Fighting on the Thai-Cambodian border has killed at least twelve people on Thursday. Dozens of others were injured. Tensions between the neighboring countries have been rising for some time.
Eleven civilians, including a fifteen-year-old boy and an eight-year-old boy, were killed. One Thai soldier was also killed, according to news agency Reuters based on the Thai Ministry of Public Health. According to BBC News, at least 35 people were injured.
The fighting broke out in the border region between the Asian countries. There are reports of artillery and rocket fire and airstrikes. A Thai hospital was also reportedly hit. Due to the fighting, tens of thousands of civilians have now been evacuated from the border area. The border is closed and the area is closed to tourists. The travel advice for both Thailand and Cambodia is yellow.
Both countries accuse each other of firing first. Thailand called the neighboring country “warlike,” while Cambodia speaks of “unprovoked military aggression” by the Thai armed forces. The countries are seeking international support. For example, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet called on the United Nations Security Council for an emergency meeting. He stated that peace and stability in the region is endangered by “Thai aggression.”
The violence is causing international concern. China warned citizens in Cambodia to stay away from the border. The Prime Minister of Malaysia says he will speak with the leaders of both Cambodia and Thailand before the end of the day. He hopes the countries are willing to negotiate.
Old temple area again reason for conflict
Tensions are playing out around the thousand-year-old Preah Vihear temple. That is a Hindu temple in the Dângrêk Mountains between Thailand and Cambodia. Both parties claim that the temple area belongs to them. In 1962, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) recognized Cambodian sovereignty over the temple area, writes AP News.
That led to great irritation in Thailand, which put relations between the countries on edge. In 2011, there were new military confrontations in which about twenty people died. Cambodia then went to the Court again. In 2013, the ICJ confirmed the ruling once again. According to that ruling, Thailand had to remove all troops from the area and the country no longer had any right to the area.