differed from its text — most notably, it left Preah Vihear, an 11th century temple of deep significance to both countries, in French territory.
