On Tuesday, December 9, renewed fighting along the Thailand-Cambodia border intensified as Thai forces moved to expel Cambodian troops detected inside Thai territory. This marks the latest flare-up along the 817-kilometer frontier, where disputes over ancient temples and undemarcated points have fueled clashes for over a century.
Each side has blamed the other for derailing the fragile five-day ceasefire brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump in July. At least six Cambodian civilians were killed overnight, according to Cambodia’s Defense Ministry, while Thailand reported one soldier killed and 18 wounded.
The Thai Navy said Cambodian forces had deployed snipers and heavy weapons in the coastal province of Trat, viewing these actions as "a direct and serious threat to Thailand’s sovereignty." Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet criticized the operation, saying Thailand must not attack civilian villages under the pretext of reclaiming sovereignty.
Monday’s clashes were the fiercest since July, when rocket exchanges killed at least 48 people and displaced 300,000. Thailand evacuated 438,000 residents across five provinces, and Cambodia moved hundreds of thousands to safety.
Tensions first spiked in May after a skirmish killed a Cambodian soldier, leading to a major troop buildup. During the ASEAN summit in Malaysia on October 26, both sides signed a joint peace declaration and began pulling back heavy weapons.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim warned that renewed fighting "risks unraveling the careful work that has gone into stabilizing relations" and urged leaders to return to a diplomatic path supported by international law. Former Malaysian transport minister Ong Tee Keat added that lasting peace requires trusted mediators and a focus on core border issues rather than temporary fixes.
As the region watches, observers say the immediate priorities are halting the clashes, protecting civilians, and reviving diplomatic dialogue to prevent another cycle of confrontation.
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Thailand-Cambodia conflict intensifies, spreads along disputed border
cgtn.com
