Thailand seals border with Cambodia after military clashes kill at least 12 people

  1. Jamie Whitehead
  2. Live reporter
  3. At least 12 people – mostly Thai civilians – have been confirmed killed in clashes between Thai and Cambodian troops on the two nations’ shared border, marking an escalation of a dispute which goes back over 100 years, and has been simmering for several months.
  4. Artillery and rockets have been fired from Cambodia, and Thailand has deployed fighter jets.
  5. While officials in Bangkok have blamed the attack on Cambodian aggression, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet says Thailand launched a pre-mediated assault.
  6. Nearby countries have called for a de-escalation, with Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim saying he would speak to both countries by the end of the day.
  7. We are going to bring our live coverage to a close now, but you can keep up with what’s happening in our news story.
  8. Thailand’s national parks director general has ordered for four wildlife sanctuaries and two national parks to be opened for soldiers to use as bases for planning and responding to Cambodia, according to local media.
  9. Atthaphon Charoenchansa said that national parks and wildlife officers had been instructed to leave the areas for safety reasons so military officers could use them bases to plan a response.
  10. Phu Chong Na Yoi National Park, Yod Dome Wildlife Sanctuary and Khao Phra Wihan National Park are among those being used.
  11. In some areas, park officers will be staying in the closed-off areas, as their day-to-day experience patrolling the parks and sanctuaries could be used to assist military officers, Atthaphon said.
  12. At least 12 Thai nationals, most of whom are civilians, have been killed in clashes with Cambodian troops in a disputed border area between the two countries.
  13. The map below shows where the clashes have been happening, according to information released by the Thai government.
  14. The situation on the Cambodian side of the border remains unclear, as the government there has not released any information about potential impacts of the clashes.
  15. Smoke was seen pouring from a petrol station in Thailand’s Sisaket province, near the Cambodian border, following clashes between the two countries.
  16. At least 12 people have been killed and at least 14 wounded, according to Thai authorities.
  17. Media caption,
  18. Smoke seen at Thai gas station close to border with Cambodia
  19. Thailand’s education ministry has ordered the temporary closure of schools in border areas following clashes with Cambodia.
  20. Bangkok-based news outlet the Thai Enquirer reports that 582 schools were closed in Surin, Sisaket and Buriram after rockets were fired at residential areas
  21. Some schools outside the danger zones are also reportedly being used as temporary shelters.
  22. Minister of Education Prof Narumon Pinyosinwat said: “I have urged schools in the border areas to prepare a systematic response plan, especially preparing bunkers or safe areas for students, including ordering the establishment of temporary shelters in safe areas.”
  23. Image source, Reuters
  24. Malaysia’s prime minister says he will speak to the leaders of both Cambodia and Thailand before the end of the day.
  25. “The least we can expect from them is to just stand down and hopefully to try and enter into negotiations,” Anwar Ibrahim told reporters.
  26. Malaysia is the current chair of Asean, the Southeast Asian bloc of which both Thailand and Cambodia are members.
  27. Image source, Getty Images
  28. With scarce information available regarding the situation on the ground, the majority of updates regarding the Thai-Cambodia border clashes are coming from both governments. Here’s what each side is saying:
  29. Thailand:
  • Just after 07:30 local time (00:30GMT) on Thursday, Cambodia’s military deployed drones to conduct surveillance of Thai troops near the border, according to a spokesman for Thailand’s National Security Council (NSC)
  • Shortly afterwards, Cambodian military personnel carrying RPGs gathered near the border. Soldiers on the Thai side attempted negotiations by shouting, but were unsuccessful, the NSC spokesman said, adding that Cambodian soldiers opened fire at around 08:20, forcing the Thai side to retaliate
  • Thailand has accused Cambodia of deploying heavy weapons, including BM-21 rocket launchers and artillery, causing damage to homes and public facilities along the Thai side of the border.
  1. Cambodia:
  • Thai soldiers initiated this morning’s conflict at around 06:30, when they violated a prior agreement by advancing on a Khmer-Hindu temple near the border and placing barbed wire around its base
  • Thai soldiers then deployed a drone just after 07:00, and fired shots “into the air” at around 08:30, according to a spokesperson from Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defence
  • At 08:46, Thai soldiers “pre-emptively” opened fire on Cambodian troops, according to Ministry spokesperson Maly Socheata, leaving them no choice but to exercise their right to self-defence, according to the Phnom Penh Post newspaper
  • Socheata further accused Thailand of deploying excessive troops, using heavy weapons and carrying out air strikes on Cambodian territory
  1. Here’s what we know about the deaths in Thailand and where they occurred, as reported by Thai authorities:
  • Two civilian deaths in Surin province, including an eight-year-old boy
  • One civilian death in Ubon Ratchathani province
  • Eight civilian deaths in Srisaket province, including a 15-year-old boy and one military personnel
  1. One military personnel and 11 civilians have been killed in the clashes, Thailand’s health minister has said.
  2. They are among 35 people that were affected by the attack, he said.
  3. China is “deeply concerned” over the escalation of Thai-Cambodian border tensions, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson has told reporters at its daily press briefing.
