Clashes along the Thai-Cambodian border through Thursday have left at least 11 people reported dead, including Thai civilians and one soldier, as leaders from both countries condemned each other’s aggression and called on the international community to uphold international law.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet requested an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council to “stop Thailand’s aggression,” while a Thai government spokesperson described Cambodia’s actions as “war-hungry.”
Later, Hun Manet posted on social media urging Cambodians to refrain from acts of retaliation and to maintain morality and dignity, while protecting Thai nationals, businesses and diplomatic sites in Cambodia.
The 47-year-old leader also invited Cambodian nationals in Thailand who feel “threatened or discriminated against” to return home and seek assistance through the Cambodian embassy in Bangkok or the consulate in Sa Kaeo province.
Following a landmine blast that injured a Thai soldier patrolling the border on Wednesday – the sixth such injury this week – Thailand unilaterally recalled its ambassador to Cambodia and expelled Cambodia’s envoy.
Phnom Penh responded by pulling all of its diplomats from Thailand and both downgraded diplomatic ties. Bangkok has since ordered its citizens to leave Cambodia as soon as possible.
At least 50,000 Cambodian migrant workers have returned from Thailand since the beginning of this month, the labor ministry reported. There is no clarity yet whether any humanitarian corridors will be opened.
Roughly 6,000 people have been evacuated from areas near the fighting along the borders of Oddar Meanchey and Preah Vihear provinces, provincial officials said.
“Thai and Cambodian forces must take all reasonable precautions to avoid harming civilians or damaging civilian infrastructure,” said Patric Phongsathorn, senior advocate at international human rights group Fortify Rights.
Cambodia’s National Defense spokesperson Chhum Socheat said some Cambodian soldiers were injured in today’s clash, but no fatalities have been reported. He did not specify the number of injuries.
Thai media reported at least 14 Thai soldiers injured since the fighting began.
Socheat said the fighting took place around disputed areas including the Ta Moan Thom, Ta Moan Touch, and Ta Krabey temples, Mom Bei, and Wat Kaew Sikha Khiri Svarak Pagoda, where a Thai F-16 fighter jet reportedly dropped two bombs.
He claimed that Cambodian forces have taken control of all battlefields, with Thai troops retreating, and that they now fully control Ta Krabey temple, Mom Bei, and other positions along the border.
Phnom Penh-based political commentator Ro Vannak told CamboJA News that Thursday’s escalation, marked by exchanges of fire between Cambodian and Thai troops, “severely affects trade and the economy” of both countries.
He pointed out the downgrading of diplomatic relations between both countries makes trust between the two nations – and the chance of restoring normalcy – even more distant.
“The economic losses of the people of both countries are truly heavy,” Vannak said, adding that the clashes have undermined regional unity and damaged ASEAN’s foundation of resolving disputes peacefully.
He called on the regional bloc, particularly Malaysia, to urgently convene a Foreign Ministers Meeting to bring both countries to the negotiating table and reaffirm ASEAN’s commitment to peaceful dispute resolution.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who currently holds the ASEAN chair, said he hopes to speak with both leaders later on Thursday, calling the situation “worrying.”
Similarly, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said the country is “deeply concerned” over the border clashes.
China is not only the largest trading partner of both Thailand and Cambodia, but also a key source of infrastructure investment.
The U.S. Embassy in Bangkok issued a security alert on Thursday, urging American citizens living or traveling near the Thailand-Cambodia border to “follow directions from Thai security services and consult local government authorities for the latest information.”
Cambodian opposition parties issued a statement Thursday evening expressing regret over the border clash and condemned the Thai army’s alleged incursion, calling it a violation of Cambodia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In a rare show of unity, the statement backed the government’s right to self-defense and called on all Khmer people to stand in solidarity.
(Reporting by Seoung Nimol, Khuon Narim, Rafael Liebowitz-Thayer)
