By Shoon Naing and Artorn Pookasook
SURIN, Thailand, July 25 (Reuters)
Things are not looking good between Thailand and Cambodia. Boundaries have always been more than just lines on a map. They serve as a boundary between the stories of one community and those of another. However, these invisible boundaries can occasionally turn into flashpoints, locations where long-standing arguments, regional annoyances, and unexpected miscommunications can turn violent. When that occurs, ordinary families who live, work, and hope for peace close to those borders also get affected, in addition to soldiers and government representatives.
Thailand and Cambodia are fighting and people have died as a result
Thailand and Cambodia exchanged heavy artillery fire for a second day on Friday as fighting intensified and spread, while Cambodia’s leader said Thailand had agreed to a Malaysian ceasefire proposal but then backed down. At least 20 people have been killed and more than 130,000 people displaced in the worst fighting between the Southeast Asian neighbours in 13 years.
Both sides have blamed each other for starting the conflict and, on Friday, ratcheted up the rhetoric. Thailand accused Cambodia of deliberately attacking civilians, and Cambodia condemned Thailand for using cluster munitions, which are controversial and widely condemned. The war between the two nations is dangerous and could threaten more lives as we speak.
Wars in this region are common, but right now it has gotten worse
Although the precise cause of the most recent wave of fighting is still unknown, tensions in this area are not new. Small-scale conflicts have previously broken out here, mostly over contested territory and antiquated border accords that go back decades. Local authorities and foreign observers, however, are concerned that the violence is more severe this time and may be more difficult to put an end to.
Thailand’s acting prime minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, said Cambodia had attacked on multiple fronts. He told reporters,
“The situation has intensified and could escalate into a state of war. At present, it’s a confrontation involving heavy weapons.”
They had agreed to stop the tensions, but still, they could not reach a full agreement
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said in a social media post that he had agreed to a ceasefire proposed by his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim, chair of the ASEAN regional bloc, who had informed him that Phumtham had also agreed. Hun Manet said,
“However, it is regrettable that just over an hour later, the Thai side informed us that they had reversed their position.”
Thailand’s government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Anwar said both countries had agreed in principle to stop attacks, but that there were issues related to “some violations.” He made no mention of a Thai withdrawal. Two senior Thai foreign ministry officials earlier said Bangkok had received offers of mediation from the U.S., Malaysia, and China but preferred to use bilateral mechanisms.
Soldiers marshalled traffic on a rural road along which artillery guns were being loaded and fired in succession, emitting orange flashes, loud explosions and grey smoke. The fighting started early on Thursday, quickly escalating from small arms fire to heavy shelling in multiple areas 210 km (130 miles) apart along a frontier where sovereignty has been disputed for more than a century.
“These barbaric acts have senselessly claimed lives and inflicted injuries upon numerous innocent civilians.” Fighting re-erupted before dawn on Friday, with clashes reported in 12 locations, up from six on Thursday, according to Thailand’s military. It accused Cambodia of using artillery and Russian-made BM-21 rockets to attack areas that included schools and hospitals. The issue with such tensions and fights is that those who are in disagreements continue fighting, but the innocent ones get hurt, and in the worst-case scenario, they perish or die in the act.