Artillery fire and ground skirmishes have erupted this week along the disputed border between Thailand and Cambodia, shattering a fragile ceasefire and displacing tens of thousands of civilians in the worst outbreak of violence between the neighbours in years.
The renewed hostilities centre on the heavy militarised border in Oddar Meanchey province, where longstanding territorial disputes over ancient Khmer temples have frequently severely tested diplomatic relations.
Cambodian officials have accused Thai forces of an act of "profound immorality," claiming that heavy fire has destroyed the ancient Prasat Ta Krabey temple (known as Prasat Ta Khwai in Thailand). The structure, which dates back to the Angkorian era, sits in a claimed overlapping area that has been a flashpoint for nationalist sentiment in both nations for decades.
According to Phnom Penh, the civilian death toll on the Cambodian side has risen to nine, with at least 20 people injured. The violence has triggered a humanitarian crisis, with Cambodia’s Ministry of Defence reporting that more than 50,000 residents from border towns have been forced to flee their homes for emergency shelters.
Maly Socheata, a spokeswoman for the Cambodian Defence Ministry, defended the military's engagement, insisting their actions were strictly reactive.
"The ministry of national defence reiterated that the goal of the attacks is the self-defence of Cambodia," Socheata said.
"We only targeted the Thai military, not targeted the civilian people and civilian places. Cambodia always respects and carries out all duties under international laws and especially humanity laws, strictly and clearly."
Diplomatic deadlock
Despite the intensity of the fighting, officials in Phnom Penh insist they remain open to immediate bilateral negotiations. Suos Yara, a senior adviser to Prime Minister Hun Manet, described the conflict as a "lose-lose game" and urged a return to the negotiating table to prevent further loss of life.
"You cannot move Cambodia to anywhere, you cannot move Thailand to anywhere– so we better come to a consensus," Yara stated.
"For Cambodia's side, we always open the door... But who is now responsible from the other side? They should have some people responsible that we can say yes or no; we can de-escalate," Yara added.
However, the mood in Bangkok appears far less conciliatory. The Thai military has confirmed that three of its soldiers have been killed and 68 wounded in the exchanges. Tens of thousands of Thai villagers living along the frontier have also been evacuated to safety.
Signalling a hardening of positions, Thailand’s Foreign Minister dismissed the potential for immediate talks in a recent interview, stating the environment was not conducive to third-party mediation.
This sentiment was echoed by a top Thai general, who declared on Monday that the army's objective was to "cripple Cambodia’s military capability for a long time to come."
Malaysia's involvement
Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he had spoken to the prime ministers of Thailand and Cambodia on Tuesday (9 December) and appreciated their openness to continue negotiations amid fighting between the two countries.
"I appreciate the openness and willingness of both leaders to continue negotiations in order to ease tensions and avoid any misunderstandings that could worsen the situation," Anwar said in a post on X on Wednesday, referring to Tuesday's calls, adding that a definitive resolution had yet to be reached.
U.S . intervention
The collapse of the ceasefire, which was brokered by the United States in July, has drawn the attention of Washington. U.S. President Donald Trump, citing his administration's "peace through strength" doctrine, indicated he would intervene personally to halt the fighting.
"Tomorrow I have to make a phone call and I think they'll get it," President Trump told reporters.
"Who else could say, ‘I’m going to make a phone call and stop a war of two very powerful countries?’ Thailand and Cambodia, they're going at it again. But I'll do it," he added.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also issued a statement calling for an immediate halt to hostilities, urging both parties to return to the de-escalatory measures agreed upon at an October summit held in President Trump's presence.
It remains unclear exactly what incident triggered this latest round of hostilities, which follows a pattern of periodic flare-ups often driven by domestic politics and unresolved border demarcations.
Despite pledges of commitment to peace from both governments, there are currently no signs of an immediate withdrawal, leaving tens of thousands of displaced families facing an uncertain future.
Venezuela’s oil exports under a flagship $2bn supply deal with the U.S. reached around 7.8 million barrels on Wednesday, vessel-tracking data and st...
Qarabağ claimed a late 3–2 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night, scoring deep into stoppage time to sec...
Azerbaijan’s State Oil Fund, State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ), has signed a long-term strategic cooperation agreement worth up to $1.4 billion w...
Azerbaijan said on Wednesday that it had accepted an invitation from U.S. President Donald Trump to join his 'Board of Peace' for Gaza....
Armenia and Azerbaijan will interconnect their energy systems, enabling mutual electricity imports and exports as part of a wider regional transit ini...
Venezuela’s oil exports under a flagship $2bn supply deal with the U.S. reached around 7.8 million barrels on Wednesday, vessel-tracking data and state-run PDVSA documents show, with shipments accelerating after Washington eased its blockade — but not enough for PDVSA to fully reverse output cuts.
Qarabağ claimed a late 3–2 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night, scoring deep into stoppage time to secure a dramatic home win in Baku.
Azerbaijan’s State Oil Fund, State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ), has signed a long-term strategic cooperation agreement worth up to $1.4 billion with Brookfield Asset Management on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, officials said.
Armenia and Azerbaijan will interconnect their energy systems, enabling mutual electricity imports and exports as part of a wider regional transit initiative, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said.
More than 100 vehicles were involved in a massive pileup on Interstate 96 in western Michigan on Monday (19 January), forcing the highway to shut in both directions amid severe winter weather.
Several locally-developed instant messaging applications were reportedly restored in Iran on Tuesday (20 January), partially easing communications restrictions imposed after recent unrest.
There was a common theme in speeches at the World Economic Forum on Tuesday (20 January). China’s Vice-Premier, He Lifeng, warned that "tariffs and trade wars have no winners," while France's Emmanuel Macron, labelled "endless accumulation of new tariffs" from the U.S. "fundamentally unacceptable."
Dozens of beaches along Australia's east coast, including in Sydney, closed on Tuesday (20 January) after four shark attacks in two days, as heavy rains left waters murky and more likely to attract the animals.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington would “work something out” with NATO allies on Tuesday, defending his approach to the alliance while renewing his push for U.S. control of Greenland amid rising tensions with Europe.
Venezuela’s oil exports under a flagship $2bn supply deal with the U.S. reached around 7.8 million barrels on Wednesday, vessel-tracking data and state-run PDVSA documents show, with shipments accelerating after Washington eased its blockade — but not enough for PDVSA to fully reverse output cuts.
Azerbaijan’s State Oil Fund, State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ), has signed a long-term strategic cooperation agreement worth up to $1.4 billion with Brookfield Asset Management on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, officials said.
A senior official at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said on Wednesday that roughly 6% of U.S. air travellers are not presenting identification that meets stricter federal standards, as the agency prepares to start charging passengers without enhanced ID a $45 fee from 1 February.
The United States is placing renewed emphasis on regional partnerships that offer predictability, security cooperation and economic continuity as instability deepens across the Middle East and parts of Eurasia
A fire alarm prompted the partial evacuation of the Davos Congress Centre on Wednesday evening while Donald Trump was inside the building attending the World Economic Forum, Swiss authorities said.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment