(C) Tasnim News Agency
JAKARTA – The armed conflict between Thailand and Cambodia, which had signed a ceasefire agreement in July, has resumed and escalated for the fifth consecutive day, leading to a rising casualty count on both sides. As of December 11, the death toll from the border clashes stands at 22, with over 100 injured.
The fighting, which reignited on December 7, has expanded from the ground to the air and sea, spreading across five provinces in both nations, according to aggregations of official statements by AFP.
Rising Casualties and Wide-Ranging Displacement
Thailand's Ministry of Defence reported the deaths of 9 military personnel and 3 civilians, while Cambodia's Information Ministry stated that 10 civilians have been killed. Cambodia has not yet disclosed the extent of its military casualties.
The protracted conflict has triggered a major displacement crisis. Over 500,000 people have fled the border regions, including approximately 400,000 civilians in Thailand and 101,000 in Cambodia. The escalating violence saw the Cambodian northwestern province of Oddar Meanchey subjected to Thai military artillery attacks for a second consecutive day. Consequently, a curfew was imposed in Thailand's border province of Sa Kaeo from 7:00 PM yesterday until 5:00 AM today.
International Calls for Halt to Hostilities
In response to the escalating situation, the Cambodian government has urgently appealed to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), demanding that it urge the Thai military to immediately cease all attacks. Furthermore, Phnom Penh has formally requested the UNSC to dispatch a UN investigation team to verify the reality of the situation on the ground.
High-level diplomatic efforts are underway to de-escalate the conflict. U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to hold separate phone calls with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet today to call for a halt to the hostilities.
A Century-Long Border Dispute
The current flare-up stems from a century-old territorial dispute over undemarcated sections of the 817-kilometre-long border, originally surveyed in 1907 when France colonized Cambodia.
The two countries engaged in a small-scale skirmish in May, followed by a five-day armed confrontation in July that resulted in 48 deaths and displaced over 300,000 people. Although a ceasefire agreement was brokered in October through the mediation of President Trump, it collapsed after a mine explosion injured a Thai soldier in the border area of Sisaket province last month, prompting Thailand to declare its withdrawal from the agreement. A subsequent shooting incident two days later killed one Cambodian civilian in the northwestern border area, setting the stage for the current major clashes that began on December 7. The consistent failure to resolve the underlying border demarcation issues continues to fuel a cycle of violence, demanding robust international mediation and a commitment to long-term peace.
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