Thai-Cambodian clashes along border after months of building tensions

On Thursday July 24, Cambodia and Thai forces clashed for over 8 hours. This is after a Thai soldier was maned by a mine planted on what is claimed as Thai territory at Ta Muen Thom Temple in Surin province.

Early on the morning of July 24 Cambodian drones were seen circling over Ta Muen Thom Temple area. Cambodian troops then allegedly opened fire on Thai troops at the temple in a skirmish that lasted over an hour. Sporadic fire erupted all along the Thai-Cambodia border, up to the Emerald Triangle, being the border between Lao-Thai-Cambodia. By 9.30am Cambodian artillery fire started hitting houses in the Kantharalak Distrist in Sisaket province. BM-21 rockets were forced by the Cambodians from a base in Khao Laem Hill in Cambodia, hitting 6 km south in the Chong Chom border town in Thailand. Rocket attacks from Cambodia also opened up upon border areas in Surin, Ubon Ratchatthani, and Sisaket provinces.

Cambodian troops attempted to enter into Thailand. The Thais responded with artillery fire. At 11.00 am the Thai Air Force sent in F-16 fighter jets to attack Cambodian military bases.

As a result of the battles along the border, a hospital in Surin province was hit by Cambodian missiles, a PTT Petrol Station was hit in Kantharalak, and residential areas in Sisaket, Surin were hit by rockets and artillery. The government has called for Thais to evacuate some adjacent border areas, where hotels in towns like Buriram, Surin, Sisaket, and Ubom Ratchatthani are full. Many businesses and affected areas have closed until further notice.

On the Thai side there are reports of 14 dead and many more injured, mainly civilians. Cambodian territory opposite the Thai border areas has a sparse population and there have so been no casualties reported.

Militaries in control of dispute

Both the Cambodian and Thai civilian governments have little direct control of the situation. There is a civilian power vacuum in the border dispute as decisions and operations are in the hands of others.

On the Cambodian side, all military action is under the direction of Senate President Hun Sen, who has created a war room in his office. Cambodia prime minister Hun Manet, who is Hun Sen's son has stayed out of the issue to date.

On the Thai side, all military activities are under the direct control of 2^nd Army commander Lt General Boonsin Padklang. The civilian prime minister Paetongan Shinawatra has restricted herself to making comments from Bangkok.

There is doubt whether any diplomatic activity or initiatives would be effective at this early stage of the conflict due to divorced command and control from the civilian heads of government.

Causes of the conflict

The Thai-Cambodian border has always had a low base of friction since the Preach Vihear Temple dispute, where a battle was fought back in 2011. The walk-through border at the temple complex had never been reopened since that dispute, even though there had been a number of negotiations.

Back in May, there have been a number of nationalist groups from both Thailand and Cambodia visit the Ta Muen Thom Temple, leading to a soldier being shot. Since, May the Thais have been sporadically closing the land borders between Thailand and Cambodia leading to local traders having difficulties running their businesses with no customers. Border markets were often empty.

There has been a concerted effort by Thai military authorities to cripple scamming operations and money laundering activities on the Cambodian side of the border. These activities have been centered around Poi Pet border, where Thai authorities cut hidden underground electricity and communications cables with Thailand. There is some conjecture about who actually owns these illegal operations. Some reports say members of the Thai political establishment, while others say the Cambodian establishment.

At another level is a feud between Hun Sen's family and Thaksin Shinawatra's family. There has been a very public falling out, where Hun Sen leaked a phone call between himself and Thaksin's daughter and prime minister Paetongan Shinawatra, where she was alleged to have been critical of the Thai 2^nd Army commander. Many Thais called for Paetongan to resign because of her 'treasonous talk'.

Others say the military action is a convenient excuse for the Thai military to retake control of the Thai government, although this has been denied. What happens over the next few days will be crucial. Rumors are everywhere, including a rumor of a Thai invasion of border areas of Cambodia. Fortunately, in many places, the border cliff running along this area creates a natural barrier against major troop movements.

The skirmishes may subside over the next few days, but the underlying tensions will not be resolved.