100,000 on the run
New battles at the border between Thailand and Cambodia
The escalation of violence on the border between Thailand and Cambodia is also more and more concerned internationally. More than 100,000 people are on the run.
Fire battles have flared up in the controversial border region between Thailand and Cambodia. “Warning: Currently there are clashes in several border areas,” said the Thai army on Facebook in the morning. According to the Ministry of the Interior in Bangkok, more than 100,000 residents from four northeastern provinces (Ubon Ratchani, Sa Ket, Surin and Buriram) have had to be safe since Thursday. Around 300 evacuation centers were opened for them.
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 were asked to avoid the area. But there are already dead and injuries – on both sides.
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. Among other things, a petrol station and a hospital were hit. It is still unclear who opened the fire: both sides accuse each other. According to media reports, Thailand is said to have flown air strikes again on Friday.
According to the government in Bangkok, the number of fatalities in Thailand has now increased to at least 15 – 14 civilians and a soldier. 46 people were injured, including more than 30 civilians. 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 in the Cambodian province of Oddar Manchey, a 70-year-old clergyman also died in the bombing of a pagoda.
It has been the deadliest clashes for almost 15 years. In the case of severe battles in the border area, several dozen people were killed between 2008 and 2011 and many more were injured.
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. Above all, the dispute over 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.
Cambodia accused Thailand of damaging the controversial temple as part of the attacks. “The attacks, which included both artillery shot and air raids, have severely damaged the Holy site, which is of immense cultural, historical and spiritual importance for the Cambodian people,” said the Ministry of Culture.
The Thai military spokesman Winthai Suvari vehemently rejected the accusations. It was a “clear twisting of the facts,” it said in a message. The Thai army did not attack civilian areas, but only military positions.
The Thai Transfer Prime Minister Phumham Wechayachai confidently commented that the conflict would not expand into a war. “What we are experiencing now are armed clashes, not a war,” he said. Thailand is basically ready for discussions with the neighboring country. However, a stop of the Cambodian military operations must precede each dialogue.
How did the escalation come about?
In response to the battles, Thailand closed all border crossings to the neighboring country on Thursday. The dispute had recently moved back after a change of shooting between soldiers from both countries at the end of May. A Cambodian soldier was killed.
At the beginning of July, Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended by the office after being accused of possible violations of ethical principles in dealing with the border dispute. It was about a leaked phone call with Hun sen, the former long -term ministerial president and strong man in Cambodia. Critics accused her of shouting on Cambodia on the phone call and betraying her country. She herself explained that she tried to calm the tensions.
On Wednesday, several Thai soldiers were finally injured by the explosion of landmines in the controversial region. According to the army, one lost one leg. Thailand accuses the neighboring country of having recently laid the mines. The diplomatic relationships were then downgraded.
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. Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, whose country will be headed by the Southeast Asian community of Asean this year, also demanded possible 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
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.