  4. China “hopes both sides can resolve their issues properly through dialogue and consultation,” Guo Jiakun said, adding that Beijing would uphold a “just and impartial position”.
  5. “We have been, and will continue to, promote peace and encourage dialogue in our own way, playing a constructive role in helping de-escalate the situation,” he said.
  6. Earlier this month, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi urged the two countries to revolve the border dispute through dialogue.
  7. He also said that China was willing to “play a constructive role for the harmonious coexistence between Thailand and Cambodia”.
  8. Thailand’s foreign ministry has urged Cambodia to cease actions that it says constitute severe violations of international law.
  9. It further said that Thailand is prepared to intensify self-defence measures if Cambodia persists in its armed attacks.
  10. Cambodia has accused Thailand of using excessive force along the Cambodian side of the border.
  11. In a Facebook post on Thursday morning, Cambodian prime minister Hun Manet urged citizens to remain calm amid the escalating tensions with Thailand.
  12. “Cambodia has always stood by its principle of resolving disputes through peaceful means. But in this situation, we have no choice but to respond with military force against the armed aggression,” the post added.
  13. His father, the strongman ex-leader Hun Sen, also posted the following on his own Facebook account: “Please continue your daily activities as normal in all sectors and areas, except in the border regions where fighting is taking place.”
  14. Image source, Getty Images
  15. Tensions have escalated rapidly since soldiers from Thailand and Cambodia clashed at a disputed portion of their border this morning. Here is a quick catch-up:
  • At least nine civilians have been confirmed killed in Thailand as a result of the clashes, and at least 14 have been wounded, including a five-year-old child. Cambodia has not released any information on casualties or injuries
  • The violence marks the latest escalation in a dispute that dates back more than a century, when the two South East Asian nations drew their border after France’s occupation of Cambodia ended
  • While there have been sporadic clashes over the years, the latest tensions ramped up in May after a Cambodian soldier was killed in a clash
  • Both sides have accused the other of firing the first shot on Thursday morning
  • Cambodia has been accused of firing rockets into a Thai village and attacking a hospital, while Thailand has carried out air strikes on Cambodian military targets
  • Cambodia has downgraded its ties with Thailand and called on the UN Security Council to convene, accusing its rival of using excessive force
  • Thailand has closed its border with Cambodia after telling all its nationals there to leave
  1. The civilian deaths in Thailand have occurred in at least three different provinces along the Thai-Cambodia border, according to the Royal Thai Army:
  • 6 in Sisaket province
  • 2 in Surin province
  • 1 in Ubon Ratchathani province
  1. Thailand’s death toll has risen to nine, according to the Royal Thai Army.
  2. The number of wounded stands at 14.
  3. Cambodia is requesting that the United Nations Security Council convene an “urgent meeting” to stop the clashes.
  4. “Considering the recent extremely grave aggressions by Thailand, which have gravely threatened peace and stability in the region, I earnestly request you to convene an urgent meeting of the Security Council to stop Thailand’s aggression,” Prime Minister Hun Manet wrote to Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, the council’s president, in a letter dated Thursday.
  5. In a statement released a short while ago, Cambodia’s foreign ministry says it “condemns in the strongest possible terms this reckless and hostile act by Thailand”.
  6. Cambodia said that Thai troops “launched unprovoked, premeditated and deliberate attacks on Cambodian positions along the border areas” on Thursday morning.
  7. “Such unprovoked military aggression not only endangers peace and stability along our shared border, but also demonstrates utter disregard for regional norms and international legal obligations,” the statement said, urging Thailand to cease hostilities and refrain from further provocation.
  8. British citizens should “take extra care” and “follow the instructions of local authorities” when travelling in border areas between Thailand and Cambodia, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office has warned.
  9. Meanwhile China has urged its citizens in Cambodia to avoid the Thai border.
  10. Thailand has sealed the land border with Cambodia amid the escalating tensions.
  11. Jonathan Head
  12. BBC South East Asia Correspondent
  13. We’ve seen these kinds of clashes between Cambodia and Thailand in the recent past where people have been killed.
  14. There have been serious exchanges of fire, and they were all de-escalated relatively quickly.
  15. Nobody really thinks this is going to blow up into a full scale war but at the moment there’s a lack of leadership in both countries with the strength and confidence to pull back from this confrontation.
  16. In Cambodia you’ve got an economy that is really struggling. You have a Prime Minister who is the son of a former strongman and does not yet really have his own authority and you have in Hun Sen, his father, a man who appears willing to push this conflict further in order to burnish his own nationalist credentials.
