Thailand-Cambodia Tensions: UNESCO Site Caught in Crossfire Amid Escalating Conflict

At least 14 Thais have been killed, while over 100,000 people have fled amid escalating border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia, Bangkok said on Friday, as per local media reports.

Bangkok Post cited the Thai interior ministry as saying that over 100,000 people from four border provinces of the country had been moved to nearly 300 temporary shelters, while the kingdom’s health ministry announced that the death toll had risen to 14—thirteen civilians and one soldier.

Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has warned that clashes with Cambodia “could develop into war,” but added, “For now it remains limited to clashes.”

Both Cambodia and Thailand Accuse Each Other Of Targeting Ancient Temple

Thailand’s Royal Army has denied reports from Cambodia that it targeted an ancient Hindu temple in the Cambodian province of Preah Vihear, which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

In 2013, a UN court ruled in favor of Cambodia in a long-running dispute with Thailand over the jurisdiction of land around the ancient temple, fueling tensions between Phnom Penh and Bangkok.

Exchanges of gunfire, shelling, and rocket fire marked the fighting that began on July 24 in the long-disputed border areas.

Both nations accused each other of starting the military clashes and have downgraded their diplomatic relations since Wednesday.

The UN Security Council is set to hold an emergency meeting on the crisis on Friday, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urging both countries to exercise maximum restraint, as per a UN spokesperson.

Will Both Nations Declare War Against Each Other?

Thailand and Cambodia have frequently clashed over their shared land border, a dispute that remains unresolved due to competing territorial claims dating back to the French colonial era.

The Cambodian Senate has expressed its strongest condemnation of the “intentional and illicit military aggression” by Thailand, stating that the Thai strikes were reported to have caused widespread damage to pagodas and temples.

According to the Cambodian news outlet, PhnomPenh Post, there have been no official reports of casualties in Cambodia, but a 70-year-old Buddhist clergyman was reportedly killed when a Thai F-16 fighter dropped bombs on Oddar Meanchey province’s Ta Mone Senchey pagoda in Banteay Ampil district. The US-made fighter jet also reportedly bombed a nearby health center, the Phnom Penh Post reported.

Thailand’s National Broadcasting Service said that the Thai government is ordering all agencies to provide urgent assistance to citizens affected by the border conflict, with schools being closed and an agricultural war room established.

 (Inputs From ANI)

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