Border Fighting Escalates Between Thailand and Cambodia

Border Fighting Escalates Between Thailand and Cambodia \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Intensifying border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia have killed 32 and displaced over 80,000 civilians. The UN and ASEAN are urging restraint and dialogue, while both sides exchange blame for triggering the violence. Heavy shelling and civilian casualties heighten fears of a prolonged regional crisis.

Quick Looks

• Border fighting entered its third day Saturday, with at least 32 people confirmed dead
• Over 80,000 civilians have fled from Thai and Cambodian villages
• UN Security Council held a closed-door emergency meeting; ASEAN calls for mediation
• Cambodia requested an immediate, unconditional ceasefire and denies launching attacks
• Thailand accused Cambodia of war crimes after civilians and a hospital were hit
• Clashes erupted after a land mine wounded five Thai soldiers on Wednesday
• Fighting spread near key sites like the contested Ta Muen Thom temple
• Thailand claims Cambodia used heavy artillery and BM-21 rocket launchers
• Cambodia says Thai rockets struck a school and pagoda, killing civilians
• Villages have been evacuated, schools closed, and makeshift bunkers dug
• ASEAN Chair Malaysia confirmed both sides agreed to ceasefire but need more time
• UN and ASEAN urge peaceful resolution as regional tensions mount
• The border dispute stretches back decades, last flaring in 2011
• Tensions escalated after May killing of a Cambodian soldier

Deep Look

As border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia entered their third day on Saturday, the humanitarian toll continued to mount, and diplomatic efforts intensified to prevent the violence from spiraling into a larger regional crisis. At least 32 people have died and over 80,000 civilians have been displaced, prompting emergency meetings at the United Nations and a call for mediation from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The latest violence began Wednesday after a land mine explosion wounded five Thai soldiers in a disputed area along the border. Within 24 hours, shelling and armed engagements erupted along multiple points near the frontier, including the contested Ta Muen Thom temple. Both sides accuse each other of initiating the attacks and using tactics that endanger civilians.

Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health reported that over 58,000 people fled their homes in four border provinces, while Cambodia said more than 23,000 people had evacuated villages in Oddar Meanchey province. The scenes on both sides of the border painted a grim picture: families with children living in makeshift tents, villagers sheltering in gymnasiums, and wounded soldiers arriving at overwhelmed hospitals.

Thai authorities accused Cambodian forces of deploying Russian-made BM-21 rocket launchers and shelling civilian targets, including a hospital and homes, while also using populated areas to position military assets. Cambodia’s military denied these claims and countered that Thai rockets had hit a pagoda and a school compound, killing civilians and damaging local infrastructure. The Cambodian Education Ministry confirmed school closures in affected regions.

Amid the intensifying clashes, a remote Buddhist temple in Cambodia became a temporary refuge for hundreds of evacuees. Villagers brought children and essential belongings in homemade tractors, dug bunkers, and sought protection beneath tarpaulins strung between trees. “Please let them talk. I just want to go back and work my land,” said 74-year-old farmer Veng Chin.

Meanwhile, Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai escalated rhetoric by accusing Cambodia of possible war crimes, pointing to civilian deaths and damage to medical facilities. He insisted that Thailand had acted with “utmost restraint and patience” but warned that provocations would be met with firm defensive action.

The United Nations Security Council convened a closed-door emergency meeting Friday evening in New York, called at Cambodia’s request. Although no formal statement was released, diplomats confirmed that all 15 council members urged de-escalation, restraint, and a return to dialogue. The UN also urged ASEAN to take a lead role in resolving the dispute.

Following the session, Cambodia’s UN Ambassador Chhea Keo emphasized that his country had requested an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire.” Responding to accusations that Cambodia initiated the fighting, Keo dismissed the claim, saying, “How can a small country with no air force attack a country three times its size?” He reiterated that Cambodia wanted a peaceful resolution.

The Thai UN delegation left the session without comment. However, both sides reportedly agreed to a ceasefire and partial troop withdrawal, according to Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who chairs ASEAN. Anwar said that implementation would require more time and pledged that Malaysia was ready to mediate further negotiations. “We have urged both leaders to open space for peaceful dialogue,” Anwar stated, referencing conversations with Cambodian leader Hun Manet and Thailand’s Phumtham.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres echoed the call for calm. Through his deputy spokesperson, Guterres urged both governments to prioritize diplomacy over military escalation and to protect civilian lives.

While armed tensions between Thailand and Cambodia are not new, this flare-up is among the most serious in over a decade. The two countries have long disputed sections of their 800-kilometer (500-mile) border, particularly around areas rich in cultural heritage and natural resources. The last major conflict occurred in 2011, leaving 20 people dead and drawing international concern.

The current escalation appears to have been triggered by a series of incidents beginning in May, when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a confrontation that strained diplomatic ties. Bangkok responded by closing the border and expelling the Cambodian ambassador. Tensions worsened after Wednesday’s land mine explosion, setting off the violent exchanges that followed.

Associated Press journalists near the border reported hearing artillery exchanges from early Friday morning. In Sisaket province, families evacuated in streams of trucks and motorbikes, while at least one Thai hospital treated severely wounded soldiers, including one who had both legs amputated. Windows at the hospital were shattered in the blast, further illustrating the vulnerability of non-military sites.

Survivors spoke of narrow escapes. Seamstress Pornpan Sooksai described scrambling to safety with four cats after her home near Ta Muen Thom temple came under shelling. “We already prepared the cages, clothes and everything, so we ran,” she said. Another evacuee, Rattana Meeying, compared the violence to the 2011 skirmishes: “This is worse. Children and old people were hit out of the blue.”

Despite reports of a ceasefire agreement, conditions on the ground remain volatile. Experts warn that unless a formal framework for negotiation is quickly established, the border could remain a flashpoint. “This isn’t just a local dispute,” said Southeast Asia analyst Suda Prasertkul. “With ASEAN’s credibility on the line and civilians suffering, the pressure is on for both sides to come to the table.”

More on World News

Border Fighting Escalates Border Fighting Escalates Border Fighting Escalates