Cambodia-Thailand Border Conflict Escalates: Dozens Dead, 10s Of 1000s Displaced

The latest military escalation between Thailand and Cambodia along their disputed border which began Thursday, has marked the most severe confrontation between the two nations in over a decade, with dozens killed and tens of thousands displaced. Both sides are exchanging artillery, rockets, and airstrikes.

Cambodia has been accused of firing rockets into a Thai village and attacking a hospital, while Thailand has carried out air strikes on Cambodian military targets.

Thai F-16 fighter jets conducted airstrikes on Cambodian military targets, while Cambodia fired rockets and artillery into Thai territory. The fighting occurred in at least six areas, including near the ancient Ta Muen Thom temple.

Cambodia on Friday accused Thailand of using banned cluster munitions at a border area within Cambodian territory, in what it said was a repeat of "brutal tactics" Thailand employed during clashes in 2011. 

Thailand has closed its entire border with Cambodia after telling all its nationals there to leave. The checkpoint at Chanthaburi has been temporarily opened for cross-border movement from 09:00 to 15:00 daily. Cambodia has in turn downgraded its ties with Bangkok which they accuse of using "excessive force."

Both countries expelled each other's ambassadors, and Cambodia downgraded its diplomatic ties with Thailand, accusing it of "excessive force."

More than 2,000 Cambodians have returned to their home country via the Thai town of Chanthaburi.

Droves of people have crowded up the checkpoint, waiting for their turn to cross over, photographs published by Bangkok Post show. Also seen there are trucks piled high with bags and boxes of belongings.

Thai authorities have denied Cambodia's allegations that its army bombed Preah Vihear Temple, a Unesco World Heritage Site that both countries had laid claim to before an ICC ruling that gave Cambodia sovereignity over it.

"The accusation by the Cambodian side that Preah Vihear Temple was damaged by the Thai attack is a clear distortion of the facts," the Thai army said on Friday.

Cambodia had accused Thailand of causing "significant damage" to the site with its "indiscriminate attacks, involving shelling and aerial bombardment".

Unesco has several conventions in place to prevent damage and destruction to sites it recognises.

"Thailand's aggressive actions not only endanger sites that form part of the shared heritage of humanity, but also reflect a blatant disregard for its international legal obligations," Phnom Penh had said.

In several strongly-worded posts on social media on Thursday, Thailand's suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra condemned what she called Cambodia's "act of aggression" along the Thai border.

"The current situation is no longer about diplomacy or negotiation," she said in one of them.

Thailand had earlier "made every effort to engage in diplomatic dialogue", she said, adding that she "fully supports all responsive actions" taken by Thai authorities.

Thailand's acting prime minister Phumtham Wechayachai on Friday warned that the conflict "could escalate into a state of war" - notable escalation of his rhetoric from Thursday, when he described the situation as a "clash".

The confrontation now involves heavy weapons, he added. Cambodia has meanwhile accused Thailand of using banned cluster munitions at a border area within Cambodian territory.

Thailand's foreign ministry said that it is against third-party mediation of its conflict with neighbour Cambodia. The chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, had earlier offered to facilitate talks between the two countries.

The long-running dispute between Thailand and Cambodia dates back more than a century, when the borders of the two nations were drawn after the French occupation of Cambodia.

The conflict is rooted in a century-old dispute over the border, particularly around the Emerald Triangle, where the borders of Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos meet. The dispute has flared up periodically, with the most recent escalation following a landmine explosion that injured five Thai soldiers.

Things officially became hostile in 2008, when Cambodia tried to register an 11th Century temple located in the disputed area as a Unesco World Heritage Site - a move that was met with heated protest from Thailand.

Over the years there have been sporadic clashes that have seen soldiers and civilians killed on both sides.

The latest tensions ramped up in May after a Cambodian soldier was killed in a clash. This plunged bilateral ties to their lowest point in more than a decade.

In the past two months, both countries have imposed border restrictions on one another. They have each also strengthened troop presence along the border.

Brewing tensions erupted into a deadly battle at the border on Thursday, with Thailand and Cambodia each accusing the other of firing the first shots.

Several countries have warned against travelling to areas close to the Thai-Cambodian border in light of the ongoing clashes.

The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office specified the Preah Vihear, Ta Moan and Ta Krabey temples among places that have been in dispute between Thailand and Cambodia.

"Take extra care when traveling in this area, and follow the instructions of the local authorities," the office said.

Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and the US have also updated their travel advisories to urge travellers to avoid areas where troops are engaged in armed conflict.

Hong Kong and China have issued amber alerts, the lowest of three levels used for places with "signs of threat."

The US, China, Australia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have all called for the fighting to stop.

The UN Secretary-General urged both sides to exercise restraint and resolve the issue through dialogue. Cambodia requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, which was held behind closed doors in New York.