The renewed border clashes between Cambodia and Thailand have driven tens of thousands of people away from the border areas, with the Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen vowing a fierce fight.
According to an AFP report, almost 180,000 Thai nationals have been evacuated from the border as the fighting with Cambodia enters its fourth day.
The fighting erupted again following a skirmish on Sunday that injured two Thai soldiers. It has derailed a ceasefire pushed by US President Donald Trump, which ended fighting over territorial disputes in July.
The five days of fighting in July left dozens dead on both sides and forced the evacuation of over 100,000 civilians.
Thailand and Cambodia vow not to back down
In a sign that neither side was willing to back down, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul stated on Tuesday that Cambodia had not yet contacted Thailand regarding possible negotiations, and the fighting would continue.
“We’ve got to do what we’ve got to do. The government will support all kinds of military operations as planned earlier,” Charnvirakul was quoted by AFP as saying.
{{/usCountry}}“We’ve got to do what we’ve got to do. The government will support all kinds of military operations as planned earlier,” Charnvirakul was quoted by AFP as saying.
{{/usCountry}}He had said on Monday that military action was necessary to safeguard the nation’s sovereignty and ensure public safety.
Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen claimed in a statement posted to Facebook and Telegram that his country had refrained from retaliating on Monday but had begun firing back at Thai forces overnight.
“Cambodia wants peace, but Cambodia is forced to fight back to defend its territory,” Hun Sen wrote. He was Prime Minister until 2023, when he was succeeded by his son, Hun Manet, but is still widely seen as the country’s de facto leader.
What do the militaries say?
Thailand’s military said Cambodia attacked Thai positions with artillery, rockets, and drone attacks on Tuesday, AFP reported. Thailand said that Cambodian forces also fired at its troops Sunday and Monday, but each side blames the other for shooting first.
Cambodia’s military said the same day that the new fighting had killed seven civilians and wounded 20. A Thai military spokesperson told the news agency that three soldiers have been killed.
Thailand carried out airstrikes along the frontier on Monday, which it called a defensive action targeting military installations. Thai military spokesperson Rear Admiral Surasant Kongsiri said on Tuesday that such operations would continue “until attacks stop.”
Civilians flee the border
Civilians on both sides are fleeing the border as Thailand announced that it had evacuated 180,000 of its citizens out of the frontier zone, AFP reported.
An evacuation shelter at a university in Thailand's northeastern city of Surin hosted more than 3,600 people who were relocated from the danger zones. They sat or lay on thin mats, and several set up small tents. At lunchtime, some lined up to receive cooked rice, while others were served ready-to-eat meals. An army band played for their entertainment.
Cambodian Information Minister Neth Pheaktra said almost 55,000 people have been evacuated, and the numbers were mounting.
Donald Trump to make a phone call
Late on Tuesday at a Pennsylvania political event, US President Donald Trump said he would use his influence to end the renewed conflict.
“Tomorrow I’ll have to make a phone call,” Trump said. “Who else could say, ‘I’m going to make a phone call and stop a war of two very powerful countries, Thailand and Cambodia?’” he said during the rally.
The ceasefire that ended July’s fighting was brokered by Malaysia and pushed through by pressure from Trump, who threatened to withhold trade privileges from the two nations unless they agreed to it.
Thailand and Cambodia have a history of enmity spanning centuries and experience periodic tensions along their nearly 800-kilometre land border. Centuries ago both were powerful empires, but Thailand's size and greater development over the past century give it the military advantage.