Thailand-Cambodia border clash escalates: Air strikes continue, civilians displaced

Friends turned foes, Thailand and Cambodia are at war as border clashes continue on the second day. The dispute has killed at least 16 people so far, and thousands are being evacuated as the Thai acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai says "could move towards war". As the clashes gain momentum, over 1,00,000 civilians in the Ubon Ratchathani and Surin provinces of Thailand are displaced. About 1,500 families in Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province have been evacuated. 

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is the Chairman of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), appealed for an immediate ceasefire to the leaders of both countries. However, the fight continued throughout the night. 

Thailand's authorities say that about 14 civilians and one soldier have been killed in the conflict. Cambodia has said that one civilian in Oddar Meanchey has been killed. The rocket and artillery attacks on Thursday have instilled fear among the civilians in Thailand. 

World leaders from countries, including the USA, China, Australia, the European Union, and France, have called for peace among the neighboring nations. The US has called for an "immediate cessation of hostilities, protection of civilians, and a peaceful resolution of the conflict." US State Department Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said, "We are...gravely concerned by the escalating violence along the Thailand-Cambodia border, and deeply saddened by reports of harm to civilians."

According to UN Deputy Spokesman, Farhan Haq, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged both sides to "exercise maximum restraint and address any issues through dialogue." On Friday, the United Nations Security Council is also expected to meet and discuss the conflict.  

The conflict

Thailand and Cambodia have had a century-old dispute, ever since their borders were divided after the French occupation of Cambodia. The clashes have continued to exist across the 800-km frontier, with killings of soldiers and civilians from both sides, but never with weapons. 

However, it is still a rare instance in the countries across the ASEAN region. The latest tensions erupted after a Cambodian soldier was killed in May during the clash. It escalated within the last two days, hitting ties to the lowest in ten years. Thailand has claimed that the clash began when Cambodia's military deployed drones to conduct surveillance of the Thai troops positioned at the border. While the Cambodian Government says that the conflict was initiated by Thai soldiers, as they violated the prior agreement by penetrating near the border at the Khmer-Hindu temple.