Tens of thousands of people have been forced to flee as violent clashes between Thailand and Cambodia continued for a third day on Saturday, pushing the death toll to 32 and sparking concerns of a prolonged conflict.
The U.N. Security Council held an emergency closed-door session Friday night in New York, while Malaysia — which currently chairs the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) — urged both sides to halt hostilities and offered to mediate.
Although no formal statement was issued, a diplomat familiar with the meeting said all 15 Security Council members urged restraint and called for a peaceful resolution. The Council also supported ASEAN’s role in helping end the border violence.
Cambodia’s U.N. Ambassador Chhea Keo told reporters that his government was seeking an immediate and unconditional ceasefire and emphasized peaceful negotiations. In response to claims that Cambodia initiated the attacks, he questioned how a small country without an air force could possibly attack a larger and more powerful military like Thailand’s.
UN Calls for Calm as Casualties Mount
Keo said the Security Council encouraged both nations to exercise maximum restraint, aligning with Cambodia’s own stance. Thailand’s U.N. representative did not speak to reporters after the meeting.
According to Thailand’s Health Ministry, over 58,000 people have fled to emergency shelters in four border provinces. Cambodian authorities reported evacuating more than 23,000 people from affected areas on their side.
Thailand has reported 19 deaths, mostly civilians, while Cambodia raised its own toll to 13 on Saturday.
Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai accused Cambodia of war crimes, citing civilian casualties and damage to a hospital. He insisted that Thailand had shown “extreme restraint” in response to provocations.
Land Mine Blast Sparks Fresh Fighting
The recent escalation began Wednesday when a land mine explosion injured five Thai soldiers along the disputed border. By early Friday, fighting erupted in several locations, including near the contested Ta Muen Thom temple.
The Thai military said Cambodian forces fired heavy artillery and Russian-made BM-21 rockets. Thailand responded with what it called proportionate defensive fire. The Thai army reported six soldiers and 13 civilians killed, with dozens more wounded. Cambodia said seven civilians and five soldiers were also killed in the recent clashes.
Cambodia’s Education Ministry said two Thai rockets hit a school in Oddar Meanchey province Friday, though no injuries were reported. All schools in the province were closed as a precaution.
Thailand denied targeting civilian areas and accused Cambodia of placing weapons near populated zones to use civilians as shields.
Civilians Flee as Violence Spreads
With hostilities intensifying, residents on both sides of the border have been evacuating in large numbers.
In Surin, Thailand, about 600 evacuees gathered in a university gymnasium, resting on mats and waiting for food and water. Seamstress Pornpan Sooksai, who fled with her cats, described hearing sudden explosions while doing laundry near the border.
Another evacuee, Rattana Meeying, said the violence was worse than the 2011 border clashes. “I never imagined it would be this violent,” she said.
In nearby provinces, windows were shattered at hospitals and injured soldiers arrived by truck. Thousands more residents packed belongings onto motorbikes and trucks as evacuation orders were issued.
Across the border in Cambodia, villages near Oddar Meanchey stood empty, with many residents building makeshift bunkers or sheltering at remote temples. Some families fled in homemade tractors, while others, especially older men, refused to leave.
At one temple-turned-shelter, villagers rested in hammocks or under plastic tents, surrounded by rice fields. “I want both governments to negotiate,” said 74-year-old farmer Veng Chin. “I want to go back to my home and my farm.”
ASEAN Urges Ceasefire, Offers Mediation
Though ASEAN members rarely engage in direct armed conflict, tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have flared intermittently, and Thailand has had previous skirmishes with neighboring Myanmar.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said both governments had agreed in principle to a ceasefire and troop withdrawal but requested more time to implement it. He said he had spoken with both Thai and Cambodian leaders and offered Malaysia’s support for mediation.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres also appealed for restraint and emphasized resolving the dispute through diplomacy.
Longstanding Border Dispute Reignites
The 800-kilometer (500-mile) border between Thailand and Cambodia has long been disputed, but past confrontations have typically been short-lived. The last major flare-up in 2011 left 20 people dead.
The current conflict began in May when a Cambodian soldier died during a confrontation, worsening diplomatic tensions. After a land mine injured Thai troops earlier this week, Thailand shut the border and expelled Cambodia’s ambassador, sparking renewed violence along the frontier.