Escalation in Southeast Asia
New battles between Thailand and Cambodia-UN Security Council are eliminated
The battles between Thailand and Cambodia continue to escalate. At least 14 civilians were killed, a hundred thousand people had to flee. Now there is criticism.
On the border between Thailand and Cambodia, firefights broke out again in the morning. “Warning: Currently there are clashes in several border areas,” said the Thai army on Facebook. The newspaper “Khaosod” quoted a military spokesman with the words, Kambodcha is shooting Thailand at various border locations since 4:00 a.m. with field artillery and BM-21 rockets. Thailand react “accordingly,” it said. People in the region in the northeast of Thailand were asked to avoid the area.
The conflict between the two Southeast Asian neighbors, which has been smoldering for decades, was dangerously escalated on Thursday. After changing the fires on the border, the Thai military, according to combat jets, had used fighter jets against Cambodian positions. Cambodia reacted with artillery fire, also to residential areas.
According to the government in Bangkok, the number of fatalities in Thailand has now increased to 15 – 14 civilians and a soldier. 46 people were injured, including 31 civilians. According to the Interior Ministry, 100,000 residents from four provinces (Ubon Ratchani, Si Sa Ket, Surin and Buriram) were brought to safety in around 300 evacuation centers.
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According to reports from the Thai military, at least 24 Cambodian soldiers are said to have been killed. The newspaper “Phnom Penh Post” wrote that a 70-year-old clergyman also died in the bombing of a pagoda.
Why argue Thailand and Cambodia?
Both countries separate a more than 800 km long border, the course of which was still determined in the colonial period. The governments in Bangkok and Phnom Penh interpret this boundary difference. At the center of the dispute is the Temple Preah Vihear (presumably from the 10th to 12th centuries), which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008 and is claimed by both countries.
The controversial temple is said to have damaged the fighting: “The attacks, which included both artillery shot and air strikes, have badly damaged the sacred site, which is of immense cultural, historical and spiritual importance for the Cambodian people,” said the Ministry of Culture in Cambodia.
It remains unclear who started the fights. Both sides accuse themselves of having opened the fire. The Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet had asked the UN Security Council on Thursday to urgently convene a session to the “unprovoked, intentional and targeted attack on Cambodia”. The UN committee wants to come together on Friday evening (CEST) on the subject.
USA and UN demand the end of the fights
Meanwhile, the United States was “deeply concerned” about the situation at the border. “We are particularly worried about reports on the death of innocent civilians,” said a message published by the US embassy in Bangkok. “We urgently call for the immediate attitude of the attacks, the protection of the civilian population and a peaceful settlement of the disputes.”
UN Secretary General António Guterres demanded the greatest possible restraint of both sides. The problems would have to be solved in dialogue and in the spirit of good neighborhood. The Prime Minister of Malaysia, whose country will be headed by the Southeast Asian community of Asean this year, also demanded enforcement negotiations. Both countries are important members of the federal government. “Peace is the only option,” he said.
The Federal Foreign Office adapted its safety instructions. “Traveling to the border area with Cambodia is strongly advised,” says the website. Another escalation could not be excluded.
Dpa
CL
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
