Cambodian Prime Minister alleges Thai military is forcibly displacing border civilians
In a letter addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres dated September 17, Cambodia's military chief, Hun Manet, expressed concern over ongoing disputes and escalating violence along the shared border with Thailand. The latest dispute over contested border temples has been ongoing for some time, with the 800km frontier being a hotspot for conflict. The latest incident occurred on Wednesday, when Thai forces fired rubber bullets and tear gas at several hundred Cambodian protesters in a disputed border village. According to Hun Manet's letter, twenty-five families have been blocked from their homes and fields since last month, and the Thai military has allegedly erected barbed wire and barricades, forcibly evicting Cambodian civilians from their lands in two border villages. The incident reportedly injured nearly 30 people, including a soldier and a Buddhist monk. Thai army spokesman Winthai Suvaree has accused Cambodian civilians of illegally occupying Thai territory for an extended period, and also accused Cambodian military personnel of failing to intervene during Wednesday's violent incident. In his letter to the UN secretary-general, Hun Manet stated that the Thai military had an intention of using forces to seize territory at 17 other locations along the shared border. Winthai Suvaree also threatened more evictions, potentially affecting hundreds of households. The General Border Committee (GBC) and Joint Border Committee (JBC) were mentioned as the organizations involved, as Hun Manet urged Thailand to stop planned forced evictions of Cambodians at the shared border and avoid violence against civilians. The truce agreed upon by Southeast Asian neighbors in late July, following five days of clashes that resulted in at least 43 deaths on both sides, seems to have done little to quell the tensions. July's military clashes between Cambodia and Thailand were their deadliest in decades, forcing 300,000 people to flee their homes along the border. Video released by the Thai military showed Thai security forces firing tear gas at Cambodians, some of whom flung long sticks towards Thai authorities and tried to remove barbed wire. The situation remains volatile, with both sides showing no signs of backing down from their territorial claims.
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