Thai Military Alleges Ceasefire Breach by Cambodia - Thai military alleges violation of cease-fire by Cambodia
In the heart of the Emerald Triangle, where Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos meet, a long-standing border dispute has flared up once again. The latest escalation occurred in the Cambodian town of Samraong, with fighting breaking out on Thursday.
The clashes have resulted in a significant loss of life, with at least 38 deaths reported. Eleven soldiers and 14 civilians were killed on the Thai side, while eight civilians and five soldiers lost their lives on the Cambodian side.
The Thai Army has accused Cambodia of breaching a ceasefire, a claim that Cambodia has not directly addressed. Instead, the Cambodian government has responded by focusing on border control enforcement, checkpoint shutdowns, and diplomatic efforts.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet announced on Facebook that frontline conditions have eased since the ceasefire at midnight. The ceasefire agreement, reached during peace talks in the Malaysian city of Putrajaya, also includes a meeting of the military chiefs of Thailand and Cambodia on Tuesday morning.
The border commissions of Thailand and Cambodia will meet in Cambodia next Monday to discuss the ongoing dispute. In the meantime, the clashes have forced nearly 300,000 people to flee their villages, with 138,000 on the Thai side and 140,000 on the Cambodian side of the border.
The fighting in Samraong is part of a broader dispute over border demarcation. Cambodia has emphasized legal and diplomatic measures rather than direct military counteraccusations. The country has focused on closures of border checkpoints, halted fuel and gas imports from Thailand, and requested urgent meetings and submissions to international bodies like the UN Security Council and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for dispute resolution.
While the clashes intensified near historical sites like the Preah Vihear temple, Cambodia’s official public response has not entailed direct admission of ceasefire violations but stressed continued sovereignty claims and international legal engagement.
The spokesperson for the Thai Army called the violation a deliberate attempt to undermine mutual trust. Thailand is compelled to respond accordingly and exercise its legitimate right to self-defense, according to the spokesperson. However, the ceasefire, which began at midnight local time on Tuesday, has brought a temporary respite to the troubled region.
As the situation unfolds, both countries will be under scrutiny to maintain the ceasefire and engage in diplomatic efforts to resolve the long-standing border dispute peacefully.
- The escalation of war-and-conflicts in the Samraong region of the Emerald Triangle, due to the border dispute, has necessitated an immediate review of both the community policy and employment policy in Thailand and Cambodia to ensure the safety and protection of civilians.
- As the international community follows the ongoing border conflict in the Emerald Triangle, the politics involved in the dispute are also under close scrutiny, with both the Thai and Cambodian governments expected to employ diplomatic tactics to address the general news of escalating violence and find a peaceful resolution.
