At least 19 people have been killed and about 500,000 displaced on both sides of the Thailand-Cambodia border, as the conflict between them enters its fourth day after the Donald Trump-brokered ASEAN ceasefire deal began breaking down in November.
The two nations have been trading barbs over violations of international law ahead of Trump’s phone call with their leaders that he claims would bring about peace in the region again. While Cambodia claims that ten people (including civilians) died in the recent clashes, Thailand’s military announced that nine of its soldiers died.
Here are five of the latest developments in the conflict:
1) A Cambodian government spokesperson has called out the Thai military over its “brutal aggression” on Wednesday, when it claimed that the latter had opened fire in many civilian areas—such as the Prey Chan village in the Banteay Meanchey province—and had also destroyed the Takrabay and Preah Vihear temples as well.
2) In response to the temple attack allegations, the Thai military pointed out that it was merely retaliating, and that Cambodia had violated international law by “intentionally” using a historical site as a “military base of operations”, as per an Al Jazeera report.
3) Thai F-16 fighter jets on Thursday bombed a casino in Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey province, and also used heavy artillery to destroy an oil depot that they suspected was allegedly used as a “launch site for Cambodian suicide drones, and a BM-21 rocket refuelling point”.
4) Cambodia has formally asked the UN Security Council to take urgent action over what it claims are “a series of unprovoked and escalating armed attacks” by Thai forces along the 817-kilometre colonial-era border.
5) Thailand has reacted to news of Trump’s phone call with less enthusiasm this time, as it has insisted that the matter was for the two nations to solve amongst themselves. Cambodia, however, has sought international mediation.
Almost 20 dead, 500,000 displaced as Thailand-Cambodia conflict rages on | 5 UPDATES
