While the American president Donald Trumpmain international guarantor of the peace agreement signed in October between Thailand And Cambodiapublicly urged both parties to respect the commitments made under the ceasefire, the reality on the ground belied any hint of détente. The armies of these two neighbors Southeast Asia Fighting continued along the border.
Tuesday morning, authorities Bangkok They claim to have detected the presence of Cambodian forces on Thai territory, particularly in the southern province of Treatment. According to the official account, this incursion forced the Thai army to launch a “military operation” aimed at expelling foreign troops and reestablishing control of the area.
“Cambodian rockets, suicide drones and artillery shells hit three provinces in northeastern Thailand on Tuesday morning,” added a Thai army spokesperson.
Authorities in the Buddhist kingdom released images of damage caused by Cambodian artillery fire in a residential area in another province, Sa Kaeo. This, according to their version, testifies to an attack against civilians.
From Phnom PenhHowever, the proposed version was radically different. Cambodian authorities reported that two civilians were killed in overnight shelling by the Thai army and accused Bangkok of a deliberate escalation of the conflict.
Images broadcast by Cambodian state television showed rural roads clogged with huge traffic jams of cars, motorcycles, agricultural vehicles and trucks, amid mass evacuations from border areas considered high risk.
Almost identical scenes were experienced on the other side of the demarcation line, which stretches 817 kilometers. In Thailand, authorities reported the evacuation of around 438,000 civilians coming from five border provinces, while other residents chose to take refuge in makeshift bunkers or even in large concrete pipes used as emergency protection. The seriousness of the situation also forced the closure of several hospitals located in areas directly threatened by the fighting.
The two governments accuse each other of sparking hostilities over the weekend, in a conflict that intensified considerably on Monday after an air attack by the Thai army against military targets in Cambodian territory. This operation left at least four civilians dead.
“The army’s goal is to cripple Cambodia’s military capacity for a long period of time and thus ensure the safety of our children and grandchildren,” said Thai army chief of staff Gen. Chaipruak Doungprapat.
These clashes are the most intense since the exchange of missiles and artillery last July, during which at least 48 people lost their lives and some 300,000 were forced to leave their homes. This crisis was only contained after the direct mediation of Donald Trump, who promoted a ceasefire and then the signing of a peace agreement in October. The ceremony, which was held at Malaysia As a neutral country, it symbolized a commitment to reconciliation under American auspices.
However, the fragility of this agreement quickly became apparent. In November, the Thai Prime Minister, Anutin Charnvirakulannounced the unilateral suspension of the joint peace declaration, after accusing Cambodia of having placed anti-personnel mines on Thai territory. The explosion of one of them left several injured, including a soldier who lost a limb, provoking indignation among Thai public opinion and reviving old historical apprehensions.
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