At least two civilians have been reported killed in Thailand and two Thai soldiers injured following clashes with Cambodian troops in a disputed area of their shared border. The militaries from each country blame the other for attacking first. Thailand’s military said Cambodian troops opened fire first with heavy weapons, while Cambodia‘s Ministry of National Defence said its troops acted in self-defence after coming under attack.
The clashes are the latest violence in a long-running border dispute between the two countries, which boiled over once again in May. Thailand has recalled its ambassador to Cambodia, and Cambodia has withdrawn its diplomats from Thailand and ordered all Thai diplomats to leave the country.
Both the Cambodian and Thai foreign ministries have released statements accusing one another of instigating fighting. Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned in the “strongest possible terms this reckless and hostile act by Thailand”. Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released its own statement condemning in the “strongest terms the actions of the Cambodian military that violate Thai sovereignty and international law”.
Thousands of civilians in nearby areas have been taking shelter, and an estimated 40,000 Thai civilians from 86 villages along the border have been evacuated to safer locations. Cambodian forces have launched attacks on civilian areas in Thailand, including a hospital, causing deaths. Thailand “is prepared to intensify our self-defence measures if Cambodia persists in its armed attack and violations upon Thailand’s sovereignty in accordance with international law and principles”.
Thailand’s military said it has deployed an F-16 fighter jet to engage in combat after Cambodian forces had used heavy weaponry in their attack, including long-range BM21 grad rockets. Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet described the aerial assault as an “armed invasion” by their neighbour and vowed to respond with force.
The border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia dates back to the 1907 Franco-Siamese Treaty, which ceded control over the former Khmer territories to the French protectorate of Cambodia. The two countries have been locked in a dispute over the Preah Vihear Temple and other areas along their border. In 2013, the International Court of Justice ruled that the 1962 judgment awarded all of the promontory of Preah Vihear to Cambodia.
Both countries have withdrawn diplomats, with Thailand’s embassy in Phnom Penh calling on its nationals in Cambodia to leave as soon as possible. Cambodia’s Defence Ministry has condemned what it called reckless and brutal Thai military aggression. The governing Pheu Thai Party said it has downgraded ties with Cambodia after a landmine incident that injured a Thai soldier.