  17. On the Thai side you have a shaky coalition government, with Thaksin Shinawatra, another strong man, the power behind it. He believed he had a warm close personal relationship with Hun Sen and his family, and feels betrayed by Hun Sen’s decision to leak a private conversation which led to his daughter, prime minister Paetongtarn, being suspended from her post by the constitutional court. So there’s a lot of anger on the Thai side.
  18. We will have to see whether other members of Asean weigh in on this conflict and persuade both countries to de-escalate. That has always been Asean’s purpose – to avoid conflict among its members – and it will be a priority for some of the Asean states at the moment to help these two countries resolve the conflict.
  19. Image source, Getty Images
  20. The dispute between Thailand and Cambodia dates back more than a century, when the borders of the two nations were drawn after the French occupation of Cambodia.
  21. Things officially became hostile in 2008, when Cambodia tried to register an 11th Century temple located in the disputed area as a Unesco World Heritage Site – a move that was met with heated protest from Thailand.
  22. Over the years there have been sporadic clashes that have seen soldiers and civilians killed on both sides.
  23. The latest tensions ramped up in May after a Cambodian soldier was killed in a clash. This plunged bilateral ties to their lowest point in more than a decade.
  24. In the past two months, both countries have imposed border restrictions on one another. Cambodia banned imports from Thailand such as fruits and vegetables, and stopped importing power and internet services.
  25. Both countries have also strengthened troop presence along the border in recent weeks.

Page 2

  1. Panisa Aemocha
  2. BBC Thai
  3. Image source, Sutian Phiwchan
  4. Sutian Phiwchan, a local resident of Ban Dan district in Thailand’s Buriram province near the Cambodian border, told the BBC that people in the area have begun evacuating, including his own family, whom he is now taking to a nearby shelter.
  5. “It’s really serious. We’re in the middle of evacuating.”
  6. He described the situation as intense and frightening, saying, “they’re firing directly over there. Right there [into the Thai border where people live]. I mean, the kids and everyone… we’re all really scared.”
  7. When asked whether this clash was worse than previous ones, he replied, “is it worse this time? Yes, because they’re not just using rifles, there’s heavy artillery too.”
  8. Two civilians – a 12-year-old child and an adult – have been killed after Cambodia fired fired two BM-21 rockets into the middle of a Thai village this morning, a Thai official has told public broadcaster Thai PBS.
  9. The official, the District Chief of Kab Choeng in Surin Province said that at least two have been injured, and 30,000-40,000 people from 86 villages have been evacuated from the area to a shelter for safety.
  10. He made the same comments to Reuters earlier.
  11. Surbhi Kaul
  12. BBC Monitoring
  13. The Cambodian government has decided to downgrade diplomatic relations with Thailand to the lowest level, following similar moves by the Thai government.
  14. Thailand had on 23 July downgraded its diplomatic relations with Cambodia following a landmine incident near the border which wounded Thai soldiers.
  15. Cambodia has responded by reducing diplomatic ties to the level of “Second Charge d’Affaires,” typically referring to the second-ranking diplomat in an embassy, according to a 24 July report by Cambodian daily Khmer Times.
  16. All Cambodian diplomatic staff stationed in Bangkok have been ordered to return home.
  17. Earlier we reported that Thailand deployed six F-16 jets to strike military targets in Cambodia, after Cambodia launched two rockets at Thailand.
  18. “All Thai F-16s have returned home safety and intact, after a rapid deployment to drop bombs on Cambodian battalions,” the Thai army wrote in a social media post.
  19. Meanwhile the Cambodian defence ministry has accused Thailand of using excessive force which it has called a ” a grave threat to regional peace and stability”.
  20. Thailand sealed a border crossing with Cambodia on Wednesday night, as tensions escalated after five Thai soldiers were injured in a landmine explosion.
  21. Troops along the disputed border have fired at each other on Thursday with both sides accusing each other of firing the first shot.
  22. Thailand has now announced that it will seal its entire land border with Cambodia.
  23. Media caption,
  24. Watch: Royal Thai Army closes border crossing with Cambodia
  25. Fighting is ongoing in six areas along the disputed border, the military official, Surasan Kongsiri, says.
  26. Three civilians have been seriously wounded, including a five-year-old boy, he adds.
  27. Thailand is closing all its border points with Cambodia, a military official has just announced.
  28. A press conference with the military has just started. We’ll bring you the latest updates as we get them.
  29. People have been injured by a Cambodian attack on Phanom Dong Rak Hospital in Thailand, the Thai army has just said in a Facebook post.
  30. Details of the attack are scant for now. Stay with us as we continue to bring you the latest.
  31. Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defense has issued a statement accusing Thailand of deploying an excessive number of troops, using heavy weapons and carrying out air strikes in an attempt to forcibly seize Cambodian territory.
