Fighting Escalates at Thailand-Cambodia Border, Killing Civilians

A long-simmering border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia escalated into more violence as fighting across their shared frontier left at least 11, mostly civilians, dead.

Though Thailand and Cambodia have a long history of border tensions, relations had remained largely stable for over a decade. That changed in May, when a Cambodian soldier was killed at the border in an exchange of fire. Both countries accuse the other of starting the clash, while massing troops along the frontier and land crossings. A landmine explosion last week, in which a Thai soldier lost his leg, triggered more fighting.

The dispute has also rattled Thailand’s domestic politics, with Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra suspended after a leaked recording of her call to Hun Sen, Cambodia’s former leader, showed her calling him “uncle” and appearing to place blame on the Thai military. “The dispute is escalating rapidly and could turn into a serious conflict if left unattended,” said Jayant Menon, a senior fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore. “Although the conflict is unlikely to spread beyond the two countries, it will disrupt trade and people movement, which will negatively affect the regional economy.”