Bangkok (TDI): Fighting between Thailand and Cambodia entered its third day on Saturday, with the death toll climbing to at least 33 people, making it the deadliest flare-up between the two neighbours in over a decade.
Despite international appeals for calm, including a call from Cambodia for an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire,” artillery fire and ground clashes continued in several disputed border areas.
The violence, which erupted on Thursday, has since escalated into a full-blown conflict involving jets, tanks, artillery, and infantry, prompting the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to hold a closed-door emergency meeting on Friday in New York.
Cambodia’s Ministry of Defense reported that 13 of its citizens, including eight civilians and five soldiers, had been killed so far, with 71 others wounded. Thai military officials said their death toll had reached 20, comprising 14 civilians and six soldiers.
The combined number of dead across both countries has now surpassed the 28 casualties recorded during clashes from 2008 to 2011, the last major spike in border tensions.
Read More: Escalation at Thailand-Cambodia Border Forces Mass Displacement, Dozens Killed
Cambodian authorities accused Thai forces of shelling several villages in Pursat province early Saturday, claiming at least five heavy artillery rounds landed near civilian areas. Thailand’s Trat province, which borders the area, was also reportedly hit.
The violence has forced tens of thousands to flee. Thai officials confirmed that over 138,000 people have been evacuated from communities near the frontier. Cambodian officials said more than 35,000 residents had been displaced as artillery exchanges reached deeper into border zones.
At the UN, Cambodia’s Ambassador Chhea Keo told reporters his country had urged the Security Council to intervene. “We are calling for an immediate ceasefire and for both sides to return to the path of peace and diplomacy,” he said.
Tensions escalated further after acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai warned that continued fighting could tip the region into a broader war.
Read More: Thailand Rejects Mediation, Seeks Direct Talks with Cambodia
Both nations blame each other for sparking the latest round of fighting. Thailand accused Cambodian troops of firing on civilian infrastructure, including a hospital and a petrol station. Cambodian officials, in turn, claimed that Thailand had used cluster munitions, a banned weapon under international law.
At the UN, Cambodia’s ambassador also challenged Thailand’s claim that Phnom Penh instigated the conflict, noting the disparity in military strength between the two countries.
“The Security Council urged both parties to show restraint and pursue a diplomatic solution. That’s what we’re asking for too,” said Chhea Keo.
The two countries have long disagreed over stretches of their 800-kilometre shared border, particularly around ancient temples and forested terrain. Between 2008 and 2011, intermittent fighting left dozens dead and displaced tens of thousands.
Though a UN court ruling in 2013 appeared to resolve the main disputes, tensions flared again in May this year when a Cambodian soldier was killed near a contested zone, setting the stage for the latest clashes.
With both sides heavily armed and national sentiment running high, the path back to peace appears increasingly uncertain, unless cooler heads prevail in the coming days.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