  32. The ministry described Thailand’s actions as “brutal and illegal military aggression” and “a blatant violation of the United Nations Charter, ASEAN norms, and core principles of international law”, according to the Khmer Times newspaper.
  33. It also claimed that Thai fighter jets dropped two bombs on territory under Cambodian control as clashes between the two countries escalated on Thursday morning.
  34. “These unlawful and irresponsible actions not only pose a grave threat to regional peace and stability but also undermine the foundation of international order,” Ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata was quoted as saying.
  35. The ministry further warned that the military was fully prepared to defend Cambodia’s sovereignty “at all costs”.
  36. At least one civilian in Thailand’s Surin province has been killed, authorities say.
  37. Government spokesman Jirayu Houngsu who confirmed the death also said seven soldiers have been wounded. He added that the number of civilians wounded is unclear, but among them is a five-year-old child who has been “severely injured”.
  38. “F-16 has opened fire!” the Thai army has posted on social media.
  39. It says that Cambodia’s Special Military Region Commands 8 and 9 “have been destroyed”.
  40. Thailand earlier announced that it has deployed six F-16 jets to hit military targets, after two Cambodian rockets struck Thai residents near the border.
  41. Thailand’s education ministry has shut all schools near the disputed border, in Thailand’s Surin province.
  42. Education Minister Narumon Pinyosinwat has asked officials to monitor the situation and coordinate with local security forces.
  43. The suspension of classes is a precautionary measure to protect students, teachers and staff, she said.
  44. The Thai army says in a Facebook post that three people have been injured by Cambodian rockets that struck Kap Choeng district in Surin province – an area near the border of the two countries.
  45. These are the latest photos from the scene, as shared by the Thai miiltary.
  46. The BBC has been unable to independently verify these images.
  47. Image source, Royal Thai Army/Facebook
  48. Image source, Royal Thai Army/Facebook
  49. Image source, Royal Thai Army/Facebook
  50. At least three Thai civilians have been wounded in the clashes, the Thai army has said on X.
  51. The post condemned what it said was a “targeted attack on civilians” by Cambodian forces. Two BM-21 rockets had struck residents in the Kap Choeng district in the country’s north-east, it said.
  52. The military said it has deployed six F-16 fighter jets to the area.
  53. Cambodia has not publicly reported any casualties or damage. However, its defence ministry maintained that its soldiers were responding in self-defence after Thai troops fired the first shots.
  54. Image source, Getty Images
  55. Image caption,
  56. Thai police stand guard outside Cambodia’s embassy in Bangkok during a demonstration over tensions at the Thai-Cambodian border
  57. Bilateral relations between Thailand and Cambodia have been at their worst in more than a decade, after armed clashes in May left one Cambodian soldier dead.
  58. In the past two months, both countries have imposed tit-for-tat restrictions and strengthened troops presence along the border.
  59. The fresh clashes on Thursday comes a day after Thailand recalled its ambassador to Cambodia, following a landmine explosion that injured a Thai soldier along the border.
  60. On Wednesday, Bangkok also said it would expel Cambodia’s ambassador.
  61. The Thai embassy in Phnom Penh is urging Thai nationals to leave Cambodia amid the border clashes.
  62. In a Facebook post, the embassy said that Thai citizens in Cambodia should leave “as soon as possible” unless they had urgent reasons to stay.
  63. Jonathan Head
  64. BBC South East Asia Correspondent
  65. According to the Thai military, their troops fired after confronting a group of heavily-armed Cambodian soldiers right on the disputed border. The Cambodians said it was the Thais who fired their weapons first.
  66. Now, villagers in the area on the Thai side of the border have been ordered to evacuate. This follows Thailand’s decision to expel the Cambodian ambassador and recall its own from Phnom Penh.
  67. For now, neither country seems ready to de-escalate. But this conflict really took off last month, after the wiley old Cambodian strongman Hun Sen deeply embarrassed Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra by leaking a phone conversation between them about the disputed border.
  68. Nobody knows why he chose to do this. In fact, he has burned a close relationship between their two families that goes back decades. Paetongtarn Shinawatra was then suspended as prime minister by the constitutional court in Thailand and her unpopular government cannot afford to show any weakness now in standing up to Cambodia.
  69. The result has been an escalating war of words between the two countries, the collapse of border trade that’s worth billions of dollars, and the heightened risk of more serious clashes between their two armies.
  70. We’re following the clashes at the Thailand-Cambodian border, where troops have been exchanging fire since morning.
  71. Both sides have accused each other of firing the first shot.
  72. This comes a day after Thailand recalled its ambassador to Cambodia, following a landmine explosion that injured a Thai soldier along the border.
  73. The clashes are still ongoing. Stay with us as we bring you the latest.

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