Cambodia has urgently called for an immediate ceasefire with Thailand following two days of deadly border clashes. The Cambodian envoy to the UN announced this plea on Friday, as Bangkok also signaled its openness to diplomatic talks. This renewed conflict stems from a long-running border dispute that escalated dramatically on Thursday, involving jets, artillery, tanks, and ground troops. The UN Security Council convened an emergency meeting on Friday to address the crisis.
Cambodia’s UN ambassador, Chhea Keo, emphasized the nation’s demand for an unconditional and immediate ceasefire, stating “We ask for an immediate ceasefire—unconditionally—and we also call for a peaceful solution to the dispute,” following a closed session of the Security Council, attended by both Cambodian and Thai representatives.
Meanwhile, the sound of artillery strikes continued to echo from the Cambodian side of the border on Friday. In Oddar Meanchey province, one civilian, a 70-year-old man, was killed, and five others sustained injuries.
Human Cost of the Conflict
The conflict has exacted a heavy toll on human lives, with Thailand’s health ministry reported that over 138,000 people have been evacuated from its border regions. The ministry also confirmed 15 fatalities, including 14 civilians and one soldier, with an additional 46 wounded, among them 15 troops.
Fighting resumed in three areas on Friday, according to the Thai army as Cambodian forces initiated heavy weapons fire, utilizing field artillery and BM-21 rocket systems. Thai troops responded with appropriate supporting fire.
Diplomatic Efforts and Accusations
Thai Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nikorndej Balankura revealed that the fighting began to subside by Friday afternoon, stating that Bangkok remained open to discussions, potentially with Malaysia’s assistance. “We are ready, if Cambodia would like to settle this matter via diplomatic channels, bilaterally, or even through Malaysia, we are ready to do that. But so far, we have not had any response,” he said, prior to the UN meeting.
Malaysia currently chairs the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a regional bloc to which both Thailand and Cambodia belong. Earlier, acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai cautioned that an escalation could lead to war, though he noted that it remained limited to clashes for now.
Both nations accused each other of initiating the conflict as Thailand specifically charged Cambodia with targeting civilian infrastructure, including a hospital hit by shells and a petrol station struck by at least one rocket.
At the UN, Cambodia’s envoy questioned Thailand’s assertion that his country, militarily smaller and less developed, had started the conflict, stated, “(The Security Council) called for both parties to (show) maximum restraint and resort to a diplomatic solution. That is what we are calling for as well.”
A History of Border Disputes
This recent fighting marks a dramatic escalation in a long-standing dispute between the two neighboring countries with both Thailand and Cambodia are popular destinations for millions of foreign tourists. Their shared 800-kilometer border has dozens of contested areas.
Previous conflicts erupted between 2008 and 2011, resulting in at least 28 deaths and displacing tens of thousands of people. A UN court ruling in 2013 seemingly settled the issue for over a decade. However, the current crisis began in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a new clash.
Thursday’s fighting concentrated on six locations, according to the Thai army, including areas around two ancient temples. Ground troops, supported by tanks, battled for territorial control. Cambodia launched rockets and shells into Thailand, while Thai forces deployed F-16 jets to strike military targets across the border.
In Samraong, a Cambodian town 20 kilometers from the border, with families fleeing in vehicles with their children and belongings as gunfire erupted. Pro Bak, 41, expressed his fear, stating, “I live very close to the border. We are scared.” He was taking his wife and children to a Buddhist temple to seek refuge.
