Cambodia Closes Border With Thailand After 4 Soldiers Killed
Synopsis
By Saturday all borders with Thailand were sealed as clashes persisted between the countries. Additional military casualties were reported on Saturday with Thailand's death count reaching 15 since Monday along, with 270 wounded. Eleven civilians have died with 59 hurt while a minimum of 700,000 people have been displaced from both countries. Both nations agreed to cease the ceasefire, as claimed by Trump, but no ceasefire is in place yet. Thailand wants Cambodia to withdraw troops before any talks can begin between the two nations
Cambodia shut down all its border crossings with Thailand as the clash between the two continued. The move was made even after US President Donald Trump announced that both sides had agreed to a ceasefire. On Saturday, four more Thai soldiers lost their lives, thus the military wing of Thailand has counted 15 soldiers dead since the confrontation began on Monday. In total, more than 700,000 people have fled their homes in the border areas of both sides.
Trump’s Ceasefire Claim Falls Apart
However, Trump declared overnight that he succeeded in convincing both parties to agree to a ceasefire after discussions with their leaders, the prime ministers of Thailand and Cambodia. He shared in the media that Thailand and Cambodia consented "to halt ceasefire starting this evening" and return to the peace accord they signed in October. "Both nations are prepared for peace, " Trump stated.
However, neither of them mentioned halting the shooting after their conversations with Trump. Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul stated what he conveyed to Trump: "They have to pull their troops to their borders, including removing the land mines." He informed Trump that Thailand was not responsible for initiating the conflict. "They have to prove it to us " The Cambodian leaders asserted that they must keep fighting to defend their sovereignty.
Trump refrained from leveraging tariff threats to enforce compliance from both parties, unlike in July when disputes initially arose. Thailand instructed the US to refrain from associating trade issues with the conflict happening along their borders. This lack of pressure from the US might indicate that Trump wields limited influence in this matter.
Fatalities Increase As Bombing Strikes Persist
On Saturday, an additional four soldiers from Thailand lost their lives amid exchanges of bombs and artillery fire between the two sides. Thailand reports that since Monday, 15 of its soldiers have been killed and 270 soldiers have sustained injuries. The clashes, across six provinces of Thailand, also resulted in six Thai civilians being hurt.
Defence ministry spokesperson: "On Saturday, Thailand’s F-16s dropped a total of seven bombs on the hotels and the bridge.” The Cambodian Defence Ministry reported on Friday that a minimum of 11 civilians have died and 59 more have been harmed since the conflict began. Thailand stated on Saturday that multiple civilians sustained injuries from rocket attacks from the opposing side in their area.
The conflicts are occurring in six northwestern provinces of the nation. Both sides use artillery, rockets and air assaults. Cambodia conducts rocket attacks in retaliation for Thailand's air raids. The Thai military confirms that combat continued all day Saturday despite an alleged ceasefire pact. Cambodia has stopped providing updates on its casualties.
Border Conflict Has a History of More Than 100 Years
For over a hundred years, both countries have disputed their 800km boundary. This border was drawn by cartographers in 1907 during the period when France held colonial authority in Cambodia. Currently, each country interprets the colonial maps differently, with both parties asserting ownership over certain territories along the border.
Nevertheless, the ongoing dispute intensified on July 24 when Cambodia launched rocket attacks against Thailand, prompting air strikes by Thailand. Each side accuses the other of initiating the hostilities. After escalated clashes resulting in dozens of fatalities in July, both countries consented to an " unconditional ceasefire" brokered by Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. This agreement was formalised in October during a ceremony in Malaysia attended by Trump.
Nevertheless, both sides immediately accused one another of breaching the ceasefire deal. Thailand showed videos of troops laying land mines by the border. This led to seven Thai soldiers losing limbs after triggering these mines. Cambodia refutes Thailand's assertion that they were placing mines along the border, stating that the mines were laid during their own internal conflict in the 1980s.
This week, Thailand carried out air raids in Cambodia following an incident on Sunday where their soldiers were wounded in a fight. At least 700,000 individuals have had to flee from both sides of the border as a result. Residents close to the border were gathering their belongings to take with them. Several sought refuge with family members, while others found accommodation in government-established shelters. Schools and businesses near the border were closed down.
To know more about such border disputes from around the world, check out Inspirepreneur Magazine.
At Inspirepreneurs Magazine, covering entrepreneurship, business failures, and the human stories behind the world's most ambitious founders. She writes at the intersection of strategy and storytelling.
