Cambodia on Thursday evacuated hundreds of residents from Prey Chan village along its disputed border with Thailand, a day after a villager was killed in cross-border shooting.
The incident follows a land mine blast two days earlier that injured a Thai soldier, prompting Thailand to blame Cambodia and suspend parts of a ceasefire partly brokered by former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Ly Sovannarith, vice governor of Banteay Meanchey province, said about 250 families were relocated to a Buddhist temple 30 kilometers from the border. Three others were also wounded in Wednesday’s shooting. The same village witnessed a tense but non-lethal confrontation between Thai forces and Cambodian villagers in September.
Cambodia’s Defense Ministry deployed a monitoring team, including ASEAN officials, to oversee the ceasefire. Prime Minister Hun Manet called for an independent investigation into the shooting and accused Thai forces of repeated provocative actions aimed at instigating conflict. “Cambodia will still honor the ceasefire terms,” he said.
Thailand’s army claimed Cambodian soldiers fired into its Sa Kaeo district and described the use of civilians as cover as a violation of humanitarian principles.
Border tensions between Cambodia and Thailand date back centuries and involve disputes over territory and historical sites, including the Preah Vihear temple. An October truce has yet to resolve these longstanding issues.