Thai security forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets as they clashed with Cambodian protesters on Wednesday in a disputed border area. It’s the most significant escalation since they declared a ceasefire to end a deadly five-day conflict in July.
The clash took place at a disputed frontier settlement, which Thailand says is part of its Ban Nong Ya Kaew village in Sa Kaeo province, but Cambodia says is part of Prey Chan village in Bantheay Meanchey province.
On Wednesday, Cambodia’s information minister Neth Pheaktra accused Thai officials of encroaching across the border, and said they used “tear gas, rubber bullets and noise-making devices against Cambodian civilians.”
According to Cambodian government spokesperson Pen Bona, Thai forces used violence to suppress unarmed Cambodian civilians and monks who were protesting peacefully.
Cambodian officials said more than two dozen Cambodians were injured in the clash.
Thai Army spokesperson Maj. Gen. Winthai Suvaree described the situation as a Cambodian mob encroaching on Thai territory, obstructing operations and destroying official property. He said Thai authorities regarded the incident as a provocation and an intentional violation of the ceasefire agreement.
In late July, Thailand and Cambodia engaged in five days of combat that killed dozens of people and displaced more than 260,000. The two countries agreed on a ceasefire only after mediation fostered by Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, who threatened to withhold trade privileges unless they agreed on a truce.
Tensions remain high after the ceasefire, especially since Thai soldiers have been wounded by land mines while patrolling the no-man’s land between the two countries.
Thailand charges that the mines are newly planted in violation of the ceasefire, an accusation vehemently denied by Cambodia.
On Wednesday, Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet called for international intervention, urging pressure on Thailand to respect the ceasefire and fully adhere to Cambodia-Thailand agreements.
The two nations’ competing territorial claims stem largely from a 1907 map drawn when Cambodia was under French colonial rule, which Thailand has argued is inaccurate.
The International Court of Justice in 1962 awarded sovereignty to Cambodia over an area that included the 1,000-year-old Preah Vihear temple, which still riles many Thais.
The court has since reaffirmed its judgement. In June, Cambodia proposed returning to the international court to sort out the border in the disputed areas, a proposal Thailand firmly rejected.
With reporting by Pimuk Rakkanam, RFA Khmer, Reuters and AP